The quality of the authentic 348 isn’t that great to begin with. Passable, but not much more. I hate to think what a cheap clone quality is!
I think that’s a great choice. 1xAA keeps a headlamp light enough for comfort. And, while I’m not a fan of frosted lenses, it makes sense on a headlamp meant for seeing your immediate surroundings.
If you want to stick with Zebralight, I really like the SC600w MkIV HI. It’s 1x18650 with an XHP35 HI emitter. It throws surprisingly well for such a small light, and of course has the efficiency and long run-times you get with Zebras. It’s my favourite for a general-purpose outdoor light on walks, if I carry just one primary light.
For long throw, a C8 makes sense. But, don’t get the Convoy C8, go with one with a FET driver for more output. For example, the Astrolux C8 gives you 100K candella, which is about 60% more than the Convoy C8. The downside is less runtime, but you really don’t need long run-times with a dedicated thrower, since you’ll probably just use it for short bursts.
On walks, though, I prefer the Zebralight.
On bicycle rides, I use a Zebralight SC600w MkIV Plus as a bike light (floody XHP50.2, and very bright and efficient), and use the Astrolux C8 as a spotter for animals and stuff. That combo works really well. When biking, I appreciate the extra throw of a dedicated thrower when I need it.
