cree cxb3590, fake or real?

TheGreatSouthern

Well-Known Member
Hi all.
I'm planning to refit three COB led fixtures I have with CXB3590s. I originally built them quite a long time ago with cheap chinese COB chips. this was back in the days when the growing world had just graduated from "blurple" to 3000-4000K COB chips having come to the realization that they emit pretty much the perfect spectrum. They have performed admirably if I'm honest, but I don't think they are any more efficient than an HPS.
Since then I have always used Samsung 3500K and 4000K QB22A strips, which in my humble opinion are the holy grail, if expensive.
So the reason I want to go CXB with these refits is just because the whole aluminium rack and heat sink setup is already there and QB22A strips won't fit on them.
I went to aliexpress to see what was available and found this CXA3590 lot of 10
The problem is either they are fake or I am missing something.
They are being sold as 3500K DB bin, and the manufacturer's data sheet does not show a DB bin for 3500K. DB bin does not start until you get up to 4000K. I've checked the Mouser website and they do not offer 3500K in DB bin. Also the product image on Aliexpress shows the word CREE printed on the chip in gold, where more trustworthy sources show it printed in black.
So it seems there are a couple of possibilities...
Maybe the data sheet is old and there are now CXB3590s in 3500K being produced in DB bin
Maybe this is a reasonably convincing fake.
Your thoughts?

Cheers
TGS
 

welight

Well-Known Member
DB bins in 3500k are now quite common, but wont appear under Cree data as they are yet to considered available in enough commercial qty to add to datasheet, its a common aspect of the way Cree rolls, you order a bin and they send min the bin your order or better if they have it.

My stock below with a 50 pcs box, You order as the base code, image below shows CD bin ordered and then the actual bin they sent here was DB. I cant tell you if the ALI dude parts are real but buying from an authorised distributor will get you the real parts, Caveat Emptor
IMG_20200421_095050.jpg
Cheers
Mark
 

coreywebster

Well-Known Member
Just to add when cxb3590s were the top gun of cobs and everyone was selling them including kingbrite and other alibaba sellers as well as some members on here reselling them . Mark above from cutter was still the best price available world wide that I can remember.
There was a fair old price war back then!
 
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