Which bulbs should I get - 5000k or 4200k?

Johnny Utah

I'm thinking of changing my halogen headlight bulbs to Osram xenon effect bulbs. I'm looking for a crisp white look, but I'm not sure whether to get the 5000k or the 4200k bulbs.

I've read some reviews which say the Cool Blue Intense bulbs (4200k) still emit a hint of yellow.

Would the 5000k be too blue?




Osram Cool Blue Intense (4200k):

http://www.powerbulbs.com/eu/product/cool-blue-intense-h7-two-bulbs






Osram Hyper Blue (5000k):

http://www.powerbulbs.com/eu/product/cool-blue-hyper-h7-twin-pack

Matt Simis

The colour temp is relative, if you have any yellow lights (eg Parking Lights) on at the same time it will make the whiter light look bluer (and the yellow yellower). Saying that, 4200k wouldnt be considered a white look light in my book, 5k is perfect and 6k is the max you can push it. Above that and its all blue and purples.

Johnny Utah

Matt Simis wrote: »

The colour temp is relative, if you have any yellow lights (eg Parking Lights) on at the same time it will make the whiter light look bluer (and the yellow yellower). Saying that, 4200k wouldnt be considered a white look light in my book, 5k is perfect and 6k is the max you can push it. Above that and its all blue and purples.

Thanks, I'm going to change all headlight bulbs (including the sidelight bulbs). Is 5k the closest match to real xenons?

eth0

as low k as possible. horrible blue colour off them. 2700k is a nice colour, anything above 3500 starts to look bad like a cheap LED from China

dgt

Johnny Utah wrote: »

Thanks, I'm going to change all headlight bulbs (including the sidelight bulbs). Is 5k the closest match to real xenons?

This should answer that question


Or to translate that in reality they look like


Don't go lower than 4350K or it will be yellow. For example, here's my old Seicento with 3500K bulbs

Fishtits

This whole episode is crap unless you have xenon designed lamps and dynamic control.

tossy

Fishtits wrote: »

This whole episode is crap unless you have xenon designed lamps and dynamic control.

What's dynamic control? sounds like a real motor industry buzz word

sean1141

Fishtits wrote: »

This whole episode is crap unless you have xenon designed lamps and dynamic control.

The op is fitting upgraded standard bulbs not a hid kit

Johnny Utah

dgt wrote: »

This should answer that question


Or to translate that in reality they look like


Don't go lower than 4350K or it will be yellow. For example, here's my old Seicento with 3500K bulbs

Ok, so it looks like 5k is the best for a pure white light. The only thing is the bulbs themselves seem to have a blue coating on them and it also says that they are not road legal?

http://www.powerbulbs.com/product/cool-blue-hyper-h7-twin-pack


http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-OSRAM-H7-COOL-BLUE-HYPER-5000K-BLUE-BULBS-NOT-ROAD-LEGAL-/310393869684?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item4844ea9574


The 5k bulbs will definitely be pure white as opposed to being white with a hint of blue?

Johnny Utah

I've just realised that I can't get the Osram Hyper Blue (5k) in H11 fog light bulbs, so I guess I'll just go with the Cool Blue Intense...

Matt Simis

eth0 wrote: »

as low k as possible. horrible blue colour off them. 2700k is a nice colour, anything above 3500 starts to look bad like a cheap LED from China

I think you might want to get your eyes looked at, there are conditions that cause excessive colour tinting! 2700k is just above sunrise and below even (the now standard) Halogen bulbs, which are pretty yellow! 2700k is what I imagine bulbs in the 70s looked like.

Voodoomelon

I have 4200k and regret getting them, purely from an aesthetic point of view. They look exactly the same as the H7s I replaced. However, they do have a whiter beam. I'd go with 5000k.

dgt

Johnny Utah wrote: »

I've just realised that I can't get the Osram Hyper Blue (5k) in H11 fog light bulbs, so I guess I'll just go with the Cool Blue Intense...

If I were you and getting bulbs again, I'd try to get something along the 6000K mark. My dad had 8000K bulbs in his old Ducato, you could pick it out a mile away :pac: but gave poor lighting. I use 6000K HID's in my car and I find the lighting to be quite good



Only pic I have, have a video of them warming up though

Mycroft H

^ Glad to see someone else's shed is as messy :P

Anyways, I don't like blue bulbs, they look naff IMO. Yellow look the part on older french motors but little else, but I generally prefer something in the 4000k range. The standard halogen headlamp.

Johnny Utah

Okay, I was about to buy the 5k bulbs, but after a bit of research it seems a lot of people have problems with visibility in the rain when using 5k bulbs. Some people report that 5k bulbs are pretty much useless in the rain on a dark road! :eek:


Anyone else have this problem with 5k bulbs?

wonski

Johnny Utah wrote: »

Okay, I was about to buy the 5k bulbs, but after a bit of research it seems a lot of people have problems with visibility in the rain when using 5k bulbs. Some people report that 5k bulbs are pretty much useless in the rain on a dark road! :eek:


Anyone else have this problem with 5k bulbs?

I don't have problems with any of those, i just use regular bulbs and these do the job. Have to point it out not to make a decision based on photos of headlights...
Unless pictures were taken professsionally(white balance adjusted properly, proper filters etc), the picture you see has nothing to do with the reality of those lights.

Johnny Utah

wonski wrote: »

I don't have problems with any of those, i just use regular bulbs and these do the job. Have to point it out not to make a decision based on photos of headlights...
Unless pictures were taken professsionally(white balance adjusted properly, proper filters etc), the picture you see has nothing to do with the reality of those lights.

Yeah, I've never had problems either with regular bulbs, but I've just read a lot of negative feedback from people about poor to no visibility with the 5k xenon-look bulbs in the rain.

dougie-lampkin

Johnny Utah wrote: »

Okay, I was about to buy the 5k bulbs, but after a bit of research it seems a lot of people have problems with visibility in the rain when using 5k bulbs. Some people report that 5k bulbs are pretty much useless in the rain on a dark road! :eek:


Anyone else have this problem with 5k bulbs?

Do you think that covering a bulb in a blue film will make it brighter?

If you want performing lights, get a set of Nightbreakers. If you want aesthetic lights, get the blue bulbs. If you want both, go for a projector retrofit with HIDs.

wonski

Johnny Utah wrote: »

Yeah, I've never had problems either with regular bulbs, but I've just read a lot of negative feedback from people about poor to no visibility with the 5k xenon-look bulbs in the rain.

They should stick to the factory bulbs then. No need to buy any of those super performance/bright/blue/light bulbs really.
Not to mention some 5k/7k/3.5k xenon-like bulbs!
Buy a proper car with xenon lights, or stick to whatever is there.
Those xenons light are a reaL pet hate of mine!!!

Media999

Johnny Utah wrote: »

Okay, I was about to buy the 5k bulbs, but after a bit of research it seems a lot of people have problems with visibility in the rain when using 5k bulbs. Some people report that 5k bulbs are pretty much useless in the rain on a dark road! :eek:


Anyone else have this problem with 5k bulbs?

Never heard that now. I got 6000k from http://www.xenons.ie and they do the job nicely. Nice shade of white and lots of vision.

Johnny Utah

Media999 wrote: »

Never heard that now. I got 6000k from http://www.xenons.ie and they do the job nicely. Nice shade of white and lots of vision.

Just to clarify, I'm interested in getting xenon-look halogen bulbs, not a HID xenon kit.

If you google "Osram Cool Blue Hyper + rain" you will see a lot of people have visibility problems in the rain with 5k bulbs.