Is their any benefit to me buying brighter D2S bulbs? i know we already have some of the best projectors in the business, but I'd like a bluer light that is also brighter (i know the increase in kelvin decreases light output, but a brighter bulb should help with that, no?). Are our stock bulbs as good as it gets?

 

NO. The higher the kelvin. The less your visibility will be. Especially in the rain.

 

Don't know about any benefit, but you'd no doubt be more obnoxious to oncoming traffic and cars you're following.

 

So are there any bulbs out there that would produce more light and have a more unique look than our (great) stockers?

 

The answer is simply no.

If you want more light output, u need to go lower than 4300k. If you do that, you are going to loose some of the blue-ish HID color, and the color will be more yellowish.

stick with the stock. They look great, and are bright enough IMO. If you want to spend money on the car, do something else that.

 

Actually, doesn't Phillips sell a set of bulbs for like $400 that are 5300k called Cobalt, or something like that ,which are better visibility than our OEMs?

But short of that, you're not going to increase visibility over our stock bulbs. The stockers are great. Sure, I think the really blue lights I see on other cars is cool to look at, but I would not want to sacrifice any functionality on a piece of safety equipment for the sake of aesthetics.

 

yeah PIAA has replacement Cobalt HIDs for us too, but not sure if you would notice a difference because they are 4300k too.

 

OEM is 4300K for a reason, because it offers a nice color and provides optimum lighting without being illegal. 6000K I believe is as blue as you can go in most states.

Also
higher kelvins = more blue/purple color but also = less light output or lumens
lower kelvins = more yellow color but also = more light output or lumens

Reference:
8000K = deep blue and no visibility on wet asphalt (experience here)
10000K= violet purple and even worse visibility
3000K = Yellow
4300K = Stock
5000K+ = more blueish/green color close to stock visibility but slightly diminished

 

you can get color optic things, i forget exactly what they're called, but check the black market sponsored part. It's supposed to give you a bit more blue flicker and looks pretty cool from the pic they give you and doesnt decrease visibility because it doesnt do anything to your bulb itself. Upgrading your headlights should be fine up to about 6000k. anything above is kind of risky IMO. 6000K looks great.

 

4300K is oem?.... mine is 6000K.... am i missing something here?

 

HMMM... the 6000K HID i had on my low beam's BLINKING a little when it first turned on, then it went ok after.

no idea what cause that problem.

had it changed back to stocks 4300K.. and nothing happened.

changed back to 6000K again, same thing happened.

 

moving this to general discussion, lights are not a performance part.

 

it was probably your igniter