Review of the JW Speaker TS3000 LED Offroad Light

The newest and perhaps wildest LED off road lighting product on the market: The J.W. Speaker model TS3000.

Have you seen or heard anything about the new TS3000 LED Driving lamp from the American lighting manufacturer J.W. Speaker? It is pretty insane, and I want to tell you about it. If you’re trying to decide what type off auxiliary lighting to put on your rig, consider this. You’ve got all types of options, the most common is the old style of round halogen or HID offroad lights. Now today we’re seeing more and more LED products from Companies like JW Speaker and Vision X lighting. They are becoming the mainstay on the high end sport trucks, and the weekend mud warrior. JW Speaker Corp. out of Germantown, Wisconsin has released what may be the coolest LED off road light that’s ever existed. Here’s the thing: It shoots out light up to nearly 2,000 feet (600 meters)! That’s getting pretty close to a half mile of light output, which is pretty unheard of from any type of lighting product. Also, the light is available with different lenses (clear polycarbonate, blue polycarbonate or amber polycarbonate) and 2 different beam patterns: Pencil Beam or Driving Beam:

The TS3000 is available in a Pencil Beam or a Driving Beam pattern, both are wildly bright!

This light is new, powerful and rugged, but some people have accused JW Speaker of creating an “Alien-Like” fixture, that some people don’t really like the idea of using. It breaks the traditional mold of what is normal or expected when it comes to off road lights and I think that’s why I like it. Really, it’s looks are the only thing that could possibly be held against it – and that’s just subjective! Here are some technical specs of the light:

• Voltage input: 12v – 24v
• Available in Driving or Pencil Beam
• Clear Polycarbonate Lens
• Driving beam is available in DOT-compliant and ECE-compliant configurations
• Optional colored lenses available
• 4-Year Manufacturer’s warranty
• Integrated 2-Pin Deutsch Weather-Proof Socket
• Weight: 3lbs
• Current Draw: 3.700 Amps @ 12V DC
• Bracket and Housing Material: Silver Painted Die Cast Aluminum

Jeeps love JW Speaker Lighting Products!

Currently the bracket/housing is only available in stock in silver, but if you can wait about a month and a half JW Speaker’s factory in Wisconsin will custom-build you a light with black brackets instead, or you could just paint the silver one yourself… So the next time you’re shopping for a new reliable, rugged, cool and eye-catching offroad lighting product, take a moment to look into the JW Speaker TS3000 LED Off Road Light.

Xentec HID Ballast Review – What does waterproof mean?

Xentec – providing “HID-Like” electronics since 2008.

I recently had the pleasure of getting my hands on a new Xentec HID kit for testing and review purposes and my expectations were met… however my expectations were that the Xentec product would be complete and total garbage.

Today you can find a complete single beam, 35w HID Kit for sale on eBay for a mere $29.50 shipped from California to anywhere in the United States. Let’s do the math… the cheapest ground shipping for a 2 pound package from CA to NY would cost roughly $5 by shipping through the United States Postal Service using the Parcel Post shipping method. So really, Xentec is selling the entire HID kit for $24.50, which means each ballast will cost about $8 and the bulbs will be roughly $8.50.

Replacement halogen bulbs cost more than an entire Xentec HID kit.

Now, on the other hand, to purchase a set of decent blue halogen light bulbs will cost you around $40 at any reputable parts store, specialty shop or even Wal-Mart, and these are just off the shelf blue tinted halogen bulb replacements. How can Xentec sell an entire HID kit for less than a set of blue light bulbs? Is it magic? No – it’s just dang cheap. If you look at the cost of other HID products you will see a massive difference in pricing versus the Xentec HID kit. For example, you can buy a GTR Lighting single beam 35w HID conversion kit for around $200, and you can buy OEM Philips ballasts and bulbs together, pulled out of a newer Mercedes, for about $900 to make your own retrofit kit.

So, if good HID kits cost around $200 and OEM HID kits cost around $900, how can Xentec sell an HID kit for less than $30? The answer is simple: They build their components with the absolute worst parts, cut corners on quality and design. Waterproofing the ballast? “What does waterproof mean?” Check out this comparison of a GTR Lighting 35w ballast compared to the Xentec 35w ballast:

Comparison between GTR Lighting 35w HID ballast and Xentec 35w ballast showing the difference in weight and waterproofing.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? I can’t believe how shoddy the Xentec product really is… and people actually buy this stuff! The circuit board is directly mounted to the aluminum backing plate, and there is no potting, or o-ring or anything to keep dust, water and/or insects out.

Not only does the Xentec ballast lack any type of shock resistance but it is also made of a very cheap feeling plastic for the housing, a little tiny screws that look like they could fall out at any moment. You can see by the comparison of the scale that the GTR Lighting ballast is built much more tough and weighs more than 3 times as much as its Xentec imposter.

After this review I am confident in making the statement that Xentec HID products should not be taken seriously, and they should be considered “imposters” in the HID lighting market. They are more prone to failure than any electronic product I’ve ever seen and I don’t think it is safe to use on any automobile where you will be mounting it to metal, have dust or water near the ballast.

If you want something that is going to work go with the GTR Lighting ballast. It is shock proof, water proof, dust proof and very heavy duty, you won’t be disappointed!

eBay Vs The World – Better Headlights

Ebay seems to have the market cornered on Honda Headlights.

When is the last time you or somebody you know went looking for aftermarket vehicle-specific headlights online? You’ve really only got a few options: either visit a brick-and-mortar store and hopefully they have a better avenue to purchase them than the average consumer online does, visit Amazon.com, visit eBay.com or carid.com. The reason for this is that the market is flooded with cheap aftermarket projector headlights and nobody seems to sell anything that is really BETTER than anything else. Today, eBay Motors is one of the largest online retailers of vehicle-specific aftermarket headlights but they are no different than what anyone else sells.

You can visit a premium reseller to get a price, then check eBay or Amazon to get the exact same product, just as quickly, for less money. Where is the value being added if it’s all the same product that you can get from anyone? The problem is that because of the access to all the same products the internet has miniaturized the retail automotive lighting game. Why buy from someone who will look at the EXACT SAME vendor as you are (ebay, amazon, carid, etc…) and mark it up 10% + shipping + tax? I think it’s a bit silly to expect the modern consumer to pay local retailers more for the same products – there needs to be something differentiated.

Now there is: Starr HID has a line of vehicle specific headlights that are as good or better than original equipment manufacturer parts, but they have an aftermarket flair: blacked out housings, cool projectors, and beautiful DOT approved construction. These headlights, available for a small number of vehicles, are the solution to the problem of abundant mediocrity in automotive light housings sold online. They are 3 times the price of a normal crappy headlight, but it’s what will make your store stand out from the crowd.

Check out this video review I did comparing the standard ebay/generic projector headlight to a Starr HID Projector Headlight for the Honda Accord and you be the judge:

Starr HID is the best of the best in automotive headlight products, and they offer a level of product quality that is unparalleled in the automotive lighting industry. Take a few minutes to watch the video and understand for yourself what really is the difference between a regular headlight product and an incredible headlight product.

Starr HID is the Ultimate Projector Headlight Company!