Very cool! (pun not intended)

Yeah, I'm going to avoid all those candle bulbs until I see a decent model (probably made by Cree). I suppose the shape is the biggest challenge, since it's probably the most visible of the common bulb types. There's nowhere to hide the stuff they need to hide.

Perhaps some day there will be split retrofit kits where the electronics are mostly in a separate module so the bulb part just needs to house the actual LED bits, and the rest of the electronics can be tucked into the base of the fixture.

This is effectively what happens when 12 volt bulbs (halogen or not) are used with 'electronic' mains transformers located in the lamp base or adjacent electrical box.

The compact CFL world eventually had segregated/replaceable bulbs and modular electrics, although I mostly see these in commercial applications.

I'm finishing my basement, doing the electrical myself, and it's come time to get the stuff wired. The big thing I need to figure out currently is the housing for the lights. I want to go with the Cree/EcoSense. I'm not seeing much that I'm loving in a 6" recessed light that isn't the LR6 for $80. I'm doing 18 of these fixtures, and my city will only subsidize $20 on 10 of them. Does this EcoSmart bulb look like the right light to be looking for?

If so then I guess I get housings with standard Edison fixtures. Or is there a different "bulb" I should get, and how does this affect my housing? Looking at the LR6 spec sheet, I could get this and just have to modify it for the LR6's connection type. So if I did get a different bulb I should be good either way with this housing?

What would you guys that are going LED suggest?

I am just starting to look at this stuff for a new build, and visited a house recently that was wired entirely with low-voltage LED pots. 24VDC, using some kind of Phillips bulb/fixtures. They had excellent colour, worked on dimmers, and didn't have the insane clearance requirements of old-style hot pot fixtures.

Michael, could you elaborate on that subsidy deal? Any thoughts on how I would go about checking for similar subsidies in my area? I really want to replace some of my recessed lights, but they're still so expensive...

That EcoSmart bulb (also known as the Cree CR6) is probably the right answer for your needs. Yeah, it costs more than the A19 traditional Edison bulbs, but it mounts flush and looks good. Nice bonus: I believe it's "damp rated", meaning you can use it in bathrooms and such.

Any 6" ceiling can should be just fine for any Cree downlight. For my own house, the 6" cans all had a spring-loaded front cover that I had to remove, and also the Edison socket was mounted (poorly) in a metal plate that clicked into the can. I had to remove the sockets from the plates, so that all was left was an Edison socket dangling from its wires. At that point, you just connect the socket to the bulb, flip out the metal flanges, and shove the bulb into the can.

Note that some Cree bulbs have a GU24 socket rather than an Edison screw socket. At least when I bought them (Cree LR6-DR1000's, several years ago), they came with a GU24 socket in the box, including all the crimps you need to connect them.

If I was truly starting from scratch, I'm not sure how I'd want to do it. The world of 12VDC MR16 LED bulbs is coming along nicely, but they're expensive. There are also a bunch of fixtures these days that have permanently installed LED lights, assumed to last the life of the fixture. I'd be tempted to go with those, if I could find ones that I liked.

Well, I picked up generic 6" housings like you mentioned Dan. I have finished putting them in place and running the wire. It's coming along well. I think that like you said that EcoSmart bulb will work great. I did take advantage of them being damp rated and will have one right above my 6' soaker tub on a dimmer.

Matt, I don't know if these links will help you, but it's through my local power company. So I'd check with yours. The main power company for the state offers it, as well as most of the city run power companies like I have.

http://uamps.com/index.php/smart-energy/home-energy-savings?id=194
https://www.rockymountainpower.net/res/sem.html