What's the latest in LED replacement bulbs?

[PLP]

My honest opinion? I would not say professional, but a decent opinion.

None of the LED plug and play is any good.
I had done enough research and testing to realise it is never going to be good.
Think of it for a moment.
The reflector bowl (projector or reflector - all work same) is a specially designed mirror. It uses a halogen filament as the light source. The light source is very concentrated.
Look on your H7 halogen. The filament is tiny.
Now, take any of the LEDs and compare them side by side.

You will notice LED chip is often small as the filament, although there are some what are much bigger. Then, the biggest difference is the light visibility. It means the chips are on two sides of the metal plate. It is due to the fact the LED chips emit light at about 120 degree angle. So they put 2 of them that would cover a total of 240 degrees. Still 120 degrees are missing...

What does that mean?

Well, first of all - the reflector mirror will not see enough light where it is expecting it. You will have tow sides of the LED chip assembly with no light: two 60 degree-wide patches.
Then the concentration of the light is not the same as in halogen. The LED chip will be different size. Plus you add some metal that sticks out in the light path...

In the end the beam pattern is affected. Sometimes more, sometimes less.

If you got here, look on my older testing using projector headlights which are less prone to those distortions, but still suck with LED chips.
And it does not matter if you get a 50 USD eBay China kit, or 350 USD TRS, still China made, kit.


This one talks about LED vs HID vs Halogen. good read, yes, self promotion, but the point is output performance.

https://www.forteturbo.org/threads/hid-or-led-debate-comparison-morimoto-4300-k-hid-and-2stroke-led-from-trs.2937/

Same thing on another forum.

https://www.fiat500usaforum.com/forum/fiat-500x-forums/fiat-500x-upgrades-and-diy/23764-led-or-hid-or-oem-halogen-comparison-review-9012-morimoto-led-2stroke?27223-LED-or-HID-or-OEM-halogen-Comparison-review-9012-Morimoto-LED-2Stroke=



This is what you actually want, but it is a PITA to perform, unless you pay someone.
I am planning of doing it, if I decide to keep Boxster for a long time.

https://www.theretrofitsource.com/bi-led-morimoto-m-led-2-headlight-projectors-P-M-LED2?quantity=1

[elgyqc]

Originally Posted by PLP

My honest opinion? I would not say professional, but a decent opinion.

None of the LED plug and play is any good.
I had done enough research and testing to realise it is never going to be good.
Think of it for a moment.
The reflector bowl (projector or reflector - all work same) is a specially designed mirror. It uses a halogen filament as the light source. The light source is very concentrated.
Look on your H7 halogen. The filament is tiny.
Now, take any of the LEDs and compare them side by side.

You will notice LED chip is often small as the filament, although there are some what are much bigger. Then, the biggest difference is the light visibility. It means the chips are on two sides of the metal plate. It is due to the fact the LED chips emit light at about 120 degree angle. So they put 2 of them that would cover a total of 240 degrees. Still 120 degrees are missing...

What does that mean?

Well, first of all - the reflector mirror will not see enough light where it is expecting it. You will have tow sides of the LED chip assembly with no light: two 60 degree-wide patches.
Then the concentration of the light is not the same as in halogen. The LED chip will be different size. Plus you add some metal that sticks out in the light path...

In the end the beam pattern is affected. Sometimes more, sometimes less.

If you got here, look on my older testing using projector headlights which are less prone to those distortions, but still suck with LED chips.
And it does not matter if you get a 50 USD eBay China kit, or 350 USD TRS, still China made, kit.


This one talks about LED vs HID vs Halogen. good read, yes, self promotion, but the point is output performance.

https://www.forteturbo.org/threads/hid-or-led-debate-comparison-morimoto-4300-k-hid-and-2stroke-led-from-trs.2937/

...

This is what you actually want, but it is a PITA to perform, unless you pay someone.
I am planning of doing it, if I decide to keep Boxster for a long time.

https://www.theretrofitsource.com/bi-led-morimoto-m-led-2-headlight-projectors-P-M-LED2?quantity=1

Thanks for the in depth explanation, you make me question what I want/need. Truth is that I don't drive a lot at night and over 90% is in the city where the headlights are more for being seen than seeing. But I do like the idea of bulbs that last longer and use less current.
I assume that in other applications like brake, parking and tail lights LEDs are good, that is what I took away from previous research for these types of bulbs and in comparing incandescent and LEDs side by side. Given that most people do not check their lights regularly (every car that I have bought has some burned out lights) the long lasting LEDs are an advantage (but you still have to do a walk around to check them from time to time).

[PLP]

Originally Posted by elgyqc

Thanks for the in depth explanation, you make me question what I want/need. Truth is that I don't drive a lot at night and over 90% is in the city where the headlights are more for being seen than seeing. But I do like the idea of bulbs that last longer and use less current.
I assume that in other applications like brake, parking and tail lights LEDs are good, that is what I took away from previous research for these types of bulbs and in comparing incandescent and LEDs side by side. Given that most people do not check their lights regularly (every car that I have bought has some burned out lights) the long lasting LEDs are an advantage (but you still have to do a walk around to check them from time to time).

No problem.

While LEDs last longer (by default) I had more LED failures in taillights than any other tungsten based bulbs. The chips burn out, or PCBs get damaged (resistors or whatever else burns out).
I even had the center stop light burn the brake fuse due to failed LED.

Headlights - you are limited. Halogen, maybe HID, maybe, very maybe H7 LED Night Breaker by Osram, although Porsche is not on the approved list, so be careful. It may create too much glare.

In MI Police does not care, there is no annual inspection... so folks have all kinds of weird stuff. From green headlights to lights held by duct tape (aka not aimed correctly), or even missing pieces of the car.

Whatever you chose, keep in mind in the end you want to see down the road. Too much foreground light will create glare what will blind you and no matter how well 200 ft distance is lit, you will not see a thing.
Meaning, you want little light up front, but a lot of focused light down the road, at the cut off line.

What good comes from seeing a brick on the road 20 ft in the front in fog lights while doing 60 mph? You want to see it at 200 ft distance... or further.