Just looking at the output and throw specs, I could see why Firefly had to reduce the price of X1L Elite 30% to make it competitive with the newly released E04 Surge. E04 has slightly higher output AND throw, so from that standpoint, it’s hard to justify the much more expensive original $113 price tag of X1L Elite.
Beyond just numbers, the 2 lights have other key differences and make this comparison so interesting to me. Beam shape of E04 is medium size hotspot with good & useful good spill, and X1L is very large hotspot (I LOVE this) with faint spill, for more of a fun light saber effect. E04 is smaller and fits in pocket better. X1L runs cooler, like it’s just cruising, and has among the highest sustained output in all of my small lights, around 1350 lumen when used at level Turbo-1 for my walk.
I’d like to especially bring attention to the LED in the X1L, FFL707A 5000k (but measures 5400k). In general my favorite CCT is 4000-5000k, because above 5000k light becomes blue-whitish and sterile to my eyes (personal pref, no right or wrong). I have a few lights in this range 219c 5000k, GT-FC40 5000k, 519a 5000k and 5700k. Of these 519a 5000k is my clear favorite, but only at Turbo brightness where it is indeed a very nice creemy white-yellow. Lower levels are too green for me such that I have to put Zircon on my Wurkkos TS32.
The FFL707A 5000k continues the trend of 351a and 505a: it makes everything else looks greener by comparison. But beyond comparison, by itself its color rendition is top notch, very very slightly pinkish as opposed to other FFL cousins. Overall the tint is very pleasant and beautiful, with “clarity” as a reflection of its higher CCT. If your favorite CCT is in the range 5000-5500k, I would give this LED highest recommendation.
I don’t have 351a and 505a in higher CCT so have no idea how they compare. This one OTOH is a no brainer for 5000k LED IMvHO. Once again FFL has a unique and unprecedented LED with extremely negative Duv, leading to a great tint. I love it.
Picture shows different shades of MAO: Convoy MAO is the most white, Firefly “Dark White” is a touch more off-white, and the Fossil Grey is a lot off white, to the point of being like a faint coffe-milk color (with a lot of milk).
Picture also shows the newest version of Firefly tail cap in the E04 Surge, another nice innovation by Firefly: lower chamber has removeable magnet, and captive clip doesn’t move any more when you take off tail cap.
Probably partly because I have a few of the whitish MAO already, I love the Fossil Grey of the X1L. It’s unusual and beautiful to my eyes.
The throwy Gaggione LLC59U (vs stock LLC59NF) that I mentioned above is available not from Gaggione, but by emailing Ivy at web site for Firefly.
Gaggione site is here Color mixing : LLC59 45mm PMMA collimator - Optics - Gaggione if you like to see info on the many optics, but note not all of these fit on the X1L (there’s a post somewhere on reddit about this). In addition I don’t believe there is a way to order retail/direct for just 1 optics. LLC59U is described as: “Ultra narrow Collimator, Ø 45 mm ultra narrow beam PMMA collimator without sprue”.
The throwy TIR could apparently cause ringy beam, and it does with examples I’ve seen with XHP70.3 LED X1L (and other lights) beamshots - Album on Imgur. With the FFL707 LED in my X1L, I won’t know until it gets here. I ordered it really out of curiosity, for me the stock optic is perfect as is.
The second X1L light I ordered is in US so should be here soon. FFL707A 5000k is so unique IME, 5000k CCT with negative Duv and very nice rosy tint, that out of curiosity I’ve ordered a second FFL707, this time at 4000k with true Rosy Tint designation.
I would give these 3 FFL LEDs (351A, 505A, 707A) in these specific tint bins my very highest recommendation because of their beautiful color rendition, but I should add that these are all LEDs at 5000k CCT or below. AND there is for example 351A 3700k tint bin that looks green IIRC. I have no experience so far with FFL’s higher CCT LEDs.
