What is really the High CRI feature?

[Misfire]

I can't comment on the science and manufacturing techniques behind HCRI, but I can say that the tints they usually come in just don't do it for me.

For example, the 30000k XP-G HCRI emitter in the FourSevens HCRI lights is extremely red/rosy, and completely exaggerates those colors as a result.

For me, I've found that neutrals somewhere around 4500k (and maybe a tiny bit lower) is my sweet spot.

[Price]

See it for yourself: http://thebrightsideforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=1317

[Vectrex]

Terralux LightStar⁸⁰

might be the one of the cheapest ways to get a High CRI light, with decent output

[Misfire]

@Vectrex

Terralux LightStar⁸⁰

might be the one of the cheapest ways to get a High Cri light

I wonder what the color temperature is. And it's probably using an XP-E...?

[Vectrex]

Good question and I am still on the fence about trying one out. There are some very mixed experiences out there (and here ) ... if you get a nice one it seems to do the job. If there would be a German seller where I could send it back in case I receive a lemon, then I would have already ordered one.

I find the cool white high CRI option on Nichias especially interesting, that is certainly a feature one doesn't get from CREE. The whole reason I buy neutral/warm tints is to get slightly better CRI... but if I could 95-98 get CRI 7000K XP-G/XM-L ... I wouldn't own a single neutral/warm white light.

[gcbryan]

@Old-Lumens

But doesn't it all pertain to LEDs used in housing and work environments, where people will be using/exposed to it on a daily basis for hours on end? I mean it's not really all that pertinent to flashlights, usless you happen to be using one for several non-stop hours a day. No?

I can see the need for the above mentioned purposes, but for flashlights CRI seems to be a mute point. Could a flashlight user really be able to tell 70CRI from 80CRI (at the same color temp) while bike riding or walking in the woods, or would they have to shine it on a color test panel to really know anything?

Just me wandering through again...

You would know the difference. An incan is 100 CRI. If you walked through the woods with an incan driven well so that it was closer to white than to yellow and then did the same walk with a white LED you could tell the difference for sure.
There also is no real distinction between using a flashlight for some period of time and being exposed to indoor lighting for hours on end.
You may not notice that there is anything “wrong” with your lower CRI lights unless you compared them to a high CRI at the same time as our eyes adapt/adjust pretty well.
However, I haven’t been interested in any of the higher CRI lights that are only available in the lower color temps as I prefer a neutral or white light.

[Kokopelli]

Any sources for those High CRI Nichia LEDs?

[Vectrex]

@Budgeteer

These are on my shortlist to get. I would really love to test one one out but the shipping is prohibitive unless youre a German resident. Any interested Germans willing to offer a "groupbuy"?

It seems there is an option to get hem on 20mm star and 10mm stars (no picture how that would look like, quite vague) the 20mm star however is good looking... i wish it was 16mm instead but if they make a proper 10mm that is still ok till my hands starts shaking by age.

DATASHEET:

Current	175 mA	350 mA	1500 mA
Voltage	3,0 V	3,3 V	3,5 V
light efficiency	152 lm/W	138 lm/W	97 lm/W
luminous flux	80 lm	160 lm	512 lm

Pretty inline with a XP-G R5 but with better CRI and being 5000K by default. Err, make it XM-L up to 1,5A.

Is that thing really high CRI? 70 RA doesn't seem so high to me.... also the experiences aren't too promising as far as efficiency is concerned. (scroll to the end)

The warm white has 80 RA .