Recently, I purchased some CFL (Compact Fluorescent) Lights for studio use. Because I am picky about the audio quality of my work, I wanted something that made little or no noise. I knew that silent bulbs were possible because I had purchased a completely silent fixture from Home depot for the garage. However, this light was not good enough for video.
Before starting out, I contacted a number of suppliers and asked if they had any silent bulbs. Half did not respond, and a few honest merchants (thank you, by the way) owned up that their bulbs made the dreaded 60 Hz hum. I wound up ordering a set from three: Steve Kaeser, Britek and BlueMax.
The first bulbs to arrive were the Britek. I had ordered a softbox as well, since I was curious and the price was right. The fixture from Britek did not fit the softbox (odd), but I was able to plug the 50 watt bulbs in. Instant hum, despite the salespersons assurances. How annoying--you could have saved me time and money. They took the whole box back, no problem, however. The 50 watt bulb did have a nice light, but noisy.
Next up, Steve Kaeser. The salesperson assured me that I would have absolutely no issues with noise from the bulbs, so I ordered four. When they arrived, I was surprised and also really bummed at the loud buzz that came out of them when I plugged them in. Hey guys, would it have killed you to plug one in BEFORE you mailed them??? Just asking.
Because they misled me about the product, I asked for a full refund. Politely. No luck on the full refund. Guess I won't EVER shop there again.
When the box came from BlueMax (Full Spectrum website), I really did not want to open it. Another trip to UPS loomed ominously if they had to be returned. Plugged in the 42 watt, CRI 93 5500K, and viola, blissful silence. Holding my ear up to the light, I could make out only the tiniest, slightest hum which was not audible even one foot awat, or less. No problem using this light in a recording studio. The light, obviously a bit on the blue side at 5500K, was very good quality. 42 is the max for the standard, screw-in bulb I found on their website. So these are highly recommended. They have a binder in the bulb for any any nasty stuff that might leak out if they break, which seems to be unique. This is nice for both studio and location work where the chances of breaking a bulb are greater.
Not tested: CoolLights. These were on my list, but a bit too pricey, although the lamps are brighter, so the cost per lumen might be OK.
I hope the above will help anyone who is looking for some very quiet CFL bulbs.
Before starting out, I contacted a number of suppliers and asked if they had any silent bulbs. Half did not respond, and a few honest merchants (thank you, by the way) owned up that their bulbs made the dreaded 60 Hz hum. I wound up ordering a set from three: Steve Kaeser, Britek and BlueMax.
The first bulbs to arrive were the Britek. I had ordered a softbox as well, since I was curious and the price was right. The fixture from Britek did not fit the softbox (odd), but I was able to plug the 50 watt bulbs in. Instant hum, despite the salespersons assurances. How annoying--you could have saved me time and money. They took the whole box back, no problem, however. The 50 watt bulb did have a nice light, but noisy.
Next up, Steve Kaeser. The salesperson assured me that I would have absolutely no issues with noise from the bulbs, so I ordered four. When they arrived, I was surprised and also really bummed at the loud buzz that came out of them when I plugged them in. Hey guys, would it have killed you to plug one in BEFORE you mailed them??? Just asking.
Because they misled me about the product, I asked for a full refund. Politely. No luck on the full refund. Guess I won't EVER shop there again.
When the box came from BlueMax (Full Spectrum website), I really did not want to open it. Another trip to UPS loomed ominously if they had to be returned. Plugged in the 42 watt, CRI 93 5500K, and viola, blissful silence. Holding my ear up to the light, I could make out only the tiniest, slightest hum which was not audible even one foot awat, or less. No problem using this light in a recording studio. The light, obviously a bit on the blue side at 5500K, was very good quality. 42 is the max for the standard, screw-in bulb I found on their website. So these are highly recommended. They have a binder in the bulb for any any nasty stuff that might leak out if they break, which seems to be unique. This is nice for both studio and location work where the chances of breaking a bulb are greater.
Not tested: CoolLights. These were on my list, but a bit too pricey, although the lamps are brighter, so the cost per lumen might be OK.
I hope the above will help anyone who is looking for some very quiet CFL bulbs.
