I agree with you opinion of the L2D-CE completely. The specs on the output & runtime are fantastic, but it looks like such a kluge job of stuck together pipes. Of course, I usually don't care what something looks like, as long as it works well. I almost bought one today, but will probably hold off until something similar comes along with a better form. Hopefully made in USA.
I also totally agree that a side by side 2AA would be a great form factor. Due to manufacturing costs, it would probably have to be made out of plastic though. The side by side 4AAs are great lights [UK 4AA eLED & SL PP Lux], but not very easy to put in your pocket.