[onnex]

This last weekend, I had the very, very good fortune to have the new LS3 V1 lights installed at Bavarian Exclusive. This is a summary of my experience, and the subsequent [amazing] results.

The Shop:
BavX is hands down the best shop I've gone to so far. Everyone there is rad, and they do amazing work. For my install, Duy handled it all, and I honestly couldn't think of anyone better to have working on my car. You can tell his knowledge of these cars is beyond extensive, and his perfectionist mentality yields immaculate work. Not really knowing anything about BavX going in, I was a little worried that getting the expedited install and free blackout option was going to equate to a big sloppy mess of headlights. Fortunately I was very, very wrong. I'm a web designer by trade, so it's my job to pay attention to all the little details, and there was absolutely nothing out of place: no smudgy or uneven paint for the blackout, no unbalanced ring placement, no janky headlight seal, no rogue wiring.. no nothing. You can tell Duy takes pride in his quality of work, and I think that's the best attribute you could look for in someone handling your car.

As a side note, they even dropped me off and picked me up from a local golf course to kill some time while they did the install; thats the kind of shop this place is. I honestly can't say enough good things about the place.

The Lights:
Since purchasing my car about 5 months ago, I have buried my head in this cosmetic and lighting modification forums- to say I've done my research is an understatement. So far I've purchased Angel iBrights V3, and GP Thunder 7500K bulbs, and neither really achieved the look I had in my head. The iBrights had "wiring problems" and really weren't very bright, and the GP thunders were… well.. just not that bright. All of the product photos on here have been molested by Photoshop to a point where they don't offer a true representation of the the lights' appearance. After a point, I had given up hope that any sort of plug n' play solution would get me the look I wanted. Not having heard of LS3 or BavXs installation, I had assumed that OSS would be the only way to go about getting my headlights looking proper. Not really wanting to go through with the headlight removal, and then being without my lights (and car) for a week or 2, I kept hoping that a comparable solution would be offered locally- enter LS3.

To be sure these were the lights I wanted, I was actually able to get a look at them installed on awei130's car, and was immediately sold on them. Both of the other lights I had purchased prior to the LS3, ultimately failed the direct sunlight test, where these shined. (I know this is probably debatable because what is and isn't defined as visible might vary by person. To me, visible AEs are definitely distinguishable, not just a subtle white light. That's just me, I have high expectations for the AE design.) In actuality, if you look directly at these lights long enough, your eyes kinda hurt in the best way possible. This is not to say that they are over bearing and wash-out the headlights by any means- these are very clean halos that are always defined from every angle.

I know some people had mentioned that they liked the almost beaded look of the OSS lights, and this has some of the same. Compliments of a point-and-shoot camera that can't handle the LS3 output, a lot of detail and distinction is lost and washed out (that should tell you something). If you look in some of the reflections of the rings in the projector and housing, you can get a sense of the slightly beaded look. I think its a nice touch being able to see the individual LEDs if you look closely, but at the same time they come together for a very cohesive ring. Also, the color of the rings is very pure white with a slight hint of purple.

Also, they have the V2 coming soon that will have an outer ring that is larger than the inner ring similar to OSS. I love the look of the 2 full circles, but to each their own. V2 should be coming soon, and awei130 will have V1 on one side and V2 on the other for comparison. Check for a post coming about that fairly soon.

The Blackout:
Having drooled over the OSS full blackout option since first seeing the photos 4 months ago, I knew I wanted to take up Bav X on blacking out the whole housing…for FREE. I think this was really the selling point for me in going through with the purchase. They go in and paint the whole housing the identical matte black already found in parts of the housing, and this eliminates all of that annoying chrome surrounding the projectors. To go beyond that, I had them also black out the corner as well, which is something I was crossing my fingers they would do. To do this, they used a spray tint which in many ways is an awesome solution. First, it's reversible if I ever decide to change it out. Second, it allows the turn signal amber to shine through to greatly diminish the chance of getting a ticket for it. Third, with the low beams on, the appearance of the amber bulb is greatly diminished. (It is visible, but not prominent by any means) I was debating on geting the amber lights euro coded to not come on when the low-beams are on, but now they really don't bother me that much.

I know some people love the blackout, and other think it looks tacky.. but hot damn, it makes those rings pop. I personally don't think it looks tacky at all... if you ask me, it makes them look 100000 times more bad ass. Thats just my humble 2 cents though

The Results

***PHOTOSHOP WAS NOT USED TO ADJUST ANY EXPOSURE, LIGHTS, DARKS, CONTRAST, LEVELS, CURVES, VIBRANCE... ANYTHING. IT WOULD BE NICE TO SEE THIS AS A DEVELOPING TREND, INSTEAD OF THE MISLEADING OVER-GLAMORIZED SHOTS...***


With the recent batch of garbage weather, this is the best I could do for direct light.



This is the best I could capture of the slightly beaded look.













These even look good when the lights are off.













Video of the welcome lights. They really don't flicker as much as it appears, thats just an issue with the LED lights and the frame rate of the video. (Can't get the embed to work)

YouTube


Summary
I love the the LS3 V1 lights, plain and simple. These were the lights I've always been looking for, and they more than exceeded my expectations.

DO I RECOMMEND THEM?
In a heartbeat. I know that compared to almost any other AEs out there that these are fairly pricey, but I think it's worth every cent. The angel eyes have always been a strong point of interest to improve on my car, so I have no problem paying a little extra. Are they for everyone? Probably not. If you don't really care about the look of the AEs as long as they're white, then by all means buy the GP thunders or something for 20 bucks- they'll get rid of that yellow-ish light that'll look ok and wont dent your funds. At the same time, if you want bangin lights, don't waste your time and money with any of the other middle of the road plug-n-plays. Most in the $100-$300 range really don't yield results you're looking for, and you could be saving your money for something like this

CAN I SEE THEM?
Absolutely. I'm in the South Bay area of LA, and would be more than glad to show you them. As amazing as the photos look, they don't really do them justice. (I know everyone says that, but this guy means it)

THOUGHTS ON BAVX?
Best shop around in my experience. I highly recommend them to anyone, and would stake my reputation on that recommendation. Hit up Sales@bavarianx or Duy@bavarianx to get yours.

Thats about all I can think of. I'll likely keep posting pictures as the weather improves, and I can give my car a proper wash after the headlight sealing gets squared away. Feel free to ask me any questions, I'd be glad to help out if possible. Hope this was helpful.

[gaifaun]

excellent write up on these LS3's. I guess its all subjective but its the "beaded" look of the LED's that is the deal breaker for me. No doubt they're uniform, bright and a much better deal than the OSS set-up.

[c_jeong89]

damn those do look great!

[onnex]

Originally Posted by gaifaun

excellent write up on these LS3's. I guess its all subjective but its the "beaded" look of the LED's that is the deal breaker for me. No doubt they're uniform, bright and a much better deal than the OSS set-up.

Ya. I've never actually seen OSS in person, but I have to imagine they are pretty comparable.

[Addicted2Boost]

looks awesome. nice review!

[ibeclueless]

very nice

[import36]

great review OP ...i am considering this option now to replace my Alpine HID kit. i hate having the weak outer ring.

[kmoto]

Onnex, looks awesome man. About how long was the install time (seeing how you got the expedited install)?

I'm pretty damn eager to see how the V2's come out with the larger outer ring.

[onnex]

Originally Posted by kmoto335i

Onnex, looks awesome man. About how long was the install time (seeing how you got the expedited install)?

I'm pretty damn eager to see how the V2's come out with the larger outer ring.

The expedited install was about 6 hours or so. Not bad considering the work they're doing really. I'm pretty curious to see the V2 as well, but I think I would still opt for V1 given the option

[BimmerRob]

Wow, they look great! and the fact that their beaded makes me wanna jump on these NOW! im gonna send duy a pm.. great review omnex!

[onnex]

Originally Posted by e92hobear

Wow, they look great! and the fact that their beaded makes me wanna jump on these NOW! im gonna send duy a pm.. great review omnex!

thanks, stoked some of you guys found it useful!

[mkPOTO]

very nice, looks great!

[awei130]

Looks great man welcome to the LS3 club!

[kmoto]

I want to be part of the club...


by the end of the year!

Any word on the V2's?

[335iMIAMI]

Looks great man mad props.

[kevin@bavarianx]

Originally Posted by kmoto335i

I want to be part of the club...


by the end of the year!

Any word on the V2's?

They should be in next week.

[335iMIAMI]

How much does this kit run?

[BimmerRob]

Originally Posted by 335iMIAMI

How much does this kit run?

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=430173

[BimmerRob]

if you're in florida, better off with OSS

[E92murdered]

very nice writeup.. duy is the man!

[awei130]

Originally Posted by sales@bavarianx

They should be in next week.

So when am I scheduled to come in? :P

Originally Posted by E92murdered

very nice writeup.. duy is the man!

indeed he is

[335iMIAMI]

Originally Posted by e92hobear

if you're in florida, better off with OSS

I'm am , and I'm actually in Miami so Luis and OSS is very close by , but I was just curious to see how these are comparable to the OSS.