I guess I'll start. I have the Nolden's that come stock on the Autobiography & Heritage edition trucks. I am very happy with them, plug-n-play and all that. However I feel that there could be improvement in the beam pattern. They are leaps and bounds better then the factory and I have no intention of changing them.
When I was shopping I was bouncing between the Nolden, Truck-Lite, and JW Speaker. Then between JW Speaker and Nolden. I settled on the Nolden because I liked that they were an OEM LR option. I like the Truck-Lite because they look the closest to stock. The JW speaker from my research probably have the best beam pattern but they just look too funky for me.
But the bigger problem is that a Halogen will almost always output more light than an LED. The advantage to LEDs are the lower draw. If light is a priority then some old school halogens are the best.
You have a source to back that up? I don't buy it. There is a reason newer high end cars (and Defender's in 2015/16) come with HID/LED. There is a reason the USMil swapped the HMMWV lights to LED.
The heat/icing issue is definitely a thing for sure.
Halogen vs LED/HID in halogen housings - Halogen wins
Halogen vs HID/LED in proper housing - HID/LED wins
From my understanding the primary reason the USmil switched was durability. An LED unit is significantly harder to break. Given the roads and speeds most vehicles drive in the Mid east, a Halogen bulb would probably only last weeks at a time.
It is really tough to compare LED and Halogen bulbs because LEDs require a lens and Halogens are normally rated without the lens. For instance the JW Speakers list a Lumen of 1700 low and 2600 high. A decent H4 bulb is about 1200 low and 2000 high. But that is unfocused light, from a bare bulb. So the light that makes it down the road is going to be partially dependent on the reflector and lens.
Another example is house light bulbs. These are great to compare because they normally operate in a very small space. Almost all LED replacement for Halogen bulbs will have a lower lumen rating. Not much, but it can be as much as 20%. But they also have a significantly lower power draw, as much as 95%, and extended lifespan, generally over 1000%.