Brightest D1S

ign335i · 12-22-2012, 04:40 PM

I feel the stock E92 335i D1S bulbs are simply not bright enough. I have adjusted the lights up and down (up to the point that it was illuminating small cars interiors) before and it doesn't make a difference. They simply are not bright enough especially now that it is raining out. My moms IS350 blows these lights away.

I did some research and there are quite a few recommendations for the Osram Cool Blue 5000k. Is this the brightest? Unfortunately it is hard to find a bulb comparison with wattage/lumens. Thanks guys.

UndergroundEuros · 12-23-2012, 10:16 AM

We carry a great d1s bulb, all our customers are very happy.

Cure12 · 12-23-2012, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ****************

We carry a great d1s bulb, all our customers are very happy.

+1

Chrispy650 · 12-23-2012, 03:47 PM

I have the Osram CBI 5000k and they are awesome

. Then again BMW projectors aren't the greatest either so a different bulb won't help a whole lot but you can see a difference.

rollinstone157 · 12-23-2012, 04:24 PM

Go for an OEM manufacturer bulb if you want brighter. None of the aftermarket bulbs will be as bright (there's an incredibly detailed thread on hidplanet.com discussing this)

Like someone else mentioned, we don't have the best projectors in our cars--but they're far from crap. Give them a clear lens upgrade (available from theretrofitsource.com, I believe the $50 zkw-r lens is what you want) for a nicer cutoff line and a slight increase in light output

I've done a lot of research and the CBI is the brightest D1S bulb you can get. It puts out 3200-3400 lumens since it uses a different salt mix to get 5000k rather than a tint, and it appears much brighter due to the whiter color. Some equipment has measured those bulbs putting out closer to 4000 lumens, but I need to verify that testing method (and if the ballasts were boosted or not).

Expensive, yes. But so worth it. Get them from theretrofitsource.com I think they have the best price and they're definitely not counterfeit

NiVeDh · 12-23-2012, 07:54 PM

Osram CBI for sure.

VTECaddict · 12-24-2012, 02:10 AM

+1 on Osram CBI. OEM bulbs should be close to max lumen output though. It's just that the projectors BMW uses are garbage.

Lexus (and other Japanese cars) uses Stanley projectors and they are arguably the best in terms of output.

Spydeputy · 12-24-2012, 05:59 AM

Phillips Ultron D1S 6000K is the way to go.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Philips-D1S-...-/140735781840

Quote:

Originally Posted by ign335i

I feel the stock E92 335i D1S bulbs are simply not bright enough. I have adjusted the lights up and down (up to the point that it was illuminating small cars interiors) before and it doesn't make a difference. They simply are not bright enough especially now that it is raining out. My moms IS350 blows these lights away.

I did some research and there are quite a few recommendations for the Osram Cool Blue 5000k. Is this the brightest? Unfortunately it is hard to find a bulb comparison with wattage/lumens. Thanks guys.

cyrano · 12-25-2012, 04:24 AM

Actually in EU we have a lot of bulb tests in automotive newspapers and in tv motor shows.
Actually the brightest d1s on market are :

- D1s Silverstar xenarc http://www.motivemods.com/OSRAM-Silv...osr-ss-d1s.htm

-D1S philips xtreme http://www.autolamps-online.com/prod...etCurrencyId=2

First is a bit yellowish its 4200k second one is 4800k pure white

Dark_Knight_335 · 12-25-2012, 10:15 AM

I got 6000k Xenoflo D1S bulbs a few months ago from Bimmian, had the dealer pop em in.
I get more compliments and even had the SAs from another dealer asking me where I got my Xenons from.
They're fantastic, and still going strong!

Dark_Knight_335 · 12-25-2012, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spydeputy

Phillips Ultron D1S 6000K is the way to go.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Philips-D1S-...-/140735781840

Quote:

Originally Posted by ign335i

I feel the stock E92 335i D1S bulbs are simply not bright enough. I have adjusted the lights up and down (up to the point that it was illuminating small cars interiors) before and it doesn't make a difference. They simply are not bright enough especially now that it is raining out. My moms IS350 blows these lights away.

I did some research and there are quite a few recommendations for the Osram Cool Blue 5000k. Is this the brightest? Unfortunately it is hard to find a bulb comparison with wattage/lumens. Thanks guys.

If I could find an AUTHENTIC set of those elusive Philips Ultinons with the red salts, I'd snatch em up in a heartbeat.
But alas, I could not- hence my decision to go with the flo.
No regrets really.

N26Ghost · 12-02-2018, 03:33 AM

Philips XtremeVision Gen 2's are the best plug and play bulb. They have the highest lux output and are neither blue nor orange, just a nice white.

Firechicken · 12-02-2018, 04:59 AM

bulbs are not a problem as much as burned out lenses..

here's what bmw headlights look like after 7 years

Using Osram NBU for the last two years and couldn't be more satisfied with them, can't wait to try out the new Osram Night Breaker Laser

mweisdorfer · 12-02-2018, 09:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Firechicken

bulbs are not a problem as much as burned out lenses..

here's what bmw headlights look like after 7 years

Using Osram NBU for the last two years and couldn't be more satisfied with them, can't wait to try out the new Osram Night Breaker Laser

Wow, that's really clear. $229.00 on Amazon though!!! OUCH....

biz77 · 12-03-2018, 01:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Firechicken

bulbs are not a problem as much as burned out lenses..

here's what bmw headlights look like after 7 years

Wow! Is that an E92 reflector? Are they metal like the E90's?

biz77 · 12-03-2018, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by N26Ghost

Philips XtremeVision Gen 2's are the best plug and play bulb. They have the highest lux output and are neither blue nor orange, just a nice white.

They were the output champs until Osram released the Night Breaker Laser.

Firechicken · 12-03-2018, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by biz77

Quote:

Originally Posted by Firechicken

bulbs are not a problem as much as burned out lenses..

here's what bmw headlights look like after 7 years

Wow! Is that an E92 reflector? Are they metal like the E90's?

Yup, e92 reflector, 2009 pre LCI.

They are metal like the e90 but still shitty, I thought they got wiser with the e46 ZKW headlights fiasco

N26Ghost · 12-03-2018, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by biz77

Quote:

Originally Posted by N26Ghost

Philips XtremeVision Gen 2's are the best plug and play bulb. They have the highest lux output and are neither blue nor orange, just a nice white.

They were the output champs until Osram released the Night Breaker Laser.

You are correct. By 20 lux.

biz77 · 12-03-2018, 06:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Firechicken

Yup, e92 reflector, 2009 pre LCI.

They are metal like the e90 but still shitty, I thought they got wiser with the e46 ZKW headlights fiasco

Feeling sorry for the guys that retrofitted used junkyard E90 bowls into their E46s.

Quote:

Originally Posted by N26Ghost

You are correct. By 20 lux.

Depends on who's test you go by. Lightwerkz showed another 120-130 lux on the NBL (650 vs. 780-790) at 35' in low beam mode.

The Nightman · 12-05-2018, 11:00 PM

Osram Cool Blue Boost is the brightest low beam according to this:

http://bulbfacts.com/hid-oe/chart/

biz77 · 12-06-2018, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by freedomfries

Osram Cool Blue Boost is the brightest low beam according to this:

http://bulbfacts.com/hid-oe/chart/

Again, depends on who's test you go by. Not sure how they are gathering their data, but the findings are at odds with every other test I have come across.

Jeff@TopGearSolutions · 12-06-2018, 02:52 PM

In my experience, when comparing new Osram, Philips, ETC they are all VERY close. Within a few hundred Lux is not make or break and isn't noticeable.

The real potential gain in output is when you compare old to new. As these cars approach 7-10 years old and cars in excess of 100K miles, that's when you really see the difference in output.

This is not to suggest there can't be an upgrade from say an OE replacement to "the brightest X version", I'm just saying it's more noticeable when old vs new.

I actually have a few pairs I'm trying out shortly to see if I can get some real life comparison shots from a 335i E92 so you guys can get an idea of the difference. I don't know if the pictures will capture it but I'll provide at least my real life, unbiased review.

12-22-2012, 04:40 PM	#1
ign335i Second Lieutenant 13 Rep 286 Posts Drives: 335i e92 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: CA iTrader: (3)	Brightest D1S I feel the stock E92 335i D1S bulbs are simply not bright enough. I have adjusted the lights up and down (up to the point that it was illuminating small cars interiors) before and it doesn't make a difference. They simply are not bright enough especially now that it is raining out. My moms IS350 blows these lights away. I did some research and there are quite a few recommendations for the Osram Cool Blue 5000k. Is this the brightest? Unfortunately it is hard to find a bulb comparison with wattage/lumens. Thanks guys.
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12-23-2012, 10:16 AM	#2
UndergroundEuros Banned 41 Rep 1,221 Posts Drives: 335I Alphina White Join Date: May 2009 Location: Florida iTrader: (9)	We carry a great d1s bulb, all our customers are very happy.
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12-23-2012, 03:47 PM	#4
Chrispy650 Lieutenant 57 Rep 559 Posts Drives: E92 LCI Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: SoCal (Irvine) iTrader: (2)	I have the Osram CBI 5000k and they are awesome . Then again BMW projectors aren't the greatest either so a different bulb won't help a whole lot but you can see a difference.
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12-23-2012, 04:24 PM	#5
rollinstone157 Brotographer 91 Rep 1,742 Posts Drives: F30 335xi Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: US iTrader: (0)	Go for an OEM manufacturer bulb if you want brighter. None of the aftermarket bulbs will be as bright (there's an incredibly detailed thread on hidplanet.com discussing this) Like someone else mentioned, we don't have the best projectors in our cars--but they're far from crap. Give them a clear lens upgrade (available from theretrofitsource.com, I believe the $50 zkw-r lens is what you want) for a nicer cutoff line and a slight increase in light output I've done a lot of research and the CBI is the brightest D1S bulb you can get. It puts out 3200-3400 lumens since it uses a different salt mix to get 5000k rather than a tint, and it appears much brighter due to the whiter color. Some equipment has measured those bulbs putting out closer to 4000 lumens, but I need to verify that testing method (and if the ballasts were boosted or not). Expensive, yes. But so worth it. Get them from theretrofitsource.com I think they have the best price and they're definitely not counterfeit
	Appreciate 0 Quote

12-23-2012, 07:54 PM	#6
NiVeDh Major General 426 Rep 8,003 Posts Drives: '08 E90 335i, '99 E36 M3 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Houston, TX & Atlanta, GA iTrader: (132) Garage List 2008 BMW 335i Sedan [8.66]	Osram CBI for sure.
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12-24-2012, 02:10 AM	#7
VTECaddict Where'd my VTEC go? 487 Rep 6,066 Posts Drives: 06 330i 6MT Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Seattle, WA iTrader: (4)	+1 on Osram CBI. OEM bulbs should be close to max lumen output though. It's just that the projectors BMW uses are garbage. Lexus (and other Japanese cars) uses Stanley projectors and they are arguably the best in terms of output. __________________ AW/Terra \| ZSP \| ZPP \| ZCW \| iDrive \| CA Mods: BC BR coilovers \| Blacklines \| M-tech rear \| dual exhaust \| M3 steering wheel \| BMW SSK \| ZHP shift knob \| High-kick CF spoiler \| NBT Retrofit M3 front control arms \| M3 rear guide rods \| Manzo rear toe and camber links \| Monroe rear shock mounts \| Varrstoen ES1 19x9.5+20 Front, 19x11+25 rear
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12-25-2012, 04:24 AM	#9
cyrano Banned 16 Rep 145 Posts Drives: E61 530XD chipped Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Poland iTrader: (0)	Actually in EU we have a lot of bulb tests in automotive newspapers and in tv motor shows. Actually the brightest d1s on market are : - D1s Silverstar xenarc http://www.motivemods.com/OSRAM-Silv...osr-ss-d1s.htm -D1S philips xtreme http://www.autolamps-online.com/prod...etCurrencyId=2 First is a bit yellowish its 4200k second one is 4800k pure white
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12-25-2012, 10:15 AM	#10
Dark_Knight_335 Came to the N55 Darkside 1132 Rep 12,740 Posts Drives: 2011 335 E93 M-Sport Join Date: May 2010 Location: NY/NJ iTrader: (28)	I got 6000k Xenoflo D1S bulbs a few months ago from Bimmian, had the dealer pop em in. I get more compliments and even had the SAs from another dealer asking me where I got my Xenons from. They're fantastic, and still going strong!
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12-02-2018, 03:33 AM	#12
N26Ghost Lieutenant 498 Rep 537 Posts Drives: 2014 BMW 328i M Sport Join Date: Mar 2018 Location: Elk Grove, CA iTrader: (0)	Philips XtremeVision Gen 2's are the best plug and play bulb. They have the highest lux output and are neither blue nor orange, just a nice white. __________________ '14 F30 328i M Sport // FBO // bm3 Stage 2+ DME Tune // Stage 1 TCU Tune // Apex EC-7s on Conti DWS06+s // 1 of 6 ever made of this spec (3C13 US-SULEV German-built //
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12-02-2018, 04:59 AM	#13
Firechicken BMW abuser 165 Rep 90 Posts Drives: M3 E92, X5 F15, 330Ci e46 Join Date: Jun 2018 Location: Augsburg - Germany iTrader: (0)	bulbs are not a problem as much as burned out lenses.. here's what bmw headlights look like after 7 years Using Osram NBU for the last two years and couldn't be more satisfied with them, can't wait to try out the new Osram Night Breaker Laser
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12-05-2018, 11:00 PM	#20
The Nightman Cometh 1247 Rep 1,412 Posts Drives: Boy's Soul Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: Boy's Hole iTrader: (4) Garage List E90 LCI "330i& ... [10.00]	Osram Cool Blue Boost is the brightest low beam according to this: http://bulbfacts.com/hid-oe/chart/
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12-06-2018, 02:52 PM	#22
Jeff@TopGearSolutions 3472 Rep 79,211 Posts Drives: C6 Z06, 09 335i, 10 335xi Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: www.TopGearSolutions.com iTrader: (37)	In my experience, when comparing new Osram, Philips, ETC they are all VERY close. Within a few hundred Lux is not make or break and isn't noticeable. The real potential gain in output is when you compare old to new. As these cars approach 7-10 years old and cars in excess of 100K miles, that's when you really see the difference in output. This is not to suggest there can't be an upgrade from say an OE replacement to "the brightest X version", I'm just saying it's more noticeable when old vs new. I actually have a few pairs I'm trying out shortly to see if I can get some real life comparison shots from a 335i E92 so you guys can get an idea of the difference. I don't know if the pictures will capture it but I'll provide at least my real life, unbiased review.
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