Well I sent them back and decided to ask for a refund which I got in the form of base amount only. I got stuck eating the shipping in both directions. Moral of the story, if you're gonna buy chinese lights do it on amazon where you'll get a full refund.

... manufacturing issues happen, regardless of where they're made. Calling them 'chinese lights' implies they're intentionally designed/manufactured in a substandard way, which I think is a grossly unfair generalization.

That being said - Fahren Termitor is the 2nd best...and available on Amazon, for ~$60/pair. Actually, looks like they're $70 with a $15 coupon right now, so even less.

https://www.amazon.com/Termitor-H4-9003 ... B0CWCZ7KK7

I'd call the tiny o-ring and soft plastic sub standard for sure. That's a lot of mass to be contained by such pathetic contact points. And it's not like that style of light is unique, they are everywhere on Amazon so he may be spacing out the chips or something to that effect but they really are just amazon chinese lights at double the price.

I'll look into the termitor lights but I think the mini projectors are the way to go. https://www.amazon.com/CO-LIGHT-Anti-glare-Headlight-Projector/dp/B0CN72DSBT/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?adgrpid=151959801066&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.QzNYSp2l1cjlYJKoy1BE0f6-mYEBu5t6UXnPXU6CeUU10TJmgR6FtEb2Xxb2-asE9e1EVOeDwRXWc06OUdYVajnvv8LjWluV7WcMFBBRKWhID80LpP8dKJZX6LYIoHNXWOBiAwhAuK1rGWN82QfN_mSo6FFBRGrUWImWBfuK0Jbv4NeVWX1__J3VN9OEbRAJzy6-f2q7aIF7-066BP5_lA.fAMAcgG_VsKVxBpRnbi3G2BxjNxfJHDA9nLuVz4ZEQg&dib_tag=se&hvadid=669680674044&hvdev=m&hvlocphy=1027744&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=8028585287192303870&hvtargid=kwd-2211134256210&hydadcr=11039_13632930&keywords=co+light+h4+projector&qid=1714145293&sr=8-1

These are the ones I need.
Do they aim right?

I disagree but...it is what it is.



They can be a viable option as long as you get decent ones, and you don't have an internal glare filter on the housings. Most housings for H4s have a glare shield that will have to be removed. Unfortunately, my experience on them is relatively limited, so I wont be able to give any suggestions on them.

They're the second brightest bulbs I've seen.

Aiming will depend on your housing. H4 housings can be hit or miss.

Things have now been fully sorted as I have received the rest of my refund. In response to this I have deleted my videos of the issue from youtube. I still don't recommend the H4 versions of these lights at this time.

Still sucks. I don't make any money off of anything - I spread information because I want people to know what I know so they can enjoy what I enjoy - and it's obviously a random issue, or he'd be getting a ton of other complaints which he doesn't have, but I still feel bad for the hassle since I'm the one that suggested them - albeit I still stand behind that suggestion.

I completely understand the 'wanting to buy from Amazon' thing, and I did exactly that for my first few purchases but decided to go with 'the best' this time around.... and put out the extra change and shipping delay, and so far I'm extremely happy with the upgrade. There's a noticeable difference between the Termitor and the F9, however the Termitor's are over a year old, and while some degradation is expected, as bulbs can lose intensity over time - even LEDs - there was little to no degradation, and the F9s are clearly significantly brighter.

I'm a light snob, just like I'm a radio snob. Just because I do all the research and know the 'best' way to do something, doesn't mean it's wrong to do it another way - or that my way will work for everyone. Just because I carry around a $1200 radio doesn't mean that a $300 or even $50 radio won't do for what someone needs to use it for - especially when that $50 radio is better than the tin can and string they have been using.

This is usually why I suggest a 'good, better, best' when people ask me for suggestions on things. Not everyone can afford, or even want, the expensive toys. On top of that, especially in the LED market, things are constantly changing. What I'd consider a 'cheap' bulb today dwarfs even the brightest bulb from 4-5 years ago, which was still 2-3x brighter than the halogen it replaced. Right now it's more about design and placement of the emitters, as thermal management and LED emitter technology issues have pretty much been solved. LASERs are the next step in bulb technology.

Also, understand the difference between 'the best' and 'really good' might only be 5-10%. So, the $30 price difference between the F9 and the Termitor wasn't worth it. Now that I have more money, I can buy the premium product, and not feel as bad.

The Termitor are still 100% recommended, and the F9 is for sure the premium product that you only need to buy if you want 'the best'.