Are they worth it?  One of my headlamps just went out on my Avalanche and I saw some Xenons on ebay for a decent price.

What are the benefits/concerns with them?  Is there more to it than just replacing the stock bulb with a xenon one?

Real Xenon headlamps are definitely worth it.

Are the Xenons that you are referring to, the real deal?

Real Xenons are not just replacement bulbs and they do require some work.

I had Hi/Low Xenons in my BMW and they could not compare to regular headlamps. I good friend of mine just replaced his old headlamps with Xenons in his 540, I do believe that they were around $600.

Xenon bulbs...I have heard give you a clearer field of vision...however they are more expensive than "regular" halogens and they tend to temporarily blind fellow motorists...

I ended up going with the Sylvania SilverStar halogens.  I know a guy who works at the store, and he said that 90% of the claims about increased light from other bulbs are complete BS, but that these bulbs definitely make a big difference in visibility.

I'll change them out and see how they do.

A true Xenon headlight is not a bulb, but an arc-like light discharge. They are not ceap, but, once you have them, you do not want to go back to regular halogen light systems.

Quoted: I ended up going with the Sylvania SilverStar halogens.  I know a guy who works at the store, and he said that 90% of the claims about increased light from other bulbs are complete BS, but that these bulbs definitely make a big difference in visibility. I'll change them out and see how they do.

You should like them.....I've been selling the shit outta them with nothing but good feedback.

You sell them?

Cool.

I'll take two sets for an '05-'06 Super Duty, #9008.

When will they be in?

Quoted: Quoted: I ended up going with the Sylvania SilverStar halogens.  I know a guy who works at the store, and he said that 90% of the claims about increased light from other bulbs are complete BS, but that these bulbs definitely make a big difference in visibility. I'll change them out and see how they do. You should like them.....I've been selling the shit outta them with nothing but good feedback.

Big +1 for SilverStars

Quoted: You sell them? Cool. I'll take two sets for an '05-'06 Super Duty, #9008. When will they be in?

As soon as you drive up to Portland and see me....

Some manufacturers use Xenon gas inside the halogen capsules. It supposedly gives more light output but I've seen some varying degrees of results.

HIDs are commonly referred to as the Xenon lamps on European cars (Mercedes, BMW, and Audi all have them). Some Fords started using them, like Town Cars and Focus.

HIDs are high-intensity discharge lamps, that utilize a different gas with a high voltage arc discharge inside the gas to sort of set off a reaction to get intense light. When properly aimed with the right cut-out, HIDs are the BEST you can get in modern automotive lighting. Most HIDs are NOT US street legal as they do not meet SAE / DOT / FMVSS standards but I guess you can get them on factory vehicles with waivers of some sort.

the US / SAE / DOT legal crap are usually 900x lamps (9007 2-filament crap). Ford is now moving to Hxx series of lamps that can meet E-code spec while fitting in the similar style lamps as the SAE / DOT 900x lamp assemblies.

What you basically need to know:
OEM installed HID lamps = GOOD
Aftermarket HIDs = OK if you get the right color and if its high quality
Xeon bulbs on eBay with tint, any type of tint = BAD

Don't get hyped up into the white/blue coloring. White/blue light is actually quite useless in low-light conditions. you want a yellowish BRIGHT light to have better contrast with other lighting (street lights, lights from other cars). A white/blue light will not contrast well, but will work better in NO-LIGHT conditions as in unlit highway roads in the woods of PA.

Quoted: Quoted: You sell them? Cool. I'll take two sets for an '05-'06 Super Duty, #9008. When will they be in? As soon as you drive up to Portland and see me....

How about next year when they start making them?

Sales rep told me there is not enough market for them yet. BS  

Ya, it's not that popular of a bulb yet. There's only 2 or 3 cars that take them that I can remember of the top of my head. As a matter of fact, I've only sold 1 to my knowledge...

Quoted: Quoted: I ended up going with the Sylvania SilverStar halogens.  I know a guy who works at the store, and he said that 90% of the claims about increased light from other bulbs are complete BS, but that these bulbs definitely make a big difference in visibility. I'll change them out and see how they do. You should like them.....I've been selling the shit outta them with nothing but good feedback.

No offense to you or anyone else:

Sylvania admits that the silverstars won't last nearly as long as the standard or XtraVision bulbs.
Dan Stern has said it before that the E-Code SilverStars are only worth getting. The 900x DOT/SAE SilverStars are over-watted tinted bulbs. Notice that they're rated 5W higher than the standard ratings, at least for 9007.

They do give out a whiter light, which people immediately think means a brighter HID-like light. WRONG.
A white light without the proper intensity will washout in low light conditions, as in heavily lit streets or high traffic roads at night.

A slightly yellow color light will allow for better contrast and visibility in these scenarios.

A white light is useful in no-light conditions or extremely low-light conditions.

Take for example:
White LED flash light
Regular Maglite of comparable size

Shine both lights in an office environment with overhead lighting. The white LED light is barely visible. The yellow light is visible.

I made the mistake of using white LED lights for general purpose flash lights because they're useless in conditions other than total darkness. I tried finding objects that I lost in the garage or attic and the white LEDs were only visible at a narrow focus point. The maglites that weren't as intense, but yellow, yielded better contrast and a much wider FOV.

HIDs are different because of the intensity of the light (note that many OEM HIDs seem to light up the road for 1/4 mile to 1/2 mile at night!).

If you're happy with the SilverStars, I'm happy. But we've asked Sylvania in the past regarding lifespan and they recommended XtraVisions.

My 00 Vic is running a pair of XtraVision 9007 bulbs with the relay/wiring upgrade. It is significantly better than stock but I'll take E-code H4s/HIDs anyday.

I sell autoparts, in a retail/wholesale enviroment......I happen to sell Sylvania Silverstars.....people buy them from me from time to time....most seem to like them.....that's all I was tryin' to say....no more, no less.

I know. For most people they do work well (Hxx series) and I've heard positive reviews of 9005/9006/9007 SilverStars. You can get them at Walmart or any other store that sells auto parts (usually).

Sylvania rates the SilverStars as having less lifespan than the standard, LL, or XtraVision bulbs.