I hate to beat a dead horse but it seems this message is not getting through to most Arc customers.
from
this thread
[ QUOTE ]
Arc-AAA
Standard. Natural color HA housing. Nichia LED. Binning (R-S flux, B2-B3 tint). All the latest improvements. Standard engraving. Some tint variations in HA, lighter/darker. Minor blemishes in HA permitted. Available through dealers and direct web. $28.95 list. Ready to order by February.
Arc-AAA Premium
Same as above except binning is S flux, B1-B2 tint only. Less HA tint variations and blemishes permitted. Engraved "Premium Edition". $39.95 list. Direct sales only. Ready to order by March.
Arc-AAA thoughts...
The LE (SB1 rank) has been frustrating for all concerned. Availability has gotten worse. Even the standard Arc-AAA bins have been difficult to find at times. The color LEDs don't move as fast and dilute our manufacturing growth. Most people prefer the natural HA so it will become the standard. By providing a range of ranks, we should be able to ensure more consistent availability.
[/ QUOTE ]
I may be wrong on this and please Peter correct me if I am, but the OLD LE
only had B1S LEDs. Which is the reason many people waited up to 4 months for one. The new premium, per above, may have a B1S or B2S.
Pure speculation but with the readily available premium AAAs and unless Nichia somehow increased production and availability, the new AAAs most likely have the B2S LED. I read that nichia was going to stop or limit the ability to order only a certain bin type. That only adds to this guess.
I would suggest that the old LE would be better than the Premium. Unless you got one that has the over drilled, then filled hole(cosmetic difference).
The same logic applies to the standard AAA. The old black anodized ones are probably better than the new natural ones.
I have expressed this opinion many times over email this seems like an appropriate time to express it here.
I really don't get the attraction to the LE or premium AAAs. It must be a CPF status thing. $15 more buys you a difference that you can only see if you shine the 2 together on a white wall. I think just the 'Limited Edition' tag infers that it might be better and brighter.
It's a small tinting difference and that's all. Some people have even reported back to me a noticeable variance in flux(brightness) and that some regular AAAs have been brighter than the LEs.
But hey that just my opinion. As a dealer I say "BUY EM ALL!"
Best regards,
Randy