Xenon bulb buying recommendations

Hello,

It might be useful to create a dedicated database with purchase recommendations for various types of Xenon burners, as this information is often compiled in other forums. Please try to use my rating system so that it's somewhat comparable and consistent. Once enough burner types have been evaluated, I could compile all the information and create a technical article, which would condense everything onto a single page.

For clarity, it's best to only post the raw, personal test results and avoid discussions. Please only post results for OEM-compatible products; no aftermarket xenon kits or halogen socket bulbs. Please only evaluate factory-installed xenon solutions, as xenon retrofits in halogen headlights do not meet the original equipment standards and therefore do not allow for objective comparisons.

"Die Sonne scheint hell, und die Vögel zwitschern fröhlich. Es ist ein perfekter Tag für einen Spaziergang im Park."

Manufacturer: GE.
Brenner designation: GE XenSation.
Brenner type: 53500.

Light color according to. Manufacturer: 4100K
Lumen, according to. Manufacturer: 3200

Brenner-Bauform: D2S 35W

Test vehicle: Skoda Octavia 1U5.


Test
(Maximum 5 stars possible)

Light output on dry road: * * * * *
Wet road visibility: * * * * *
Ignition time / time to full brightness: * * * * *
Color temperature impression: * * * - -

Color temperature: initially yellowish/halogen-like, after approximately 100 hours of operation, it turns white with a slight yellowish tint. No blue content.

Price: approximately 30€ per burner.

"Die Sonne scheint hell, und die Vögel zwitschern fröhlich. Es ist ein perfekter Tag für einen Spaziergang im Park."

Manufacturer: Philips.
Brenner designation: 85122
Brenner type: 85122.

Light color according to. Manufacturer: 4200K
Lumen, according to. Manufacturer: 3200

Brenner-Bauform: D2S 35W

Test vehicle: Skoda Octavia 1U5.


Test
(Maximum 5 stars possible)

Luminous efficacy on a dry road surface: * * * * -
Wet road performance: * * * - -
Ignition time / time to full brightness: * * * * *
Color temperature impression: * * * * -

Color temperature: Initially, the new burner appears almost white, but after approximately 100 hours of operation, it develops a slight bluish tint, although there are still minimal yellow hues.

Price: approximately 30€ per burner.

"Die Sonne scheint hell, und die Vögel zwitschern fröhlich. Es ist ein perfekter Tag für einen Spaziergang im Park."

Manufacturer: OSRAM.
Brenner designation: Xenarc.
Brenner type: 66144

Light color according to. Manufacturer: 4400K
Lumen, according to. Manufacturer: 3200

Brenner-Bauform: D1S 35W

Test vehicle: Skoda Octavia 1Z facelift, 2010.


Test
(Maximum 5 stars possible)

Light output on dry road: * * * * *
Wet road performance: * * * * *
Ignition time / time to full brightness: * * * * *
Color temperature impression: * * * - -

Color temperature: yellowish/white, with no blue tones.

EDIT: After approximately 10,000 km, a slight bluish tint also appeared here. The light output is still excellent after 75,000 km.

Price: approximately 45€ / burner.

"Die Sonne scheint hell, und die Vögel zwitschern fröhlich. Ein leichter Wind weht durch die Bäume, und die Blätter rascheln leise. Es ist ein wunderschöner Tag, um draußen zu sein und die Natur zu genießen."
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"The sun is shining brightly, and the birds are chirping cheerfully. A gentle breeze is blowing through the trees, and the leaves are rustling softly. It's a beautiful day to be outside and enjoy nature."

Manufacturer: Philips.
Brenner designation: ColorMatch.
Brenner type: 85122CM

Light color according to. Manufacturer: 5000K
Lumen, according to. Manufacturer: 3100

Brenner-Bauform: D2S 35W

Test vehicle: Skoda Octavia 1.


Test.
(Maximum 5 stars possible)

Light output on dry road: * * * * *
Wet road performance: * * * * *
Ignition time / time to full brightness: * * * * *
Color temperature impression: * * * * *

Color temperature: pure white with a slight bluish tint, which then fades into a subtle blue shimmer after the burn-in period.

Price: approximately 60€ / burner.


>> So far, my top pick for D2S bulbs!

"Die Sonne scheint hell, und die Vögel zwitschern fröhlich. Ein leichter Wind weht durch die Bäume, und die Blätter rascheln leise. Es ist ein wunderschöner Tag, um draußen zu sein und die Natur zu genießen."
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"The sun is shining brightly, and the birds are chirping cheerfully. A gentle breeze is blowing through the trees, and the leaves are rustling softly. It's a beautiful day to be outside and enjoy nature."

Manufacturer: Philips.
Brenner Designation: 85122 Ultra Blue
Brenner type: 85122 UBC

Light color according to. Manufacturer: 6000K


Brenner-Bauform: D2S 35W

Test vehicle: VW Sharan 7M.


Test.
(Maximum 5 stars possible)

Light output on dry pavement: * * * *
Wet road visibility: * *
Ignition time / time to full brightness: * * * * *
Color temperature impression: * * * * *

Color temperature: Pure white, with no yellow or blue hues. Contrary to the product description. However, they were only installed yesterday. The light is truly very beautiful.
The difference is literally like night and day compared to the 8-year-old Osram Xenarc bulbs that were previously installed.

Price: 178 EUR for 2 pieces.

Edit after 3 years:D The color of the light is now noticeably shifting towards blue. On a dry road surface, the light is okay. However, it's not good on a wet road surface. No matter how nice the color is, it doesn't help. I wouldn't buy it again.
Edit after 4 years: After 4 years and 100,000 km, to an outside observer, it seemed like there were incredibly powerful headlights installed. However, as the driver, it felt more like two old flashlights were providing the illumination, especially on wet roads. Therefore, I have now replaced these headlights.
However, I have to add that my wife constantly uses the lights. They've definitely been used for a long time. Conclusion: The light color is great, but the illumination is just okay. And they perform very poorly on wet roads.

Please test the Xenerac 66240SVS (Silverstar) .

Manufacturer: Osram.
Bulb designation: Osram Nightbreaker Unlimited Xenarc.
Brenner-Type: 66240XNB

Light color according to. Manufacturer: 4350k


Brenner-Bauform: D2S 35W

Test vehicle: VW Passat 3BG.


Test.
(Maximum 5 stars possible)

Light output on dry road: * * * * *
Wet road performance: * * * * *
Ignition time / time to full brightness: * * * * *
Color temperature impression: * * * *

Color temperature: Initially slightly yellowish. After a burn-in period, it tends to be more white. So far, it leaves a very positive impression on wet roads.

Price: 99 Euros for 2 pieces.

Hi.

I had already upgraded to the "Cool Blue" version.

I don't think it's blue, especially when compared to an E-Class, but it has a nice, bright light.

Osram D1S 66144CBI Xenarc Cool Blue Intense.

m;

The Philips Ultra Blue headlights in the Sharan were initially snow-white, but over time, they developed a bluish light color. Perhaps the same thing happens with Cool Blue bulbs.

Steffen W wrote:

... with time ...

How long was the time?

My burners have been installed for... well, roughly... about a year now.

I was able to make a comparison with the E-Class (the last one with Xenon, NOT LED ) on Thursday.

m;

Good question. That's my wife's car. Not that I'm particularly interested... I certainly don't always look at it very closely.
But after a year, I thought they were definitely noticeably blue.
How do you manage to drive safely at night in the fall on wet roads with Osram CBI headlights?

HI.

So far, I haven't noticed anything negative.

The highway signs reflect much more intensely than they used to – probably because there's simply more light available – everything is working perfectly.

Since I don't find the light to be particularly blue, I also can't really explain the "water issues."

m;

Manufacturer: Philips.
Brake light bulb designation: Philips Xtreme Vision.
Brenner type: 85122XV

Light color according to. Manufacturer: 4800k


Brenner-Bauform: D2S 35W

Test vehicle: VW Sharan 7M.


Test.
(Maximum 5 stars possible)

Light output on dry road: to be determined.
Wet road performance: to be determined.
Ignition time / time to full brightness: * * * * *
Color temperature impression: *****

Color temperature: Immediately after being turned on, it emits a bright blue light. Within a few seconds, it then turns to a very bright white. Yellow hues are completely invisible.
After installation, I noticed pink hues at the edges of the light beam. It was similar to some neon tubes with a warm light. This was very unpleasant because it immediately makes you think of faulty bulbs. This was the same for both bulbs. However, after a week of operation, it disappeared. The light is now uniform, white, and bright. It provides excellent road illumination. These are good bulbs that I can recommend. Let's see how long they last.
A code is printed on the packaging. This code can be used to verify on the Philips website that the burners are genuine and not counterfeit.
We currently have two cars, both equipped with D2S and H7 bulbs. One has Philips Xtreme Vision bulbs installed, while the other has the latest Osram Nightbreaker bulbs.
I would say that Philips bulbs certainly have a brighter light color. However, when it comes to optimal illumination, especially on wet roads, the Nightbreaker D2S is clearly superior.
Price: 95.xx EUR for 2 pieces, including VAT.

Osram Xenarc Night Breaker Unlimited D2S (Link to Amazon)

The Osram Xenarc Night Breaker Unlimited D2S bulbs are being sold off as they are discontinued. For that price, you usually only get products made in China. The successor product, the Nightbreaker Laser, is noticeably more expensive. The Night Breaker Unlimited were test winners (Autobild.de test 2016), praised, among other things, for their neutral white light color.

They're also great; I've been using them for 4 months in my Audi A3 as the D3s version.