Here's a good example as to why you shouldnt believe any marketing hype of these "performance" bulbs.

I change my headlights every 1.5-2 years. Had the silverstar ultra, and put in a set of silverstar zxe cause they were $29 with free shipping.

On the left is the new zxe, on the right is the 1.5 year old ultra. Can't even tell a different between the brand new zXe and the old silverstar ultra. I guess 4100k to 4200k isn't much of a change. No idea why they even bother to make silverstar, ultra and zxe. Make one of those for people who don't know any better / want a whiter color temp.

 

I tried a set of Silverstar Ultras once, the light was maybe a little whiter looking but only really noticeably so when looking at the headlamp itself. Sitting behind the wheel driving, not so much difference.
Then for the first time in a awfully long time, I had one just burn out over 100 miles into the next state at 1am when just a month old.
Sure, it could have happened with OEM or LLs, but it didn't. I pulled off at an exit and into a parking lot near a lamp pole and put a stock bulb back in as I had kept them as spares, really hard to see any difference. When I got home, swapped in new plain Long Lifes on both sides.

I've sold a bunch of them all since starting part time at Advance, when they ask for the brightest, I'll show them the Silverstar Ultras ..... but if I am asked by a customer which is the best, I show them the projected life comparison and simply tell them that in my vehicles I run either Sylvania Long Life or Xtra Vision bulbs.



EDIT: My bad, just caught a mistake. I buy either Long Life or Xtra Vision ..... not Silverstars. Sorry 'bout that.

 

If memory serves me correctly, the Silverstar Ultras were designed to address (at least partially) the complaints about short life in the regular Silverstars. Both are still more hype than actual performance though.

 

Apparently the engineer responsible fer addressing this shortcoming left his abacus at home, as the published life for both is 325 hours.

Rather - I believe they were created to address complaints from the Board concerning lackadaisical profit margins


MGD

 

it's my opinion guys

 

Copy that.

And it's Sylvania's published hard data.

MGD

 

Well I just put them in my f150, granted I bought some off ebay because there prices are weeee bit high for freaking headlight bulbs.

 

They're high to trick people into thinking they're gettkng a better product. I'm not directing this toward you, just in general.

I've now used sylvania long live, silverstar, silverstar ultra and silverstar zxe. Every single one will be brighter than and old set of dimmed bulbs. But if you're testing them all as new, they'll be the exact same brightness, just a slightly different color temp. The whiter they are, the hotter they burn, the faster they burn out.

 

I think so .... but I do have the Silverstars in one of my T-birds I think.

I also recall when I had thos Silverstar Ultras for a short while I found reflective signs at night to be very bright and annoying Those big yellow "curve" signs with the arrows, newer green signs, and all he traffic signs lined up coming into town were just too bright .... and they are bright with standard bulbs too. The ones I refer to are generally new signs, the older ones aren't so bright but still easily readable.

I actually meant to write "Long Life or Xtra Vision" in that last line ...... fixed now.

 

a lot depends on the headlight housing too. I just got them cause I needed new bulbs. My other cars just have whatever bulbs in them and they work just fine. I used to run HIDs until I got sick of dealing with ****ty ballast, ****ty bulbs, and projectors not designed for them.

 

It won't work for our trucks because they are a 9008, but if any of your other vehicles use a 9005 or 9006 look into the HIR1 and HIR2 bulbs respectively. aka 9011 and 9012.
They are nearly a direct replacement for the 9005 and 9006, seriously 20 seconds with a set of wire cutters and you can plug a HIR1 or HIR2 into your existing 9005 or 9006 socket. They put out 40% or more light WITHOUT over driving the bulb.

Don't take my word for it, google it yourself.

 

Actually no need to do any wire cutting. Just trim the base of the new bulbs.. But I agree if you have a vehicle that uses 9005 or 9006 definitely upgrade to HIRs.