TEST: 10.000 lumens is a statement against the dark. The Silva Spectra A literally turns night into day. But that also has its price. We test the ultra-bright system in trail use.
Test of the Silva Spectra A - all information & data on the helmet lamp at a glance
800 euros for one helmet lamp is a lot of money! But also 10.000 lumens of luminous flux, and this is what the Spectra A from Silva delivers. This should almost turn night into day. The unusual shape of the lamp is reminiscent of a flattened cube - but looks quite appealing. Of course, eight built-in LEDs require a certain amount of space. The design also allows for a heatsink directly behind the LEDs for sensible heat dissipation. In addition, the Spectra A is not a specific bike light, but is sold as a multi-activity light. Accordingly, it must also work when used on a headband - the flat design also offers advantages here. In line with the price, the Spectra A is clean and of high quality. The cables are thick but flexible and the battery is quite large at 16,5 x 8 cm and 2,5 cm thick. But here too it is clear: 10.000 lumens require a lot of electricity and it has to be housed somewhere.
The scope of delivery of the set does not seem very well thought out: As a multi-activity light, the Spectra A only comes with a helmet holder, so it can only be used on one helmet. The Bluetooth remote control included in the set, on the other hand, comes with a bracelet - so it cannot be mounted on the handlebars. Thus, their use when biking and in our test is rather impossible, but Silva offers appropriate accessories, which we will go into later. Incidentally, in the event of damage, Silva offers a repair service. That's what you would expect from the high purchase price of the Spectra A.
Data sheet
| luminosity | 10.000 lm |
| light modes | 5 (10000lm, 5000lm, 2500lm, 800lm, 80lm) |
| Lighting time | 3 hrs, 3:10 hrs, 3:30 hrs, 11 hrs, 80 hrs |
| Charging time | 4 room |
| charging connector | Charger 2A |
| Mounting options & adapters | Helmet |
| performance battery | 6700 mAh |
| battery | € 200,00 |
| Remote Control | Yes, bluetooth, handlebar mount not included |
| Weight lamp & bracket | 244 g |
| Weight battery & bracket | 538 g |
| Cable length lamp | 30 cm |
| Battery cable length | 60 cm |
| Cable length extension | 93 cm |
| StVZO approval | No |
| Color temperature | 5700 K |
| Price | € 800,00 |
Delivery
The Spectra A comes in a robust, high-quality cardboard box. However, for a helmet lamp in this price segment, you would expect it to come with a storage bag. However, this must be bought later for €45 if you want to own one. It certainly makes sense for ecological reasons, because not everyone needs this bag - but it's still unexpected. However, the cardboard box containing the following scope of delivery is also suitable for storage:
- Spectra A helmet lamp
- Helmet holder
- 6700 mAh battery
- Extension cord 93 cm
- Bluetooth remote control
- Charger 2A
- International charger adapters
Accessories & Extension
Silva offers plenty of expansion options and accessories, but they are not cheap. Additional helmet mounts are available for €30 each, and you can get a GoPro mount for €25. A set consisting of a handlebar mount for the lamp and a handlebar mount for the Bluetooth remote control also costs €25. We don't understand why at least the holder for the remote control isn't available separately. A battery holder suitable for mounting the lamp on the handlebars costs €25. If you want to ride without a backpack, you can get a special vest with space for two batteries for €50. In addition, there is a double battery connector (€25) for particularly blatant use, to operate two batteries at the same time and thus save having to switch plugs. A headband (€40) is also available for use outside of cycling. This makes the Spectra system extremely versatile, and the content of the wallet is significantly reduced.
Test: The Silva Spectra A in action
assembly and fastening
The Spectra A's helmet mount is large. It sits well and stably on our test helmet (Uvex Finale). Due to their size, there may be fitting issues with other helmet shapes. The protruding rail on which the lamp is attached contributes to the overall picture of a very large helmet holder. You would rather not leave these on the helmet in the long term. As already mentioned, the Spectra A is attached to a rail system. Blind and overhead, this works almost exclusively with at least two hands and requires some practice. If you have these, plugging them on works intuitively and smoothly. The mechanism engages neatly and the lamp can be unplugged again without much effort. Nevertheless, it sits firmly and securely in the holder.
Service
The Spectra A is operated using two large buttons. By pressing the plus button, the helmet lamp switches on immediately with 2500 lm. It is switched off by pressing and holding the minus button. The process is intuitive, the keys are nice and big, but only slightly tactile. The latter applies in particular to the minus key - here you sometimes press it wrong. The problem is compounded with gloves and requires some practice. The mounting position of the lamp on the helmet can also be problematic: if it is too high up, the Spectra A has to be tilted further forward to properly illuminate the trail. This reduces the gap between the LED housing and the controls. The consequence is that the latter can be harder to reach. Here we recommend that you analyze the helmet accordingly before you buy it.
battery & runtime
Silva takes an honest approach when it comes to specifying the light duration and states this for different temperatures: At 20° C, the light duration with a full 10.000 lm output is around 3 hours. At -5° C, on the other hand, it is only 1 hour. The values for the second stage with 5000 lm are 3:10 h and 1:30 h. The lower levels of 2500, 800 and 80 lm are said to be unaffected by the temperature differences at 3:30 h, 11 h and 80 h. A longer, wintry operation can therefore not be carried out with consistently high light output. However, the competition should also have to struggle with this problem to a greater or lesser extent. And admittedly: At temperatures above zero degrees, a night ride is more fun and with every degree the light duration of the Spectra A increases. If the battery level falls below 10%, the Spectra A automatically switches to a reserve mode, which lights up with 250 lm for 1 hour . This is a very useful function to find the way out of the roughest terrain with light, if you should lose sight of the battery level.
If the battery is empty, it can be charged in 4 hours using the special charger provided. With 18 V and 2 A output, it almost has the specifications of a notebook charger. Silva's special plug consequently limits the use of the system to itself.
Weight & Trail Use
Almost 250 grams high above your head: they make themselves felt. A clear moment of inertia can be felt when the Spectra A is on the helmet. However, this did not really bother our test drivers during use. It was not always easy to find and operate the two buttons for brightness control when wearing gloves. We also tried the remote control on the wrist as a test: Reaching for the helmet turned out to be safer while riding, although the Spectra A can be controlled more conveniently via the remote control. The weight of the battery at over half a kilo is already noticeable in a light backpack - that's the price for the gigantic luminosity.
The light field of the Spectra A
Everything is simply bright here: The Spectra A emits light from a wide angle and also illuminates the edge areas of the trail with corresponding intensity. The light beam is not bundled and may seem like it has less range compared to other helmet lamps. As mentioned at the beginning, this is because the Spectra A was designed as a universal helmet lamp. In contrast to biking, some other sports are less dependent on a strongly directed light beam. The luminosity at full power with 10.000 lm almost ensures day-like conditions on the trail. Colors and shades are clear and distinct like no other helmet lamp in our test. So you can throw yourself carefree into any trail, no matter how fast, jump gaps and heat over every kicker at full speed without hesitation.
Even the lower levels of 5000 and 2500 lm are brighter than many other helmet lamps with their highest power level. Accordingly, these are sufficient for many descents and at the same time protect the battery level. The lowest level of 80 lm is just enough for slow climbs, but strains the eyes in the long run. It drives better with 800 lm.
The direct comparison between full and minimum performance pushes the camera technology to its limits: the difference in brightness is so great that the camera displays the lowest brightness level almost black. However, the 80 lm of this level are just bright enough to use for a leisurely climb.
