Review of new XenonDepot Xtreme 5000K HID bulbs on 2IS and CL-only discount code
05-05-11, 05:06 PM
#1
Review of new XenonDepot Xtreme 5000K HID bulbs on 2IS and CL-only discount code
Product here: http://www.kbcarstuff.com/Xtreme-HID.../xt-d4s-5k.htm
Price: $49.99/bulb using discount code "CLGB08"
Background:
I recently purchased XenonDepot’s new Xtreme 5000K HID bulbs for my 2007 IS350 and finally got to install them this past weekend. I wanted to post a review for a two reasons: 1) they’re brand new (just recently added to the website) and I think very few if any CL members have them yet, and 2) I know there’s a demand out there for a 5000K bulb as an alternative to the stock bulbs.
When I bought the car, I didn’t really like the stock bulbs; the look and color was a little too dull and yellowish. The dullness I perceived could have been influenced by the fact that these bulbs had been on the car for 4 years and 60k miles, and so they could have been showing some wear in quality and color of output. I wanted to swap them out, so I started looking on CL and it seemed in every thread I read on the subject, the unanimous recommendation was the Garax 6000K bulbs. I saw pictures of them on the 2IS and even in person and while they looked good in some applications, they were too blue for my personal taste.
More importantly, however, I worried they could invite some unwanted attention from Maryland’s finest. I did my research and found that most people with 6000K bulbs had no problems, however a few people have gotten tickets for having blue lights. The applicable Maryland statute reads:
Except as required or permitted in § 22-218 of this subtitle or in the rules governing the operation of emergency vehicles and school vehicles, a person may not drive or move any vehicle or equipment on any highway with any lamp or device on it that displays a red or blue light visible from directly in front of its center.
The statutes make no mention of course of temperatures, etc; it leaves the interpretation of what’s red or blue up to the officer and, eventually, judge. I knew most officers wouldn’t bat an eye seeing a car with 6000K low beams pass by, but I could still be exposing myself to a higher risk of getting stopped if an officer was knowledgeable about and/or was specifically looking for vehicle equipment violations (which is very frequent in MD; for example on my last car I got stopped twice for not having a front plate, while I rarely had that problem in other states I lived in that had similar laws). I didn’t need to give anyone an extra reason to single out my car.
I therefore decided I wanted to look for something in between the stock bulbs (which I’ve read are either 4100K or 4300K, doesn’t matter) and the 6000K bulbs. 5000K was the natural choice, and so I started looking for a 5000K D4S bulb (the 2nd-generation IS uses D4S for the low beams, however XenonDepot offers multiple different sizes/bases, see below under the “Price” section). The only option I found by search the threads on CL was the Philips Ultinon, which got great reviews but was over $200 for a pair; I wasn’t looking to spend that kind of money. I tried Google, Amazon, and CL’s vendors’ websites, but pretty much came up empty. The only 5000K D4S bulb I found was on Amazon and it was both expensive and manufactured by a company I couldn’t find a website for (not a good sign).
I reached out to XenonDepot here on CL and asked if they had anything. On their website, they didn’t have a 5000K bulb – the offerings jumped from 4300K to 6500K. However when I asked, Steve (the XenonDepot customer service representative who manages the CL account) said they had just gotten in their first batch of 5000K bulbs, and I decided to try them out.
Before and After Pictures:
Here are some before and after pictures. The before pictures are of my stock 4100-4300K HIDs, while the after pictures are with my new Xtreme 5000K HIDs.
*I should note that in the before pictures, there are no parking lights on the car – the only light coming from the headlight assembly is the low beam D4S bulb. In the after pictures, the parking lights are on, and are VLED 5000K LEDs (see note on them below). There were no parking lights in the before pictures because I had removed them to install new ones but the new ones didn’t come in until later. Another note is that in the before pictures I have stock halogen fogs, while in the after pictures I have DDM Tuning 3000K HID fogs. Notes and pictures of the HID fog install can be found here:
Here is a set of pictures taken from the front of the car:
Here is a set of close-up pictures of the bulbs/headlights only:
Price: $49.99/bulb using discount code "CLGB08"
Background:
I recently purchased XenonDepot’s new Xtreme 5000K HID bulbs for my 2007 IS350 and finally got to install them this past weekend. I wanted to post a review for a two reasons: 1) they’re brand new (just recently added to the website) and I think very few if any CL members have them yet, and 2) I know there’s a demand out there for a 5000K bulb as an alternative to the stock bulbs.
When I bought the car, I didn’t really like the stock bulbs; the look and color was a little too dull and yellowish. The dullness I perceived could have been influenced by the fact that these bulbs had been on the car for 4 years and 60k miles, and so they could have been showing some wear in quality and color of output. I wanted to swap them out, so I started looking on CL and it seemed in every thread I read on the subject, the unanimous recommendation was the Garax 6000K bulbs. I saw pictures of them on the 2IS and even in person and while they looked good in some applications, they were too blue for my personal taste.
More importantly, however, I worried they could invite some unwanted attention from Maryland’s finest. I did my research and found that most people with 6000K bulbs had no problems, however a few people have gotten tickets for having blue lights. The applicable Maryland statute reads:
Except as required or permitted in § 22-218 of this subtitle or in the rules governing the operation of emergency vehicles and school vehicles, a person may not drive or move any vehicle or equipment on any highway with any lamp or device on it that displays a red or blue light visible from directly in front of its center.
The statutes make no mention of course of temperatures, etc; it leaves the interpretation of what’s red or blue up to the officer and, eventually, judge. I knew most officers wouldn’t bat an eye seeing a car with 6000K low beams pass by, but I could still be exposing myself to a higher risk of getting stopped if an officer was knowledgeable about and/or was specifically looking for vehicle equipment violations (which is very frequent in MD; for example on my last car I got stopped twice for not having a front plate, while I rarely had that problem in other states I lived in that had similar laws). I didn’t need to give anyone an extra reason to single out my car.
I therefore decided I wanted to look for something in between the stock bulbs (which I’ve read are either 4100K or 4300K, doesn’t matter) and the 6000K bulbs. 5000K was the natural choice, and so I started looking for a 5000K D4S bulb (the 2nd-generation IS uses D4S for the low beams, however XenonDepot offers multiple different sizes/bases, see below under the “Price” section). The only option I found by search the threads on CL was the Philips Ultinon, which got great reviews but was over $200 for a pair; I wasn’t looking to spend that kind of money. I tried Google, Amazon, and CL’s vendors’ websites, but pretty much came up empty. The only 5000K D4S bulb I found was on Amazon and it was both expensive and manufactured by a company I couldn’t find a website for (not a good sign).
I reached out to XenonDepot here on CL and asked if they had anything. On their website, they didn’t have a 5000K bulb – the offerings jumped from 4300K to 6500K. However when I asked, Steve (the XenonDepot customer service representative who manages the CL account) said they had just gotten in their first batch of 5000K bulbs, and I decided to try them out.
Before and After Pictures:
Here are some before and after pictures. The before pictures are of my stock 4100-4300K HIDs, while the after pictures are with my new Xtreme 5000K HIDs.
*I should note that in the before pictures, there are no parking lights on the car – the only light coming from the headlight assembly is the low beam D4S bulb. In the after pictures, the parking lights are on, and are VLED 5000K LEDs (see note on them below). There were no parking lights in the before pictures because I had removed them to install new ones but the new ones didn’t come in until later. Another note is that in the before pictures I have stock halogen fogs, while in the after pictures I have DDM Tuning 3000K HID fogs. Notes and pictures of the HID fog install can be found here:
Here is a set of pictures taken from the front of the car:
Here is a set of close-up pictures of the bulbs/headlights only:
Last edited by calvin2376; 05-09-11 at 06:56 AM.
05-05-11, 05:09 PM
#2
Here is another set of close-up shots:
Here is a picture of the bulbs’ projection against a wall:
Review:
While it’s difficult to accurately capture things like headlights in a picture, the pictures above are quite good representations of the difference between the stock and 5000K bulbs. The stock bulbs I found to be mostly white but with a yellowish tinge, and very little if any hint of blue or purple. The 5000K bulbs, on the other hand, are a bright, brilliant, pure white, with a slight but noticeable hint of blue/purple. Obviously with a color temperature difference of less than 1000K, changing the stock 4100-4300K bulbs to 5000K bulbs won’t produce a huge difference, but that’s exactly what I was looking for and these bulbs achieved that. The pureness of the white and the hint of blue are definitely what sets the 5000K bulb apart from the stock bulbs in the eyes of a keen observer. You can definitely tell a difference, and it turns the low beam output to a much nicer, crisper white over stock with an appealing enough hint of blue, but not one that would draw unwanted attention. Another important point is that the 5000K bulbs look like they could be OEM, which is the look I want; I wasn’t looking to have the car stand out as modded in any way.
The 6000K bulbs, in comparison, were a huge jump in color and output. The 6000K were advertised as a pure white with a hint of blue; in my opinion, they were actually almost entirely blue with a hint of white, especially when compared side by side to the stock.
Price:
The listed price on the website (www.kbcarstuff.com) for these bulbs is currently $69.99 per bulb, as XenonDepot is running a sale on all their Xtreme HID replacement bulbs (they offer 3000K, 4300K, 5000K, 6500K, and 8000K). However, XenonDepot is currently offering a special discount to Club Lexus members only for $20 off each bulb. This brings the price down to $49.99 per bulb, or $100 for a set (shipping is about $5 for Continental US, free if order is over $150). Just enter coupon code “CLGB08” at checkout to get the $20 discount per bulb.
This brings the price right in line with the Garax 6000K bulbs but is far less than the Philips Ultinons (which are also sold on kbcarstuff.com at a current sale price of $109.99 per bulb, or $220 for a set). XenonDepot’s HID bulbs are sold here:
http://www.kbcarstuff.com/OEM-HID-Xe...nents-s/32.htm
Here are the specific Xtreme HID 5000K D4S bulbs I purchased:
http://www.kbcarstuff.com/Xtreme-HID.../xt-d4s-5k.htm
*Do note that these bulbs are sold individually and not as a pair.
I bought the D4S bulbs because that’s the base for the low beams on the IS250/IS350. The website above also offers bulbs in D2R, D2S, and D1S.
Overall Verdict:
I’m very happy with these bulbs and highly recommend them, especially at the new sale price. Obviously everyone’s tastes and preferences for types and colors of lighting on their car will differ. If you’re happy with your stock HID bulbs, then by all means keep them. If you’re like me, however, and you feel the stock bulbs are a bit dull and the color is too yellow, then I would recommend you consider these bulbs. Compared to the stock bulbs, 6000K will be very blue, and 8000K will be purple. Obviously if you want your headlights to be blue or purple, go with the higher temperatures. However if you’re just looking for a bulb that will produce a cleaner, crisper white with a hint of blue that will still look OEM, go with the 5000K.
Here is a picture of the bulbs’ projection against a wall:
Review:
While it’s difficult to accurately capture things like headlights in a picture, the pictures above are quite good representations of the difference between the stock and 5000K bulbs. The stock bulbs I found to be mostly white but with a yellowish tinge, and very little if any hint of blue or purple. The 5000K bulbs, on the other hand, are a bright, brilliant, pure white, with a slight but noticeable hint of blue/purple. Obviously with a color temperature difference of less than 1000K, changing the stock 4100-4300K bulbs to 5000K bulbs won’t produce a huge difference, but that’s exactly what I was looking for and these bulbs achieved that. The pureness of the white and the hint of blue are definitely what sets the 5000K bulb apart from the stock bulbs in the eyes of a keen observer. You can definitely tell a difference, and it turns the low beam output to a much nicer, crisper white over stock with an appealing enough hint of blue, but not one that would draw unwanted attention. Another important point is that the 5000K bulbs look like they could be OEM, which is the look I want; I wasn’t looking to have the car stand out as modded in any way.
The 6000K bulbs, in comparison, were a huge jump in color and output. The 6000K were advertised as a pure white with a hint of blue; in my opinion, they were actually almost entirely blue with a hint of white, especially when compared side by side to the stock.
Price:
The listed price on the website (www.kbcarstuff.com) for these bulbs is currently $69.99 per bulb, as XenonDepot is running a sale on all their Xtreme HID replacement bulbs (they offer 3000K, 4300K, 5000K, 6500K, and 8000K). However, XenonDepot is currently offering a special discount to Club Lexus members only for $20 off each bulb. This brings the price down to $49.99 per bulb, or $100 for a set (shipping is about $5 for Continental US, free if order is over $150). Just enter coupon code “CLGB08” at checkout to get the $20 discount per bulb.
This brings the price right in line with the Garax 6000K bulbs but is far less than the Philips Ultinons (which are also sold on kbcarstuff.com at a current sale price of $109.99 per bulb, or $220 for a set). XenonDepot’s HID bulbs are sold here:
http://www.kbcarstuff.com/OEM-HID-Xe...nents-s/32.htm
Here are the specific Xtreme HID 5000K D4S bulbs I purchased:
http://www.kbcarstuff.com/Xtreme-HID.../xt-d4s-5k.htm
*Do note that these bulbs are sold individually and not as a pair.
I bought the D4S bulbs because that’s the base for the low beams on the IS250/IS350. The website above also offers bulbs in D2R, D2S, and D1S.
Overall Verdict:
I’m very happy with these bulbs and highly recommend them, especially at the new sale price. Obviously everyone’s tastes and preferences for types and colors of lighting on their car will differ. If you’re happy with your stock HID bulbs, then by all means keep them. If you’re like me, however, and you feel the stock bulbs are a bit dull and the color is too yellow, then I would recommend you consider these bulbs. Compared to the stock bulbs, 6000K will be very blue, and 8000K will be purple. Obviously if you want your headlights to be blue or purple, go with the higher temperatures. However if you’re just looking for a bulb that will produce a cleaner, crisper white with a hint of blue that will still look OEM, go with the 5000K.
05-05-11, 05:11 PM
#3
Installation:
For the install of the low beams, I followed these two great DIY threads:
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/is-...hid-bulbs.html
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/is-...-pictures.html
If you’re a first-time DIYer, don’t be scared off by the need to remove components under the hood to actually get to the bulbs. It’s very easy to do. The one thing I had a minor problem with was the clip that holds the MAF sensor to the airbox. They breeze over this in the above DIY and don’t make clear exactly how you unclip the sensor from the airbox (the placement of this clip is shown here)
The MAF wire/sensor is attached to the air box in 3 places. The two green arrows are easy and self-explanatory to disconnect. The red is less intuitive.
Basically the entire light gray portion comes out together – I was trying to detach the MAF sensor wire from the clip, when actually the whole clip pops out of the hole in the air box. After fiddling with it for a while, I just clamped my pliers onto the point where the clip was and just yanked it out; it took quite a bit of muscle, but no harm done to the clip.
Note on Parking Lights:
If you’re going to do anything to your lights, the first thing you have to do is replace the awful, dull, and yellow/orange looking parking lights. The parking lights in the above after pictures are VLED 5K LED bulbs, found here for $13:
http://www.v-leds.com/Interior-LED/G...04828-1-2.html
I tried the 6K and they’re quite blue, so I ordered the 5K and they match fairly well with the Xtreme 5000K low beams. It’s going to be impossible to find a 194-168-158 LED that matches in color exactly to an HID bulb, but these VLEDs do a good job. The pictures above don’t do a great job of showing the LED vs. HID color comparison; the VLEDs come out looking much bluer in the pictures than they do in person. In person, they match much better.
The other reason I like these VLEDs over other parking lights is the 360 degree light output. The bulb emits light from the end, which projects light forward, but it also emits light 360 degrees radially. This makes the VLED bulbs a perfect application for the 2IS, since the parking lights are in the DRL/fog housing. Since the DRL/fog housing is a reflector housing, the 360 degree-emitted light from the LEDs fills and lights up the fog reflector housing, as opposed to just emitting light straight out the end.
For the install of the low beams, I followed these two great DIY threads:
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/is-...hid-bulbs.html
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/is-...-pictures.html
If you’re a first-time DIYer, don’t be scared off by the need to remove components under the hood to actually get to the bulbs. It’s very easy to do. The one thing I had a minor problem with was the clip that holds the MAF sensor to the airbox. They breeze over this in the above DIY and don’t make clear exactly how you unclip the sensor from the airbox (the placement of this clip is shown here)
The MAF wire/sensor is attached to the air box in 3 places. The two green arrows are easy and self-explanatory to disconnect. The red is less intuitive.
Basically the entire light gray portion comes out together – I was trying to detach the MAF sensor wire from the clip, when actually the whole clip pops out of the hole in the air box. After fiddling with it for a while, I just clamped my pliers onto the point where the clip was and just yanked it out; it took quite a bit of muscle, but no harm done to the clip.
Note on Parking Lights:
If you’re going to do anything to your lights, the first thing you have to do is replace the awful, dull, and yellow/orange looking parking lights. The parking lights in the above after pictures are VLED 5K LED bulbs, found here for $13:
http://www.v-leds.com/Interior-LED/G...04828-1-2.html
I tried the 6K and they’re quite blue, so I ordered the 5K and they match fairly well with the Xtreme 5000K low beams. It’s going to be impossible to find a 194-168-158 LED that matches in color exactly to an HID bulb, but these VLEDs do a good job. The pictures above don’t do a great job of showing the LED vs. HID color comparison; the VLEDs come out looking much bluer in the pictures than they do in person. In person, they match much better.
The other reason I like these VLEDs over other parking lights is the 360 degree light output. The bulb emits light from the end, which projects light forward, but it also emits light 360 degrees radially. This makes the VLED bulbs a perfect application for the 2IS, since the parking lights are in the DRL/fog housing. Since the DRL/fog housing is a reflector housing, the 360 degree-emitted light from the LEDs fills and lights up the fog reflector housing, as opposed to just emitting light straight out the end.
Last edited by calvin2376; 05-05-11 at 07:09 PM.
05-06-11, 06:29 AM
#5
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Look great Calvin! I didn't think it would make much of a difference from stock to 5k, but there's definitely a huge difference. The fogs look great too, do you by any chance have pics further back? i'm curious to see how the fogs look from a distance.
05-06-11, 06:43 AM
#6
When people replace their DRL/high-beam (which is not on or shown in any of the above pictures) with LED, it can flicker due to the fact that when the DRLs are on they're getting low power (which is why the DRLs are dim yellow, because they're on low power - when you switch on your high-beams they go full power). Some people use some sort of a module that eliminates the flickering.
I agree, I was surprised at the difference the 5000K beams made over stock. I think it's due primarily to the color temperature difference, but also due to the fact that my stock HID bulbs were 4 years/60k miles old, so they'd dimmed and dulled some. These 5000K bulbs, in addition to being a better pure white/slight blue color, definitely eliminated that dullness and brightened up the whole look of the front end.
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05-10-11, 10:02 AM
#11
Like Steve said above, that's still covered under the 12-month warranty XenonDepot offers on their HID bulbs, including those above. In addition, Steve and XenonDepot in general have been very helpful and responsive to all customer service requests and questions.
06-08-11, 06:29 PM
#13
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Wow, quite a very good review. 
Just what I was looking for, same 5000ks.
Found that site before, but I was hesitant about their quality.
But it seems they stand by their products, that and the type of color is what I look for, besides a reasonable price.
Just what I was looking for, same 5000ks.
Found that site before, but I was hesitant about their quality.
But it seems they stand by their products, that and the type of color is what I look for, besides a reasonable price.
06-25-11, 07:37 AM
#15
Well I'll Be... What a good write up Calvin. I need as much visible bright light as possible at night so I will be going with the 5000k, they also are a lil more classier imo as well. I may even change out my fogs too.
**I just ordered the 5000k, an I'm excited!**
**I just ordered the 5000k, an I'm excited!**
Last edited by intellis; 06-25-11 at 08:05 AM. Reason: Order Status...