Stew4HD

And still, Acura chose LED Jewel eyes for their line up. I won't be switching mine out for HID *shrug*

oonowindoo

No one is asking you to switch out for HID. You got so defensive about it just because your TLX has LED and someone else said the best HID out there is still better.

If LED headlight was an option on F30, i probably would have gotten it too. but not because it is better but because it is newer technology and new techs are cool and people like cool stuff. That is the selling point.

But LED headlight technology/design is still maturing and while HID has been around for around 2 decades.
LED headlight will be better in the near future as technology always improves itself.

Stew4HD

Defensive? Wtf? Asking you to back up your statement with facts is defensive? It's the other way around actually. No surprise though, considering the source. .. it's expected

Mr Hyde

Not really sure about the point of some of these posts.

Do these LEDs produce better light output than some of the best projector lenses (S2000) out there? Maybe not, but who cares? That doesn't make them perform any worse, and they are still better than most lighting setups out there. My own direct comparisons are to my B7 Audi, E39 BMW, TSX, and RDX which had projectors, and my TL which had a reflector setup.

Their light output was the first thing my brother noticed as well compared to his 335 F30 which recently replaced a E90 sedan.

The biggest benefit is for sleeker headlight design, and as vanilla as the rest of the designs may be, I really do like how the lights set the front ends of the cats apart.

When you can still buy a 5 series lux sedan with halogens, I think it's impressive that these are now standard across the whole lineup.

Hoosier_TLX

I currently still have my "old" car and it's a 2008 Cadillac CTS with HID lights that have the adaptive feature. They will turn with the steering wheel to illuminate the road as you go into curves. My new car is the TLX and I'm probably going to miss the adaptive feature of the CTS, but since I can still drive each car to compare, I think the LEDs are comparable or maybe even better as far as down the road illumination goes. The main thing is being able to see at night, but I don't think the TLX's lights pale in comparison at all.

Mr Hyde

My Audi has adaptive lenses too, and while I like the feature also, I'd trade for the greater light output of my Acuras. Of course I'm also dreading the day I get into the car and see a warning light in the dash signaling an adjuster has broken which is going to require an entire, new housing.

Hopefully the LEDs last as long as they claim, so the same thing doesn't become an issue.

fsttyms1

They are pretty cheap if you have some basic hand tools. I got 2 complete Audi B8 Bi-xenon with led drl strip in them headlights for 300 bucks total. You can find the parts and assemblies pretty cheap. Hell you can get the MDX jew-eyes for 500 for the pair for anyone wanting to mod their lights from the retrofit source

Mr Hyde

That's not too bad. Good to know.

YeuEmMaiMai

just my 02

My CLS has reflector HID and I find them to be VERY GOOOD. The 3rd gen TL projectors are slightly better

When driving down the road at night with the CL-S and the Subaru with LED (retrofit) I find that the 6000K light source lights up any reflective surface with ease... overhead, side markers lane markings, etc... The CL-S comes in second... in this regard

HOWEVER

I find that the HID setup does a better job of evenly lighting road surface.

Mind you that a 2003 Legacy has a fairly bad beam pattern even with halogens. The LEDs improve it significantly but still it is not close to the Acura

but I do not doubt that for one moment that a LED system that is properly setup will outperform a HID system due to better contrast....

tlxsteve

I love my LEDs. I flash my lights and people get out of my way.

Most of the time I think they thought an explosion went off.

Tony Pac

lol!

Even at night when the lights are off, they look amazing.

Red2K

I'll chime in, since I own both the S2000 and the TLX. The headlights on the S2000 are positioned very low compared to TLX, which makes the S2000 HIDs seem better. If you use Osram CBI in the S2000, it would look better than the TLX. Now, if you were to aim the TLX lights a little higher, then it would make it shine farther (as some people are complaining)

I have noticed that the S2000 projectors are more pronounced, and have a better light output.

If there was a way to aim the headlights on the TLX a little bit higher, then that would fix the problem.

Overall, I love driving my S2000 at night because the light output is amazing.

Stew4HD

All I was basically saying is that I wanted to see a true, side by side , comparison. I like facts and science. I was responding to a post that said he'd put his HIDs up against any current LED setup.

To say one has more output than the other, a light meter would give us true results. Perceived vs. real.

I guess I just need to accept that, on forums, opinions = truth

Red2K

I never said you were wrong. It was just an opinion. You're right, a light meter would give us a better result, but sometimes, what the eye sees is what makes the difference.

BEAR-AvHistory

A light with less output but with a better reflector/lenses design can be "better" than a light with more output but in a poorly designed housing. Bulb temp also makes a difference in how the eye sees things.

Its really all about how the system functions as opposed to raw output. Line two cars up & shine the lights down the road, no biggy. Just practical application no weird science required.

oonowindoo

I said i would put S2000's HID... i would not put mine against anything as i have said BMW's HID is shit.

A light meter will give you what.... a number to see how bright the light is in certain spot? that tells you little to nothing. In that case, you should try to drive with a laser pointer at night.

If you still can't tell the difference between light output vs. visibility, this is just a waste of time.

You seem like you want some kind of absolute answer: LED is better or HID is better.

too bad you will never get that answer because:

Stew4HD

Ugh. Too bad you can't back up your claim.

oonowindoo

my what claim?

I'd put S2000's HID against any current LED?

Is that a claim? or is that an Opinion? or you just can't tell the difference?
bring your TLX down to So Cal and i will find you a s2000 and we can compare.

or you can just find yourself a light meter and measure them yourself and make sure to throw laser pointer in there too.

Red2K

If we compare both the cars side by side (S2000 with stock projectors and OEM bulb).. The TLX would win hands down because of the color.

If you switch out the S2000 bulb with the one that I'm using (Osram CBI).. The S2000 would absolutely kill the TLX.

The S2000 has one of the widest beam patterns I have seen in any car.

I'm saying this because I own both the cars, I have driven both at night.

oonowindoo

i agree with that. the LED color is whiter, to the eyes and on the road. i said that in the post above.

But what i am trying to tell him is visibility (how far and wide the beam patterns are without dead spots).

I have driven different cars with LED at night (435, TLX, new MDX, A6 and etc...) and i have owned 2 AP2 before. LEDs are noticeable brighter where the light shines but you just can't see as wide and as far.

BEAR-AvHistory

So it looks like we have the answer, with night lighting width counts.

oonowindoo

It does not matter but that is not "Scientifically proven" by Light meter

vhtran

Here's a simple suggestion on testing w/o the light metering.

If any of you have a DSLR you can can try to meter/take photo a subject and see the information display on the camera or check the meta data.

WLFnRLPI5

In my original post I made a mistake and wish to correct it. The original "Jewel Eye" headlight was developed by Stanley Electric Co, LTD (not Koito) and Light Prescription Innovators, LLC (its US and Spanish facilities) in cooperation with Honda. The result was the first solid-state headlight for the Acura RLX (the first "Jewel Eye"). You can see the approach used in this YouTube video: .

Thanks,

Waqidi Falicoff
former Executive VP of Light Prescriptions Innovators (LPI)

mrgold35

I have both the 18 RLX and 19 MDX. My MDX 10 projectors (6 low, 4 high beam) LEDs seem illuminate the road a touch better and I can see a little further compared to my RLX's 20 projectors (16 low, 4 high beam). I think it is because of the LEDs sits 1/2 foot higher in the MDX and the light source isn't being split in half through double lenses like in the RLX.

Looks comparison: I'll give it to the RLX
Light output comparison: I'll give it to the MDX (probably the same for RDX, TLX, Integra)

Icculus

Acura didn't invent LED headlights. They came up with their own aesthetic designs and arrangements just like every other manufacturer, and they brand it as "Jewel Eye." Similar to when BMW was using their "Halo" DRLs.