When it comes to tint, there is no right or wrong. You just have to try them all, and see which one you like best.
Sorry to hear the
ThruNite Archer 2C V2 is not available in neutral white. Does ThruNite even make one in NW? I can't find it on the ThruNite site.
If you want to try a NW model from a different maker, the
Convoy S2+ (gray, red, or blue) is a good budget flashlight. So are the other Convoy models. They are all available in NW.
The specification for the S2+ on the manufacturer's web site says it uses 1x18650, but does not mention 2xCR123A. Presumably, that means it won't take CR123A. For the smaller Convoy models like the S2+, I prefer 7135*3 or *4. The high-power *8 models get very hot, very fast. Mountain Electronics (in the USA) or Shenzhen Convoy Electronics Co., Ltd. (Convoy's manufacturer) are both reliable places to buy a Convoy. The latter has a storefront on AliExpress. GearBest has had some problems with fakes, but may have sorted them out by now.
The S2+ now has "shorty" tubes that can be purchased as accessories. Using one of those, you can run your flashlight on an 18350 battery. Installing a short tube means your S2+ is even smaller than normal.
At this writing, I do not own any Convoy flashlights.
Another good neutral-white, budget flashlight is the
BLF A6 Special Edition (3D tint). Using the
coupon code at BLF, you can purchase one for only $25 USD. Don't be fooled by the claims of 1600 lumens. You won't get that unless you mod the cool-white A6 with a spring bypass, and run on the highest-draw (unprotected) batteries available.
For most buyers, a more reasonable approach is to run the BLF A6 in stock form, fueled by a high-draw protected battery such as the
Sanyo-Panasonic NCR18650GA Protected 3500mAh (available at Mountain Electronics and elsewhere). In that configuration, you should get somewhere between 1100 and 1200 lumens on turbo. One owner of a 3D BLF A6
measured CCT at 4750K and CRI at around 71.
I bought two of these. One of them had a problem with moonlight mode. The seller, Banggood, is sending me a new head (free of charge) to fix it.
"Shorty" tubes for the BLF A6 are under development. They should be available soon.
My next purchase will probably be a headlamp. The
Zebralight H600Fd III is the one I am looking at. It uses a Cree XM-L2 EasyWhite emitter (typical CRI: 83-85, nominal CCT 5000K), and has a frosted lens. With CCT right at 5000K, CRI in the mid-80s, and an 870-lumen high, this is my kind of headlamp. The frosted lens defocuses the beam, making for a softer-edged, relatively dimmer hot spot and a brighter spill.
Good luck with your quest.