Ring Automotive Xenon Max
February 4, 2011Exotic Detail has teamed up with Ring Automotive to bring you entertaining, informative product reviews. We’re super pleased to be conducting reviews for such a respected company, and we hope you find them interesting.
Ring Automotive background information
”Based in Leeds and established in 1974, Ring Automotive has become synonymous with innovative developments in the world of vehicle lighting and auto-electrical products. From the award winning Performance Halogen range, to the latest bulb references, we have constantly innovated to ensure our customers are first to market.
Through our knowledge of vehicle electrics, Ring Automotive has been able to design and supply a range of other auto electrical items such as battery chargers, battery packs, torches and in-car accessories”
Xenon Max
Xenon Max bulbs are standard replacement bulbs that claim to be 100% brighter than conventional headlight bulbs. The main features are greater performance, clearer light output, and enhanced reflections from road markings and signs.
To determine whether these claims are genuine, we will compare the Xenon Max to some Ice White replacement bulbs we picked up on eBay. We picked the Ice White bulbs as a suitable rival for several reason, the first being aesthetics. One of the main reasons for headlight bulb upgrades is the search for Xenon/HID levels of pure white light. This is something the Ice White bulbs claim to reproduce at a fraction of the cost. The second reason is price point, the Ice White bulbs are 88% cheaper than Xenon Max, is paying that extra money really worth it?
Product Comparison
The picture below clearly shows the differences between the two bulbs. With the Ice White having a full blue tint and the Xenon Max opting for a more conventional clear lens with a subtle blue band. The other major difference is the element construction, with the Xenon Max having a more compact, elegant coil. At this point I’d like to point out that the legality of the Ice White bulbs is not certified, were as the Xenon Max are.
Testing
After trying out the Ice White bulbs for a few days it was clear they appeared dull compared to standard bulbs. They give good light just in front of the bumper but struggled to project light far enough ahead, this resulted in some very cautious country lane driving. It was comparable to driving with very dirty headlights!
The first pictures were taken with a ¼ second exposure time, this gave a false impression of the lights compared to what the eyes see.
This being said I decided to grab a picture of the Xenon Max with a ¼ second exposure, to see what/if there was anything interesting to pick out.
(Apologies for the location difference)
After first seeing this picture I was left very disappointed, as there appears to be little or no difference. This is partly down to the camera not picking up enough light, despite this there is a slight contrast when viewing the pictures side by side.
Notice the grass colour on the Xenon Max is richer than with the Ice White. This is because the full blue lens is hazing the light with a tint. This is great when looking at the headlight from outside the car, an almost Xenon like blue light. From inside the car however this tint is dulling the light output, the reason country driving is so dangerous!
After examining these photos we decided to re-shoot the pictures, this time with a longer exposure. This allowed the camera to pick up more of the light, giving a clearer contrast between the two. After playing around for a while we achieved the best pictures with a 3 second exposure. This isn’t however, how the eyes portray the light. The human eye (in darkness) would be more comparable to 1-2 second exposure time.
With the exposure turned up it becomes clear how tinted the Ice White bulbs are. One thing the pictures don’t show is how much clearer the Xenon Max appear when driving, the sheer clarity and projection is fantastic. Road sign reflection is also increased, on our test the Xenon Max reflected signs at an amazing 305ft compared to the Ice White at 260ft.
Final Thoughts
Overall I think the Xenon Max bulbs are very impressive, giving good projection, clarity, reflection and in terms of safety the extra cost is more than justified. My one criticism with the Xenon Max bulbs is they still have a slight yellow/orange appearance. Granted they’re a massive improvement over standard bulbs, but if you want the aesthetics and practicalities of true Xenon headlights, you won’t find it in replacement bulbs….not just yet anyway.
If you have any comments or want to share your thoughts on the Xenon Max bulbs, please get in touch exotic_detail@yahoo.co.uk
With thanks to Ring Automotive – www.ringautomotive.co.uk
Simon
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