9 Inch Replacement LED Quality and Customer Support

[DCJL]

I've been shopping 9 inch LED headlights for a bit now and have noticed the following:

-True 9 inch replacements (Quake, Oracle, and Amazon) seem to be all sourced from overseas (which is fine). I do wonder if anyone is aware of which OEM they are using and if there is a tangible improvement in components (say between quake/oracle vs amazon). I know the vendors will say there's are superior in build but do we actually know that. Their warranty suggests not

-Horrible warranties on the Quake and Oracle products. Total non-starter for me. I'm OK with rolling the dice at amazon prices but not at the quake/oracle prices. Some of the warranty horror stories on here from Oracle are particularly troublesome. I think some poor guy was forced to pay import duties on a replacement or something... that is truly comical

-Has anyone compiled a list of DOT approved 9 inch headlights?

-Although it's dissapointing, is the most reliable cost-effective option going to be 7 inch quadratec/JW speaker assemblies? I'm referencing the quadratec premium projector option

-I feel like I'm missing something here. Is there another offering I haven't found yet that could satisfy 9 inch size and also avoid some of the pitfalls of a short warranty period and/or bizarre customer service? At this point I'm leaning toward an OEM swap however not enthused with the extra work required to get them to function

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[TheRaven]

I've been shopping 9 inch LED headlights for a bit now and have noticed the following:

-True 9 inch replacements (Quake, Oracle, and Amazon) seem to be all sourced from overseas (which is fine). I do wonder if anyone is aware of which OEM they are using and if there is a tangible improvement in components (say between quake/oracle vs amazon). I know the vendors will say there's are superior in build but do we actually know that. Their warranty suggests not

-Horrible warranties on the Quake and Oracle products. Total non-starter for me. I'm OK with rolling the dice at amazon prices but not at the quake/oracle prices. Some of the warranty horror stories on here from Oracle are particularly troublesome. I think some poor guy was forced to pay import duties on a replacement or something... that is truly comical

-Has anyone compiled a list of DOT approved 9 inch headlights?

-Although it's dissapointing, is the most reliable cost-effective option going to be 7 inch quadratec/JW speaker assemblies? I'm referencing the quadratec premium projector option

-I feel like I'm missing something here. Is there another offering I haven't found yet that could satisfy 9 inch size and also avoid some of the pitfalls of a short warranty period and/or bizarre customer service? At this point I'm leaning toward an OEM swap however not enthused with the extra work required to get them to function

There is a lot of miscommunication that has severely muddied this issue. First, customer service, warranty, and reliability are three totally different things. I'm not aware of reliability issues with Quake or Oracle. All the stuff i've bought from Oracle has been 100% trouble free. Second, there's nothing out of the ordinary with their warranties. The problem stems from the conflating of the term "return policy" with term "warranty". They are two different things. The "horror story" you are referring to with Oracle comes from one guy who expected his warranty experience to be like a Wal-Mart return and that's just not how it works.

That said, I will agree that NONE of the available options are "well-built"...they all have the same cheap plastic feel to them and that's because as you said, they likely all come from the same manufacturer. In fact if I remember correctly, you can even get unbranded versions of the Quake headlights on Amazon...almost certainly the exact same units, just without the name. I have yet to find Oracle's version out there but I wouldn't be surprised if it is. Furthermore, the Mopar LED headlights have the same feel. Probably for the same reason.

A lot is being made of issues that aren't really issues. Oracle did make one big mistake with the Oculus lamps - how they handled the revision that changed the halo. They should have been very straightforward about it and called it "2.0" or something rather than just quietly releasing it, causing all the "1.0" owners to think there was something wrong with their lights. This made all the 1.0 owners believe they were entitled to something that no one would reasonably expect...if the lights had simply been billed as what they were - an updated product. This mistake is where most of the Oracle hate comes from.

One additional note I will add - while the Amazon versions may or may not be the same units, one thing is for sure - once you buy them, you are on your own. Good luck getting ahold of anyone and even if you would manage to get a return approved, they're going to tell you to ship them back to China, at your expense.

This is a good discussion though, I look forward to seeing where it goes.

 

[DCJL]

There is a lot of miscommunication that has severely muddied this issue. First, customer service, warranty, and reliability are three totally different things. I'm not aware of reliability issues with Quake or Oracle. All the stuff i've bought from Oracle has been 100% trouble free. Second, there's nothing out of the ordinary with their warranties. The problem stems from the conflating of the term "return policy" with term "warranty". They are two different things. The "horror story" you are referring to with Oracle comes from one guy who expected his warranty experience to be like a Wal-Mart return and that's just not how it works.

That said, I will agree that NONE of the available options are "well-built"...they all have the same cheap plastic feel to them and that's because as you said, they likely all come from the same manufacturer. In fact if I remember correctly, you can even get unbranded versions of the Quake headlights on Amazon...almost certainly the exact same units, just without the name. I have yet to find Oracle's version out there but I wouldn't be surprised if it is. Furthermore, the Mopar LED headlights have the same feel. Probably for the same reason.

A lot is being made of issues that aren't really issues. Oracle did make one big mistake with the Oculus lamps - how they handled the revision that changed the halo. They should have been very straightforward about it and called it "2.0" or something rather than just quietly releasing it, causing all the "1.0" owners to think there was something wrong with their lights. This made all the 1.0 owners believe they were entitled to something that no one would reasonably expect...if the lights had simply been billed as what they were - an updated product. This mistake is where most of the Oracle hate comes from.

One additional note I will add - while the Amazon versions may or may not be the same units, one thing is for sure - once you buy them, you are on your own. Good luck getting ahold of anyone and even if you would manage to get a return approved, they're going to tell you to ship them back to China, at your expense.

This is a good discussion though, I look forward to seeing where it goes.

Extremely helpful response and lots of good info! Thank you

 

[sailscall]

Here's your built in America guy: HIDprocjectors.com

They sell a Bi-LEDs with all types of Halo's, switchbacks, and eyes. I reached out to them looking for a set of Bi-LEDs with Halo's - basically the built in America version of the Oracle Oculus. I received a response linked to their website to build your own design. I tried to build a simple Bi-LED with Halo and I couldn't. Their build your own website kept trying to add Switchbacks, Angel Eyes, and Devil eyes and I was up over $1000. I think they'd rather sell LED lighting to music video producers to light up their Benzo's, Bentley's and Rolls Royce's. His customer base seems to be South Florida and Southern California.

I live in the Western NY town where these are built. When I reached out to HIDProjectors I gave them all my pertinent info. One would think HIDProjectors would want their lights on Jeeps driven by the common guy. I'm moving on. Give them a call - YMMV with them. Here's a link from JL Forums where I first came across them:

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...r-headlights-for-jl-wrangler-gladiator.77390/

 

[ORACLElights]

Hey there, TheRaven gave a great response as always so just wanted to add a few things about the Oculus.

If you want to see how they compare to OEM LED, check out CJ Pony's video here. Lots of great information from them including how they stack up to OEM. This shows the below wall test between the two. If you visit our product page, we have added several other videos, resources, and customer photos + verified reviews.

To be transparent, yes, are manufactured with an overseas partner facility. However, they are our original and unique design engineered by our team in the USA so you won't find this in an unbranded capacity unless just totally counterfeit against our multi-national patents. And yes, the light operates under DOT guidelines (Certification: DOT SAE 5839-504 HL VOR 19).

We do appreciate the feedback regarding the updates made to the Oculus in the past. We made several tweaks and new options at once and released a video about them which is on the product page too. Maybe we dropped the ball with communicating this as efficiently as possible and we are using it to improve. We always strive to provide the best communication possible.

As far as warranty goes, these do carry a 2-year warranty. We also accept returns on unused products. You can read our full warranty policy here and our full return policy here to decide if this works for your needs. We recommend doing so with any aftermarket brand so you aren't surprised when something is different than you might have expected.

As a small business, we try to provide excellent service and the easiest possible warranties and returns. I can say that these have a very low warranty rate and an even lower return rate. Unfortunately, the forum can be a vacuum...but that is the reason that we try to be very active here to address questions and concerns when possible.

That said, we are here if we can answer any questions you may have. Feel free to tag or PM us.

Either way, we hope you find a new lighting upgrade and a company that fits your needs!

-Rachel

 

[JayCeeX2]

I went thru the same battle trying to find quality LED headlights. My plan was to just purchase the OEM LEDs but I quickly found out they are definitely not plug and play for my 2020 Sport S. At least now there are some more options for LEDs then there was when I purchased mine last summer.

Here is what I have - https://www.roughcountry.com/jeep-led-headlights-rch5100.html - I know RC is not exactly top of the line for after market but Ive had these for over a year now and been pretty happy with them. And I did call them before I ordered and was able to get my questions answered.

I like these better, but they were not available at the time - https://www.roughcountry.com/jeep-led-headlights-rch5300.html

JW speaker lights are nice but they were only available in 7inch and would have to use a 9inch assembly and I didn't want to do that. I'm not sure if they make a 9inch yet, if they do I would check those out for sure.

I can't really comment on Oracle. Ive never purchased any of their products. Ive heard the same stories. But they seem to have a good presence on the forum and IMO that's a big plus. They have some new flush LED tail lights that im interested in even though I just recently purchase LED tail lights.

 

[MrGneissGuy]

I recently purchased the Oracle Oculus. I had stock halogens and there were no issues in the installation, which was much easier than I expected. The only thing I would recommend to Oracle, since they commented in this thread and may see it, is to make the wire that goes to the fuse box a little longer, so it can come out of the fuse box at the end where there appear to be small grooves for just such a thing, instead of the side. But that's a fairly small thing, I think.

Aside from just being brighter than the halogens, the field of view is much better (wider). The cut off line takes a little getting used to, but it didn't take long and I imagine that it makes it better for not blinding oncoming traffic. And speaking of, I was concerned about that when I installed them, even after aiming them according to the directions, as I could just see so much further ahead. However, while I have gotten a couple of folks flashing as they approached, presumably thinking I had my high beams on, it has actually happened less frequently than it did with my halogens.

Full disclosure, I bought them from a third party supplier, not direct, so I cannot speak of their customer service (and I haven't needed it). I also cannot speak for their longevity yet, as I've only had them in for a few weeks, but I'm quite pleased with the Oculus.

 

[DCJL]

Hey there, TheRaven gave a great response as always so just wanted to add a few things about the Oculus.

If you want to see how they compare to OEM LED, check out CJ Pony's video here. Lots of great information from them including how they stack up to OEM. This shows the below wall test between the two. If you visit our product page, we have added several other videos, resources, and customer photos + verified reviews.

To be transparent, yes, are manufactured with an overseas partner facility. However, they are our original and unique design engineered by our team in the USA so you won't find this in an unbranded capacity unless just totally counterfeit. And yes, the light operates under DOT guidelines (Certification: DOT SAE 5839-504 HL VOR 19).

We do appreciate the feedback regarding the updates made to the Oculus in the past. We made several tweaks and new options at once and released a video about them which is on the product page too. Maybe we dropped the ball with communicating this as efficiently as possible and we are using it to improve. We always strive to provide the best communication possible.

As far as warranty goes, these do carry a 2-year warranty. We also accept returns on unused products. You can read our full warranty policy here and our full return policy here to decide if this works for your needs. We recommend doing so with any aftermarket brand so you aren't surprised when something is different than you might have expected.

As a small business, we try to provide excellent service and the easiest possible warranties and returns. I can say that these have a very low warranty rate and an even lower return rate. Unfortunately, the forum can be a vacuum...but that is the reason that we try to be very active here to address questions and concerns when possible.

That said, we are here if we can answer any questions you may have. Feel free to tag or PM us.

Either way, we hope you find a new lighting upgrade and a company that fits your needs!

-Rachel

Thank you for your post and info! The only thing that’s making me pause really is the customer pays for the replacement item shipping if a warranty item is found defective and a replacement is planned to be shipped?

I guess I’m just confused. Your headlights seems to have an excellent cut off and performance etc. why not just go all the way in customer service so there aren’t hesitations? I can’t fathom you are actually saving money this way. In the world of camera and rifle optics etc I’ve never paid shipping for arma etc. I have been asked to for a return, which I think is reasonable.

I would just like to think the product is going to work, won’t need warranty etc. but I really don’t want a hassle if god forbid that does happen. Since plenty on here have expressed concerns about the policy and treatment, just modify the policy a bit and don’t make us feel we are gambling!

the prior threads leave an impression a run around is almost guaranteed with your warranty dept. that’s sad but also could be overblown (as you said, a vacuum). However still it seems to be a bit more prevalent than I usually see for vendors on forums so I suspect it is giving many like me hesitation on purchasing

 

[DCJL]

I went thru the same battle trying to find quality LED headlights. My plan was to just purchase the OEM LEDs but I quickly found out they are definitely not plug and play for my 2020 Sport S. At least now there are some more options for LEDs then there was when I purchased mine last summer.

Here is what I have - https://www.roughcountry.com/jeep-led-headlights-rch5100.html - I know RC is not exactly top of the line for after market but Ive had these for over a year now and been pretty happy with them. And I did call them before I ordered and was able to get my questions answered.

I like these better, but they were not available at the time - https://www.roughcountry.com/jeep-led-headlights-rch5300.html

JW speaker lights are nice but they were only available in 7inch and would have to use a 9inch assembly and I didn't want to do that. I'm not sure if they make a 9inch yet, if they do I would check those out for sure.

I can't really comment on Oracle. Ive never purchased any of their products. Ive heard the same stories. But they seem to have a good presence on the forum and IMO that's a big plus. They have some new flush LED tail lights that im interested in even though I just recently purchase LED tail lights.

I’m glad those have worked out and that there are some other options, thank you for sharing this!

 

[GunnarJeep44]

Hey there, TheRaven gave a great response as always so just wanted to add a few things about the Oculus.

If you want to see how they compare to OEM LED, check out CJ Pony's video here. Lots of great information from them including how they stack up to OEM. This shows the below wall test between the two. If you visit our product page, we have added several other videos, resources, and customer photos + verified reviews.

To be transparent, yes, are manufactured with an overseas partner facility. However, they are our original and unique design engineered by our team in the USA so you won't find this in an unbranded capacity unless just totally counterfeit. And yes, the light operates under DOT guidelines (Certification: DOT SAE 5839-504 HL VOR 19).

We do appreciate the feedback regarding the updates made to the Oculus in the past. We made several tweaks and new options at once and released a video about them which is on the product page too. Maybe we dropped the ball with communicating this as efficiently as possible and we are using it to improve. We always strive to provide the best communication possible.

As far as warranty goes, these do carry a 2-year warranty. We also accept returns on unused products. You can read our full warranty policy here and our full return policy here to decide if this works for your needs. We recommend doing so with any aftermarket brand so you aren't surprised when something is different than you might have expected.

As a small business, we try to provide excellent service and the easiest possible warranties and returns. I can say that these have a very low warranty rate and an even lower return rate. Unfortunately, the forum can be a vacuum...but that is the reason that we try to be very active here to address questions and concerns when possible.

That said, we are here if we can answer any questions you may have. Feel free to tag or PM us.

Either way, we hope you find a new lighting upgrade and a company that fits your needs!

-Rachel

Thanks for your candor. If I bought these headlights recently (through a distributor) how do I know if they are 1.0 or 2.0 version? Thanks.

 

[ORACLElights]

Thank you for your post and info! The only thing that’s making me pause really is the customer pays for the replacement item shipping if a warranty item is found defective and a replacement is planned to be shipped?

I guess I’m just confused. Your headlights seems to have an excellent cut off and performance etc. why not just go all the way in customer service so there aren’t hesitations? I can’t fathom you are actually saving money this way. In the world of camera and rifle optics etc I’ve never paid shipping for arma etc. I have been asked to for a return, which I think is reasonable.

I would just like to think the product is going to work, won’t need warranty etc. but I really don’t want a hassle if god forbid that does happen. Since plenty on here have expressed concerns about the policy and treatment, just modify the policy a bit and don’t make us feel we are gambling!

the prior threads leave an impression a run around is almost guaranteed with your warranty dept. that’s sad but also could be overblown (as you said, a vacuum). However still it seems to be a bit more prevalent than I usually see for vendors on forums so I suspect it is giving many like me hesitation on purchasing

You're welcome! I certainly commend you for doing your research up front, and we are happy to help.

Regarding customer service, I am glad to have the chance to defend our team and help to explain further so everyone can make a comfortable choice. We have industry-standard policies, an award-winning team, and thousands of 5-star reviews (read just some here.) We provide a 24-48hr response time and unlimited tech support in addition to our included warranties and our return options.

We offer multiple options for warranty, and those will vary depending on the product. For the Oculus, we will start by troubleshooting the problem with you. If we can't fix this with you this way, you can choose to either: send the troublesome headlight back for inspection OR get an advanced warranty in some cases in which you get a new headlight first and have 30 days to send the troublesome one back for inspection. These options are specific for the Oculus, and the customer service rep will work with each case to provide the best fitting option. In my opinion, these are both hassle-less options; but again, everyone will need to make that decision based on their own needs.

I won't dismiss complaints because people all do have different expectations. But it is a vacuum like I said and maybe sometimes assumptions are made. However, we are very active in the Jeep community and on these forums -- more so than maybe less-active vendors. We pay to sponsor the forums in order to have this more one-on-one interaction with the community. We have a team of people that spend time on the forums in order to do so -- people from customer service, sales, marketing, product development, even the founder of the company. We have many customers here, and many of those are excited to share their opinions -- both positive and negative. Perhaps the negative shout louder than the positive sometimes. But if you look, you will find even more threads and comments with lots of great experiences too. We are very proud to have those customers' trust, loyalty, and satisfaction.

We always strive to provide the best products and service possible, and we try to be transparent and communicative. I certainly understand the desire to be comfortable making a decision and that every owner just wants the best for their Jeep. We welcome the opportunity to engage with forum members as much as we can. Thanks for the opportunity!

-Rachel

 

[ORACLElights]

Don't want to overtake this thread but just quick replies for y'all!

The only thing I would recommend to Oracle, since they commented in this thread and may see it, is to make the wire that goes to the fuse box a little longer, so it can come out of the fuse box at the end where there appear to be small grooves for just such a thing, instead of the side. But that's a fairly small thing, I think.

Thanks for running the Oculus! You can actually pull the wires apart to give yourself more length for that install if you need it. But I will note your feedback for our team regardless.

Thanks for your candor. If I bought these headlights recently (through a distributor) how do I know if they are 1.0 or 2.0 version? Thanks.

Of course! These changes were made last year so all of the ones in circulation will be the updated version.

-Rachel

 

[DCJL]

You're welcome! I certainly commend you for doing your research up front, and we are happy to help.

Regarding customer service, I am glad to have the chance to defend our team and help to explain further so everyone can make a comfortable choice. We have industry-standard policies, an award-winning team, and thousands of 5-star reviews (read just some here.) We provide a 24-48hr response time and unlimited tech support in addition to our included warranties and our return options.

We offer multiple options for warranty, and those will vary depending on the product. For the Oculus, we will start by troubleshooting the problem with you. If we can't fix this with you this way, you can choose to either: send the troublesome headlight back for inspection OR get an advanced warranty in some cases in which you get a new headlight first and have 30 days to send the troublesome one back for inspection. These options are specific for the Oculus, and the customer service rep will work with each case to provide the best fitting option. In my opinion, these are both hassle-less options; but again, everyone will need to make that decision based on their own needs.

I won't dismiss complaints because people all do have different expectations. But it is a vacuum like I said and maybe sometimes assumptions are made. However, we are very active in the Jeep community and on these forums -- more so than maybe less-active vendors. We pay to sponsor the forums in order to have this more one-on-one interaction with the community. We have a team of people that spend time on the forums in order to do so -- people from customer service, sales, marketing, product development, even the founder of the company. We have many customers here, and many of those are excited to share their opinions -- both positive and negative. Perhaps the negative shout louder than the positive sometimes. But if you look, you will find even more threads and comments with lots of great experiences too. We are very proud to have those customers' trust, loyalty, and satisfaction.

We always strive to provide the best products and service possible, and we try to be transparent and communicative. I certainly understand the desire to be comfortable making a decision and that every owner just wants the best for their Jeep. We welcome the opportunity to engage with forum members as much as we can. Thanks for the opportunity!

-Rachel

That was a well crafted and reassuring overview. If your headlights work as well as you can write, I’m in!

 

[ORACLElights]

That was a well crafted and reassuring overview. If your headlights work as well as you can write, I’m in!

Haha thank you very much, my old comms professor would be pleased to hear that! Hope this has helped and we are always happy to discuss any further questions or concerns. I won't hijack your thread further, and I do hope you find the headlights that will work the best for you. Best of luck!

-Rachel

 

[paffemt]

Looking at the Oracle heated headlights for my 2019 Sahara. Mine has the OEM Headlights. What adapters/wiring changes do I need to change the OOEM LED Headlight to the Oculus BI-LED LED Projector Headlight with heated lens or is it 100% plug and play if you already have the OEM LED Headlights with Halo?

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