investinwaffles

Hi folks

For whatever reason I am a total geek about lighting - I have a set of Bi-Xenon HID's right now (55w bulbs, 5000K, roughly 2800 Lumens). The cut-off is razor sharp which I love, and in-general they work fantastically and look really sweet. The problem is they are not "submersible" and I would really really really like something fully sealed for my less intelligent moments (like fording a river or blasting through a 2ft deep puddle)

Anyways, browsing the webs as I tend to do and I saw that Morimoto (and theretrofitsource.com) have some 5x7 LED projector based headlights for a ludicrously low price.
They were apparently a production run that doesn't adhere to exact 5x7 dimensions, so you have to grind some of the housing off for perfect fitment. Easy enough for me!

https://www.theretrofitsource.com/mo...ights-5x7.html





Anyways, they look exactly like the other JW Speaker 8900 knockoffs, except the specs are STACKED;

https://wholesaler.alibaba.com/produ...0.0.TVoQf5&s=p


Does anyone have any experience with the JW Speaker knock-off lights (the ones with actual decent LED emitters)? I am wondering if these are just another JW Speaker knockoff. Most knock-offs claim 35w to 55w (low/high respectively). These look very similar but there are some distinct differences with the Morimoto (namely the DOT rating stamp on the lens, the orange ring, and in-general the internal layout of the shroud)



https://wholesaler.alibaba.com/produ...0.0.TVoQf5&s=p

Morimoto is known for making "knockoffs" (in regards to automotive optics), but keeps quality, components, and finish much higher than the lowest quality knockoffs.

The fact that they are mentioning a specific CREE emitter model, and that they are "rating" the light at 3850 Lumens really made my eyes widen. [edit: thats 3850 lumens per light, on low beam and 4900 lumens on high. That is ~10,000 lumens of light output on high, compared to the ~5800 lumens my projector HID's put out meaning almost twice as bright!!)

I think I am going to go for a set even though I can't really afford it, and even though they come with NO warranty since they are considered "clearance/scratch and dent" models.


What do you guys think??

Hopefully there are some other lighting geeks like me on here...


EDIT:
And for completeness, some pics of the JW Speaker 8900 Evolution

mschi772

I am a huge lighting geek as my headlight post here and also posted on JeepForum would suggest (and that post just scratches the surface of my geekery). I would never buy knock-offs. Headlights are too important, and JW knock-offs have tended to be particularly bad. There is a reason JW builds them the way they do, and compromising any of that is what makes "knock-offs" what they are.

Name-dropping Cree means nothing. I have a $3 flashlight with a Cree LED. Big whoop.

Lumens mean nothing if the light isn't being focused where it belongs or isn't being prevented from going where it doesn't belong. (There is so much more to light patterns than whether or not the cut-off is sharp. Please, people stop thinking that the cut-off is everything you need to know)

If the light fails prematurely they do you zero good.

It is so easy to stack a ton of power/lumens on paper into a cheap light to dazzle/impress the uninformed. It's easy, and it's cheap. There is more to a quality headlight than how many lumens/watts it is. What kind of wiring do they use? What kind of adhesive/epoxy do they use to seal it up? What kind of material are the various parts made of? How well does it dissipate heat? How does it distribute light to the sides, foreground, distance? Sure, they may LOOK alike; counterfeits always LOOK like the real deal, but physical resemblance has no bearing on performance.

investinwaffles

My ration is that Morimoto is semi-reputable and that The Retrofit Source is very reputable in regard to "responsible lighting"

Maybe I'll reach out to TRS for some more info on beam pattern. I do want something with a smooth beam pattern and sharp cutoff. Even the JW Speaker doesn't look as sharp as my FX-R replica projectors

andrewmp6

If you want to be a guinea pig i say go for it,But to me i would pass on them since they are a knock off.

Rogue4x4

If I'm gonna put something that ugly on my XJ, it better be the real deal, LOL


Love my Trucklites...

rzldzl

i thought to get DOT stamp, the light output had to fall between a lower and upper brightness level(s)

these seem way too bright for DOT approval

mschi772

DOT doesn't "approve" anything. They set a standard (a pretty crappy and lenient one imo), and the manufacturers are responsible for certifying their own products.

Yes, this is as vulnerable to corruption as you'd think.

mschi772

I also gotta say that I'd personally go JW every time because they are are made in Germantown, WI--like 45 min from where I live.

Here's something for you to chew on
http://betterautomotivelighting.com/...hts-and-fakes/

investinwaffles

It's going to be tough beating my 55w HIDs in the FX-R Projectors. Great combo but barely fits in the stock buckets (minimal trimming)

I'll post a beam shot at some point. They aren't watertight though

investinwaffles

Here it is with the lens spacer and clear lens;



And stock;

mschi772

Good HID is nice, but I'm personally not fond of their relative fragility and relatively low CRI. For me, HID's just don't add-up--they can be fragile, they still cost quite a bit when done right, they have the lowest CRI of all options, and the retrofitting while not difficult is still effort not needed by the other options; the cons outweigh any pros for me given my other options. Because I can't/won't afford JW's, my runner up choice that I'm actually using is a set of ECE Cibie halogen housings with Osram bulbs.

USN_JeepXJ

I ordered a set of the morimotos and I'll review them against my Truck-Lite headlights when I get them. I love my TL headlights but they are a little lacking when compared to my WK2 bi-zenons or the factory HID's in my previous WK.

investinwaffles

Please do!! I really want a set but I'm always too broke to throw money away if they aren't exactly what I want.

The specs look great and Morimoto isn't known for "lying" about its specs usually.

USN_JeepXJ

They arrived! The light output is... well I think this tops any of the HID setups I've ever had. I'm in the process of mounting them. They do require some work to make them fit (hence the price) but I think it'll be more than worth it in the end. I'll update this weekend after I've had a chance to get them installed and get some good night shots.

thatXJguy

I just want to comment about the Morimoto name. I have nothing but good things to say about them, and I tried the company based off of a testimonial from one of my friends who said, "they're the best." I'm sure they're not "the best," but they're pretty damn close.

I have a Jeep Wrangler JK now, but I did an LED foglight swap with a set of Morimoto lights, and I'm impressed with the brightness they throw. They actually work well as auxiliary lights with the headlights and throw more light.

I think the JW Speaker headlights I have are awesome too, and if Moromoto can produce a stellar copy of the JW Speaker headlights for the XJ, I say go for it and give it a try.