The new series nearly equals halogens in dimming and color rendering, the company says.

Philips Lighting has introduced a new line of dimmable LED lamps for hospitality and residential settings, which it said puts LED technology on more of a par than it had been with halogen in ambience, while also offering LEDs' well-known energy savings and maintenance benefits.

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The new GU10 and MR16 pin-format LED lamps provide “a light spectrum and effects almost identical to halogen with the highest quality dimming,” the Dutch lighting giant said in announcing its new Philips Master LED ExpertColor series. It described the new lamps as “94 percent identical to halogen light color, compared to only about 60 percent with standard LED lights.” The company rated the color rendering index (CRI) at 97, including “enhanced rendering of reds” with an R9 score of >85.

“Philips Master LED ExpertColor spots produce a true halogen light effect with a customized spectrum,” said Jo Shum, global product manager for LED spots.” This is an ideal solution for ambience creation in premium commercial and residential spaces where ambience, color realization, and design are crucial to the setting.”

Dimming capabilities of LED lamps have long trailed those of traditional light sources like halogen and other incandescents, with tendencies to flicker or flash, to deliver inadequate warmth, or to fail altogether to dim. In an overview of LED dimming last year, LEDs Magazine sister publication Lux cautioned buyers to “be super cautious of GU10 lamps” and to “only use an MR16 LED if it comes with its own separate driver.”

Philips' Master LED ExpertColor spots can dim down almost as effectively as halogens can, Philips said. (Photo credit: Philips Lighting.)

Philips appears to have addressed those and other shortcomings, offering what it called “deep dimming” by deploying “advanced phosphor technology.”

It said it is making the GU10 version available in Europe this month and in Asia in July. The MR16 will hit the US market in June, and Europe in September.

MARK HALPER is a contributing editor for LEDs Magazine, and an energy, technology, and business journalist (markhalper@aol.com).