Quote, originally posted by AutoLamps Customer Service »

Jan 23, 2007 3:05 AM Philips H4 XP - Current Update These lamps are made in Aachen Germany and Philips has been experiencing a number of problems with this new product line. Philips has gained it reputation by making the worlds finest bulbs and will not release product until they are 100% happy. To this end they are redesigning the production line from Vision Plus to X-treme Power and this is taking longer than they thought and would have hoped. However it does mean that nobody is getting product at this current time. We had a number of the initial, limited production and these were sent to allocated orders but none have been released since the middle of November when our last delivery was received. We had no indication to suggest that there was any problem or anticipated delay with production and fully expected the flow to continue smoothly. We continue to work with the Philips team in order to provide the latest updates and delivery forecast.

Well, I finally received my pair in the mail today ( with a 10%-OFF coupon, no less ), and in celebration, I thought I'd put them up to the test. What we have here is a showdown between the Honda OEM 9003 Bulbs (Manufactured by GE), the GE Nighthawk 9003 Bulbs, and the Philips X-Treme Power H4 Bulbs.

Testimonials:

Philips X-Treme

Quote, originally posted by Auto Express »

This is so new, we could not randomly select test samples, so can’t include it in our assessment. Yet performance of our pre production unit was staggering. Even compared with the current benchmark Plus per cent bulbs, the difference was immediate and dramatic. Philips claim an 80 per cent improvement over standard units, but we think that this is conservative. The results have been achieved in the same way as the 30 and 50 per cent lamps-by taking the allowed tolerances right to the edge. This time though as well as reducing the filament and burning it hotter, Philips has shrunk the glass casing. As a result, the gas pressure can be increased for better light output. Engineers have also optimised the geometry and shield position to focus the light where it is needed.

GE Nighthawk

Quote, originally posted by Daniel Stern »

GE NightHawk is an excellent new product line -- Tied with Philips VisionPlus as the best 9000-series bulbs (and least-worst sealed beams) on the general retail market in the US. And yes, good eye, they don't have light-stealing blue coloration to the glass like the Sylvania Silverstar junk.

Honda OEM

Quote, originally posted by Everyone I Know »

They suck.

Product:

Here are some shots of the actual product. As you can see, in lieu of the traditional ceramic cap on the end of the bulb, Philips has fitted the X-Treme Power bulbs with a metallic, semi-transparent blue dichroric filter (very similar to the color of a Sylvania Silverstar). This allows light to pass through the end of the bulb, but without blinding oncoming traffic. The capsule has also been reduced in size, allowing for the gases inside to burn hotter for an extended period of time. This both increases light output and bulb life.

Comparison

Well, I couldn't take road shots (since it's still daylight), but I did manage to get some comparison shots against the inside of my garage door. This was a relatively good test of color and brightness, due to the fact that when shut up, my garage is completely devoid of ambient light.

Road Shots:

I am very pleased with the performance of these bulbs. Driving around tonight, it was a level of visibility I hadn't yet experienced with my civic. I've had just about every kind of bulb on the market: PIAA, Polarg, Sylvania, Luminics, Nokya, blue, purple, yellow, gold, white, hyper-white, +30%, +50%, etc. These are by far the best H4 bulbs I've ever used. The light is crisp, clear, and well defined. The color is very pleasant, and very conducive adverse weather conditions (fog/rain). Here's some far and close shots:

Modified by Eran at 11:43 PM 2/7/2007

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VOUCHES IN BIO

A FAST CAR WONT MOVE IF IT GETS STOLEN AND STRIPPED.

Yes, considering PIAA XTreme White bulbs are basically $80 Silverstars with a blue tip

Silverstars

PIAA's

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http://autolamps-online.com/pr...e.htm

£24.99 per pair with free shipping worldwide (comes out to $49.25).

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silverstars the next big thing until people realized they only lasted a year

http://hondamarketplace.com/ze...id=58

I'll let you know in a year.

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A FAST CAR WONT MOVE IF IT GETS STOLEN AND STRIPPED.

Did you have sealed beam capsules, or actual bulbs?

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Yeah, sealed beam lasts a lot longer than composite.

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Quote, originally posted by solbrothers »

do they come in an H4H bulb for us JDM headlight guys

Run your car not your mouth

Honda-Tech should be sponsored by Kelloggs because it's full of Flakes

Vouches:HMO|y0whuddupb|Yogi[Supastar]|JDMDC213|cxSHOE|Jarel|

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http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st....99889 [IMG][/IMG]

http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st....58482 [IMG][/IMG]

Please don't post stupid shit about PnP HID kits in my thread. Reported.

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I will never again buy a fully coated bulb, especially not for $70.

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ALBERT SQUAD #43