Any 2xAA with Nichia 219 or good CRI?

With help here, hunting around, and trying different options IRL; I've been having reasonable success in joining the 21st Century and upgrading to LED. I settled on the Massdrop AAA Brass with Nichia 219B for a pocket light. (I love the color of that light!) In 2xAAA lights, I settled on the Klarus P20 with Nichia 219C for shirt-pocket EDC and the venerable Lightstar 80 for around-the-house tasks.

I really like the 100ish lumen high of my pocket light and the 230 lumen high of the P20 but both get advertised half-hour run times in their respective lights. I imagine that a 2xAA light could sustain levels like those for much more reasonable times. Is there a relatively inexpensive 2xAA light, maybe at 4000k-5000k with good CRI, with modes in those ranges?

(Note: I'm specifically interested in AA and AAA lights because I already have a whole bunch of Eneloop Pro batteries in those sizes.)

I do suspect no one cares to produce 2xAA HiCRI lights. 1xAA or 2xAAA -- you are welcome.

2XAA lights, in general, seem to have fallen off the face of the earth a couple years ago.

I have a decent amount of Eneloops as well, but you may end up like me...just giving up and letting them rot. I'm pretty much all 18650 these days.

There is a limited run of Malkoff MDC 2AA available from Illumination Supply. These use the Nichia 219b. 93 CRI.

Depending on your budget, you might also consider an HDS with a high CRI emitter and a 2AA battery compartment.

markr6 said:

2XAA lights, in general, seem to have fallen off the face of the earth a couple years ago.

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Not really fallen off the face of the earth. Fenix, Thrunite, Manker, and Nitecore all still produce them. But nobody has one with a high CRI option.

I think it's a good balance of capacity, output, and size for non-EDC use for casual users. Such people still buy Maglites in abundance when they want something better than the flashlight mode on their phone, but don't shop around enough to discover nicer lights. On the enthusiast side, where many users do appreciate high CRI options, once we step up in size from 1xAA, it tends to be to 18650.

That said, there are some high CRI 1xAA options, such as from Manker and Zebralight. I also have an L3 Illuminations L11C, which has a high CRI 219B, that I would love to be able to recommend, but it is very sensitive to drop damage.

I have the EagTac (EagleTac) D25A2 Clicky with the Nichia 219c emitter specced at 4000k & 92CRI. I am quite pleased with it. I bought mine from Illumination Gear. They are an excellent source for the neutral white & HiCRI EagleTac lights.

That Eagletac is pretty much the only relatively budget friendly high CRI 2xAA light I can think of.

I have an L3 Illuminations L11C and it's a nice enough light- fairly reasonable price too.

Zebralight is pricey but make some technically impressive lights. Their 1xAA lights get almost as bright as some 2xAA lights. They have the older XML2 Easywhite versions still available, or the newer/brighter/higher CRI XPL2 versions. I haven't heard many good things about the XPL2 tints in general, though.

The Thrunite Archer 2A V3 NW isn't high CRI, but is budget friendly.

treek13 said:

I have the EagTac (EagleTac) D25A2 Clicky with the Nichia 219c emitter specced at 4000k & 92CRI. I am quite pleased with it. I bought mine from Illumination Gear. They are an excellent source for the neutral white & HiCRI EagleTac lights.

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The last one: https://illuminationgear.com/products/eagtac-d25a2-clicky.

So the Malkoff MDC 2AA looks interesting but it's also like $135. It costs more than four times as much as any of the three lights I mentioned above. Those three serve different roles and all impress me. Aside from long lows that are pretty low, I'm not sure this one is going to add enough to what I've got to justify costing more than all of what I've got put together (not counting the decades-old incandescent Maglites I'm retiring). Maybe I'm just not a real flashoholic?

I found the Jaxman M2 2AA in a warm 4300k for under $30. I don't know about its CRI but the very few reviews I found look good. It supposedly throws a nice beam for what it is, so that will be something new. I'll share my thoughts after it gets here and I have a chance to play with it.

The EagTac D25A2 with Nichia 219C also looks interesting. I already ordered the Jaxman but this might still have something to offer. The modes look nicely spread and useful. The question will come down to what the run times look like in those modes.

Cosmodragoon said:

So the Malkoff MDC 2AA looks interesting but it's also like $135. It costs more than four times as much as any of the three lights I mentioned above.

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Some high-end lights are designed to last through many instances of very rough duty, and Malkoff is one. I would not be surprised if any of the other three you mentioned above did not last beyond a single recoil if mounted on a weapon or used in tandem with one. As reported over the years on these forums, many mid-level lights (between $30-$70) will not survive even a single drop on a soft surface, such as padded carpet.

The Malkoff 2AA should last a lifetime or 10. Super solid.

I understand the OP's sensibilities about cost but I didn't see a budget figure. That's why I suggested the Malkoff and the HDS. Thinking long term, you can save money by investing one time in a quality tool rather than replacing lesser tools regularly.

This, however, only works if you're not a gear junkie and you have the necessary disposable income. While I have some nice lights, I don't always have the ability to purchase expensive stuff. You get what you pay for but you have to live with what you've spent.

Check out the Pelican 2360 (gen 5).

They are quite possibly the most under rated flashlight maker on the planet.
They make lights between SureFire and Streamlight in terms of reliability and inovation. But at better prices.

I only specified "relatively inexpensive". Since jumping into this pool, flashlights seem a bit like pocket knives from a market perspective. There is a ton of cheap and widely available junk that might work out for some tasks. There are amazing high-quality pieces that cost hundreds (or more) and will last a lifetime. I live in the middle, searching for great bargains on good products. The Nichia-equipped Klarus P20 and Massdrop AAA Brass I mentioned seem like good examples of this product class. Some of you will get this when I say that I've carried Kershaw pocket knives for the last 20-ish years.

Cosmodragoon said:

With help here, hunting around, and trying different options IRL; I've been having reasonable success in joining the 21st Century and upgrading to LED. I settled on the Massdrop AAA Brass with Nichia 219B for a pocket light. (I love the color of that light!) In 2xAAA lights, I settled on the Klarus P20 with Nichia 219C for shirt-pocket EDC and the venerable Lightstar 80 for around-the-house tasks. I really like the 100ish lumen high of my pocket light and the 230 lumen high of the P20 but both get advertised half-hour run times in their respective lights. I imagine that a 2xAA light could sustain levels like those for much more reasonable times. Is there a relatively inexpensive 2xAA light, maybe at 4000k-5000k with good CRI, with modes in those ranges? (Note: I'm specifically interested in AA and AAA lights because I already have a whole bunch of Eneloop Pro batteries in those sizes.)

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If you didn't mind lithium ion, the Jaxman E2 5700K 219B is still available in some places and it's pretty cheap. Only drawback is PWM on modes lower than high.

Surprised no-one has mentioned McGizmo yet. He does a 2xAA body so you can run a Haiku, Mule or a Sundrop head with
HiCri Nichia

I also use this body with 2x14500 and an e-series compatible BOSS-type head from Oveready, so the McGizmo bodytube is a pretty flexible piece of kit.

I am assuming cost is not an issue, mind you.

bykfixer said:

Check out the Pelican 2360 (gen 5).

They are quite possibly the most under rated flashlight maker on the planet.
They make lights between SureFire and Streamlight in terms of reliability and inovation. But at better prices.

Click to expand...

I have an itch regarding Pelican lights, but... PWM!

I have an Eagtac D25A2 with 4500k 219B 90CRI. The tint is better than the 219C version but not as bright.

Can always buy a light you LIKE and stuff what ever emitter you prefer in it. I have a nice LD22 that I stuffed a 219b 4500k in it, is now my nightstand light.