Thanks for the comparison!
The S2+ Sand colored is considered a bit more premium and hence costs double even while in discount.
As for the audible PWM, it’s most probably due to bad grounding.
Try to improve the soldering of the driver to the pill and tighten the tail retaining ring after cleaning the tail’s inner threads first.
Quick beam shots in my office. Far from ideal but should give a general idea. Camera is a Panasonic Lumix GF2. 100 ASA 1/60 sec f/3.5
I do like U4-7A a lot more than the U2-1B which I find cold and harsh.
U4-7A is close to the same colour as tungsten but has an odd “yellow” feel to it. If you have 80 CRI 2500 or 3000k LEDs at home you may know what I mean. It is very similar.
The photos are close to what the beam patterns look like to my eyes. Camera is too close to get the edges. I’ll try and get some outdoor shots when I can. Colours is close but doesn’t accurately reflect the slight oddness of the U4-7A.
Andrew_Debbie, thank you very much for taking the time to take these beamshots!! :+1:
Indeed, the 7A is much more “yellowish” than my taste actually allows to use! But, it is not bad, just not my preference 
The XML2 T6-4C is not so warm and seems to be less “odd” !
The 1B seems to be a mix of Neutral and Cold white, right?
If I had to make a comparison, it is not so blue as the XML2 U2-1A, but maybe not so neutral as the XML2 T6-3B (for what can be seen from the images)!
Thank you once again for taking the photos 
Best regards!! :+1:
Thanks for posting the photos!
Yes, it’s not as good as incandescent light, but it’s the only “budget” light I know of that sells a stock ~3000K emitter. It makes a great tail-stand light when watching a movie.
I’m still discovering what I like.
So far my favourite is the 4000K 5A tint in my BLF A6. It is slightly yellow but not as warm as a tungsten.
The A6 is a far more expensive light so it isn’t exactly a fair comparison.
I’m going to keep the tan S2+ stock. The warm emitter complements the colour of the host.
The grey one is getting modded. I’d need to take it apart anyway to cure the PWM noise.
Have to see if I can find any 90 CRI emitters. I’ve got some reading to do.
Now that you talk about it…it may work well!! Specially with diffuser like those sold by Convoy!
Well, this may not be a bad tint at all :nerd_face:
Diffuser? Make one for free!
Right. But how much is that laptop diffuser film?
I was talking more about this one
I have 2 of them and use 1 in a flashlight for bedside standing after falling asleep! It helps to diffuse the light in more directions, like a candle Works very well, specially in moonlight or low modes, to not harm night vision !
I thought about that kind of diffuser, or DC-Fix, but for other purposes! For a room light, my guess is that the one from Convoy will be better! :nerd_face:
Free!
You can salvage it out of any old electronic device that uses a back-lit screen. Old laptop, old smartphone, old TV, etc.
Thanks for the YouTube video. Informative but obviously, you and Mascaratum are talking about two different diffuser types. lol Your diffuser is purely directional and has its purpose. I’m looking for something similar to Mascaratum’s suggestion. I made a mistake of buying the Nitecore NDF beam diffusers. They’re alright and seem well-made, but the light that they give is too harsh for me. I’d like something that can do a Gary Fong Lighsphere for flashlights. Something that can diffuse light in all directions but gives a wide field of very soft illumination. An effective strong diffuser for flashlights that can eliminate harsh shadows. Oh, and not as overpriced as the Lightsphere, or course.
You know that more expensive does not automatic mean that it is better?
Kaidomain sells the 4000K 219C which is quite nice.
Thanks for the link.
Of course more expensive does not automatically equal better.
The BLF A6 on sale is about three times the price of the $6.99 S2+.
The A6 is currently my favorite and the one I use. It is a good overal balance of the various compromises. — flexibility vs. complexity. - size vs. power - throw vs. flood.
It also feels a little better in my hand than the S2+.
At the moment the Grey S2+ is doing glovebox duty in the LEAF. Winters are dark in North Wales. The tan one will probably go in the car after I break the grey one trying to mod it.
I know a guy who sells 5 different types of diffuser film 
this discussion about lanterns is always a difficult one because a diffuser wand will almost always look like a bare lightbulb and no one wants to be anywhere near a bare bulb throwing out 800+ lumens
one answer is a shade and I’ve been playing with a few paper shades … not as nice as my avatar >
Now there is an idea I hadn’t though of.
A local firm makes paper lamp shades. Maybe I can get them to make one to sit over an S2+ or other single 18650 lights.
Just unsoldered the leads of my $7 S2+.
Under the MCPCB the was a dab of thermal paste of less than 4 mm in diameter. Somewhat disappointing….
I got the $7 S2+ today and overall, the construction is high quality and holding in the hand feels like a solid product.
But, there isn’t too much throw, very much flood type projection.
Is that what’s expected of this particular config?
thx
Yes
after spending a day, seems like a keeper for $7. I will give away the other S2 as a gift.
Is a particular config of S2+ that is a thrower? thx