6000K vs. 4300K Hids

[chriskurn]

I can't figure out which way to go 6000K or 4300K Hids.

Does anyone have a side by side picture of 6000k vs. 4300K?

I know 4300k is equal to most OEM, but I swear I saw a s2000 the other night and the hids looked a tad blue like 6000k.

[Izzy]

Checking out HIDs from outside will always net a different effect than actually sitting in the driver's seat. If he didn't change his bulbs, then they should be 4300k. If they were recently replaced, they should be 6000k if only one bulb burned out.

[Tim]

Or it may have been warming up. All HID is bluer while warming up.

[chriskurn]

I wish I could tell what color temp the bulbs in my wife's 04 X3 are. I bet 4300k

[Jester FPS]

Definately go 6000K if you can afford it. It's the sweet spot between 4300 and 8000 meaning best of both worlds (great output, plus more bluish color)

[aki]

The prisimatic effect of HIDs causes the light to look blue from the side. Head on, it looks white. People mistaken the blue edges for blue HIDs, and buy blue lights... if you're doing a retrofit 4300k is fine. If you're sticking HIDs in OEM housing (which shouldn't be done because it blinds drivers), using a 4300k will just look white, from any angle, since there won't be that prisimatic deflection you get from HID projectors.

[Tim]

Found this info on another interesting forum:

Color: you see purple not because the bulb is purple, but actually you are seeing dispersion. Dispersion is the effect that different wavelengths bend more or less depending on the index of refraction of the material, in this case the glass of a projector lens. Due to the optical power of most projector lenses, you see significant dispersion at the edges, where the blue light bends more (oddly enough the same reason the sky is blue.)

[caveman74]

I would use the 6k in Reflective housing. Use 4300k in projectors

[GulfCoastGhostHunters]

I'm very interested to see what people think, I'm going through the same predicament myself. I know I know pNp isn't as good as retro fit, but that will come later....

4300k or 6000k? Is the light output that much less w/ the 6k bulbs, I've heard it's like 20% or so less than the 4300k.

but aren't you increasing light by installing HIDs? I guess what I'm really saying is, are the 6k brighter than hallogen? are you losing visibility w/ the 6k?

[Tim]

6000K will always be brighter than halogen. Even 12000K is marginally "brighter" than halogen.

[Izzy]

The benefits of HIDs are only fully realized when either using a projector or reflective housings made to utilize HIDs. Just a PnP kit in a halogen reflector bowl will be only 50% of what HIDs can truly do...but it WILL still be brighter than halogen. If that makes any sense. I say just go for whatever floats your boat between 4300k and 6000k.

[Tim]

Izzy, I have found that the glare produced by Plug-and-play HID in fogs can serve as a side-benefit when combined with the unforgivingly sharp cutoff of a projector. It's a guilty pleasure.

[Izzy]

Our cutoffs aren't exactly "unforgiving" though, I'd think. Now, AP1/S2K projectors...yeah, I'd hate to drive around without upwards pointing fogs.

Unfortunately, I can't do the Fog HID mod...one of mine broke, and is in need of repair.