# Acebeam K70 (XHP35 HI, 4x18650) Review: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, VIDEO and more!



## selfbuilt (Jul 26, 2016)

_*Reviewer's Note:* I am very backlogged with lights, so expect less detail than typical in my upcoming reviews. _















The stock K70 is the latest light from AceBeam, featuring the high-output (but small profile) Cree XHP35 High Intensity (HI) emitter. Let's see how it compares to the earlier AceBeam lights, and other competing high-output lights.

*Acebeam Reported Specifications:*
Note: as usual, this is just what the manufacturer provides. Scroll down to see my actual testing results.


LED: Cree XHP35 High Intensity LED with a lifespan of 10+years of run time
Max 2600 lumens output using 4x 18650 batterles
Output (select by magnetic ring): Level 1 : 1lms 1200 hours; Level 2 : 70lms 75 hours; Level 3 : 450lms 12 hours; Level 4 : 1000lms 6 hours; Level 5 : 1900lms 3 hours; Level 6 : 2600lms 2 hours; Standby : 65uA; Strobe : 2600lms 3 hours
Working voltage: 12V - 17V;
Max Runtime: 1200 hours;
Max beam distance: 1300meters;
Peak beam intensity: 422000cd;
Impact resistant: 1.2 meters;
Waterproof : IPX-8 Standard (2meters);
Size: 206mm(length) x 88mm(head diameter)*50mm(tube diameter);
Weight: 590g(without batteries);
Aircraft grade aluminum body structure;
Premium type III hard anodized anti-abrasive finish.
ultra-clear tempered glass lens with anti-reflective coating.
momentary forward click tactical switch.
Strobe mode for tactical and emergency use.
Smooth reflector for max light output
tactical knurling for firm grip
streamlined body design
Mechanical reversed polarity protection design for battery carrier
Intelligent highly efficient circuit board design for max performance and long run time;
Specially designed for military, Law Enforcement, Self-defense, Hunting, Search&Rescue and outdoor activities.
Intelligent temperature controlled light output for user safety
Accessories include: 1x user manual; 1x lanyard; 1x holster; 1x Replacement O - ring and Tailcap gummi;
Note: K70 must use 4 x high drain unprotected 18650 cells, or protected 18650 cells which PCB including 3 MOSFETs.
MSRP: ~$190






The K60 comes in the standard plain cardboard box with packing foam. Along with the light is a head-holster, extra o-rings, spare boot switch cover, basic wrist strap, warranty card, manual. 










All dimensions are directly measured, and given with no batteries installed:

*Acebeam K70*: Weight: 584.6g, Length: 204mm, Width (bezel): 88.1mm

*Acebeam K60*: Weight: 593.2g, Length: 207mm, Width (bezel): 88.0mm
*AceBeam K40M*: Weight: 498.4g, Length: 188mm, Width (bezel): 76.2mm
*SupBeam K50*: Weight: 645.0g, Length: 230mm, Width (bezel): 90.1mm
*Crelant 7G10*: Weight 643.4g (827g with 4x18650), Length: 198mm, Width (bezel): 79.0mm
*Eagletac MX25L3C 3x18650*: Weight: 345.9g, 352.0g with kit tailcap (485-491g with 4x18650), Length: 141.9mm, 143.6mm with kit tailcap, Width (bezel): 61.9mm
*Fenix TK61*: Weight: 605.7g (790g with 4x18650), Length: 218mm, Width (bezel): 96.0mm
*Fenix TK75*: Weight: 516.0g (700g with 4x18650), Length: 184mm, Width (bezel): 87.5mm
*Niwalker BK-FA02*: Weight: 687.6g (870g with 4x18650), Length: 209mm, Width (bezel): 80.0mm, Width (tailcap): 50.3mm
*Olight SR52*: Weight: 396.7g (497g with 6xCR123A), Length: 162mm, Width (bezel): 63.1mm
*Thrunite TN40*: Weight (with battery pack): 780.0g, Length: 171mm, Width (bezel): 100.1mm


























The K70 is similar to the K60 reviewed previously, with the more "rakish" styling that Acebeam is currently going for. Anodizing (flat black on my sample) was good, although it did have a few scratches on my sample. Labels are sharp and clear, and include a serial number.

Rather than traditional knurling, the handle has a checkered pattern. Combined with the extra ridge detail on the control ring and head, overall grip is pretty good. An update from the earlier K60 is the inclusion of cut-outs on the head and heat fins now, to help limit rolling. I find the K70 rolls a lot less than earlier lights.

The control ring feels like the earlier AceBeam lights, but has been revised with more pronounced protrusions. This makes it easy to find by grip alone. There is a label mark on the control ring that lines up with the labels on the head. The six constant output modes are not individually labeled, but there is a graded output bar pictogram over the first four levels (i.e., shows the direction to turn to raise or lower the output). There are firm detents at each level, with a slight click as you enter into each one.

Screw threads are square cut. They are anodized, but it is typically the tension on the spring in the head than determines if you can lock out the light by a twist. In any case, on my sample, a quick turn is enough to lock out the light.

The light can tailstand. Tailcap has cut-outs to facilitate access to the switch. Switch is a forward clicky switch (i.e., press for momentary, click for locked-on), as before. 

The battery carrier is almost identical to the previous model K60. As before, the positive contact points inside the carrier are slightly raised, so all types of 18650 cells should work fine (i.e., true flat-tops, wide and small button-tops). There seems to be plenty of room in the carrier for length, so longer cells should fit fine. 

Note that Acebeam recommends you use only unprotected high-drain rated 18650 cells, or protected ones where the PCB includes 3 MOSFETs. Don't ask me how they expect the end user to know that.  I would suggest that high-quality, brand-name protected 18650 are a good idea.














The large XHP35 HI emitter is much smaller than the XHP70 on the K60, and should produce outstanding throw when coupled with such a large smooth reflector here. There is a clear anti-glare coating on the lens. Scroll down for beamshots.

*User Interface*

Turn the light off/on by the tailcap clicky – press for momentary, press and release (i.e., click) for constant on. 

Change output modes by turning the control ring in the head. Arranged from left-to-right (looking down at the light, held in traditional flashlight carry), the modes are level 1 > level 2 > level 3 > level 4 > level 5 > level 6 (max) > standby > strobe. 

No light is produced on standby, but a miniscule current will be drawn to allow the circuit to respond to a ring turn. As always, I recommend you store the light clicked-off at the tailcap, or locked-out by a head twist. 

*Video*: 

For more information on the light, please see my brief overview here:



As with all my videos, I recommend you have annotations turned on. I commonly update the commentary with additional information or clarifications before publicly releasing the video. 

*Strobe*






There is no sign of PWM on any level – the light is current-controlled. :thumbsup:

Strobe





The K70 uses an oscillating strobe design, switching between two frequencies every ~0.75secs or so. Here is a blow up of the two frequencies:










As you can see, it rapidly switches between 13.2Hz and 6.6Hz. This is very similar to the K60 that I previously tested.

*Standby Drain*

There is no standby drain when the light is clicked off at the tailcap. There is a standby position on the ring however. I measured this standby current as 75uA on 4x18650. This is similar to my K60, and not a major concern. Given the in-series arrangement, that would take over 4.7 years to fully drain 3100mAh cells.

*Beamshots:*

And now, what you have all been waiting for.  All lights are on their respective 18650 battery sources, about ~0.75 meter from a white wall (with the camera ~1.25 meters back from the wall). 





























































Clearly, the K70 doesn't have as much output as the XHP70-equipped K60 (as expected). But the XHP35 HI on the K70 does produce a much more tightly-focused hotspot.

For outdoor shots, these are done in the style of my earlier 100-yard round-up review. Please see that thread for a discussion of the topography (i.e. the road dips in the distance, to better show you the corona in the mid-ground). Note there are a lot of bugs out at this time of year, so expect to see some flight trails. 



















The K70 is much more dedicated thrower than the previous K60. Indeed, you can see how well it compares to the dedome K50vn mod. 

Scroll down for direct beam measurements.

*Testing Method:* 

All my output numbers are relative for my home-made light box setup, as described on my flashlightreviews.ca website. You can directly compare all my relative output values from different reviews - i.e. an output value of "10" in one graph is the same as "10" in another. All runtimes are done under a cooling fan, except for any extended run Lo/Min modes (i.e. >12 hours) which are done without cooling.

I have devised a method for converting my lightbox relative output values (ROV) to estimated Lumens. See my How to convert Selfbuilt's Lightbox values to Lumens thread for more info. 

*Throw/Output Summary Chart:*

My summary tables are reported in a manner consistent with the ANSI FL-1 standard for flashlight testing. Please see http://www.flashlightreviews.ca/FL1.htm for a discussion, and a description of all the terms used in these tables. Effective July 2012, I have updated all my Peak Intensity/Beam Distance measures with a NIST-certified Extech EA31 lightmeter (orange highlights).






My K70 exceeds the reported Acebeam specs for beam intensity/throw. This is an incredible showing for a single emitter – the XHP35 HI is quite the performer! oo:

Here is how it compares to the modded dedome lights I've tested:






Again, this is an incredible showing for a mainstream light. How about relative output levels?






Usually, I find pretty good concordance to Acebeam lumen specs – but the K70 is one case where my estimated lumens are generally lower than their reported numbers (i.e., ~15% lower on L3-L6). :shrug:

*Output/Runtime Comparison:*

I currently do all my standard runtime testing on Panasonic NCR18650A (3100mAh) based protected ICR cells. And of course, all runtimes are done under a cooling fan.











To allow a comparison to the K60, I have used AceBeam 2500mAh IMR 20A cells bundled on that light for a comparison at L5 and L6 testing.






As you can see, there is a timed step-down on the highest level. And I'm glad to see the low battery warning, given the encouragement to use of unprotected cells here.

*Potential Issues*

There is no standby drain in regular usage, as the light is clicked on/off at the physical switch in the tailcap. However, there is a "Stand By" mode of the control ring. But this current is very low (75uA), and will not be problem for regular use. And you can easily break this current by clicking the tailswitch off, or loosening the head a quarter turn or so.

Only 18650 Li-ion cells may be used in the light (i.e., doesn't support multiple CR123A primary cells). Use of high-drain IMR cells is recommended by Acebeam (or protected cells with good circuits). Note that if you do use IMR cells, they are by definition all unprotected - so you will have to make sure you do not let the light run down and damage the cells. 

*Preliminary Observations*

The K70 is an outstanding thrower from Acebeam. The XHP35 High Intensity (HI) emitter – with its small footprint – allows for incredibly tight focusing. oo: 

I haven't seen this level of throw outside of modded dedome lights previously. And the K70 produces more overall output than the older modded XM-L2/XP-L lights, thanks to the higher-output XHP35 emitter. It is a great beam profile, without distortions, color aberrations or beam artifacts. :thumbsup:

The build will be familiar to users of previous Acebeam lights, although they have tweaked a few elements for improved functionality (i.e., raised grip points on the control ring, and effective anti-roll cut-outs). Otherwise, the user interface remains unchanged - clear and uncluttered. The ring has clear and firm detents, and the output levels are well spaced. The battery carrier is of solid construction. And the presence of an actual clicky switch is always welcome, to cut any unnecessary standby drain. 

The K70 shows very good output/runtime efficiency and regulation. It can't quite compare with 4xXM-L2/XP-L or 3xMK-R setups for output/runtime, but consider the much smoother beam profile (and greater throw) the K70 provides. If you want even greater output – and are willing to consider peripheral beam artifacts – I suggest you check out my recent Thrunite TN40 review.

The K70 is a great addition to the Acebeam line-up. It fills a niche previously occupied by modified lights, which is impressive for a mainstream offering. If you in the market for a throw monster, this is definitely a good light to consider. :wave:

----

K70 provided by AceBeam for review.


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## Capolini (Jul 26, 2016)

Thanks for the great review! :thumbsup: 

Hey,,what happened to that young man from Canada that use to always be first!!!


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## ven (Jul 26, 2016)

Awesome review, thanks for sharing, it certainly is a nicely made great performer..............love it!


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## Ladd (Jul 26, 2016)

Thanks for the great "selfbuilt" review. Look forward to these. Looks like a light worthy of consideration.


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## Alex1234 (Jul 26, 2016)

is the k70 reflector the same size or larger then the k50 reflector?


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## selfbuilt (Jul 26, 2016)

Alex1234 said:


> is the k70 reflector the same size or larger then the k50 reflector?


They are very close, but the K70 seems just a bit deeper (with same diameter at the end). The surround, near the emitter, is a little thinner on the K70.


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## Skeeterg (Jul 26, 2016)

Runtime graphs are my favorite bits of info,well done again.


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## mattheww50 (Jul 27, 2016)

I have a very hard time understanding the need for high drain batteries in this light. Let's take a short trip through the math. 2600 lumens is going to require something on the order of 26 watts. From 4 x 18650 that is on the order of 2 amps. (4 x 3.7 x 2)= 29.6 watts. My guess is they just copied the specification from another ACEBEAM light (which may actually need that capability) without thinking about it. The power requirements for the XHP35 in this configuration would be easily met by just about any quality 18650, and certainly the 10 amp capability of cells like the Sanyo GA are gross overkill. The runtime graphs are suggestive of a roughly 2 amp initial draw. Let me point out that if you really need the High amperage cells, lets say 8 amps, you would need to dissipate about 120 watts, which translates into fried XHP35 and a very hot flashlight very quickly. 

There are a number of 2300-2500 lumen MT-G2 lights powered by 3 standard 18650 cells. The requirement for high drain cells in this light makes no sense at all.


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## malocchio (Jul 27, 2016)

Great review , beautiful light.....Let's see who discovers what batteries have a 3 MOSFET PCB !


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## mdorian (Jul 27, 2016)

Awesome review, thanks for sharing!


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## selfbuilt (Jul 27, 2016)

mattheww50 said:


> There are a number of 2300-2500 lumen MT-G2 lights powered by 3 standard 18650 cells. The requirement for high drain cells in this light makes no sense at all.





malocchio said:


> Great review , beautiful light.....Let's see who discovers what batteries have a 3 MOSFET PCB !


Yeah, I don't understand where they came up with this either. I suspect it is just some conservative nature, coming from the XHP70-based K60 model. Aside from a slight difference in maintaining regulated output over time, my standard Keeppower ICR protected 18650 (3100mAh) did just fine. The output/runtime graphs confirm that high drain IMR are not necessary.


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## ven (Jul 27, 2016)

malocchio said:


> Great review , beautiful light.....Let's see who discovers what batteries have a 3 MOSFET PCB !



Sanyo 3500mah 10a protected have iirc


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## Torchguy (Jul 27, 2016)

malocchio said:


> Great review , beautiful light.....Let's see who discovers what batteries have a 3 MOSFET PCB !



Acebeam's own 2,600mAh (Samsung) cell is equipped with a 3 MOSFET PCB, according to Chris at Acebeam.


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## richbuff (Sep 13, 2016)

Thanks for your review of this instant classic item. 

I got mine from Vinh 54, modded: slight power boost, extra copper heatsink, etc. 

I am bumping your review topic thread of the K70 to (cross) post my first impressions:

The Grand Canyon Effect certainly applies to this light: What you imagine it will be like based on pictures, versus how much more impressive it is when actually being there, even though you know it will be much more impressive when actually there, it still is so much more impressive than you can imagine.

I have read so much about the 2,500 lumens in the K70 being so very bright, because those lumens are not spread out over a wide area; so based on that, I imagined a larger amount of brightness at a distance. But, the hot spot is actually so much brighter and impressive than I imagined, even though I was told that I should imagine it being brighter and more impressive than I thought it could be.

It is hard to believe that the brightness of the hotspot of this light is only around 2,500 lumens. It looks so very much more than that. 

This light impresses me with the fact that throwers and flooders are totally different kinds of lights. A flooder can do very very little of what a thrower can do, and a thrower can do very very little of what a flooder can do.

To get the most lumens out there as far as possible, a large thrower is needed, and this item performs this function so very much better than I expected. 

This light: Upper limit of throw, stainless steel bezel imparts good looks, holster is included, super bright, uniform, killer throw beam profile, forumosphere is slathered with killer beamshots of said beam profile, user can choose batteries (no battery pack, no extra charger to drag around), nice build quality, nice price for the quantity and quality, forumosphere is slathered with comprehensive reviews for this item, size and weight of this light are not above and beyond the usual for this class of lights: All good reasons to latch onto this item, if you have not done so already.


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## Confusing (Feb 4, 2019)

Hey folks, I'm new here and reading this review the other day is what caused me to join. I'm looking to be done with the $5 led lights you pick up as an afterthought at the checkout line at the store. The k70 is one of the lights I was looking into and almost 3 years has elapsed since the writing of this review; I was wondering what you folks' longer term thoughts are regarding this light. Thanks!


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## harro (Feb 7, 2019)

Reliable, big thrower. Outshone by a few newer lights these days, but not disgraced in any way, shape or form. Newer throwers can be smaller, but thats a personal preference. Need to use good high drain cells in it. Was some problems with tailcap springs deforming in early versions, but i think that was addressed by glueing tailcap and undoing at head end only. Very much a thrower, so dont expect too much spill light from this light. Modders made it give more output, whatever floats your boat i guess. From beast, to BEAST. Acebeam generally make some pretty reliable stuff. My K70 is totally reliable, as is my K65, but i do have a dead K60 which i'll get around to fixing one day.


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