REVIEW: Hellst LED Angel Eyes X5 PreLCI

[js2007]

About 2 weeks ago our X5's halo burnt out on the drivers side. I had replaced these a couple of times already with the same amber color but seeing lots of LCI's and newer X5's with LED Halos, I decided it was time to make the SUV look a little more up to date.

At first I did not see a point to spend good money on a bulb. In my mind they would eventually burn out any way so what was the point. The previous lights were very cheap about $10 each time I replaced them, and boy did I replace those lights often. I really got tired of this process so I decided to go to the local stealership and buy the new light from them as their product would be half decent, right? WRONG! $80 for a bulb and an installation fee! Ridiculous!

I started searching google for my options and seen LUX and DTEC. LUX in my opinion was far too expensive (especially with the weak Canadian $) and with some flickering issues it did not seem promising to me. DTEC on the other hand was very impressive but again upon further investigation the company's customer service was poorly rated and again too expensive.

I still wouldn't give up though. Searching for a couple of days I landed on BimmerEyes. The site really did not impress me but the reviews people had about their service and the added bonus of them being located in Canada contributed to me actually pulling the trigger and purchasing through them.

They use Paypal, which gave me a piece of mind, in the event something goes wrong at least I can make a claim. Also, the price point of the LEDs at $145US was also compelling when compared with DTEC and LUX. Comparing the $80 (excluding 13% tax) halogen from the stealership to a pair of LED's at ~$190cdn (everything included) was a no brainer to me. The added benefit of a two year warranty as well proved to me that this purchase may be worth it.

I ordered on Wednesday the week of Good Friday and Easter Monday holidays. Almost immediately the package was shipped. Already I am feeling good about the purchase because of the companies quick shipping. On their site it says 2 business days for shipping in Canada and they did deliver! Due to the holidays and that Canada Post is closed both friday and monday I did not receive the LEDs until Tuesday the following week.

Upon arrival, the packaging surprised me. It was very nice and tight. I had a little trouble opening it without using scissors. It was wrapped in brown paper (the usual) but also another plastic layer tightly sealing the whole package. The layer of plastic was secure to the point where I would've noticed if someone had tried opening the parcel.

The package containing the LEDs themselves was very good and the foam really protected the lights.





Now what was left was simply installing them. I had experience with my other $10 bulbs so it was pretty straight forward.

The other modules that required to be connected were very secure. The modules clicked into place and were not going anywhere. Also, the LEDs themselves had to be connected to the main module and they included a screw so the connection would not get loose.
Briefly: I am confident that the wires would not disconnect as the connections between the main module and LEDs are very secure.

First, I installed the drivers side as that light was already burnt out and it would give me a chance to compare the halogens with the LEDs. After seeing the difference I went ahead to complete my upgrade .

Are the Hellst Angel Eye LED V5 as good as they are advertised to be?
YES! I am not disappointed at all. They are slightly brighter than the old halogens and they do a great job at making the X5 look a little younger.

Would I recommend?
Yes. They really look good and perform as advertised. They are backed up with a two year warranty and they are cheaper than the DTEC and LUX LEDs.

Any problems?
Not really. These do not flicker like the LUX, BUT when dimming, these lights do not dim out smooth. Although this is very minuscule. I have posted a short video showing this. Mind you the refresh rate on the camera is higher than that of the LEDs so the flickering in the camera does not happen in person.

I AM NOT A PHOTOGRAPHER!
These are taken on an S6. I did not take them outside as the weather here in the GTA is crappy. I will post updates with pictures of the angel eyes in the daylight.

Here is the video of the dimming I mentioned earlier:
[u2b]https://youtu.be/1mmPX9ImczY[/u2b]

HALOGENS:





SIDE BY SIDE:





HELLST ANGEL EYE LED V5:

[boneca]

good write up
I used the same setup for my previous X5 and was very happy with them!