hey guys,

i know theres a few of you running around with hid. have been doing my own research into it, from what i understand theres not much of difference between the factory oem units in the 03-05 and the aftermarket kits , as apparently the oem ones are still housed in a reflector housing.

What i'd like to know is all you guys using aftermarket units whats the lighting like ?

Much glare ?

is the cutoff good or all distorted ?

what brand and rating (4300, 5000, 6000, 8000 etc) ?

and has it been worthwhile or have you had to level with headlights so low as to not make a difference ?

Any other opinions ?

Hopefully this can help others out in the future.

" 4300, 5000, 6000, 8000 "
These numbers would be options for color temperature:
4300 yellow, 5000 white/yellow, 6000 white, 8000 blue

Blue is the most attractive color, that explains the popularity.
White is claimed to be the brightest. Yellow is best for fog, rain, and dust there being less light dispersion/ back reflection, Fog lamps on Euro cars are yellow.
So, if your night driving is only in clear dry weather go for the 6000. For general use go for the 5000, it may give slightly less lumens but your visibility will be better when you need it most.
If you are buying for bling, go for 8000.

You'll find that 4300 is still very much white. 5000 is white with very slight blue tinge and by the time you get to a 6000 it very obviously blue. Most OEM HIDs are 4300K AFAIK.

Unless you use HID kit with a projector lens you will get a lot of stray light and you'll find alot of on coming traffic flashing you.

Just from my experience.

If the description of JMAX is correct, then the best bet for general night motoring would be 5000 or even 4300. and I have also heard that some of the cheapies will reflect light all over.

6000 is the maximum u can go for legal street use but u will still have to apply permit. Or else if u met some fussy cops, they will give u a yellow sticker for it

One of my mate get a 6000 or 8000 (not sure about it) HID for his 2003 wrx for only 220 bucks fitted wit 1 year warranty, dunt know wat brand is that but is a gd deal i reckon!!

what was the glare and cut off from his lights like *yeah* ?

As im led to believe the jdm sti oems use the same light housing just with built in ballasts etc, yet have perfect cutoff and no glare?

JMAX is right. i have a set of 6000k hid (which are bluey/white) they work well but u do really need a projector lens. when i drive at night its stil bright but sometimes i test my lights with another car on the road that has them with hid like a S2000 and coz the have the projector lens, the light goes a bit further and doesnt stray like mine.

i always get flashed by someone coming the other way coz they think i have my high beam on, but then i flash my high beams and BAMM!!! haha

so in my opinion if i had to redo mine i would go with the projector lens.

here is a link to rexnet where one of the guys or girls on there have done alot of research about it and its very good

http://www.rexnet.com.au/forum/index...howtopic=48128

I have a set of $300 Ebay HID's, I have 8000K globes which are a light blue which have not caused me problems with cops yet. There is some glare but I have adjusted the reflectors down to not blind oncoming traffic, the light cut off is not bad as I expected and there are no hot spots.

cool what brand are they sethor ?

Was interested to know what the cutoff or hotspots were but if you say there arent; any then all good.

I hear the GD adapt to hid better than the GC maybe why your having lots of trouble rexcellent - thanks for the link btw!

looking at that thread tho, the cutoff seems pretty good on the STI. and considering they have the same reflector housing as a standard wrx (or atleast rumoured to, i dont see why we cant replicate that) ..

Is yours anything like this sethor ?

That pic above has to be with a projector lens. No way can a multi parabolic lens have a defined cutoff as that pictured above. Probably on an MY06 WRX.