Why MC-E is more expensive than XM-L?

LED Flashlights – General Info
1

Don't know if people here realize that most MC-E flashlights are more expensive than XM-L flashlights generally.

Or maybe should I say in this way, that the bare MC-E LED itself is already cost more than a XM-L bare LED.

Some facts, which already known by most...

In terms of maximum brightness (lumen), XM-L kicks MC-E butt.

In terms of energy efficiency, again XM-L kicks MC-E butt.

Beside that, XM-L is more suitable to be chosen as the light engine for a thrower type flashlight.

So why MC-E is more expensive?

2

I want to have an MCE in my collection but I have not yet because of the price. Maybe it just costs more to manufacture.

3

Been wondering that myself

Back before XML and XPG, MCE and P7's were all the rage. I have a triple MCE 2D mag (see my sig) that is still my brighest torch (at least until I get my triple XML complete). It is more flood than throw, which would be a great bike light.

From what I can see here, MCE's have fallen out of favor.

4

This just a guess but the MC-E probably cost more to make and is not in production. So Cree controls the market and will not discount the price of emitters. Most likely the makers of flashlights have already stopped manufacturing them for the most part. What is out there is it. Most of us are savvy to all of this but most of non-torch users just see these things when buying flashlights: maker, emitter brand, claimed lumens & price. Any more when a coworker of acquaintance shows me their kick butt light from Walmart, Home Depot, Bass Pro, etc..... I just praise how wonderful or what an amazing tool.

5

I think it is solely because of the manufacturing costs. You have 4 cores to place, connect and a bigger structure to manage in MC-E's. While you only have basic, bigger core in an XM-L. XM-L may also have been tuned further for the manufacturing processes as well.

MC-E's have interesting features actually. They have a true white type with different tints on each (quarter) chip. Think how complicated manufacturing may be on a thing like this. Also there is an RGB version of this.

I don't know if anybody else have seen the same, MCE's output angle is tighter than XM-L AFAIK. But the emitter size in total is bigger and you can't focus it that well.

I have 3 MC-E lights at home now. Their tints are not bad actually. And in a Ultrafire C2 type 37mm head body they give a good all around light. They heat quicker than XM-L's though.

6

Yeah, they are just more complicated to manufacture. They are better suited to higher voltage applications than XM-Ls also as if all the dies are wired in series their vF is over 4x that of an XM-L. Meaning more efficient buck converters from a high voltage input.