best kelvin for HID's (fog lights/headlights)
Trending Topics
06-09-11, 07:36 AM
#12
The term "best" is ambiguous when applied to something subjective like this. It's still ambiguous if you define it as "most popular". The most popular temperature on the 2IS is 4300K, because that's stock, and the vast majority of people have stock HIDs. The most popular temperature higher than 4300K? There's no way to gauge this - it's all personal preference. I'm not sure why you'd want to base your decision on what's most prevalent on the street. When choosing temperature of HIDs, it's very simple: decide what color output you want, while keeping in mind that output brightness in lumens will decrease as you increase in temperature. Do you want purple HIDs with low lumen output? 10,000K. Do you want a brighter white/slight hint of blue with similar lumen output to stock? 5000K. Do you want pure blue with lower lumen output than stock? 6000K. So on and so on...
I will say that the aftermarket HID bulbs I see discussed most often on CL are 6000K because people like the pure blue look. However these come with tradeoffs - 1) they're dimmer than 4300K stocks (this is according to lumen output, no matter what people say they think they see), and 2) displaying blue lights from the front of a non-emergency vehicle in every state I know of is illegal. These statutes do not define color temperatures - they leave it up to the officer and judge to decide what's "blue" and what's not. I can tell you that I know multiple people, both personally and on CL, that have been ticketed for 6000K lights because they're blue.
I personally recommend 5000K, because it's a more pure white with a slight tint of blue, provides roughly the same lumen output as stock, and won't risk you getting ticketed. My review with pictures on a 2IS is here: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/lig...ount-code.html
I will say that the aftermarket HID bulbs I see discussed most often on CL are 6000K because people like the pure blue look. However these come with tradeoffs - 1) they're dimmer than 4300K stocks (this is according to lumen output, no matter what people say they think they see), and 2) displaying blue lights from the front of a non-emergency vehicle in every state I know of is illegal. These statutes do not define color temperatures - they leave it up to the officer and judge to decide what's "blue" and what's not. I can tell you that I know multiple people, both personally and on CL, that have been ticketed for 6000K lights because they're blue.
I personally recommend 5000K, because it's a more pure white with a slight tint of blue, provides roughly the same lumen output as stock, and won't risk you getting ticketed. My review with pictures on a 2IS is here: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/lig...ount-code.html
06-09-11, 07:43 AM
#13
Driver
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: PA
Posts: 131
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I just put in Garax 6K and they aren't even close to being blue IMO... I had one opposite a brand new Philips 42402 (OEM) bulb and there was only the slightest hint of blue if any. They were almost identical...
I'd also like to add that I can't see **** with these bulbs.
I'd also like to add that I can't see **** with these bulbs.
