# Acebeam K65: XHP70.2 dedomed, 6200 lumens, 4xIMR18650, beamshots, compare



## kj75 (Apr 6, 2018)

Acebeam-lights are often discussed at forums because of special features they have. This brand often comes with new and great ideas packed in nice-styled torches. Recently, de K65 was launched: A big flashlight that is fitted with an XHP70.2 dedomed led. The XHP70 is a powerful “quad-led”, the 2nd version has an increase in power. Above that, the dedomed version gives the light more throw than the standard bulb. Result of this combination: The K65, that both has big output (6200 lumens) as impressive throw (more that 1000 meters). I was happy that I got the chance to test this big flashlight thanks to Amazon.de In this review I will show you the details of this big one, we’ll have a look at the interface and compare it to some equal lights. Like always, a lot of beamshots and detail-pictures. Here we go!

*Another unique flashlight made by Acebeam*






*the K65
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*fitted with a XHP70.2 dedomed led
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*big output and excellent throw combined 
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*ready for big tasks*





*Firstly, let’s have a look at the features and specifications, given by manufacturer:*





*LED: 1*Cree XHP70.2 LED De-Domed with lifespan of 50,000 hours *
*Turbo Brightness Output: 6200 lumens powered by 4* 18650 batteries (ARC18650H-310A)*
*Working voltage: 12V to 16.8V *
*Max beam distance: 1014 m*
*Peak beam intensity: 257000 cd*
*Impact resistance: 1.2 m*
*Waterproof: IPX-8 (2m)*
*Size:190mm(length)*90mm(head diameter)*53mm(tube diameter)*
*Weight: 660g (23.3oz) without battery*
*Material: Aircraft-Grade Aluminium Alloy Type6063&Premium type III hard anodized anti-abrasive finish*
*Reflector: Smooth reflector gives perfect beam&throw*
*Over-distance beam throw up to 1014 meters,applicable for wide-range searching*
*High efficiency circuit board provides max runtime up to 60 hours*
*Toughened ultra-clear glass with anti-reflective coating*
*Convenient side switch for one-handed easy operation*
*Stainless steel bezel protects the core components from dam*
*Tail-stand capability design for candle usage*
*Superb light of amazing constant brightness due to powerful electronics and active temperature control without timers*
 
*Here’s a chart of the output and runtime specs*:





*Unboxing:*

The K65 comes in a cardbox, that has an integrated plastic handle for carrying. Main colors are black, red and white which give the box nice appearance. On front we see the K65 together with most impressive specs, at the the back we find the other features and the output- and runtime-charts. Inside the light, protected by foam, a holster, some spare-parts, a manual and a warranty (credit) card. Except the optional batteries, this is all we need. The K65 is properly packed, it all looks neat. Scroll down to watch some photos of the box and the contents! 

*an attractive and colorful carrybox
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*specifications and features on the back
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*main colors are red, black and white
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*a complete box, only cells are missing*





*Impressions:*

The K65 is a big and robust flashlight, that feels some heavy. First impression when I unboxed it: Excellent build-quality and finishing! Above that, I’m always impressed by the overall looks of a big Acebeam-torch: The big head with deep reflector, the “quad-led” and the overall powerful appearance. The light comes in matte black, the body has fine knurling, giving the K65 excellent grip. Many and deep cooling-fins for heat dissipation in head and body; engraving job well done. The silver switch is made of metal, has a clear pressure point and is easy to find, also thanks to the clearly observable edge between body and head. Above the button The K65 has very good anti-rolling design and has both stable head- and tailstand. On top of the torch , we see a matte silver bezel that remains on some other well-known flashlights in this class. Because of the notches in it you can easily check if the light is still on if it stand on the head. Between the bezel and the lens there’s an extra rubber ring that protects against damage when the K65 will drop by accident. The reflector of the K65 is huge! Mine had only a little, almost invisible defect and a well centered, dedomed XHP70.2 led. The combination of a “tuned” quad-led and this deep reflector is one of the most interesting facts of this flashlight. In contrast the first, conventional XHP70 series, the 2nd generation of this version will give about 2000 lumens more output and double throw because it is “shaved”. So, I couldn’t wait for the dark to see how it performed; I will show you the results later. On the lights’ tail we see two loops to add a lanyard. Rather large holes here, so you can add your own cord if you want too. On the back we see again the letters K65 and the manufacturer's’ website. The light is made of three parts in total: the heavy head, and a lightweight tube and cap. The threads run very smooth and are lubed well. A strong spring in the head protects against shocks. Also inside it is all well finished, no issues here. The battery-holder is made of good quality too, but this kind of holders are not my favorite. There’s the risk that (if you don’t care enough) you put in the batteries at wrong way, because the tops of the cells must be connected to the contact points in the holder. To me never an issue, but I’d like to see a more user-friendly battery-compartment. All-in all, I’m impressed about the overall quality and finishing of this product; very well done! I took a couple of pictures, that show the K65 and its details. See below!

*a big flashlight that needs a man's’ hand*





*nice design
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*and well-balanced*





*impressive head with deep reflector*





*a silver edge around the emitter
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*big and rather heavy*





*comes with sturdy holster*





*that fits very well*





*the lanyard added*





*the K65 has an tripod-adaptor *





*impressive combination of lumens and throw!*





*a close-up to the power-indicator*





*excellent machining*





*the fine knurling; the threads are greased well*





*gold-plated springs in the battery-holder*





*the text is not aligned with the hole for the tripod
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*engraving well done
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*the snow shows the slightly greenish tint*





*a big head and a well-centered led
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*I tested the K65 in the snow*





*no issues here*





*the K65 has a good low mode*





*a close-up to the tail
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*the heads’ inner with strong spring*





*high-drain batteries are needed*





*all parts are machined and finished well*





*only button-tops can be used
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*a close-up to the battery compartment*





*the “shaved” XHP70.2 led*





*the K65 in three parts*





*a warning that you must use the right cells*





*has the appearance of a powerful torch; and it is!
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*a close-up to the smooth reflector
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*stable standing on the tail*





*User interface: * 

The K65 needs a mans’ hand, it’s a big one. But the grip is very good and the torch is well-balanced. A rather long lanyard with clip is included, which is recommended to avoid that you will drop the light accidentally. A good holster is also included, so you can wear this heavy boy at fixed at your belt if you take it with you for longer time. I think it’s not surprising if I tell you that the K65 can’t be carried in any pocket.

The K65 can be opened at two ways, but best way is to remove the tailcap to pick out and load the battery compartment. On the holder we see a warning that you need to use unprotected high-drain cells or batteries with PCB including three mosfets. I’m not a big fan of unprotected, but I could use several protected high-drain cells without problems in the K65. Good point to me, I was happy that cells with PCB also fit into the compartment. I’d like to see this torch directly rechargeable via USB, like the L16 that I tested earlier.

A single click turns on the K65 in last used mode, again a single press turns off the light, no matter in what mode you are. Striking fact is that the status-led will stay on as long as the light is used. It lights up in green until the battery level is lower that 30%, after that it turns red until the remaining power is 10%. If it get lower than 10%, the indicator will flash continuously. The metal power switch on the K65 is a one-for all button; I knew that earlier Acebeams like K60 have a selector ring for the modes and a switch on the tail. A lot of users loved this interface, but I have no experience with it; so I can’t share my thoughts about this. Momentary-on is missing on the K65, I would like to see this on every flashlight that is designed for search jobs. Back to how the light works. By the way, in the manual you can find a schedule that illustrates how it all works. This requires some study, but after some exercise it’s all clear. Turn the K65 on by a single click; the light starts in last used mode (except moonlight and turbo), after that you can cycle through four modes by pressing and holding the button. A quick double-press in any mode brings you in turbo mode, activating moonlight isn’t possible when the light is on. If you are in turbo,press and hold to return to last used normal mode. From off, you can activate some direct-modes: Press and hold (for about 2 seconds) from off to turn on the light in moonlight-mode. Really a good and economical mode on a big light like this, which I really appreciate. A double press out of standby brings instant-turbo; if you press and hold now (out of turbo), the light will always turn into low. About the turbo: As we see often on light that have big output, the turbo on the K65 drops down to about 75% of the output (4000 lumens). A longer press (more than two seconds) turns on the light in SOS-mode. Because the moonlight-mode needs a more than 1 seconds press, the light will shortly turn on in moon before it turns on in SOS. A triple click activates the very blinding strobe. The K65 doesn’t memorize the special modes. If you press and hold and count to eight, the light is locked against unintentional use. If the light is locked, press and hold for about five seconds to unlock. To me, this is a very good and complete interface, only a momentary mode is missing; but you can’t have it all if you have to control all these modes by only one switch.

*Modes:*

The K65 has in total six brightness-levels, including two hidden-modes, in order of: MOONLIGHT or ECO > ULTRALOW > LOW > MEDIUM > HIGH > TURBO. Acebeam calls the 250 lumens mode “ultralow”, but the overall spacing is good, and there’s a good lowest output-mode. Two direct normal modes: instant-ECO and instant-TURBO. The special modes are: SOS and STROBE. Both special modes are instant-modes. The K65 has a voltage-indicator with LOW-VOLTAGE warning. The K65 has an electronic LOCK-OUT, but if you release the cap or head a little, the light is also prevented against accidentally turning-on. Good to have six levels on this light and the special modes you need. Well done here by the manufacturer!

*Size comparison:*

For comparison another Acebeam member, the T20 and the Nitecore TM16GT. I don’t have lights available that have the characteristics of the K65, so I picked some torches that all reach the distance of about 1000 meters. Profiles and leds are different, but to me some interesting light to compare with the K65. Later, when we go out for the beamshots, I’ll show you more about those throwers!

*18650-cell, Acebeam K65, Nitecore TM16GT and Acebeam T20
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*Acebeam K65, Nitecore TM16GT and Acebeam T20
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*Acebeam K65, Nitecore TM16GT and Acebeam T20
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*the heads: XHP70.2, XP-L HI V3 and XP-L HI*





*the tails: Acebeam K65, Nitecore TM16GT and Acebeam T20*





*Tint:*

Like we see often at first generations of dedomed leds, the K65 shows a greenish tint. This is especially visible in the corona and the spill, the spot shows a more cool white tint. Like you can see on the photo below, the Nitecore TM16GT has cool white with little bluish, the T20 has a warm and yellowish tint.







*Beamshots:*

Time now to have a look at the beamshots! Let’s start indoors, by projecting the K65 on a white wall. Scroll down to have a look at the six output modes; after that a GIF. Distance to the white wall is about 1 meter.

*Camera settings: ISO100, WB daylight, F/2.7, 1/125 sec, 35mm*






























*GIF:*





Going outside now to see more about the K65. I tried out a lot of flashlights yet, but this is one of the lights that really impressed me. First location is a road with a wall at the right and a tree-line at left. The shots show the very good low and the impressive beam of the K65.

*Camera settings: ISO100, WB daylight, F/2.7, 4 sec, 35mm*






























*GIF:
*





A shoot-out now against the other lights that I showed you earlier. At first the Nitecore TM16GT. See the difference in output and that the K65 has better throw too. The TM16GT lights up almost every detail nearby too. 

*the K65 against the TM16GT, both on turbo
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The T20-brother has about a quarter of the output of the K65, a warm tint, but also good throw. 

*the K65 against the Acebeam T20, both on turbo
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*Location 2:*

I choose a location in “the open area” to see how these lights perform as thrower. The trees that were hit are about 400 meters away.

*a wide, bright and far reaching beam
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The TM16GT has a wide beam at shorter distance, but you can clearly see the advantage of the deep reflector that the K65 has. Better throw, more details visible at higher distance. 

*the K65 against the Nitecore TM16GT, both on highest level
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See that the T20 has about the same throw, but the K65 lights up all trees. The T20 is a real thrower thanks to the narrow beam.

*the K65 against the Acebeam T20, both on highest level
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Here are some other pictures that I took at different locations. They all show the impressive mixed beam of the K65. 

*the Acebeam K65 on maximum output
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*the Acebeam K65 on maximum output*





*the Acebeam K65 on maximum output*





*Conclusion:*

This big Acebeam is from excellent quality and well-finished. It is a torch that really impresses! The UI works fine, I like the hidden Turbo and Eco-mode. A big plus that it works on protected cells without problems. The tint of the K65 is greenish, I would like to see this improved at later generations / batches. Would like to see also a rechargeable version in future. I have to admit that I really love this big Acebeam because of its looks, the huge output and the easy interface. So, recommended. 


The Acebeam K65 was provided for review by Amazon.de. The price in my region is about € 170,- *You can find the light at www.**amazon.de/dp/B077K2NKGF.*


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## harro (Apr 6, 2018)

Very detailed review, thanks kj75. Some wonder about the yellow tint around the hotspot at low and mid power levels. I notice with mine that the ' yellow ' of the led does not emit light in its entirety, just a square of light with a yellow boundary. Maybe its possible that some of the light that is emitted, is reflecting off this outer portion of the yellow, and showing as the yellow tint around the hotspot. Other than that, its an absolute beast of a light. The smooth ramping between power levels is nice.


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## richbuff (Apr 9, 2018)

Thank you for your comprehensive review of this versatile light. Beam profile/beam performance and quality build make this an item on my list of things to get.


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## Hugh Johnson (Apr 10, 2018)

I like the single XHP 70 lights. Lots of flood. Lots of throw. Plenty of lumens and lux in one light.


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## kj75 (Apr 17, 2018)

richbuff said:


> Thank you for your comprehensive review of this versatile light. Beam profile/beam performance and quality build make this an item on my list of things to get.



It's great to see a light with this quad-led and also huge throw. First generation XHP70 has also massive output, but misses a good distance.
Hope to see more lights in future with deep reflectors and this "shaved" emitter!


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## Kalpn (Apr 21, 2018)

Nice review as usual. Are you reviewing the CW or NW version?


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## kj75 (Apr 23, 2018)

Kalpn said:


> Nice review as usual. Are you reviewing the CW or NW version?



I tried out the CW-version


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## brightnorm (Apr 27, 2018)

kj75 said:


> I tried out the CW-version


I received what was supposedly the CW version, but was in fact the NW version. Frankly, I was disappointed with it compared with the CW K60.

Where did you get the CW version?

Brightnorm


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## Albert56 (May 23, 2018)

Tempting... but looking at some of the beam shots, even the CW version has an annoying yellow corona and overall color temp. I don't think I'll be buying it.


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## kj75 (May 29, 2018)

> Where did you get the CW version?



Acetorch.com / Amazon.de



> Tempting... but looking at some of the beam shots, even the CW version has an annoying yellow corona and overall color temp. I don't think I'll be buying it.



We saw this earlier at first generations dedomed leds, I think this issue will be improved soon.


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## 357mag1 (Jun 12, 2018)

My K65 works fine with flat top 18650s. Is your carrier different? Bought mine near the end of March.
I never use protected cells and can vouch unprotected cells work fine as well. If you don't pay attention to your cells it might benefit you to use ones with protection.


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## Scourie (Sep 30, 2018)

I'm tempted by the K65 to fill a vacant slot in my collection, but I'm puzzled by the diabolical runtime at 5 lumens. Any answers out there?... Typo?


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## search_and_rescue (Dec 24, 2018)

This is a great review with very useful beamshot comparison.


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## kj75 (Jan 24, 2019)

357mag1 said:


> My K65 works fine with flat top 18650s. Is your carrier different? Bought mine near the end of March.
> I never use protected cells and can vouch unprotected cells work fine as well. If you don't pay attention to your cells it might benefit you to use ones with protection.



I don't have IMR flat tops in my collection, so I can try this out. But thanks for your information.


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## martinaee (Jan 24, 2019)

Crazy light. I was just watching this review by chance of it on YT. Assume this isn't you, kj75, right? It's impressive how smooth the transition of the spot is for being a single(quad) emitter with huge smooth reflector:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7EXx4uOMDY


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