DDM bulbs vs Philips Bulbs

[myl168]

Hi Guys,

So i have not been completely impressed with the $20 DDM 5000K bulbs. And it just doesn't feel like they are high quality(construction, QC). It's weird, when I light up my garage door with the bulbs they look white with slight blue, and slight grey. But when they shine on they streets they are bluer and still not as potent as i was hoping. They haven't color shifted to much and appear about the same as the link below.

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I was considering going back to the higher quality OEM philips 85122+ (supposed to be the brightest, no color shift, yellowish, 4300K) but hate the yellow. But researched further and found that the philips 85122 (older oem) color shifts to 4500k-5000k. I believe alot of the Acura's have been running these, and that's why they appear whiter.

Now i'm faced with these
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/PHIL...ptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

I haven't pulled the trigger because my dilemma is about buying the 85122 and letting it color shift to save some money, or buying the 85122CV and it will already be 5000k and i think it's not supposed to colorshift like the 85122+. Confused yet?

Anybody have good luck with the Morimoto bulbs from the retrofit store?

http://store.theretrofitsource.com/...d=126&osCsid=469eb56cb550700be9a96f1027d301ed

Any thoughts?

 

[myl168]

So I ended up buying the 85122CM's which are the philips color match bulbs(supposed to be the same as the crystal visions). All i can say is PURE white, defined cutoff, and more lumens output. I can actually see the road at night without squinting, or having to overcompensate with my fogs.. The DDM 5000K i had were bluer than i expected, and the cutoff was not as defined. I have some pics i took on my iphone, but they are a bit blurry. once I get some clear shots, you guys will see the difference.

 

[White_Hair]

Thanks for the update. Keep us posted.

 

[toy4x]

So I ended up buying the 85122CM's which are the philips color match bulbs(supposed to be the same as the crystal visions). All i can say is PURE white, defined cutoff, and more lumens output. I can actually see the road at night without squinting, or having to overcompensate with my fogs.. The DDM 5000K i had were bluer than i expected, and the cutoff was not as defined. I have some pics i took on my iphone, but they are a bit blurry. once I get some clear shots, you guys will see the difference.

I Completely agree.

The DDM kit is a cheap kit to get your HID. The bulbs are horrible. When I introduced them here, people just wanted a cheap kit. Im running them, though they seem bright, they really are not that good. Phillips are almost always better. To get real blue you go with the Phillips Ultinons, they are about $150 now for the pair and run at 6000K. They are the best 6000K bulbs you can buy.

 

[Dracula]

Are they white/blue? . also will they fit directly to the oem headlights??
i found one for cheap
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/PHIL...ptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

I Completely agree.

The DDM kit is a cheap kit to get your HID. The bulbs are horrible. When I introduced them here, people just wanted a cheap kit. Im running them, though they seem bright, they really are not that good. Phillips are almost always better. To get real blue you go with the Phillips Ultinons, they are about $150 now for the pair and run at 6000K. They are the best 6000K bulbs you can buy.

 

[toy4x]

At $100, that's a steal! BUT, check seller for fakes. Caution: with Ultinon's, you will be losing alot of lumens (actual light) 1000lm is alot.

Philips 85122YX - 3000K - VERY difficult to find.
Philips 85122 - 4100K = 3200lm
Philips 85122+ (stock) - 4300K = 3400lm
Philips 85122CM - 4800K = 3100lm
Philips 85122WX (Ultinon) - 5800K = 2400lm

D2S BULBS

Alot of people wonder which is the best bulb to use, oem or aftermarket, and whether there are whiter/blue bulbs that can be used.

as a general rule, aftermarket bulbs should not be used because their manufacturing tolerances are usually very poor. this can lead to a glass capsule that does not have enough reinforcement, a mis-positioned arc tube, or even a "pair" of bulbs that are different color tints. It is always best to stick with oem manufactured bulbs from the leading 3 companies philips, osram, and GE.

PHILIPS

the most well known and widely used bulbs are the philips 85122. These are standard 35w bulbs that have a good overall life span, white 4100K output that shifts to a higher temp over time, and excellent output. here is a life curve for this bulb. by 1500hrs, i would recommend changing to new bulbs (or 1000 hrs preferably if you have the money). These bulbs are sold at wholesale for $22 a piece and these days a new pair can be found anywhere between $50-75.

View attachment 195470

another updated bulb by philips is the 85122+ bulb which is 4300K color temp and puts out roughly 100-200 more lumens over the standard bulb. The most notable difference is that these bulbs have a special salt mix that allows the color to remain a yellow/white for most of its useable life (no colorshifting to a brighter blue/white over time). this bulb is mainly for drivers who prefer to keep the yellowish/white light. these bulbs are priced the same as the previous model and have the same lifespan.

for drivers who desire a more custom and unique look, there are several other options available from philips. first is the 5000K color match bulb also known as 85122CM which starts off whiter than the standard bulb (and has 100-200 lumens less output). these bulbs are harder to find and generally sell for almost $100 per bulb. They have a clear capsule. If you cannot find these bulbs, then look to an almost identical upgrade called philips crystalvision. These bulbs come in retail packing, have a 5000K color temp, and a lightly blue tinted capsule. They sell for roughly $180 a pair and I believe costco online carries them.

for comparison, here is a standard philips 85122 at 4100K

View attachment 195471

now here is the 85122CM at 5000K

View attachment 195472

another option for even higher color temperature (5800K crisp white with slight blue/purple tints) is the philips ultinon 6000K 85122WX. This is strictly an "aftermarket/tuner" type bulb that is illegal for use in usa and europe. It also has 1000 lumens less light than the standard philips bulb. This is mainly used when light output is not as important, for example in well-lit cities. most retail for almost $200 a pair and must be purchased overseas.
View attachment 195473

View attachment 195474

Ultinon's against garage:
View attachment 195475
The latest release by philips is another coated bulb called ultra blue. this bulb has the same light blue coating as the 5000K bulbs but with two extra dark tint strips around the horizontal plane of the arc tube. this causes a majority of the light output to be 5000K in color, with the extreme sides to appear as pure blue. this bulb is legal and sells for around $140 per bulb at www.powerbulbs.com
View attachment 195476

 

[Chedman13]

1) DDM - I suggest buying their kits, but yes their bulbs aren't high quality. Point in case, the 9006 hid kit uses a 9005 bulb and they send you two O rings to swap out to fit. Even though, the bulb doesn't seal that well. I look the other way on this though because customer service is awesome and they have already replaced a burned out bulb no questions asked and shipped fast. Lifetime warranty makes this purchase key for me.

Individual bulbs, I wouldn't buy, they are 1 year warranty and ebay quality. They also charge an arm and a leg for shipping.

2) You won't get close to the Acura white with 85122 bulb unless you buy clear lenses:
http://store.theretrofitsource.com/...d=134&osCsid=469eb56cb550700be9a96f1027d301ed

The acura has a higher quality lens that creates a nicer white. I have 7 year old 85122 bulbs that came stock with my car and I compared them to a brand new 5000K bulb, you can tell the difference (it still has yellow).

3) Philips is the best you can buy and $128 is a steal. I have the Morimoto bulbs and they are visibly high quality (I run 6000K). I've only had them a few months so can't report on long term use but they have lived up to their description of a very high quality aftermarket bulb.

I'm tired of ebay quality (been buying cheap D2S bulbs on ebay since), and finally decided to stop and buy something that doesn't make me look like a one eyed cyclops going down the street randomly.


Summary:
Go with the Philips, I would have spent the extra money if I could have found 6000K Philips bulbs at that price when I bought. My OEM philips have lasted 7 years and have been on auto lights, so been through a lot of abuse going on and off going through tunnels, parking decks, etc.. and they have never burned out. I'm impressed with their quality. I even read that you can use them with a 55 watt ballast because they are such high quality -- now that's impressive. I'm sure the aftermarkets would melt and blow up if they were connected to that kind of wattage.

 

[Dr.2K]

Man you guys spend too much time on bulb research, . Got your degrees yet? hahaha

 

[toy4x]

Man you guys spend too much time on bulb research, . Got your degrees yet? hahaha

I WAS going to do a retrofit into my mazda with the extra set of headlights I have. BUT, the headlights have gone missing :frown:

 

[myl168]

Sorry these shots suck. it's from my iphone. But it's obvious that they are pure white, and you can see clearly the cutoff. It just didn't feel right rollin around in my "luxury" FX with $20 chinese bulbs in them. I felt like i just bought my girl a fake gucci bag, when she's used to the real deal. I think it makes sense to buy the best parts for your FX, especially when it comes to the bulbs that light up the road you drive on. They cost more than DDM, but if it helps me see down the road and avoid running over something that will damage my car, it's worth it. sorry about the pics, and the location. the pics suck(it was cold, and the pics were quick). also, the concrete and dry grass is throwing the color off slightly.I hope this helps anyone looking to upgrade their factory bulbs to something whiter, not bluer.


Against my garage door.


Headlights only


Front view


From the side/behind


With 3000K fogs on.


front/side view. sorry about the glare, but you can still see the color.


5000k DDM bulbs with 3000k fogs on for comparison.

 

[Chedman13]

I just want to say that I have not had any output issues with DDM bulbs. Most aftermarket bulbs are cheap, but they still have high lumen output (maybe a few less, but not to the point where it's noticeable in my experience).

The caveat to that is that the bulbs work! They are just prone to failing early and when you take out the bulb you can see the little capsule thing "exploded" or something -- whatever happened it doesn't look right.

Philips will most likely have the highest lumen output with it decreasing less over time vs an aftermarket. But I wouldn't be worried about output -- just that it the bulb actually ignites.

This is just my experience. All in all, I agree with you -- go for the best bulbs you can buy because it will save you money in the long run because they will last longer and save you a bunch of headache!

 

[flyingemu05]

I was thinking about getting a DDM kit for my scion, would you guys recommend that over a generic eBay kit? I'm not really looking to spend a couple hundred on an HID kit right now just the best bang for my buck.

 

[toy4x]

DDM kit is a very good bang for the buck. It's just that the brightness doesn't seem to last as long as other bulbs. I have a set on my other car that have lasted 4 years, but the brightness is really bad. Going to have to change them out soon. My Infiniti's bulbs have lasted 2 years and held up pretty well.

I think the DDM bulbs last about 3 years before the brightness is not very good. So definitely a good bang for the buck. They all have never died on me, just that they are not as bright when I first got them. To be expected, but Philips do last alot longer without losing as much output.

 

[flyingemu05]

cool. so its the bulbs that start to lose brightness right? if so then thats a cheap/easy replacement every 3 years or so. looks like i'll be ordering a DDM kit soon

 

[Chedman13]

cool. so its the bulbs that start to lose brightness right? if so then thats a cheap/easy replacement every 3 years or so. looks like i'll be ordering a DDM kit soon

DDM kit has a lifetime warranty on ballasts AND bulbs. I have used this warranty and it works.

 

[myl168]

one of my DDM 3000K fog bulbs died. Sad thing is I only used them a handful of times. I thought the beam was to scattered (lighting of the above freeway signs), so i used them rarely. I've been wanting to switch back to halogen and get my chance to put in some PIAA intense white 4100K halogen bulbs. Now I'll feel more comfortable leaving my fogs on daily. Just an update.

 

[Chedman13]

one of my DDM 3000K fog bulbs died. Sad thing is I only used them a handful of times. I thought the beam was to scattered (lighting of the above freeway signs), so i used them rarely. I've been wanting to switch back to halogen and get my chance to put in some PIAA intense white 4100K halogen bulbs. Now I'll feel more comfortable leaving my fogs on daily. Just an update.

Digital slim DDM ballast are great -- the bulbs are not good. They don't fit well, I bought cheapo ebay bulbs and they have lasted 1 year of constant running whenever I drive.

 

[hybridamp]

I know there are plenty of photos showing comparisons in colors, but I took these years ago in my QX4's OEM reflector housings with the stock Philips 4300k D2R in one side and a Philips Ultinon 6000k in the other. Here they are in case anyone wants to see an on-the-vehicle comparison:

 

[AeroBFA]

I'm sure the Ultinon's are not as purple as they appear in the pic, right? Usually standard point and shoot cameras capture the color more purple-ish than they appear to the naked eye.

 

[hybridamp]

My D2R's were blue with a very slight purple hue. I sold the bulbs shortly after that test because the drop in lumens wasn't worth it to me so I've used OEM 4300k ever since.