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LEDs with a low color rendering index (CRI) make everything look "flat" and even "fake". It's hard to describe.

Part of the issue is that if you go to a hardware store this is what it will be.

A couple of years ago I looked through all the bulbs at my hardware store, they had Chinese brands and name brands like Philips and Osram. None of the bulbs had a CRI higher than 80.

>None of the bulbs had a CRI higher than 80.

I work for an electrical wholesaler and checked. We have 18 bulbs in stock with a CRI higher than 80, which is the average. The lowest is 55.

It's weird. It is not rare to find at a given store that all the name brand bulbs have "CRI > 80" (probably 80.5) and some cheap off-brand product has CRI > 95. You really need to check the labels. IME, high CRI products are otherwise fine as well, e.g. no flicker.

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