Aftermarket vs. OEM - The case of HID bulbs - High-Intensity

**LightWerkz** · 10-26-2007, 02:29 PM

So, is there a difference?

An HIDPlanet member sparked a discussion saying that aftermarket bulbs are junk, and they will not produce the same results as OEM.

I believe the answer lies in the quality of the aftermarket bulb itself.

We know that OEM bulbs must pass through all the quality standards to meet up to regulation, which makes nearly all OEM bulbs really good.....But some of the aftermarket bulbs are made by cutting corners which will results in a poorly made bulb which will give inferior quality of light compared to OEM.

The experiment...
Anyways, Ive come to my own conclusion that for the majority aftermarket bulbs can be inconsistent between output and size however the ones I have here in stock have actually exceeded my expectations and dont have any negative traits as far as I can see.

The size is nearly indentical & the output was good on both bulbs, I'd have a tough time determining which was aftermarket and which was oem if I was just looking at output alone.

I would like to add that I waited till both bulbs were fully lined up and that these pictures were taken in a manual settings mode so there are no variations in exposure.

Your thoughts?

EclipseRetro · 10-26-2007, 05:00 PM

Nice comparison! I would say output is more or less the same. I would also speculate that the main difference between OEM and aftermarket equipment (bulbs and ballasts alike) lies not in the output but in the longevity.

**LightWerkz** · 10-26-2007, 06:58 PM

Definitely longevity is something to consider, but thats something hard to test. And I would think the OEM would outlast the Aftermarket, but whos to say?

benit0 · 10-26-2007, 07:12 PM

the person that tests it, lol.

2black2box · 10-29-2007, 08:01 AM

They do look the same. The after market bulb almost looks as if it is a brighter white than the OEM bulb. Maybe a pinch in Kelvin difference...

**LightWerkz** · 10-29-2007, 10:03 AM

Well, 85122+ are known for being pretty yellow...and yes the aftermarket can have an inconsistent kelvin rating..

vingavina · 10-30-2007, 10:46 PM

how much longer would the oem last than the aftermarket? on average?

2black2box · 10-31-2007, 05:30 PM

I would guess longer due to the quality of OEM compared to after-market; but I wouldn't think one would know the answer to that question unless a true test was done on both over a period of time.

bbest86 · 12-17-2007, 06:06 PM

good comparison

nissan_maxima · 01-02-2008, 06:16 PM

Looks to me like the aftermarket is MUCH brighter than the 85122+, almost looks like it's on a boosted ballast compared to the Philips, (exaggeration LOL). I guess it could just be my eyes interpreting the whiter colour as brighter, but looking at the poles confirms that the aftermarket is brighter. Were you running the same ballast and projector for both?

lawwailok · 01-03-2008, 02:38 AM

well, i guess aftermarket bulbs are ok, but only down side is most manufacture don't have good quality control on bulbs, came out color doesn't really match

**LightWerkz** · 01-07-2008, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nissan_maxima

Looks to me like the aftermarket is MUCH brighter than the 85122+, almost looks like it's on a boosted ballast compared to the Philips, (exaggeration LOL). I guess it could just be my eyes interpreting the whiter colour as brighter, but looking at the poles confirms that the aftermarket is brighter. Were you running the same ballast and projector for both?

Yes same ballast. The light looks whiter for sure. I used a bosch ballast and let both bulbs warm before taking the pictures.

liljohnny · 01-24-2008, 02:26 AM

I think the greatest difference would be in consistency. No two AM bulbs will be the same. I'd like to see a comparison between to AM bulbs of the same temp. other than that, I'd speculate that as others have suggested, the AM bulbs longevity is questionable...

John

TeKiZeRo · 01-25-2008, 03:30 AM

I have both the AM bulb and Philips Ultinon 6000K and I can tell the consistency is a little off within the AM bulbs =/. They are slightly brighter, but I am picky.

r12rex · 02-07-2008, 12:34 PM

Nice comparo!

jdubya301 · 02-11-2008, 03:11 PM

sweet comparison! i would personally go with oem, my aftermarket 6000k bulbs were definitely 2 different colors

**Alex** · 02-14-2008, 12:05 PM

I'll be experimenting with aftermarket 5000k bulbs here soon, so Ill post up an conclusive finding.

AV6NHBP6SPD · 03-12-2008, 09:26 AM

imo its hit or miss with aftermarket, i had good and bad experience with those

cdub · 03-12-2008, 11:03 PM

when I do my retro I think I'll go oem for peace of mind.
Alex do u have any pics of the 5000k bulbs yet?

AV6NHBP6SPD · 03-26-2008, 11:46 AM

i think that output would make difference.
compare philips DL50 which are 50W bulbs and aftermarket 55W bulbs, at same color temp philips output about 700lumens more. so its quality i guess that matters. but then retro solutions hid kits(55W) claims that bulb life is 3500hours so i dont know.
im going with 55W ballasts but philips bulbs couse they output more

and if i think right at 55W philips bulbs will output 5800 lumens its its simple equation
5300lumens/50W=106Lumens/W
so if ballast is 55W then bulb should run at 55W as well
Lumens=Lumens/W * W
therefore
55W*106=5830lumens
i dont know how true this equation is though, im sure its more complicated then this

plus DL50 runs cooler then other 55W bulbs with same ballast as far as test results show(test was done either on this site or HIDplanet)

10-26-2007, 02:29 PM	#1
LightWerkz Registered Retrofitter Location: Clifton NJ Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 1,159 Setup: Quad TFX W/ Quad 60LED Angel Eyes Feedback: 100% (2)	Aftermarket vs. OEM - The case of HID bulbs So, is there a difference? An HIDPlanet member sparked a discussion saying that aftermarket bulbs are junk, and they will not produce the same results as OEM. I believe the answer lies in the quality of the aftermarket bulb itself. We know that OEM bulbs must pass through all the quality standards to meet up to regulation, which makes nearly all OEM bulbs really good.....But some of the aftermarket bulbs are made by cutting corners which will results in a poorly made bulb which will give inferior quality of light compared to OEM. The experiment... Anyways, Ive come to my own conclusion that for the majority aftermarket bulbs can be inconsistent between output and size however the ones I have here in stock have actually exceeded my expectations and dont have any negative traits as far as I can see. The size is nearly indentical & the output was good on both bulbs, I'd have a tough time determining which was aftermarket and which was oem if I was just looking at output alone. I would like to add that I waited till both bulbs were fully lined up and that these pictures were taken in a manual settings mode so there are no variations in exposure. Your thoughts? __________________ Caesar Rowinski - LightWerkz Questions regarding automotive lighting? Email: To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 20 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Web: To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 20 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. ...offering only the best in automotive lighting.

10-26-2007, 05:00 PM	#2
EclipseRetro Luminous Flux Location: Calgary Canada Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 68 Setup: TSX retrofit by Lightwerkz Feedback: 100% (1)	Nice comparison! I would say output is more or less the same. I would also speculate that the main difference between OEM and aftermarket equipment (bulbs and ballasts alike) lies not in the output but in the longevity. __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 20 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

10-26-2007, 06:58 PM	#3
LightWerkz Registered Retrofitter Location: Clifton NJ Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 1,159 Setup: Quad TFX W/ Quad 60LED Angel Eyes Feedback: 100% (2)	Definitely longevity is something to consider, but thats something hard to test. And I would think the OEM would outlast the Aftermarket, but whos to say? __________________ Caesar Rowinski - LightWerkz Questions regarding automotive lighting? Email: To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 20 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Web: To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 20 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. ...offering only the best in automotive lighting.

10-29-2007, 10:03 AM	#6
LightWerkz Registered Retrofitter Location: Clifton NJ Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 1,159 Setup: Quad TFX W/ Quad 60LED Angel Eyes Feedback: 100% (2)	Well, 85122+ are known for being pretty yellow...and yes the aftermarket can have an inconsistent kelvin rating.. __________________ Caesar Rowinski - LightWerkz Questions regarding automotive lighting? Email: To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 20 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Web: To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 20 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. ...offering only the best in automotive lighting.

01-02-2008, 06:16 PM	#10
nissan_maxima Luminous Energy Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 2 Feedback: 0% (0)	Looks to me like the aftermarket is MUCH brighter than the 85122+, almost looks like it's on a boosted ballast compared to the Philips, (exaggeration LOL). I guess it could just be my eyes interpreting the whiter colour as brighter, but looking at the poles confirms that the aftermarket is brighter. Were you running the same ballast and projector for both? Last edited by nissan_maxima; 01-02-2008 at 06:18 PM..

10-26-2007, 07:12 PM	#4
benit0 Luminous Flux Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 21 Feedback: 0% (0)	the person that tests it, lol.

10-29-2007, 08:01 AM	#5
2black2box Luminous Flux Location: Tampa, Florida Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 51 Setup: Bosch E46 retrofit with DOT shield and clear lens. FOR NOW! Feedback: 0% (0)	They do look the same. The after market bulb almost looks as if it is a brighter white than the OEM bulb. Maybe a pinch in Kelvin difference...

10-30-2007, 10:46 PM	#7
vingavina Luminous Energy Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 19 Setup: TFX-E46 shrouds Feedback: 0% (0)	how much longer would the oem last than the aftermarket? on average?

10-31-2007, 05:30 PM	#8
2black2box Luminous Flux Location: Tampa, Florida Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 51 Setup: Bosch E46 retrofit with DOT shield and clear lens. FOR NOW! Feedback: 0% (0)	I would guess longer due to the quality of OEM compared to after-market; but I wouldn't think one would know the answer to that question unless a true test was done on both over a period of time.

12-17-2007, 06:06 PM	#9
bbest86 Luminous Flux Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 22 Feedback: 0% (0)	good comparison

01-03-2008, 02:38 AM	#11
lawwailok Luminous Flux Location: Sacramento CA Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 33 Setup: AP1 S2K Feedback: 0% (0)	well, i guess aftermarket bulbs are ok, but only down side is most manufacture don't have good quality control on bulbs, came out color doesn't really match

01-24-2008, 02:26 AM	#13
liljohnny Luminous Flux Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 33 Setup: FX'x in a Sentra and SC430's in an Altima Feedback: 0% (0)	I think the greatest difference would be in consistency. No two AM bulbs will be the same. I'd like to see a comparison between to AM bulbs of the same temp. other than that, I'd speculate that as others have suggested, the AM bulbs longevity is questionable... John

01-25-2008, 03:30 AM	#14
TeKiZeRo Luminous Energy Location: San Diego Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 14 Setup: 55w >:] Feedback: 0% (0)	I have both the AM bulb and Philips Ultinon 6000K and I can tell the consistency is a little off within the AM bulbs =/. They are slightly brighter, but I am picky.

02-07-2008, 12:34 PM	#15
r12rex Luminous Flux Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 24 Feedback: 0% (0)	Nice comparo!

02-11-2008, 03:11 PM	#16
jdubya301 Luminous Energy Location: Scranton, PA/ Silver Spring, MD Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 9 Setup: clear fx35/usdm bugeye in progress+ hella ff1000 Feedback: 0% (0)	sweet comparison! i would personally go with oem, my aftermarket 6000k bulbs were definitely 2 different colors

02-14-2008, 12:05 PM	#17
Alex dayum, that ish is bright! Administrator Location: high-intensity.org! Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 441 Setup: modded clear tsx & ccfls; modded s2k's with 50w output coming soon Feedback: 100% (1)	I'll be experimenting with aftermarket 5000k bulbs here soon, so Ill post up an conclusive finding. __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 20 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

03-12-2008, 09:26 AM	#18
AV6NHBP6SPD Luminous Intensity Location: Philly, PA Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 109 Setup: FX35 as foglights, TL retro on the way Feedback: 0% (0)	imo its hit or miss with aftermarket, i had good and bad experience with those

03-12-2008, 11:03 PM	#19
cdub Luminous Energy Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 10 Feedback: 0% (0)	when I do my retro I think I'll go oem for peace of mind. Alex do u have any pics of the 5000k bulbs yet?

03-26-2008, 11:46 AM	#20
AV6NHBP6SPD Luminous Intensity Location: Philly, PA Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 109 Setup: FX35 as foglights, TL retro on the way Feedback: 0% (0)	i think that output would make difference. compare philips DL50 which are 50W bulbs and aftermarket 55W bulbs, at same color temp philips output about 700lumens more. so its quality i guess that matters. but then retro solutions hid kits(55W) claims that bulb life is 3500hours so i dont know. im going with 55W ballasts but philips bulbs couse they output more and if i think right at 55W philips bulbs will output 5800 lumens its its simple equation 5300lumens/50W=106Lumens/W so if ballast is 55W then bulb should run at 55W as well Lumens=Lumens/W * W therefore 55W106=5830lumens i dont know how true this equation is though, im sure its more complicated then this plus DL50 runs cooler then other 55W bulbs with same ballast as far as test results show(test was done either on this site or HIDplanet) Last edited by AV6NHBP6SPD; 03-26-2008 at 11:50 AM..*

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