View Poll Results: What is the best company to buy LEDs from?
Advanced Automotive Concepts
0
0%
Autolumination
2
8.70%
Super Bright LEDs
4
17.39%
V-LEDs
12
52.17%
Other (Please Specify)
5
21.74%
Voters: 23. You may not vote on this poll

Best LED Company

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Apr 8, 2011 | 06:58 PM
  #1  
Carmodifier's Avatar
Thread Starter
Instructor
 
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 161
Likes: 0
From: Twin Cities, MN
Best LED Company

I know what you are thinking, "Not another damn LED thread"! However, I was unable to locate a thread that had a poll stating the best company to buy LEDs from. I have experience with buying LEDs from Advanced Automotive Concepts (AAC) and Autolumination. I am replacing my parking lights and front turn signals with cool white LEDs. I originally bought a set of the Oracle 1157 bulbs with 20 LEDs from AAC, but these bulbs were too big to fit in the housing's openings I did an interior LED swap in my Jeep (winter vehicle) and bought all the LEDs from Autolumination. I am not happy with their LEDs' brightness. The factory halogens are brighter than the LEDs I obviously want my exterior LEDs to be as bright as possible. That's the main reason why I want my 1157 bulbs to contain as many LEDs and chips as possible.

Where did you guys buy your 1157 LED bulbs and how many LEDs did they have? In your opinion, what's the best company to buy LEDs from? Thanks in advance for your help!

Last edited by Carmodifier; Apr 8, 2011 at 07:09 PM.
Reply
Old Apr 11, 2011 | 08:14 AM
  #2  
fuzzy02CLS's Avatar
Senior Moderator
iTrader: (2)
 
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 16,847
Likes: 223
From: South FL
Moving to cartalk
Reply
Old Apr 11, 2011 | 11:19 AM
  #3  
silver3.5's Avatar
Three Wheelin'
 
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 1,299
Likes: 51
From: WISCONSIN
Are we talking about the experience or the quality of the LED bulbs?
Reply
Old Apr 11, 2011 | 02:25 PM
  #4  
csmeance's Avatar
Senior Moderator
20 Year Member
Liked
Community Favorite
Top Answer: 1
 
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 21,407
Likes: 2,185
From: Space Coast, FL
find a place that uses CREE led's. They are the best in the industry. ijdmtoy uses them for some of their products and there was a coupon floating around in the 3G TL section a while back.
Reply
Old Apr 11, 2011 | 04:33 PM
  #5  
05TLdcc's Avatar
Coal
 
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 7,363
Likes: 137
From: Freaking everywhere
no whiskers option? you fail
Reply
Old Apr 11, 2011 | 07:06 PM
  #6  
bobmugen's Avatar
6th Gear
 
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
I bought from superbrightleds before never had a problem. But I only bought from them because they had amber bulbs in stock
Reply
Old Apr 11, 2011 | 11:04 PM
  #7  
Carmodifier's Avatar
Thread Starter
Instructor
 
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 161
Likes: 0
From: Twin Cities, MN
Originally Posted by silver3.5
Are we talking about the experience or the quality of the LED bulbs?
Both. If you comment, please rate both the quality of the LED bulbs and the experience. Thanks!
Originally Posted by csmeance
find a place that uses CREE led's. They are the best in the industry. ijdmtoy uses them for some of their products and there was a coupon floating around in the 3G TL section a while back.
Is this the company you are referring to: http://www.cree.com/ ? Does this iJDMTOY 1157 LED bulb utilize CREE LEDs: http://store.ijdmtoy.com/40-SMD-S25-...ku35_sku36.htm ?
Originally Posted by 05TLdcc
no whiskers option? you fail
What is a whiskers option? When I Google "whiskers LED", the only result I get is a LED license plate frame...
Reply
Old Apr 11, 2011 | 11:19 PM
  #8  
05TLdcc's Avatar
Coal
 
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 7,363
Likes: 137
From: Freaking everywhere


whatever you do, don't venture to ramblings and ask questions.
Reply
Old Apr 12, 2011 | 01:12 AM
  #9  
csmeance's Avatar
Senior Moderator
20 Year Member
Liked
Community Favorite
Top Answer: 1
 
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 21,407
Likes: 2,185
From: Space Coast, FL
Originally Posted by Carmodifier
Both. If you comment, please rate both the quality of the LED bulbs and the experience. Thanks!

Is this the company you are referring to: http://www.cree.com/ ? Does this iJDMTOY 1157 LED bulb utilize CREE LEDs: http://store.ijdmtoy.com/40-SMD-S25-...ku35_sku36.htm ?

What is a whiskers option? When I Google "whiskers LED", the only result I get is a LED license plate frame...

Yes, it says it right in the description for the bulb on Ijdmtoy that it uses CREE LED's. CREE is one of the leading manufacturers of LED components. They are expensive but well worth the price!
Reply
Old Apr 13, 2011 | 02:40 AM
  #10  
Carmodifier's Avatar
Thread Starter
Instructor
 
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 161
Likes: 0
From: Twin Cities, MN
Originally Posted by csmeance
Yes, it says it right in the description for the bulb on Ijdmtoy that it uses CREE LED's. CREE is one of the leading manufacturers of LED components. They are expensive but well worth the price!
I don't know how I missed that; I looked right at it! Why do you say CREE LED's are the best in the industry?

I am considering the following four 1157 LED bulbs:
1) iJDMTOY Error Free No Resistor Required 18W 20-SMD LED Bulb (It states the bulb is for Audi, BMW, or Mercedes... I wonder if it is error free and no resistor required for Acura?): http://tiny.cc/sdg6z
2) iJDMTOY Super Bright Xenon White 40-SMD LED Bulb: http://tiny.cc/zknpj
3) V-LEDs Platinum 6K White 7W High Power 20 LED Bulb: http://tiny.cc/k5je6
4) V-LEDs White M-SMT 27 LED Bulb: http://tiny.cc/98kpc

Which one do you guys think I should buy?
Reply
Old Oct 9, 2011 | 07:18 PM
  #11  
Carmodifier's Avatar
Thread Starter
Instructor
 
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 161
Likes: 0
From: Twin Cities, MN
CREE 9005 LED Bulbs

Originally Posted by csmeance
find a place that uses CREE led's. They are the best in the industry. ijdmtoy uses them for some of their products and there was a coupon floating around in the 3G TL section a while back.
I am going to take your advice and buy a pair of JDM Super Bright Xenon White 40-SMD S25 1157 LED Bulbs (http://store.ijdmtoy.com/ProductDeta...FSKU35%5FSKU36). Where would you recommend buying 9005 LED bulbs that utilize the CREE LED's? I want to buy a pair for my high beam headlamps. I didn't see any listed on iJDMTOY.com. However, I might have overlooked it
Reply
Old Oct 9, 2011 | 08:02 PM
  #12  
MarbleGT's Avatar
'08 MX5 GT 6spd.
 
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 6,234
Likes: 1,192
From: The Lone Star State
LEDs in your high beams?

Completely pointless. Theres no way they will be bright enough to do anything.
Reply
Old Oct 9, 2011 | 08:13 PM
  #13  
Carmodifier's Avatar
Thread Starter
Instructor
 
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 161
Likes: 0
From: Twin Cities, MN
Originally Posted by o2cls
LEDs in your high beams?

Completely pointless. Theres no way they will be bright enough to do anything.
I'm not looking for good output on the road. I am looking for something that is bright and will get peoples' attention when I need to. I already have HID's in my low beam headlamps. If I were looking for good road illumination, what would be brighter than my low beam HID's?
Reply
Old Oct 9, 2011 | 09:39 PM
  #14  
csmeance's Avatar
Senior Moderator
20 Year Member
Liked
Community Favorite
Top Answer: 1
 
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 21,407
Likes: 2,185
From: Space Coast, FL
Originally Posted by Carmodifier
I don't know how I missed that; I looked right at it! Why do you say CREE LED's are the best in the industry?

I am considering the following four 1157 LED bulbs:
1) iJDMTOY Error Free No Resistor Required 18W 20-SMD LED Bulb (It states the bulb is for Audi, BMW, or Mercedes... I wonder if it is error free and no resistor required for Acura?): http://tiny.cc/sdg6z
2) iJDMTOY Super Bright Xenon White 40-SMD LED Bulb: http://tiny.cc/zknpj
3) V-LEDs Platinum 6K White 7W High Power 20 LED Bulb: http://tiny.cc/k5je6
4) V-LEDs White M-SMT 27 LED Bulb: http://tiny.cc/98kpc

Which one do you guys think I should buy?
CREE is one of the more advanced LED companies and pushed out some really revolutionary LED's like obtaining more than 100 Lumens per watt LED's and such. Many OEM suppliers use CREE components and so do other companies for professional lighting.
Reply
Old Oct 9, 2011 | 09:59 PM
  #15  
swoosh's Avatar
takin care of Business in
iTrader: (5)
 
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 30,994
Likes: 4,733
From: Kansas City, MO
SuperbrightLED's....I got some LED's from them 4 years back and all of them work....Autolumination sucks....it took me 4 switchbacks and still the product fails....i think they dont test before shipping out....
Reply
Old Oct 9, 2011 | 10:04 PM
  #16  
MarbleGT's Avatar
'08 MX5 GT 6spd.
 
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 6,234
Likes: 1,192
From: The Lone Star State
Originally Posted by Carmodifier
I'm not looking for good output on the road. I am looking for something that is bright and will get peoples' attention when I need to. I already have HID's in my low beam headlamps. If I were looking for good road illumination, what would be brighter than my low beam HID's?
The LEDs in your high beams wont be brighter than a HID in your low beams.

In the day time you can forget it, and at night im willing to bet the LED would be overshadowed by the HID. The biggest part of why halogens/HIDs are so bright, is all the light reflected inside the housing. With LEDs, you simply dont get that.

In my CL-S, I had Silverstars that I bought from Autozone, and they were very bright compared to the stock HIDs. In my MX5, I've got 2500k yellow bulbs and they too are incredibly bright. Stick with halogen. HIDs dont fare well with on/off transitions and take a while to warm up to optimum brightness.

LEDs are just a bad idea for high beams. You'd need at least 3-5 watt LEDs to create the light output you need, and at that maybe 15-20 of them...you aren't going to find that anywhere.

Last edited by MarbleGT; Oct 9, 2011 at 10:08 PM.
Reply
Old Oct 9, 2011 | 11:41 PM
  #17  
fsttyms1's Avatar
Senior Moderator
20 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 81,385
Likes: 3,068
From: Appleton WI
Originally Posted by Carmodifier
I'm not looking for good output on the road. I am looking for something that is bright and will get peoples' attention when I need to. I already have HID's in my low beam headlamps. If I were looking for good road illumination, what would be brighter than my low beam HID's?
Stick with your stock highbeams. They will be brighter! You want something brighter do a Bi-xenon projector conversion!
Reply
Old Oct 10, 2011 | 12:29 AM
  #18  
Carmodifier's Avatar
Thread Starter
Instructor
 
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 161
Likes: 0
From: Twin Cities, MN
Originally Posted by csmeance
CREE is one of the more advanced LED companies and pushed out some really revolutionary LED's like obtaining more than 100 Lumens per watt LED's and such. Many OEM suppliers use CREE components and so do other companies for professional lighting.
You sold me on CREE Do you know where to purchase CREE 9005 LED bulbs?
Originally Posted by swoosh
SuperbrightLED's....I got some LED's from them 4 years back and all of them work....Autolumination sucks....it took me 4 switchbacks and still the product fails....i think they dont test before shipping out....
I agree with ya! I bought interior LED's for my Jeep from Autolumination. I am not happy with their light output; they are pretty dim
Originally Posted by o2cls
The LEDs in your high beams wont be brighter than a HID in your low beams.

In the day time you can forget it, and at night im willing to bet the LED would be overshadowed by the HID. The biggest part of why halogens/HIDs are so bright, is all the light reflected inside the housing. With LEDs, you simply dont get that.

In my CL-S, I had Silverstars that I bought from Autozone, and they were very bright compared to the stock HIDs. In my MX5, I've got 2500k yellow bulbs and they too are incredibly bright. Stick with halogen. HIDs dont fare well with on/off transitions and take a while to warm up to optimum brightness.

LEDs are just a bad idea for high beams. You'd need at least 3-5 watt LEDs to create the light output you need, and at that maybe 15-20 of them...you aren't going to find that anywhere.
I don't expect the LED's in my high beams to out power the HID's in my low beams. I just wanted to use them as a "warning signal" and not for projection on the road. I also would not use HID's in my high beams since like you said it is not good for the bulbs being turned on and off; plus it takes awhile for them to heat up.

I do agree that halogens would be brighter/illuminate the road better than LED's. I am getting new HID bulbs for my low beams. I am thinking about going with KAIXEN D2C - 8500K (Crystal Blue); I want a nice blue tint, but not a pure blue "ricer" look. If I go with halogens in my high beams, I would like their color to compliment my low beams. What halogens would you recommend?
Originally Posted by fsttyms1
Stick with your stock highbeams. They will be brighter! You want something brighter do a Bi-xenon projector conversion!
That would be awesome, but I am done dishing out money modifying my headlamps
Reply
Old Oct 10, 2011 | 05:24 AM
  #19  
mrmako's Avatar
Someday, an RS6 Avant+
20 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 4,804
Likes: 1,291
From: Japan
if you want a slight blue tint with HID's, then you want your color temperature around 6000 - 6500K. Going higher will just be a blue color, and not real helpful.

edit: Here's a link that can help: http://www.delonixradar.com.au/hid-xenon/colour-chart.php
Reply
Old Oct 10, 2011 | 08:58 AM
  #20  
MarbleGT's Avatar
'08 MX5 GT 6spd.
 
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 6,234
Likes: 1,192
From: The Lone Star State
If you we're behind me, and you we're flashing me with your LEDs right next to your HIDs, in a housing twice as big, I'd never see them. In order for people to see them, they need to be brighter than the HIDs.

8500K?

Thats really, really blue.

@ 6000k you are really limiting your HIDs output. I'd say go for Philips Ultinons, but they stopped making those years ago. They were the brightest 6000Ks on the market. Even then, seeing at night in the rain sucked. Getting the blue color with a reflector based housing is a lot more difficult than someone with a projector that can just mod the shield, or swap out the lenses. I've got a blue cutoff but my bulbs are right around 4100k.

I'd suggest Morimoto 6ks and Hoen Xenonmatch Plus.

Last edited by MarbleGT; Oct 10, 2011 at 09:02 AM.
Reply
Old Oct 10, 2011 | 02:44 PM
  #21  
Steven Bell's Avatar
Team Owner
15 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
iTrader: (2)
 
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 36,545
Likes: 6,470
From: Kansas City, MO (Overland Park, KS)
Originally Posted by swoosh
superbrightled's....i got some led's from them 4 years back and all of them work....autolumination sucks....it took me 4 switchbacks and still the product fails....i think they dont test before shipping out....

^^^ +1
Reply
Old Oct 16, 2011 | 06:22 PM
  #22  
Carmodifier's Avatar
Thread Starter
Instructor
 
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 161
Likes: 0
From: Twin Cities, MN
Originally Posted by csmeance
find a place that uses CREE led's. They are the best in the industry. ijdmtoy uses them for some of their products and there was a coupon floating around in the 3G TL section a while back.
Since I am using the Xenon White 40-SMD 1157 LED bulbs [http://store.ijdmtoy.com/ProductDeta...SKU36&CartID=1] as turn signal lights, do I need to add a pair of load resistors [http://store.ijdmtoy.com/50W-Load-Re...d_resistor.htm] to prevent hyper flashing or other malfunction problems?

Originally Posted by o2cls
In my CL-S, I had Silverstars that I bought from Autozone, and they were very bright compared to the stock HIDs. In my MX5, I've got 2500k yellow bulbs and they too are incredibly bright. Stick with halogen. HIDs dont fare well with on/off transitions and take a while to warm up to optimum brightness.
Since my LED turn signals are xenon white, I would like my high beams to match their color. I think these Nitro Blue (6000K) Putco Pure High Performance Halogen Bulbs [http://www.putco.com/products.cfm?ac...5-8cce3c8e18ee] would compliment them very well. Do you guys have any other recommendations?

For anyone interested, I found this thread that compared various white/blue halogen bulbs using a light meter temp. test: http://www.clublexus.com/forums/ligh...p-results.html

Originally Posted by mrmako
if you want a slight blue tint with HID's, then you want your color temperature around 6000 - 6500K. Going higher will just be a blue color, and not real helpful.

edit: Here's a link that can help: http://www.delonixradar.com.au/hid-xenon/colour-chart.php
Originally Posted by o2cls
8500K?

Thats really, really blue.

@ 6000k you are really limiting your HIDs output. I'd say go for Philips Ultinons, but they stopped making those years ago. They were the brightest 6000Ks on the market. Even then, seeing at night in the rain sucked. Getting the blue color with a reflector based housing is a lot more difficult than someone with a projector that can just mod the shield, or swap out the lenses. I've got a blue cutoff but my bulbs are right around 4100k.

I'd suggest Morimoto 6ks and Hoen Xenonmatch Plus.
I am not only looking for performance, but also looks. Like I said before, I want a nice blue tint but not a pure blue "ricer" look. I think 8,000K has just the right amount of blue I am looking for without sacrificing too much performance. At least I'm not going with 10,000K or 12,000K or some other higher Kelvin/pure color FYI: I never drive my CL in the snow and rarely drive in the rain; I use my Jeep for those conditions

Does anyone have experience with either the Philips Ultinons, Morimoto 6ks, or Hoen Xenonmatch Plus?

Last edited by Carmodifier; Oct 16, 2011 at 06:24 PM.
Reply
Old Oct 16, 2011 | 09:18 PM
  #23  
MarbleGT's Avatar
'08 MX5 GT 6spd.
 
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 6,234
Likes: 1,192
From: The Lone Star State
Tons of people have experience with those.

Philips...well, Philips is the best. They no longer make Ultinons though. Their top of the line now is the 85122+. However, although its probably the brightest 35w light you can buy, its way to yellow for you. Its about a 4100k.

Morimoto is a very high quality bulb as well. I think you'd be super happy with it. Its super bright, with no yellow and a hint of that blue you are looking for. Plus, the bulb isn't crazy expensive. Hoen, like Philips, is probably one of the highest regarded halogen bulb companies. Although this is my opinion, do a quick google on them and you'll see that not only are the recommended by thousands.

Im seriously not trying to steer you in the wrong direction. I've wasted hundreds of dollars on lights and different colors, etc.

Here are 6000k + Hoen Xenonmatch.

...and, Jeep and Acura CL = I hate you. =)

Reply
Old Nov 6, 2011 | 05:50 PM
  #24  
Carmodifier's Avatar
Thread Starter
Instructor
 
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 161
Likes: 0
From: Twin Cities, MN
Do I need a pair of load resistors?

Since I am using the Xenon White 40-CREE SMD 1157 LED bulbs [http://store.ijdmtoy.com/ProductDeta...SKU36&CartID=1] as turn signal lights, do I need to add a pair of load resistors [http://store.ijdmtoy.com/50W-Load-Re...d_resistor.htm] to prevent hyper flashing or other malfunction problems?

Originally Posted by o2cls
Jeep and Acura CL = I hate you. =)
You gotta look good year-round
Reply
Old Nov 6, 2011 | 06:47 PM
  #25  
MarbleGT's Avatar
'08 MX5 GT 6spd.
 
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 6,234
Likes: 1,192
From: The Lone Star State
I'd go ahead and pick up the resistors just in case. They are easy to install, return them if you don't use them.
Reply
Old Nov 6, 2011 | 07:09 PM
  #26  
Carmodifier's Avatar
Thread Starter
Instructor
 
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 161
Likes: 0
From: Twin Cities, MN
Originally Posted by o2cls
I'd go ahead and pick up the resistors just in case. They are easy to install, return them if you don't use them.
The return shipping would cost more than the resistors themselves
Reply
Old Nov 6, 2011 | 08:59 PM
  #27  
MarbleGT's Avatar
'08 MX5 GT 6spd.
 
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 6,234
Likes: 1,192
From: The Lone Star State
The odds are you will need them.
Reply
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
blacktsxwagon
5G TLX (2015-2020)
42
Oct 27, 2015 10:12 PM
DementiaPhuro
3G TL Problems & Fixes
1
Sep 29, 2015 05:31 PM
Ratheruneeq
2G RL (2005-2012)
6
Sep 28, 2015 07:41 AM
eastcoastguy
3G TL (2004-2008)
1
Sep 23, 2015 06:29 AM




All times are GMT -5. The time now is 10:24 AM.