PIAA SuperWhites

[Greg Cagle <gregc@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

"MUDSCOW" says:

> Read the page and see...sounds pretty unbiased to me...besides what makes
> their "55w that acts like an 85w" 9005 bulb worth $80!?!
> 
> Apparantly PIAA has something in those bulbs which generates the extra 30w...
> 
> To fully PIAA ize my 325iS would cost nearly $250 (2x 9005, 2x 9006 2xH4's)!?!
> for light bulbs? I was actually thinking about it but I couldn't find ANY
> legitimate anaysis showing that the PIAA bulbs were better (or for that matter
> as good) as the grand auto $7 a bulb ones I have now...

Steve, your math is a bit off. The PIAAs are $70 - $80 a PAIR. So total
upgrade cost for the main lights for me was around $150.
 
> Show me evidence to the contrary and I would consider them a worthwhile
> purchase otherwise, they are a waste.

I looked at the page you pointed to, and it was an attack on PIAA's
marketing more than anything else. I had already chosen to buy
them before I even SAW the marketing blurbs, so that wasn't a factor
for me. Around here it's dark and wet a lot of the time, and
I don't have real great night vision, so every little bit helps 
in the lighting area. Since I've heard varying stories about whether 
the US E36 headlamp assembly and wiring harness will tolerate higher 
wattage bulbs, this seemed like a good experiment.

So far, it's helped some. Certainly not 5x (cost benefit analysis... 
$35/bulb instead of $7), probably not 1.5x (approximate equivalent 
wattage according to PIAA) but more like 1.2x to 1.3x in my opinion. 
Are they worth the money? Maybe so, maybe not. Your mileage (and 
visibility) may vary. I probably won't replace them when the time
comes, unless the price comes down.
 
> Have a nice day
> Steve H

If you insist.

- - Greg

94 325is, sharked, BL/SS, whizzy valve caps
Newsletter editor, Portland BMW ACA
- -- 
gregc@domain.elided
Errors have been made; others will be blamed.

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