I did see a difference in light even though they were shaded. The other problem I found with them is they tend to make a humming noise I find quite annoying.
I put one in a reading lamp by my bed and it didn't take long for me to pitch the S.O.B. out.
Perhaps you had older units. They’re still working on the phosphor combinations; the newer ones are very close to incandescents in color so long as they’re shaded (the blue/UV still shows directly) — but I’ve never had one hum.