Facelift Matrix LED v LED Headlights

[Spinstorm]

While my S3 Saloon is at the dealer I have had the chance to compare the standard LEDs headlights and matrix LED headlights and I can't emphasise enough how much better the matrix lights are.

They are significantly brighter, clearer and improve vision at night. And aesthetically they look much better in person.

Plus when they turn on all 4 LED modules light up and turn off in a row like a little symphony. Very cool.

 

[Trevolly]

Got them on my A3 and they are pretty impressive on country roads

 

[Civuck]

Matrix aren't available in North America


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[Wood_Duck]

Unfortunately I chose the red pill...


Audi S3 MY16 Daytona Grey

 

[Rideen]

Being a scrub I am, I didn't believe in LED and went with Xenon.

 

[Tom.H]

While my S3 Saloon is at the dealer I have had the chance to compare the standard LEDs headlights and matrix LED headlights and I can't emphasise enough how much better the matrix lights are.

They are significantly brighter, clearer and improve vision at night. And aesthetically they look much better in person.

Plus when they turn on all 4 LED modules light up and turn off in a row like a little symphony. Very cool.

I love them, especially when they start doing their thing on a dark road, more so when they light up either side of the car in front of you without affecting them at all.

 

[cemerson]

Totally agree - the first-gen LEDs (the ones on the PFL car) were really not that impressive given the price, so Xenons were the way to go. The Matrix ones are seriously good though, the difference is massive. And that's not to even mention the actual matrix party trick, which it does very well. They impress me every time I use them... actually looking forward to the nights drawing in so I get a chance to use them more!

 

[Simonb1975]

All this may be true but the world hasn't suddenly turned on it's head. Keeping things in perspective. The xenons are perfectly good enough for night time driving. If not then your eyes need testing.

New tech like matrix doesn't mean all before never/doesn't work

 

[Rolly12]

All this may be true but the world hasn't suddenly turned on it's head. Keeping things in perspective. The xenons are perfectly good enough for night time driving. If not then your eyes need testing.

New tech like matrix doesn't mean all before never/doesn't work

What have you got Simon?


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[cemerson]

All this may be true but the world hasn't suddenly turned on it's head. Keeping things in perspective. The xenons are perfectly good enough for night time driving. If not then your eyes need testing.

New tech like matrix doesn't mean all before never/doesn't work

I never said it wasn't. Using that argument, why don't you go back to incandescent bulbs which were fine before halogens, which themselves were fine before xenons?

Didn't say xenons weren't good enough for use any more, but the LEDs now are just leagues ahead.

 

[Jassyo06]

Matrix full beam only works on roads with no Street lighting.... Correct???
So in roads with Street lighting both standard leds and matrix leds are the same ie one doesn't light up the road any better than the other?
Correct me if l wrong please

 

[Simonb1975]

I never said it wasn't. Using that argument, why don't you go back to incandescent bulbs which were fine before halogens, which themselves were fine before xenons?

Didn't say xenons weren't good enough for use any more, but the LEDs now are just leagues ahead.

Yeah, halogens work too. No need for the never said this that or the other argument.

What have you got Simon?


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The s3 has xenons. The mondeo adaptive led (matrix). Yes the mondeos leds are superb but the xenons are 100% effective too.

 

[Tom.H]

Matrix full beam only works on roads with no Street lighting.... Correct???
So in roads with Street lighting both standard leds and matrix leds are the same ie one doesn't light up the road any better than the other?
Correct me if l wrong please

They do unless you hit a certain speed either cornering or in a straight line (faster speed than corners shall we say) but then high beam assist may do the same?

 

[Jassyo06]

Laser lights £3500 bangers now they are impressive lol
Was in front of R8 on a un light dual carriage way M80 Cumbernauld to be precise **** me these where off the scale on how they lit up the road and also how they can blind you as well lol

 

[Jassyo06]

They do unless you hit a certain speed either cornering or in a straight line (faster speed than corners shall we say) but then high beam assist may do the same?

Yeah they can work in conjunction with the technology package and the standard nav, clever expensive kit eh....?

 

[Tom.H]

Yeah they can work in conjunction with the technology package and the standard nav, clever expensive kit eh....?

Definitely, I've found cornering about 40mph makes them come on and straight line around ahem 70mph

 

[Audi Bairn]

Current car has the LEDs. Never driven a car with Matrix.
Do you guys with Matrix get flashed (lights I mean!!) by other road users much or do they work really well in those situations?
When I first got Xenons, then LEDs I was pleased how little they seemed to blind others, no doubt due to the self leveling.

 

[Jassyo06]

Current car has the LEDs. Never driven a car with Matrix.
Do you guys with Matrix get flashed (lights I mean!!) by other road users much or tdo they work really well in those situations?
When I first got Xenons, then LEDs I was pleased how little they seemed to blind others, no doubt due to the self leveling.

Think a few guys get them for bragging rights..... Some get them coz there half blind.... To be honest **** knows why l did doubting myself constantly these days..... Lol

........

 

[Tom.H]

Current car has the LEDs. Never driven a car with Matrix.
Do you guys with Matrix get flashed (lights I mean!!) by other road users much or do they work really well in those situations?
When I first got Xenons, then LEDs I was pleased how little they seemed to blind others, no doubt due to the self leveling.

I've not been flashed yet although I'm yet to drive on a busy dark road with oncoming traffic lol

 

[Trevolly]

I panicked the first time I saw that the matrix lights had put full beams on (showing the icon on my dash) but no one flashed me or let me know the lights were bothering them

 

[cemerson]

Matrix full beam only works on roads with no Street lighting.... Correct???
So in roads with Street lighting both standard leds and matrix leds are the same ie one doesn't light up the road any better than the other?
Correct me if l wrong please

From what I gather the LEDs used for the Matrix lights are brighter than the standard ones, so they are still different. It's like turning the patch of ground in front of you back into daytime...

 

[cemerson]

Current car has the LEDs. Never driven a car with Matrix.
Do you guys with Matrix get flashed (lights I mean!!) by other road users much or do they work really well in those situations?
When I first got Xenons, then LEDs I was pleased how little they seemed to blind others, no doubt due to the self leveling.

I've been flashed by 1 car out of hundreds, and I'm not sure why as I could see perfectly well that the beam had cut off for his car. I think he saw my lights lighting up the trees down the side of the road and just assumed, even though he wasn't being blinded himself. Normally it's basically like driving around with full beams on and noone flashes you, it's quite strange at first, but it's extremely helpful being able to see much better.

 

[Spinstorm]

As said above I noticed a difference between matrix and non- matrix just using standard headlights without high beam. They looked brighter and had better range without the other 3 LEDs on.

I doubt many people have had a chance to compare; even my chance was because my new car had an issue which isn’t what you want.

 

[cuke2u]

Current car has the LEDs. Never driven a car with Matrix.
Do you guys with Matrix get flashed (lights I mean!!) by other road users much or do they work really well in those situations?
When I first got Xenons, then LEDs I was pleased how little they seemed to blind others, no doubt due to the self leveling.

Never, not once, but I only switch mine to full auto when I am out of the urban environment as anything more than dipped beam with street lights is unecessary...

 

[craigwhelan]

Massive fan of the xenons in my wifes A3 - an improvement over the B7 S4 for sure (probably just a clarity difference in the lens)...and can't get over how well the matrix perform on the S3. Not once been flashed and work very well at illuminating everything except oncoming light sources. Very noticeable on busy country roads.

Haven't yet had someone who's not in a car coming toward me, or driving up behind someone (pedestrian or cyclist for example) to see if it picks them out

 

[cemerson]

Pedestrian it won't do anything for I would imagine, no idea about cyclist though.

 

[Tom.H]

Think they tone down a bit for road signs so you don't get too much glare.

 

[cemerson]

Think they tone down a bit for road signs so you don't get too much glare.

Yes, this appears to be the case, and possibly also explains why the standard LEDs aren't as bright it comparison - they'd create too much glare on the road signs. You need the matrix functionality to get around that, so the matrix lights can be much brighter.

Of course, you don't have to use the matrix functionality, so it might just be that it's an older genreation of the technology that they aren't bothering to upgrade.