LUX rings captured!

Bullitt · 03-14-2010, 10:11 PM

It's no secret that I've been waiting for the 1 series version of the LUX since 2008. Ever since I saw the LUX 4.0 and 5.0 on the early E90's, I waited for the LUX E92 (LUX H8 Rings) to be developed with hopes that it would work in our E82 just as well. Unfortunately, it was discovered that our headlights have a different internal design, which affects the light distribution between the inner and outer rings.

The inherent tendency of our headlight is to distribute light into the inner ring much more than the outer ring; the E92's do not suffer from this same imbalance. The end result was the same as all other angel eye lighting options available in the 1 series market: the outer ring was not nearly as bright as the inner one. Several more months were instantly added to my wait as additional development was required to optimize the LUX's performance for the E82 headlight.

I considered all options available for the 1 series, but was set on the LUX due to its promising traits of better balanced light distribution and daytime visibility. I originally wanted to go with HIDs, but as several owners can attest to, at least on the e9x, it is almost too bright and can appear like an undefined "blob" of light. With this in mind, I feared the inner ring would be overly and unflatteringly bright compared to the outer one in our headlight. (Currently waiting for the verdict from Simon_135i of his LUX vs. HID comparison.) Also considered was the ///OSS LED custom job "implants", and I didn't mind sending my headlights to have it done. Unfortunately, they stumbled across an issue with our headlights that didn't make it feasible.

Fast forward to the present, and the 1 series LUX rings are finally available.

So does it meet my expectations? Yes and no. Light distribution is good and improved over stock. I did expect it to be brighter. Fortunately, it is sufficiently bright to be visible during daylight. Due to the nature of our headlights, one can't expect anything like the Audi DRL LED's anyway. There's not much to complain about because this is the brightest solution available besides HID's.

The photos below capture how the LUX performs during the daytime in variable surroundings and lighting conditions, including direct sunlight. Enjoy the pics!

EDIT:
Added one more photo.

randomquickness · 03-14-2010, 10:28 PM

they look good, way better than stock...the only way to go brighter are the HID kits

Bullitt · 03-14-2010, 10:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by randomquickness

they look good, way better than stock...the only way to go brighter are the HID kits

True that. However, I wanted a unit that was specifically designed to distribute light more evenly between the inner and outer rings. I'm really curious to see how the balance is with the HIDs. Simon_135i, you have both...where are you?

mds82 · 03-14-2010, 11:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by randomquickness

they look good, way better than stock...the only way to go brighter are the HID kits

As Bullitt says - the LUX kit was designed to make the outer ring as bright as possible, keeping a much closer distribution of light from the inner/outer rings.

HID Kits will be brighter, however you will have an extremely bright inner ring, with a poorly lit outer ring.

Also, the LUX 1-Series kit is 100% plug and play and will not dim when turning on the xenon's

Thanks for the great pics Bullitt!!!

Simon_135i · 03-14-2010, 11:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bullitt

True that. However, I wanted a unit that was specifically designed to distribute light more evenly between the inner and outer rings. I'm really curious to see how the balance is with the HIDs. Simon_135i, you have both...where are you?

I hope to get my NEW/FIXED resistor sometime next week. So far, I love the even distribution of the LUX but I miss the brightness of the HIDs... I actually like the 8k look a tad bit more.

BSM 135i · 03-14-2010, 11:40 PM

looks good but we all know that HID's will be the brightest option so instead of comparison shots of LUX and HID's i'd rather see LUX vs all the other LED options.

Simon_135i · 03-14-2010, 11:44 PM

Okay no problem. Won't do the side by side shot of the LUX and HIDs since everyone knows already =) Save me some time haha

Bullitt · 03-15-2010, 12:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mds82

Thanks for the great pics Bullitt!!!

Thanks for designing and producing this!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Simon_135i

I hope to get my NEW/FIXED resistor sometime next week. So far, I love the even distribution of the LUX but I miss the brightness of the HIDs... I actually like the 8k look a tad bit more.

Right, forgot you were waiting for that.

I prefer 8k as well... but it does match the xenons perfectly.

Bullitt · 03-15-2010, 01:36 AM

I'd like add a photo:

penny · 03-15-2010, 01:42 AM

Damn. That's lookin' good Bullitt!

randomquickness · 03-15-2010, 10:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BSM 135i

looks good but we all know that HID's will be the brightest option so instead of comparison shots of LUX and HID's i'd rather see LUX vs all the other LED options.

LUX > all other LED choices IMO.

ruffstik · 03-15-2010, 11:08 AM

Nice shots!

escobar929 · 03-15-2010, 11:25 AM

man, those looks great. much better than my WL

the inner ring is about the same, but no comparing the outer rings. mine you cant really in the day time

is this the only LUX kit, or are there diff colors? if so, which is yours

hope someone in my area gets these, will love to see them in person before i switch them out for my WLs

also, if you have a shot of them w/ the HIDs on, will be highly appreciated

Bullitt · 03-15-2010, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Simon_135i

Okay no problem. Won't do the side by side shot of the LUX and HIDs since everyone knows already =) Save me some time haha

lol. jokes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by penny

Damn. That's lookin' good Bullitt!

Thanks penny!

Quote:

Originally Posted by escobar929

is this the only LUX kit, or are there diff colors? if so, which is yours

also, if you have a shot of them w/ the HIDs on, will be highly appreciated

Only one color temp available - 6500k.

Unfortunately no shots were taken with them on.

However, the LUX remain illuminated at the same brightness and do not decrease in color temp. The definition of the rings remain as is.

SV Concepts II · 03-15-2010, 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by escobar929

man, those looks great. much better than my WL

the inner ring is about the same, but no comparing the outer rings. mine you cant really in the day time

is this the only LUX kit, or are there diff colors? if so, which is yours

hope someone in my area gets these, will love to see them in person before i switch them out for my WLs

also, if you have a shot of them w/ the HIDs on, will be highly appreciated

Just you wait, WeissLicht V2 is coming out soon

which will be on par if not better than LUX and at a better price point.

miro2296 · 03-15-2010, 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cal@Jlevi SW

Just you wait, WeissLicht V2 is coming out soon

which will be on par if not better than LUX and at a better price point.

SpacE82 · 03-15-2010, 01:28 PM

Dammit, I'm never going to buy angel eyes if a newer, better option is always going to be coming out! Its like buying a computer....as soon as you leave the store, its obsolete and a newer, better model is out!

Bullitt · 03-15-2010, 02:13 PM

^ I have a strong hunch it won't be better. Maybe similar at best. Making LEDs perform well in our headlights is very challenging. If it is indeed better, I'm confident MDS will come out with a version 2.0 E82 LUX that tops it.

SpacE82 · 03-15-2010, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bullitt

^ I have a strong hunch it won't be better. Maybe similar at best. Making LEDs perform well in our headlights is very challenging. If it is indeed better, I'm confident MDS will come out with a version 2.0 E82 LUX that tops it.

Okay, thanks for the reassurance haha. Now I just wait for the LUX vs HID comments and then order one of them!!

mds82 · 03-15-2010, 03:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bullitt

^ I have a strong hunch it won't be better. Maybe similar at best. Making LEDs perform well in our headlights is very challenging. If it is indeed better, I'm confident MDS will come out with a version 2.0 E82 LUX that tops it.

HA Ha. well not really. If i made a version 2 of these then that would mean that i'm not using the best parts in this version? I am using he best parts available already, so theres no newer technology that can make these better

Only if there is newer technology that comes out will i consider an upgrade.

Bullitt · 03-15-2010, 03:57 PM

^ Touché. It's hard to beat this LUX... For the first time, I'm actually content with the rings of my car.

randomquickness · 03-15-2010, 04:02 PM

having seen nearly every AE on the market first hand, I really believe LUX is the clear cut winner UNLESS you simply want the brightness of HID's.

03-14-2010, 10:11 PM	#1
Bullitt Major 125 Rep 1,243 Posts Drives: 135i Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: SF Bay Area iTrader: (22) Garage List 2008 135i [0.00]	LUX rings captured! It's no secret that I've been waiting for the 1 series version of the LUX since 2008. Ever since I saw the LUX 4.0 and 5.0 on the early E90's, I waited for the LUX E92 (LUX H8 Rings) to be developed with hopes that it would work in our E82 just as well. Unfortunately, it was discovered that our headlights have a different internal design, which affects the light distribution between the inner and outer rings. The inherent tendency of our headlight is to distribute light into the inner ring much more than the outer ring; the E92's do not suffer from this same imbalance. The end result was the same as all other angel eye lighting options available in the 1 series market: the outer ring was not nearly as bright as the inner one. Several more months were instantly added to my wait as additional development was required to optimize the LUX's performance for the E82 headlight. I considered all options available for the 1 series, but was set on the LUX due to its promising traits of better balanced light distribution and daytime visibility. I originally wanted to go with HIDs, but as several owners can attest to, at least on the e9x, it is almost too bright and can appear like an undefined "blob" of light. With this in mind, I feared the inner ring would be overly and unflatteringly bright compared to the outer one in our headlight. (Currently waiting for the verdict from Simon_135i of his LUX vs. HID comparison.) Also considered was the ///OSS LED custom job "implants", and I didn't mind sending my headlights to have it done. Unfortunately, they stumbled across an issue with our headlights that didn't make it feasible. Fast forward to the present, and the 1 series LUX rings are finally available. So does it meet my expectations? Yes and no. Light distribution is good and improved over stock. I did expect it to be brighter. Fortunately, it is sufficiently bright to be visible during daylight. Due to the nature of our headlights, one can't expect anything like the Audi DRL LED's anyway. There's not much to complain about because this is the brightest solution available besides HID's. The photos below capture how the LUX performs during the daytime in variable surroundings and lighting conditions, including direct sunlight. Enjoy the pics! EDIT: Added one more photo. Attached Images Last edited by Bullitt; 03-15-2010 at 09:50 PM.. Reason: Changed title
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03-14-2010, 10:28 PM	#2
randomquickness Brigadier General 262 Rep 3,668 Posts Drives: 996tt Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Georgetown, TX iTrader: (13)	they look good, way better than stock...the only way to go brighter are the HID kits __________________
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03-14-2010, 11:40 PM	#6
BSM 135i Colonel 245 Rep 2,228 Posts Drives: 08' BSM E82 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Cali iTrader: (23)	looks good but we all know that HID's will be the brightest option so instead of comparison shots of LUX and HID's i'd rather see LUX vs all the other LED options.
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03-14-2010, 11:44 PM	#7
Simon_135i Collecting dust! 58 Rep 2,009 Posts Drives: 135i Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: San Diego iTrader: (8) Garage List 2008 E82/135i [0.00]	Okay no problem. Won't do the side by side shot of the LUX and HIDs since everyone knows already =) Save me some time haha
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03-15-2010, 01:36 AM	#9
Bullitt Major 125 Rep 1,243 Posts Drives: 135i Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: SF Bay Area iTrader: (22) Garage List 2008 135i [0.00]	I'd like add a photo: Attached Images
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03-15-2010, 01:42 AM	#10
penny Captain 50 Rep 829 Posts Drives: '08 135i (sold) Join Date: May 2008 Location: Las Colinas iTrader: (2)	Damn. That's lookin' good Bullitt! __________________ '08 135i.
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03-15-2010, 11:08 AM	#12
ruffstik Pirate 164 Rep 743 Posts Drives: 2025 BSM M2 G87 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Wisconsin iTrader: (0) Garage List 2008 135i [9.50]	Nice shots!
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03-15-2010, 11:25 AM	#13
escobar929 Brigadier General 161 Rep 4,528 Posts Drives: M2 CS Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Hollywood, FL iTrader: (14) Garage List 2020 M2 CS [10.00] 2020 M240i [0.00]	man, those looks great. much better than my WL the inner ring is about the same, but no comparing the outer rings. mine you cant really in the day time is this the only LUX kit, or are there diff colors? if so, which is yours hope someone in my area gets these, will love to see them in person before i switch them out for my WLs also, if you have a shot of them w/ the HIDs on, will be highly appreciated Last edited by escobar929; 03-15-2010 at 11:31 AM..
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03-15-2010, 01:28 PM	#17
SpacE82 Major 136 Rep 1,311 Posts Drives: 2009 M-Sport 135i Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Chicago iTrader: (0) Garage List 2009 BMW 135i [8.50]	Dammit, I'm never going to buy angel eyes if a newer, better option is always going to be coming out! Its like buying a computer....as soon as you leave the store, its obsolete and a newer, better model is out!
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03-15-2010, 02:13 PM	#18
Bullitt Major 125 Rep 1,243 Posts Drives: 135i Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: SF Bay Area iTrader: (22) Garage List 2008 135i [0.00]	^ I have a strong hunch it won't be better. Maybe similar at best. Making LEDs perform well in our headlights is very challenging. If it is indeed better, I'm confident MDS will come out with a version 2.0 E82 LUX that tops it.
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03-15-2010, 03:57 PM	#21
Bullitt Major 125 Rep 1,243 Posts Drives: 135i Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: SF Bay Area iTrader: (22) Garage List 2008 135i [0.00]	^ Touché. It's hard to beat this LUX... For the first time, I'm actually content with the rings of my car.
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03-15-2010, 04:02 PM	#22
randomquickness Brigadier General 262 Rep 3,668 Posts Drives: 996tt Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Georgetown, TX iTrader: (13)	having seen nearly every AE on the market first hand, I really believe LUX is the clear cut winner UNLESS you simply want the brightness of HID's. __________________ Last edited by randomquickness; 03-15-2010 at 04:23 PM..
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