LED C9 christmas lights that compete with incandescents for brightness

[PhotonWrangler]

I was stoked to find that those filament LED Chrismas lights have finally made it to a retail chain this year. They're at the DIY chain that rhymes with Bernard's, and they're the "Vintage" LED series, available in both C7 and C9. They look exactly like the set that I bought last year - every bit as bright and with the center-of-the-bulb gaussian brightness distribution, just like the classic incandescents. The only difference is that the retail sets don't include yellow bulbs for some reason. They also carry 4-packs of replacement bulbs so you can try them out without committing to an entire set.

 

[JoakimFlorence]

I am totally into the trend to replace monochromatic LEDs with white plus filter

In my opinion, the best approach would be to use a combination of both, together. That would give the best light appearance.

We also need to remember that white light from ordinary LEDs does not behave exactly the same way through color filters as white light from incandescent. So in some situations that can result in the color looking less than ideal.

 

[PhotonWrangler]

In my opinion, the best approach would be to use a combination of both, together. That would give the best light appearance.

We also need to remember that white light from ordinary LEDs does not behave exactly the same way through color filters as white light from incandescent. So in some situations that can result in the color looking less than ideal.

This is a good point. If you're looking for a pure ruby red or emerald green, it might be better to use that native color of LED chip. A phosphor-converted and/or filtered red will look a little more broadband-ish than a pure, monochromatic red chip will.

This guy has some rather strong opinions on this. While I agree with him on some of his points, I disagree with him on the Menard's vintage C7 and C9 non-transparent lights, which look great to me.

 

[Dave_H]

I'm not spending much time in big-box stores these days, mostly buying cheap stuff from thrift stores, and the local Amazon return liquidation outlets (locally called Quick Pick).

I'll keep an eye out for these newer lights, don't know under which brands and retailers I would find them in Canada. Would be a bonus to see a small set discounted "after Christmas" although this often happens before Boxing Day.

Dave