Sylvania Silverstar…Whiter, not Brighter

[thday]

Last week I replaced the stock headlight lamps on my 2006 Corolla with Sylvania Silverstars ( low beam P/N: 9006ST, high beam P/N: 2005ST ). I did this because I wanted to see if I could make my headlights whiter and brighter without having to resort to an illegal HID conversion.

Before installation you can see that the Silverstar lamp has a very pale blue tint. However, once installed and illuminated the light produced is very white in color, with virtually no trace of blue
( those wanting blue colored headlights should look elsewhere ). By comparison, the lighting color of the stock Sylvania lamps that came with my Corolla look dingy and yellow.

I’ve spent the last thirty years in the aircraft instrumentation business, mostly in the field of Quality Assurance. Although I’m not a lighting engineer, part of my job function over the years has involved the inspection and measurement of many different types of aircraft indicators for both lighting intensity and color.

Depending on the type of indicator and the specific application, the lighting colors I’ve observed and measured have included white ( clear lamps ), blue-white ( blue coated lamps ), military red ( red coated lamps ) and NVIS Green ( night vision green ). Thus, my experience has provided me with some knowledge of how lighting intensity and color interact with one another.

A lot of people have claimed that the Silverstar’s are much brighter, and that they can see better at night. After spending $80.00 for a set of lamps I was certainly hoping that they’d make a remarkable improvement.

The majority of my observations were done on blacktop roads with little or no other lighting around. After a week of real-world evaluation, I can say without hesitation that the Silverstars don’t allow me to see any further down the road than my stock lamps, nor does their whiter color make street signs, painted stripes, or anything else on or near the road appear in my vision any earlier or provide me with additional reaction time. My remarks aren’t based on laboratory measurements. They’re based on real-world observations.

I don’t think the Silverstars are any dimmer than the stock lamps, but they’re not any brighter either. When evaluating these lamps it’s difficult initially not to be fooled into thinking that their whiter color automatically translates into more light. Spend some time driving around at night with these lamps and you'll begin to get used to their whiter color. Once you do, you may come to the realization that their color has no beneficial effect on brightness or the ability to see the road better.

The Silverstar package says that they have the look of HID. In my opinion they fail in this regard. Personally, I’ve never seen a halogen lamp that can realistically replicate genuine HID lighting.

If you’ve priced the Silverstars, you already know that they cost more than double the amount of standard halogen lamps. To make matters worse, I’ve also read that they may not last nearly as long. I’ve only had mine for a week so I can’t comment on their longevity. But even Sylvania’s website clearly indicates that they won’t last as long as their standard lamp.

So, don’t I have anything nice to say about the Silverstars? Yes, I do. I very much like the attractive white color this lamp produces. I realize this is only cosmetic. But the Silverstars make my Corolla headlights look very clean in comparison to the dingy color of my stock lamps.

I also think that objects illuminated by this lamp have more accurate color rendition. That is to say, a red stop sign appears a bit more red and yellow stripes on the road look a bit more yellow. As I said before, the Silverstars don’t make these items appear in my vision any earlier as I’m driving, but when they do appear their color is more accurate without the yellowish cast of the stock lamps.

I plan on using the Silverstars until they burn out. Whether or not I’ll replace them with more Silverstars will depend entirely on how long they last. Despite their drawbacks, if they last at least a year I’ll probably keep on using them until something better comes along.

UPDATE, 03-02-2006: I ordered some of the HIR 9011 and 9012 Toshiba lamps today from Daniel Stern Lighting. When I get them I'll post my findings.

UPDATE, 03-14-2006: I tried the HIR 9011 and 9012 lamps. They're only slightly brigher than the Silverstars in my opinion. I've grown used to the whiter color of the Silverstars and plan to keep using them. I'm listing the Toshibas on e-bay.

[toyotaspeed90]

i can tell you right now that any bulb that has a blue coating on it that is the same wattage as a factory bulb (ie, legal) then you will have better viewing at night because of the color, not because of the brightness. However, if it's raining at night, you will lose visibility. I can almost guarantee it.

[89yotarollagts]

humm... well your car is brand new these are OEM replacements, mine made a huge difference in output on my 89 corolla since the originals were so old and "dim from age" however in my 2000 grand am i didnt see much improvment like you said... i guess what im trying to say is they might not be worth their pretty penny unless your looking for the look, or actually NEED to replace your bulbs !

[AVANT]

They made a noticable difference to me. The white light is much more useable than the yellow light. Having my lights adjusted with the stock yellowish bulbs, then with the silverstars, I was able to aim my headlights farther and wider and still maintain good visibility.

[kamesama980]

too cheap to actually get them myself when theres cheaper alternatives, and not willing to pay the money for something i know doesnt make enough difference to matter. the ability to see further is either A. the lights being replaced are old and crappy and should be replaced anyway, or B. visual illusion combined with psychological suggestion. silvania silverstars individually, are just halogen lamps with mild blue filters to correct the color toward a cooler ("truer") white and they dont last as long because by filtering they lower the light output and to compensate they run the filament brighter...so brighter filament-whats lost in the filter=standard brightness. redder light will actually let you see more in the dark, blueish colors shoot your nightvision in the foot and galre badly. an example is miliary field flashlights generally have deep red filters so they dont kill soldiers night vision as badly reading maps. contrary to popular advertising, bright and blue is far from the best.

yes, even-spectrumed white light will give better color rendering. but quite frankly you oughta know what the signs say be the shape, iconery, and just maybe the WORDS on them.


http://www.danielsternlighting.com
http://www.danielsternlighting.com/t...lbs/bulbs.html

[Voodoo288]

I installed mine about 2hrs ago before I saw this, your post sums up my thoughts exactly.