DDM Ultra HID Kits

[ucsbwsr]

This morning I received an email promoting their new "Ultra" HID kits. They claim numerous improvements for both bulbs and ballasts over their current slim kits.
Prices are up as well, starting at $80 with additional charges for 55w ($10), D2S bulbs ($15), and harness ($10).

I ordered a couple kits to test out, and when I say test I mean put the camera in manual mode and take comparison shots; I will let the experts collect the data.

These things probably won't be able to touch the performance or quality of Morimoto but it is nice to see DDM offering an improved product and I am curious to see how improved it really is.

Evan



Here is an excerpt from their website:

"The ballasts have been improved to require less current on startup to protect the factory wiring and to extend the life of the bulb by not forcing too much power to it at once. Ballasts can also provide constant power to older bulbs which require more voltage to ignite. Output frequency is 250HZ, reducing the chances for electronic feedback which can cause humming in improperly grounded audio systems. Ballasts are more likely to work on vehicles with a Canbus system without additional accessories when compared to the DDM HID kit but still may require additional accessories for some vehicles. These ballasts are virtually bulletproof and are designed to last 10-15 years.

The HID Bulbs are based on the Osram CBI Series HID bulbs to produce up to 20% more light than a standard HID bulb and 50% more light that many HID bulbs on the market which allows you to see further than other HID kits. This is reached by changing the design of the capsule, using higher quality salts and electrodes to produce a more consistent output. Our Ultra HID bulbs warm up 20% faster than the standard HID bulbs. Available in 4500K and 5500K for maximum output. The bulbs use an optically clear quartz glass with UV protection. Our automated manufacturing process removes human error to obtain perfect alignment of the capsule for the best beam pattern available.

35W kits produce 3400 Lumens and 55W produce 5000 Lumens per bulb."

[Ilikecars]

I'd run one of thier cheap kits for my fogs cause warm up time is not a problem

[Lightwerkz Global Inc.]

THis ballast design has been out for about a decade now. Unless of course the internals are "new"

[kais]

I run a ddm kit in my fogs, and used to run them on my low beams before the morimoto/zenex setup i have now. the slim kit, for $40 (cheaper on sale), lifetime warranty and ect. Hard to pass up sometimes

[csjoh]

I wonder if they are full of sand and rocks like many other cheap China kits...

[Ilikecars]

Who cares? They run and start, always

[mdufficy]

Look like typical cheap kit still lol

[Sadden]

Still just ceramic bulb retainers. Booooooooo.

[jason.bush.790]

Let me know how that hold up. Post pictures too. I'm currently using OPT7 Canbus


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[ucsbwsr]

THis ballast design has been out for about a decade now. Unless of course the internals are "new"

Yea, very similar to their previous ballasts in the 2009ish era ...and all other Chinese ballasts found on eBay. These are much larger than their "slim" units so hopefully there is a payoff associated with compromised size.





I have had a very positive experience with DDM ballasts both older and current designs, no flickering, always start, etc. Their bulbs suck IMO.

With the arrival of the "ultra" kits, their slims are marked down so I took the liberty to order a couple in 35w/3k/H1 trim. What is more likely than me running yellow fogs is butchering up the kits and using them for parts.

Let's just hope the new kits are good as it will only benefit us!

Evan

[BVC]

I have DDM ballasts in my fogs and morimotos in my low beams.

Honestly.. I can’t see the difference between the two other than the physical product. The warm up times are about the same and both always fire every time.

However my morimotos did have the recall issue, and I did have one ballast melt a bulb (which sucks because I loved the headlights..now with CBIs I’m still not happy with the pure white output I once had with my old XB35 bulbs).

Anywho.. I’m not sure why people bag on DDM so much. I personally have never had issues with them.

[soundman98]

"The ballasts have been improved to require less current on startup to protect the factory wiring and to extend the life of the bulb by not forcing too much power to it at once. Ballasts can also provide constant power to older bulbs which require more voltage to ignite. Output frequency is 250HZ, reducing the chances for electronic feedback which can cause humming in improperly grounded audio systems. Ballasts are more likely to work on vehicles with a Canbus system without additional accessories when compared to the DDM HID kit but still may require additional accessories for some vehicles. These ballasts are virtually bulletproof and are designed to last 10-15 years.

The HID Bulbs are based on the Osram CBI Series HID bulbs to produce up to 20% more light than a standard HID bulb and 50% more light that many HID bulbs on the market which allows you to see further than other HID kits. This is reached by changing the design of the capsule, using higher quality salts and electrodes to produce a more consistent output. Our Ultra HID bulbs warm up 20% faster than the standard HID bulbs. Available in 4500K and 5500K for maximum output. The bulbs use an optically clear quartz glass with UV protection. Our automated manufacturing process removes human error to obtain perfect alignment of the capsule for the best beam pattern available.

35W kits produce 3400 Lumens and 55W produce 5000 Lumens per bulb."

so if that was truly the case, wouldn't they cost about the same as cbi's? (or do they? i haven't looked on their site)

[ucsbwsr]

so if that was truly the case, wouldn't they cost about the same as cbi's? (or do they? i haven't looked on their site)

We will have a much better idea once these kits are in our hands. Where I don't have CBI around to test, I do have both 5.5 and 6k xb35s.

[kingnba6]

i know this site is pretty anit-DDM but ive been running the old raptor ddm 35w with 4500k bulbs in my old car with projectors and they are still working after 7 years. I have their slim 55w kit and its still working after 4 years of being on a bike.

[modmatt]

Guess part of the anti DDM thing derives from their kits being so low in price, that even the cheapest, broke trailerpark suv dude can afford them for his open reflector headlights. Then those guys go on bro-boards and post glary pictures with 8000k of pure straylight together with a line like "dudez man check out ma nu lightz jus 35 bucks man! dunno da site but google ddm and tehy be their 4 sure bro".
There you have your DDM cliche and a brand reputation is born...

As they probably have pretty high sales figures, it is just pure math that more failure reports come up online than for any other brand. Especially since most other hid kits aren't really from a "brand" at all.

- vom Handy gesendet -