Buffalohump
Enlightened
[I don't know if this is in the right place but if mods want to move it to reviews, feel free]
My Inova X0 arrived today from Lighthound and I think this is a real cool little light and something of a bargain for $39. I also have the original X0 and the X5 so I will compare it to those two lights. (Yeah, it's confusing, two lights with the same name. Don't know why they didn't call the new one the X1... oh wait, hang on...
). Anyway, this new one is generally referred to as the 'XO with new reflector', not really a catchy handle but there you have it...
For a start, the new X0 is quite a bit smaller than the original. The body diameter is precisely the same as the X5. At 12cm the X5 is a tad shorter though, but not much, with the X0 coming in at just over 13cm.
The light comes standard with two Duracell CR123a's, so if you deduct the standard charge of around $1,50 for a cell, you are paying $37 for the light, ex shipping.
Which in my book makes this a real good buy, if you are in the market for a reasonably priced light that still delivers big time on performance.
The output of this thing is up there with the XO but IMO the beam is far more useful, as it sacrifices the excellent throw of the original for a far more floody beam pattern. Not that its shabby in the throw department. For all intents and purposes you can light up an area that is 15 - 20 metres away no problemo. I know this won't satisfy the throw junkies but bear in mind this is a GP light intended for the mass market. There is a very large hot spot with plenty of side spill. The tint is also beautifully white - I cannot see any tint of any kind in mine, and that goes for the original XO I have as well.
Oh, and did I mention the runtime? Around 5 hours on a fresh pair. Not bad at all.
Like other Inova lights, the X0 certainly doesn't FEEL like a mass market item and I think that's what I really like about this company. The light is very well made, has a beautifully simple design, works perfectly and, delivers exactly what it is meant to do.
OK, but what about the nit picky things? Well, for now there's only one, and others have commented on this as well. The new lights appear to have a much tougher spring in the momentary switch, which means you really have to bear down on rubber nipple to get the light to come on.
Mine has already improved in the few hours I have had the light so I'm hoping it is just stiff and will loosen further with time. It is definitely stiffer than both my X5 and the original XO. Not sure why this is but it's a pity they saw fit to change something which certainly wasn't broke in the first place. The twisty action is very easy to work though, even with one hand, so the momentary switch hiccup is not as big a bummer as you imagine. Of course, those wanting the light for tactical usage might well disagree. But I would imagine such individuals will have far greater hand strength than me and probably wouldn't even notice any stiffness.
Another nice little addition is a wrist lanyard of the type usually found on digital cameras. I say nice, because I was looking for one of these for my Wolf Eyes 9DX and hey presto it works perfectly. I made one of my usual paracord lanyards for the X0 so it was no loss to transfer the lanyard to another light. WE 9 series owners, take note!
If anyone is in the market for a cheap and well-made LED light that can do duty for any number of purposes, look no further than the 'X0 with new reflector'. Apart from the confusing nomenclature and stiff nipple, its a winner!
My Inova X0 arrived today from Lighthound and I think this is a real cool little light and something of a bargain for $39. I also have the original X0 and the X5 so I will compare it to those two lights. (Yeah, it's confusing, two lights with the same name. Don't know why they didn't call the new one the X1... oh wait, hang on...
). Anyway, this new one is generally referred to as the 'XO with new reflector', not really a catchy handle but there you have it...For a start, the new X0 is quite a bit smaller than the original. The body diameter is precisely the same as the X5. At 12cm the X5 is a tad shorter though, but not much, with the X0 coming in at just over 13cm.
The light comes standard with two Duracell CR123a's, so if you deduct the standard charge of around $1,50 for a cell, you are paying $37 for the light, ex shipping.
Which in my book makes this a real good buy, if you are in the market for a reasonably priced light that still delivers big time on performance.
The output of this thing is up there with the XO but IMO the beam is far more useful, as it sacrifices the excellent throw of the original for a far more floody beam pattern. Not that its shabby in the throw department. For all intents and purposes you can light up an area that is 15 - 20 metres away no problemo. I know this won't satisfy the throw junkies but bear in mind this is a GP light intended for the mass market. There is a very large hot spot with plenty of side spill. The tint is also beautifully white - I cannot see any tint of any kind in mine, and that goes for the original XO I have as well.
Oh, and did I mention the runtime? Around 5 hours on a fresh pair. Not bad at all.
Like other Inova lights, the X0 certainly doesn't FEEL like a mass market item and I think that's what I really like about this company. The light is very well made, has a beautifully simple design, works perfectly and, delivers exactly what it is meant to do.
OK, but what about the nit picky things? Well, for now there's only one, and others have commented on this as well. The new lights appear to have a much tougher spring in the momentary switch, which means you really have to bear down on rubber nipple to get the light to come on.
Mine has already improved in the few hours I have had the light so I'm hoping it is just stiff and will loosen further with time. It is definitely stiffer than both my X5 and the original XO. Not sure why this is but it's a pity they saw fit to change something which certainly wasn't broke in the first place. The twisty action is very easy to work though, even with one hand, so the momentary switch hiccup is not as big a bummer as you imagine. Of course, those wanting the light for tactical usage might well disagree. But I would imagine such individuals will have far greater hand strength than me and probably wouldn't even notice any stiffness.
Another nice little addition is a wrist lanyard of the type usually found on digital cameras. I say nice, because I was looking for one of these for my Wolf Eyes 9DX and hey presto it works perfectly. I made one of my usual paracord lanyards for the X0 so it was no loss to transfer the lanyard to another light. WE 9 series owners, take note!
If anyone is in the market for a cheap and well-made LED light that can do duty for any number of purposes, look no further than the 'X0 with new reflector'. Apart from the confusing nomenclature and stiff nipple, its a winner!
