I resisted for a long time but finally just got one (thanks Matt!). It feels a little nicer in the hand than the CMG Ultra. It's a tiny bit smaller and some people really notice the size difference, but I don't, at least so far. Total output is about the same; the spill beam is brighter but narrower. I like wider spill, but that's a subjective thing, and it's no big deal either way. The Arc head is a bit tighter, making it harder to turn on one-handed. Maybe it will loosen up with use or if I lubricate it.
The Arc's main functional advantage over the CMG is the stand-up tail. I really like the stand-up tail.
The lack of battery rattle is also nice, though easily fixed in the CMG by wrapping the battery in paper. That the Arc is built not to rattle, though, comes across as a sign that Arc is willing to take more pains in design and manufacture, and that the Arc is a classier light.
I'd give the Arc the edge in cosmetic appearance too, though neither one exactly looks like jewelry. Mag is really onto something by offering the Solitaire in various colors. The CPF edition Arc AAA in red anodize is far prettier to my eye than either of those AA lights. I think the Arc AA would look best in a silver finish. AAA lights are inherently more jewelry-like to begin with regardless though. AA's are more purely about functionality.
Basically I still see the Arc vs CMG difference as like the difference between a nice pen and a really nice one, the difference between a good Seiko watch and a Rolex, etc. The Arc AAA is an indispensible light. The AA is, given the CMG's existence, well, sort of a deluxe but functionally similar version of the CMG. As an appreciator of good flashlights I'm glad I got the Arc AA, but if I took a purely utilitarian point of view (none of us really do that even if we pretend to though), spending 2x as much for it as a CMG costs is harder to justify.
The Arc's main functional advantage over the CMG is the stand-up tail. I really like the stand-up tail.
The lack of battery rattle is also nice, though easily fixed in the CMG by wrapping the battery in paper. That the Arc is built not to rattle, though, comes across as a sign that Arc is willing to take more pains in design and manufacture, and that the Arc is a classier light.
I'd give the Arc the edge in cosmetic appearance too, though neither one exactly looks like jewelry. Mag is really onto something by offering the Solitaire in various colors. The CPF edition Arc AAA in red anodize is far prettier to my eye than either of those AA lights. I think the Arc AA would look best in a silver finish. AAA lights are inherently more jewelry-like to begin with regardless though. AA's are more purely about functionality.
Basically I still see the Arc vs CMG difference as like the difference between a nice pen and a really nice one, the difference between a good Seiko watch and a Rolex, etc. The Arc AAA is an indispensible light. The AA is, given the CMG's existence, well, sort of a deluxe but functionally similar version of the CMG. As an appreciator of good flashlights I'm glad I got the Arc AA, but if I took a purely utilitarian point of view (none of us really do that even if we pretend to though), spending 2x as much for it as a CMG costs is harder to justify.
