Xeno ES1 - Mini-review

jak

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I haven't seen much on this forum about this light, so I thought I'd post a few of my discoveries here.

Description
The Xeno ES1 is a no-frills, budget minded AA light with an XP-G2 LED. It doesn't support Li-ion 14500s, nor does it have any flashy modes. You get medium, low, and high (in that order) with no memory, controlled by a reverse clicky.

The Good
  • Looks amazing, feels good in the hand; high quality
  • Fantastic knurling (if walls were textured like this, we'd all be Spiderman)
  • Sufficient brightness for a AA light, the low mode is pretty low; the difference from medium to high doesn't seem like 100 lumens, but below are manufacturer claims
    Mid (40 lumens), Low (1.2 lumens), High (140 Lumens)
  • Only $31
  • Comes with a solid removable clip, and a lanyard, and features a glow in the dark o-ring around the reflector

The Less-than-ideal
  • My "neutral white" specimen was a bit too purple/magenta
  • It has a thin circumference and has a recessed area surrounding the switch. So that makes it more difficult to operate if you have larger hands/fingers.
  • This is personal preference, but I prefer the clip attached from the tail cap end. But it makes sense on a light this size if one were to attach it the brim of a hat or something.

Summary
Its size, non-blinding -yet useful brightness levels, simple interface, and affordability makes this a great light... for kids. Whether camping, trick-or-treating, or making shadows on the ceiling, this is a high quality option. There's a lanyard if they drop it. There's a glow in the dark o-ring so they can always see it. A tiny switch for tiny fingers! And these days, the $31 price tag may make it cheaper than any of their other toys.

That's not to say adults can't enjoy it too. The ES1 has been fun for me to use as well. I mostly appreciate the design of it. The tight switch quarters keep it from being something I always want to use/carry.

xeno-es1-01.jpg


xeno-es1-03.jpg

This photo shows the purple tint.

Like the Xeno E03, it's available in cool white, neutral white, and warm white.

xeno-es1-02.jpg

SIZE COMPARISON: Xeno ES1, Zebralight SC52w L2, Olight S15 Ti


Seems like there is a bit of competition in this category of simplicity, but this one is among the smallest and cheapest.

Other AA Tail Clickies (under $50):
  • Sunwayman S10A, R10A
  • EagleTac D25A Clicky
  • Klarus P1A
  • NiteCore MT1A
  • Fenix LD09
 

ven

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Thank you for your time and review:) i have got more into my AA lights of recent for ease/size and do like xeno brand .I have the slightly bigger brother the s3a v2 ,small 18650 and the build,threads is nothing short of excellent and exceeded my expectations significantly.
:thumbsup:
 

Mr Floppy

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Interesting, the price is about the same as an E03. The low is lower though if specs are to be believed, it has a clip which is nice, the E03 does support Li-ions but the modes are next to useless. The output difference of Med and High seems to be just like the E03 too.
 

jak

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Oops, I stated this light has no flashy modes. That is false. It has 3 hidden modes: strobe, beacon, and SOS accessed via 3 rapid clicks.

(But judging by the lack of views of this thread, I'm not sure any one will care.)
 

Mr Floppy

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(But judging by the lack of views of this thread, I'm not sure any one will care.)

Pity because I think Xeno makes really nice lights. The S3A is my EDC and the E03 was the EDC before that.
 

jak

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Pity because I think Xeno makes really nice lights.
Like I said, quality on this one stands out (positively, that is). I wonder if a lower price-point would make this more exciting. I suspect lack of Li-ion support is a considerable factor to the lackluster enthusiasm. I may try a 14500 to add some drama.
 

MichaelW

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Oops, I stated this light has no flashy modes. That is false. It has 3 hidden modes: strobe, beacon, and SOS accessed via 3 rapid clicks.

(But judging by the lack of views of this thread, I'm not sure any one will care.)
How does that work? Is there a minimum rate to engage the hidden modes.
One fun joy of the E03 + crAA 14505 was to click the switch as quickly as you could actuate your thumb. This was v2, IIRC, and didn't have the flashy modes.
 

jak

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How does that work? Is there a minimum rate to engage the hidden modes.
Just click the switch 3 times in less than a second. The clicks can be half clicks -same thing used that switches modes.

It starts off in strobe, then you switch the same way you switch levels. From strobe, it goes to beacon, then SOS.

The beacon is unlike other beacons I've seen before. It has a heartbeat type of flash. [pulse pulse pause, pulse pulse pause]
 

ronniepudding

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"The tight switch quarters keep it from being something I always want to use/carry." -- pity. I was excited about the lower low than the E03, and the addition of a clip... But the clicky on the E03 is already hard enough to actuate for me. I wish Xeno had put some cut outs on the tail cap.


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robert.t

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Just click the switch 3 times in less than a second. The clicks can be half clicks -same thing used that switches modes.

It turns out that my E03 does this as well, which I didn't know until I tried it just now. It's good that they are both well hidden (it's hard to press that rapidly by mistake when cycling through the normal modes), yet fairly easy to access once you know how.

Thanks for the review, I like the looks of this. Really like the build quality of Xenos I've seen. From what I have found elsewhere, it seems to be about the same size as an EagleTac D25A clicky, which is currently the smallest AA clicky as far as I know. It would be great to see some comparison photos of this next to the E03 and the D25A.

My only concern is the comment about the tail switch. The one on my E03 is pretty stiff and requires a fairly deep press to activate, but this is somewhat mitigated by the diameter of the light. The switch on the D25A is great because it's perfectly flush and requires minimal pressure to activate, making it really easy to press with a thumb without actually having to insert a finger into the hole (which is what I have to do on some AAA clickies). This sound like it's D25-sized without the low-force activation.

The Solarforce Z2 is a nice, lower cost clicky AA light around this size (it's marginally bigger than the D25A). The only major complaint I have about mine is wobbly tail-standing. The build is also not quite as good as my E03, so would be interesting to see how this compares.
 

robert.t

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I wish Xeno had put some cut outs on the tail cap.

I wish they would instead find a better switch with a lower activation pressure and shorter travel, like the ones EagleTac use. For me the tail switch is the one thing that lets down the E03 (and green switch cover is rather cheap-looking too). The only cutout design that I find doesn't negatively affect tail-standability or ease of activation is the Sunwayman 3-scallop tripod design used on the V11R and others, but I don't think that's necessary on a reverse-clicky. A forward-clicky is always going to need greater travel to get to the click position, and a higher pressure to avoid accidental momentary activation, so there's greater justification for needing cutouts.
 

ronniepudding

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"I wish they would instead find a better switch with a lower activation pressure and shorter travel..." -- I haven't owned an Eagletac clicky for comparison, but I suppose a short-travel switch would improve the feel. I initially thought that the E03 switch choice was a result of a cost-cutting decision, but it has held up well thus far... And if they were trying to save a few cents, why do they include an extra switch in the package? :)

In any case, I really like the E03, but can't use it comfortably with my arthritic left thumb. Getting old. If there's a better switch that can be swapped in, I'd buy it.


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jak

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I may try a 14500 to add some drama.
I am now running a 14500 in it now. I let you all know how long it lasts.

So far, the low isn't low enough anymore (my estimate is 30+), and medium exceed's 140+ ish.
 

MichaelW

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How thick do you need your gloves to be when you run the ES1 on 14500? The E03 had substantially greater mass, and still became toasty warm.
Heck the E03 running on the crAA 14505 became warm on the high mode, after 5-10 minutes though.
 

Thacker

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Nov 11, 2014
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Anyone know the runtime on the ES1?

With Sanyo 2600 mAh Ni-MH

Ultra Low - 1.2 lumens - 150 hours
Low - 40 lumens - 6 hours
High - 140 lumens - 1 hour 20 minutes

Strobe - 140 lumens - 4 hours
Locator Beacon - 40 lumens - 15 hours
SOS - 40 lumens - 9 hours

Not sure I can post a picture or provide a link yet
 
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