Help Me With HID Color...

Jnicho · Feb 18, 2013

So....installed new headlights and I love them...but they have 3 white LED's built in and I replaced the amber side marker bulbs with white LED's. Problem is my Silvania 9007 bulbs look yellow next to the very blue/white color of the LED's. I've decided the only fix is to go with HID's...but I'm not sure what color temp will get me close to matching the LED's. The 3 choices I'm thinking are 6000K, 8000K and 10000K. I'm thinking closer to the 10000K is going to match the color of "normal" "cool white" LED's, but I don't have anything other than my own knowledge/experience with lighting and LED's to go on. I've been in the reef aquarium hobby/biz for many years so I do have a pretty good understanding of lighting in the upper end/more blue spectrum. I also understand that different kits may be slightly different in the same stated color. Any help in what color a standard white LED is would be great.

DeepList · Feb 18, 2013

GTfiveoh · Feb 18, 2013

6k is more of a diamond white color, 8k is a blue tint, and 10k will be more of a true blue color.

DeepList · Feb 18, 2013

In my experience, the purest "white" without going into the "blue" area of the spectrum is around 5000K

whiplash473 · Feb 18, 2013

This^.....6k is getting blue-ish

Sent from bored/stroked iPhone

GTfiveoh · Feb 18, 2013

deeplist said:
In my experience, the purest "white" without going into the "blue" area of the spectrum is around 5000K

I would agree with this. I used to have 4800k in my old eclipse and those were a pretty solid white color.

Jnicho · Feb 18, 2013

Hard to get an accurate photo with a cell phone camera, but this is pretty close. This is the color of the LED's I'm trying to match. They are normal "white" LED's, but white LED's are a very cool/blue white.

AmAlley27 · Feb 18, 2013

I would say 5k for a pure white. I have 8k and that's pretty blue

It's hard to tell in pics but there's mine

Jnicho · Feb 18, 2013

AmAlley27 said:
I would say 5k for a pure white. I have 8k and that's pretty blue
It's hard to tell in pics but there's mine

That helps a lot. Looks a little green in the photo, but I think that's just the camera not dealing with the color well, LOL! From what I can tell that looks close to what I'm looking for. I ran 6000K bulbs on my Cougar and they are nice and white, but not as blue as the LED's.

Musturd · Feb 18, 2013

Yea I used to run 8k's and 10k's now I'm doing retrofit . I want a proper light output.

the5.ohh · Feb 19, 2013

I'd say 5000k is pure white like stated above. 6000K is white but theres a tint of blue in em. I want HID's, how bright would 8000K's be?

whiplash473 · Feb 19, 2013

3 posts up

Bub · Feb 19, 2013

the5.ohh said:
I'd say 5000k is pure white like stated above. 6000K is white but theres a tint of blue in em. I want HID's, how bright would 8000K's be?

not as brright as 5000ks. you lose out put as you add the blue. i run 4300k &3000k in my fogs gives it a great look and a bit stock too

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whiplash473 · Feb 19, 2013

yeah bub's 4300 is probably pretty close to standard bulb color output

Mnstrstang · Feb 19, 2013

I have 8k headlight and fogs they are blue/white, light output isn't great but they look good haha. Judging by ur pic those LEDs look basically the color of my HIDs.

Jnicho · Feb 19, 2013

Mnstrstang said:
I have 8k headlight and fogs they are blue/white, light output isn't great but they look good haha. Judging by ur pic those LEDs look basically the color of my HIDs.

That is good info. Based on what I've found I'm thinking 8K is going to be pretty close.