Review of AngeliBrights V3.0 after 1 week

[808MGuy]

Just some background. I used to have LUX H8s which were installed for about a month until the units were recalled. I decided to return them as I didn't care for the fix of just moving the driver pack out of the headlight housing since the big draw to the LUX for me was that everything was hidden in the housing. So I went back to OEM angel eyes for about 6 months and I finally decided to give the AiBs a chance.

I installed them last week and so far I'm satisfied. Everything is completely installed within the headlight housing which is a big plus for me. In my opinion, having wires coming out of the top of the housing seems a little "backyard installer" for products of this price range. Brightness wise, I'd say the LUX is probably a bit brighter. Uniformity is equal between the AiB and the LUX. I don't think you can ever have a fully uniform distribution viewed from all angles with a simple lamp replacement due to the design of the angel eye assembly. Anyone who tells you they can is full of it. The only way it can be done is with a complete angel eye replacement similar to the OSS design. I did notice that when I fully locked the AiBs into the socket, the concaved portion of the lamp assembly is not directed into the angel eye fiber optics. I assumed when looking at the design that the concave portion of the assembly is used to control the spread of the light coming from the LED. This could be affecting the overall brightness and uniformity but I was unsure if I should turn the assmebly back a bit to try and line it up or just leave it fully locked into place. I'm not even sure if I could make it line up depending on how much play there is to rotate it before acutally coming out of the reflector housing. I haven't seen any error codes or noted any odd behavior of the AiBs yet. Blinking is normal if your DRLs are set to off so that is not an issue.

I have read some reviews saying that the driver packs fail after a short time so I will continue to wait and see how this goes but it seems that EAS has been pretty good about replacing failed driver packs. Their tech support has been great as I did have some questions about the installation and received responses in less than 24 hours.

So, in short, I think the AiBs are a pretty good product. Are they worth $300? I won't lie and say they they are worth every penny. They could stand to be a bit cheaper. But I can see the effort that went into the design of the lamp assembly and the heatsink and know that CNC work like that does cost money in both fabircation and design. Maybe if it was closer to the $200 range I would call it a good bargain. The one up it does have on the LUX is that its fully enlcosed in the headlight housing and to me, that was the trump card.

[kmarei]

I thought AIB also recommended that the driver pack be installed outside the headlight after the first generation drivers packs were failing, and they replaced them u deer warranty?

[808MGuy]

Originally Posted by kmarei

I thought AIB also recommended that the driver pack be installed outside the headlight after the first generation drivers packs were failing, and they replaced them u deer warranty?

I talked to EAS about this and they told me the newest driver packs can be installed in the housing.

[Fsarc]

Nice review. I installed mine a few weeks ago after getting them from Bavarian Auto. Build quality is pretty nice. I used metal polish to get a mirror finish on the concave portion hoping to increase the intensity of the light. Not sure if it worked or not to increase any more reflected light output, but they sure looked nice. The heat sink is massive and looks like overkill so I think any overheating is a non issue. I think the biggest source of any reported failures is probably the driver pack.

I used a dental mirror to observe the configuration of the locking tab slots on the light housing and then marked the short tab on the AiB socket so they lined up properly. I wanted to assure a proper seal. You are correct, the concave portion does not line up with the light tubes. I did turn it and do a direct shot down the light tube and didn't notice any difference. Install was very easy taking no more than 15 minutes.

The new driver packs are designed to go right into the light housing. I used a small tie wrap to secure them so they wouldn't move around.

Overall I'm extremely happy with the color of the AiB's. It looks way better than the stock halos. I also had no error codes and ran a BT scan which didn't show anything amiss. No flickering or dimming either.

They look great but do not approach the new OEM LED angel eyes in terms of brightness or uniformity. To say otherwise would be misleading.

I considered the HID solution but didn't want to deal with potential yellowing and all of the wiring and ballasts that need to go along with the install.


Overall- very nice product!

[C17MooseDriver]

I have version 1. Unfortunately I have to have the drivers outside the housing, but it's concealed easily enough.

Hopefully v3 has less problems than version 1. I'm on my 3rd set. 1st set failed, 2nd set was horribly put together, 3rd set has been working. Thank goodness EAS actually offers good customer service.

[Tio///M]

After them going out on my three times, I decided to send back to EAS. I don't know if its the heat and humidity of Miami or what, but I got annoyed. So I'm just gonna not mess with them and go back to halogen bulbs.

[kaykay]

Nice review 808, keep us posted on how they perform and post some pics!

[geneatals]

Originally Posted by kaykay

Nice review 808, keep us posted on how they perform and post some pics!

I thought you were going to stop by eas and check them out for yourself...did you ever make it to the shop?

[kaykay]

Originally Posted by geneatals

I thought you were going to stop by eas and check them out for yourself...did you ever make it to the shop?

Haven't yet, been way too busy. I'm more concerned with the reliability of the product, I know it lights well but have heard a lot of heat packs breaking, etc. on the forums.

[geneatals]

Originally Posted by kaykay

Haven't yet, been way too busy. I'm more concerned with the reliability of the product, I know it lights well but have heard a lot of heat packs breaking, etc. on the forums.

true..which is why I like my cheapo gp thunders

[Alex-R-1]

With AngeliBrights V3.0 there are no problems???? Blocks in a headlight lay????
Do not they overheat????? I think to install AngeliBrights on my М3!

[808MGuy]

Originally Posted by kaykay

Nice review 808, keep us posted on how they perform and post some pics!

I thought about taking pics but its seems to only cause more harm than good when trying to review these angle eye lamp replacements. Everybody has an issue about what angle they are taken at and blah blah blah. You'll never get two pictures of the same install to look exactly the same unless you fabricate a jig to put your camera on and line it up dead center to the car. I felt it would be more meaningful directly comparing it to its closest competitor (LUX) since I have personally owned both.

[C17MooseDriver]

Jut jinxed myself. My left one just went out. This is my third set.

I'm sure EAS won't replace it since it exceeded the warranty. Needless to say I won't be getting a fourth set.

Buyer beware. Do a search an you'll find Alot of threads about it's horrible reliability.

Might just go with gp thunders or back to stock

[tom @ eas]

Originally Posted by C17MooseDriver

Jut jinxed myself. My left one just went out. This is my third set.

I'm sure EAS won't replace it since it exceeded the warranty. Needless to say I won't be getting a fourth set.

Buyer beware. Do a search an you'll find Alot of threads about it's horrible reliability.

Might just go with gp thunders or back to stock

There is a 3 year warranty on the kits, you would still be covered. Please check for power with a multimeter at the connector before blaming the AiBs, the FRM uses a digital breaker if a fault is detected.

If you have any questions pertaining to the AiB systems, please contact me via phone or email for the quickest reply.

Originally Posted by kaykay

Haven't yet, been way too busy. I'm more concerned with the reliability of the product, I know it lights well but have heard a lot of heat packs breaking, etc. on the forums.

You're more than welcome to drop by when time permits. Keep in mind that most only issues will be reported on an open forum - since the primary objective is to seek advice from others. With a properly working kit, there isn't really anything to post about.

808MGuy: Thank you for the honest review, glad you are happy with your AiB setup!

[C17MooseDriver]

Originally Posted by tom @ eas

There is a 3 year warranty on the kits, you would still be covered. Please check for power with a multimeter at the connector before blaming the AiBs, the FRM uses a digital breaker if a fault is detected.

If you have any questions pertaining to the AiB systems, please contact me via phone or email for the quickest reply.

Thanks for replying tom. I'm glad to hear it's under warranty still.

I'm not sure what a multimeter or what an FRM is, but I'm pretty sure I don't have a multimeter. If I put in my stock bulbs and it works does that indicate that the AIBs are the problem? I of course default to an AIB defect since it's failed twice before.

I'll also try switching the drivers between the left and right ones, since the drivers seems to be the culprit usually. Will report back.

[tom @ eas]

Originally Posted by C17MooseDriver

Thanks for replying tom. I'm glad to hear it's under warranty still.

I'm not sure what a multimeter or what an FRM is, but I'm pretty sure I don't have a multimeter. If I put in my stock bulbs and it works does that indicate that the AIBs are the problem? I of course default to an AIB defect since it's failed twice before.

I'll also try switching the drivers between the left and right ones, since the drivers seems to be the culprit usually. Will report back.

FRM = Footwell Module, this is located behind the driver's side kickpanel. This is also the sole module that controls the lighting system in your M3.

Bulbs would work in a pinch to check for power, you're already a step ahead by swapping the DriverPacks to see if the issue transfers to the other side. If the bulbs do not light up, a multimeter or even a light tester will verify power at the connector.

[ducman]

My quick review: I had AiB v3 for over 6 months now and the shit is still running great. I never had any issue with it. The halos are on every time the car is on and the car is a daily driver. Though, I do agree with OP on the cost.

[powertrip]

Tom replaced my old AiBs with the V3s about 8 months ago, and everything is still working perfectly. Kudos to Tom for standing behind the product .