I've used Lo Riders on most of my basses for quite a few years and I can't say I've ever had a string be dead right out of the package. I've also seen people post here about DR's great customer service so you could probably have a dead new string replaced with a phone call or email. It would definitely be worth a shot if that happens.
One of the things that kept me a loyal Lo Riders user for so long is the great longevity of those strings. While I do like the zing of new rounds, I like them even more once that brand-new-string zing wears off. And, for me, Lo Riders have kept that broken in sound for quite a long time before finally dying completely. I've seen lots of others here who've also gotten great life out of the Lo Riders.
I think they're the only strings I've used on the Stingray I have now (got it about 10 years ago) and I've also had them on most other basses I own now or have owned and they sounded great on all of them. My Precision always had flats on it, but the last time I changed string I decided to try Lo Riders just for kicks and now it's a KILLER rock bass. That being said, I recently tried and loved Dean Markley Helix's on two other basses so my Stingray will get a set of them the next time I change strings. Can't wait to compare them.
You may find your own reason to love them or hate Lo Riders, but I think they're well made strings with great life spans and are definitely worth trying to see what you ultimately think of them. As with every opinion, YMMV.
Regarding Hi Beams, I've never used them but I did put Sunbeams on a Warwick I sold to a friend a several years ago. I had the impression that Sunbeams were basically nickel Hi Beams. They sounded fantastic on it, similar to the Lo Riders, but I preferred the stiffer feel of the Lo Riders so I've stuck with them. The Sunbeams were very nice strings, though. And, FWIW, my friend that bought my old Warwick used that same set of Sunbeams for a couple of years before changing strings. He liked them enough to put a new set of Sunbeams on it when he finally did replace the strings and now has a year or two on that set.