Hi Ereeifc,
Thanks for your inquiry. The XM bulbs do burn a bit more yellow than the German Ushio or Aqualine bulbs. However, they do put out more PAR so there is a bit of a trade off there. Most people seem to be happy with the color and intensity that they are seeing with these XM bulbs.
With the breakage, it is usually caused by water splashing on to the bulb, a jumping fish or finger prints/oil on the bulb: which can and does happen with every brand of metal halide bulb. To the best of our knowledge, there are no known issues with the XM bulbs breaking.
Thus far, the XM bulb seems to be a good bulb at a very reasonable price. I personally prefer the German Ushio lamps for its color and intensity combination: however, the XM is definitely a good alternative.
All the metal halide bulbs we sell are covered by our 9-month pro-rated warranty against defects (with the exception of AquaLine bulbs: which are covered by the manufacturer directly). There is no warranty again breakage due to reasons listed above.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any further questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Joseph
Marine Depot Customer Service
www.marinedepot.com
714-385-0080
