How can we tell what's real & fake Samsungs & epistar chips? If anyone can help identify ill send you 5-$1 menu items.

Ganjgos

New Member
I ended up with a few extra lights prior to the Samsung shortage, I've spent countless hours trying to figure out if they are replicas or not. (I'm not just being lazy asking you) The board I would assume is definitely fake judging by the logo. They were sold as lm301h 3500k 660nm450nm + 395nm +730NM 385-780nm lm301h +epistar.

If anyone can tell me what's what I will happily buy you 5 items from McDonald's.

https://ibb.co/album/K6wkdD (white stuff on the top of the chips is my shitty camera)
 

NukaKola

Well-Known Member
The fact that it says Quantum board but is not an HLG tells you that it’s a Chinese replica light. That doesn’t mean that the diodes aren’t genuine Samsung though. Hopefully you didn’t pay too much and it will grow some decent bud!
 
Yeah, Samsung doesn't make QBs, so the label is just letting you know that it's using Samsung diodes (allegedly), not claiming to be a Samsung board, if that makes sense. I agree with NukaKola, it's obv a Chinese replica, but that doesn't mean they're not legit diodes. At the end of the day though, who really cares? Does it work well? Is the price right? Then in my eyes, it doesn't matter.

I've got a pair of QBs that I bought from Kingbrite off Alibaba. They're supposed to have lm301h diodes in em, and I trust Kingbrite, but I wouldn't know if they weren't, because they do a really good job regardless.
 

PJ Diaz

Well-Known Member
It's fake. You can keep your McDonalds bucks, I don't eat garbage, thanks. I buy quality food, and I buy quality lights. It's worth it in the long run every time.
 

diyled

Well-Known Member
By far the worse quality of construction i have ever seen on a pcb.

For reference LM301B is a flip chip.. the die is connected to the anode/cathode, no gold wires are used.
 

ilovereggae

Well-Known Member
They do produce qbs and those are the ones hlg uses.
Nope. Samsung just makes the diodes. HLG makes the official Quantum Boards since that is their brand name and trademark. They assemble their own pcbs using the Samsung as well as some other brands depending on model. There are other companies that use the QB name in their marketing since that is what ppl know. Some are copies of the HLG design and some are different designs using the same chips. What varies is bin quality of the diodes. HLG has a relationship with Samsung and only uses guaranteed top bin diodes on their boards and strips.
 

Horselover fat

Well-Known Member
Nope. Samsung just makes the diodes. HLG makes the official Quantum Boards since that is their brand name and trademark. They assemble their own pcbs using the Samsung as well as some other brands depending on model. There are other companies that use the QB name in their marketing since that is what ppl know. Some are copies of the HLG design and some are different designs using the same chips. What varies is bin quality of the diodes. HLG has a relationship with Samsung and only uses guaranteed top bin diodes on their boards and strips.
I thought they have been produced by samsung since v2
 

ilovereggae

Well-Known Member
They did for a while, and i think they still do the diablo, but hlg also got their own picknplace and reflow equipment nowadays. Id trust either of them to be honest
Ahh my bad I mis spoke there. I knew the Diablos were not being manufactured in the US but I thought it was a joint venture factory in Vietnam(? can't remember where exactly) or something. I didn't know Samsung was actually manufacturing the boards for them.
 

Rocket Soul

Well-Known Member
Ahh my bad I mis spoke there. I knew the Diablos were not being manufactured in the US but I thought it was a joint venture factory in Vietnam(? can't remember where exactly) or something. I didn't know Samsung was actually manufacturing the boards for them.
Tbh i dont know anymore. For a while i saw all the GML shows and kept up to date but i dont anymore. But yeah, i think the samsung diodes for HLG comes from Vietnam in order to get around Trump tariffs.
 
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