Nitecore D10 vs Akoray Cree Q5 WC

What are the pro's and con's?

Nitecore D10

Pros

- Excellent build quality = long life
- Piston drive activation never wears out activation button.
- Ramping means variable output for any given situation.
- Q5 is bright and energy efficient
- Knurling makes it easier to hold, less likely to drop
- Can take AA sized batteries, and works with 3.6v 14500 Li-on rechargables.
-Friendly user interface for instant brightest, instant lowest. Converts to 'forward clicky' with a simple turn of the bezel.
-Size means easy EDC.
-Lifetime warranty through 4Sevens.
-For some reason, I trust the D10 will handle protected 14500's without blowing up, even though I lack evidence to support this belief.

Cons

-$45 more expensive than Akoray Cree Q5 WC.
-Doesn't come with a clip. Clip costs $8 additional. Clip prevents rolling, also secures flashlight in pocket so you don't lose it.
-ramping isn't perfect, but workable. Ramps faster in one direction than the other.
-burntime isn't as long as Fenix. Is it fair to say roughly 70% as long on?

Akoray Cree Q5 WC

Pros

-Cheap. $21.59
-Q5, same as D10
-Easy to EDC as D10
-Accepts 14500 Li-ons.
-6 mode operation. Hi, mid, low. Strobe, SOS, Slow Strobe.
-Come with built-in clip for anti-roll and securing in pocket.

Cons

-Dubious quality. The last cheap LED light I bought from DealExtreme was a Romisen, and it was DOA. Getting a refund wasn't fun, but eventually came through.
-No warranty.
-Tail clicky will break, someday. Don't know when.
-Strobe modes might be a con. I don't much care for them. Prefer the D10 UI.
-slightly longer than D10 (99mm vs 89mm)
-For some reason, I feel like an Akoray Q5-WC might blow up on me even using protected 14500s, even though I have no evidence to support this fear.


I haven't made up my mind as to which is better. I'm hoping the ensuing discussion will help. My bias is that the D10 is sexier. However, I can buy 3x Akoray lights for one D10! I think it's fair to admit that there's a strong chance I will misplace and lose either light within the first year of EDCing it. So no lifetime warranty will help there. I've already left my LED Mag in the trunk of my car after checking oil at night, only to luckily find it wedged between some rubber hoses. I don't expect to luck out like that again with tiny single AA lights like these!

Might it be worth it to buy two Akorays and keep one in the sock drawer for when the first breaks/gets lost? Save yourself $20

(i.e. Two Akorays @ $21.59= $43.18 minus a D10 w/ clip = $62.55 with 8% CPF discount = $19.37 net savings)

And please, let's keep the discussion to these two lights, mainly because they're both single AA lights with a good emitter that can support 14500s. Unless there's a dark horse I'm unaware of...

Thanks, all.

L_Darklighter said:

I haven't made up my mind as to which is better.

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Looking at your pros and cons, I think you have decided which is better. The D10 (and EX10) were voted flashlight of the year on CPF. I would go with the quality and the warranty. My D10 goes everywhere with me. :twothumbs

I own both lights and the Akoray did not work when I first got it. I had to do some soldering for it to work. Though the D10 is $45 more expensive, it's a high quality product and will last a long time. Can't say much about the Akoray. Go for the D10, you will not regret it.
Btw, do check out the Liteflux LF5XT which is my current fav AA light.

There are a few weeks since I got the AKORAY and I am still in love with this light...Q5, multimodes, IBS, HA what's not good ? Cons : a clickie a bit hard to press and the runtime on MAX which last 42 min ....the brightness comes with a cost.
I hear that D10 is a great light but for 3 times the price I am not sure if it's worth it...
I am confident that when my AKORAY will be out of order the DX will have other tempting offers for 14500 powered mini lights. I am happy to have experiences with many lights instead of 1 reliable for 3 years :naughty:

-D10 Q5 is $59, D10 R2 is $63. + clips and after coupon it's $61,64 (Q5) and $65,32. So difference between D10 and Akoray is $40,05 or $43,73 (but it's genuine R2).
-D10 is built from T7075 aluminium + Mil-Spec HA-III while Akoray is T6 and type-II.
-D10 has slightly shorter runtimes than Fenix but is also slightly brighter with Ni-MHs. Which is great because Fenix is current controlled which is more efficient than PWM (but doesn't allow to create adjustable modes). Akoray's driver is very inefficient, using ~1,5V AA it's below 40% and ~65% using 14500. There's also huge difference in brightness between ~1,5V and Li-Ion.
-Last thing. Akoray's Q5 is less bright than genuine Q2...

So there is 2x price difference. But there's also huge difference in quality.

I don't even have to see the Akoray to know that the D10 is better.

You get what you pay for.

Tekno_Cowboy said:

I don't even have to see the Akoray to know that the D10 is better.

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You cannot possibly know without first trying them out. You need to do much more than just see a light before you can pass judgement on it.

You get what you pay for.

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Untrue in many cases.

I'm writing an extensive comparative review of the Akoray K-106 and my NDI for my website, but I'm not going to talk about it since the OP explicitly asks not to talk about lights other than the D10. I'll just say that the K-106 has been somewhat of a revelation to me.

I just ordered a few things from DX.05790 TrustFire Protected 18650 Lithium Battery (2500mAh 2-Pack Blue) x 1 Pending $10.00 -
12594 TrustFire TR-001 Multi-Purpose Lithium Battery Charger x 1 Pending $9.35 -
16516 UltraFire WF-502B Cree R2-WC 3-Mode 250-Lumen LED Flashlight with Clip (1*18650) x 1 Pending $18.50 -
16607 Akoray Cree Q5-WC 6-Mode Memory 200-Lumen LED Flashlight with Clip (1*AA/1*14500) x 1 Pending $21.59 -
19626 TrustFire Protected 14500 3.7V 900mAh Lithium Batteries (2-Pack Blue) x 1 Pending $4.75 -




Sub Total: $ 64.20
Tax: $ 0.00
All for the price of one Nitecore-- I was POed when I got my Fenix L2D-CE, bright enough I guess but the quality sucked, I figured If I was going to get poop quality Id just pay for poop to begin with so I paid less and got 2 lights and batteries for 15 bucks more than what I paid for my Fenix a few years ago I havent seen a Nitecore but it would have to be better than the Fenix flashlights Ive seen. I have a Streamlight Twin-task 2c that Ive also never been happy with, I would love to be able to make it brighter, the main BULB in it sucks the batteries dry and isnt very bright, any ideas on that PLEASE PM me with them and BTW this forum kick azz!!!

havent tried nitecores yet.

but i was happily suprised by another cheap multimode light that i bought from DX.. ultrafire a1.

and i personally am satisfied for having it as backup to better quality light. -it was with my friend on his holiday trip as primary light.. now it will go to my glovebox (backup)

and also could use it as primary pocket light if i knew there is a another light backing it up near by. (glovebox, bag or whatever)

or if i know that there is a good chance i will loose/misplace/break/drop it. i rather carry cheaper light that i dont worry/care that much about, for those occasions.

rule 1: do not use things that you hate to loose/break or cannot afford to replace, if you know its very likely that sh*t will happen.


sometimes you might find a bargain that can do the job almost as well for less.. just depends what things you are ready to tolerate and sacrifice.

and with cheaper lights the guarantee of working when SHTF is more limited..

but you forgive easier to something cheap when it fails, than to that 100k mercedes (or 300 surefire) right?

Fallingwater said:

You cannot possibly know without first trying them out. You need to do much more than just see a light before you can pass judgement on it.

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I'm going to have to disagree there. I most certainly can pass judgement without ever seeing something. Does that mean my judgement will be accurate? Not at all

Fallingwater said:

Untrue in many cases.

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In my experience it is true more than 80% of the time. I've also found that the exceptions usually come with a catch too.

L_Darklighter said:

Akoray Cree Q5 WC
Pros
-6 mode operation. Hi, mid, low. Strobe, SOS, Slow Strobe.
Cons
-Strobe modes might be a con. I don't much care for them. Prefer the D10 UI.

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A point to be aware of -- the Akoray is no longer 6-mode. The driver has been changed in all recent versions to a programmable 3-mode. Still not the D10 UI, but you can ditch that strobe -- for each of the three modes, you can pick any selection from:

• 0-100% (select from a ramp)
• 100% (separate selection, so you don't have to hope you caught the exact top of the ramp)
• slow blink
• fast blink
• slow->fast strobe (select from a ramp)
• SOS

And it's got mode memory, so it turns on in the last mode it was in (and then clicks through the modes in the order you defined) and (toggleable) over-discharge protection for Li-ions. (Not sure if the 6-mode had either of these, but they're there now.)

I don't have one yet, but I've got one on order. As to build quality, I was very impressed with its little brother, the Akoray K-102 (AAA/10440, single-mode), which I do have -- especially versus my expectations from a $9 flashlight. I don't have any Nitecores, so I can't really compare them, but I wouldn't be at all worried about it blowing up.

Fallingwater said:

I'm writing an extensive comparative review of the Akoray K-106 and my NDI for my website, but I'm not going to talk about it since the OP explicitly asks not to talk about lights other than the D10. I'll just say that the K-106 has been somewhat of a revelation to me.

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I'd like to see this review whenever it's ready.

BTW, my EDC now switches between a Lumapower Connexion X2 and the D10.

The D10 is still my favorite for a few reasons. If price is a concern I'd get one for less than $50 on BST forums.

The Akoray does seem like a very good value, especially if you get the 3 mode programmable light. It's still less efficient tho, and quality may be a bit questionable. I may pick one up as a backup or gift, or beater. Seems like a steal.

hmm... seems like a lively discussion here...

my 2 cents...

99% of the time... you really do get what you pay for... that being said... u can luck out and get one that's in that 1%...

the big price difference is on quality control and after purchase warranty... customer service....

we've all been there... order items from a certain place... wait like 2 months....and when it gets to you... it doesn't work... then it takes u like 2 weeks to get it sorted out with their 'so called' customer service... then u gotta send it back to them.... another 2 weeks gone.... and then wait... for them to send you back another one.... another 2 months gone....

you guys know what i'm talking about.... so yeah... some ppl are willing to go through that hassle... but some don't.. and just want something that works...

Nitecores are friggin great lights... i have 3 myself... the PD system rocks... and are well worth the money.... and if you wanna save a few bucks... can always grab one off the Marketplace... they are sold regularly...

KraZy

krazy89 said:

you guys know what i'm talking about.... so yeah... some ppl are willing to go through that hassle... but some don't.. and just want something that works...

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Yeah, exactly.

Here's my thought.

I think getting reliable first, then start look for cheap play toy is better way than buying cheap first, keeps getting cheap stuffs till you find something works for you. Of cause, you may able to get nice one at cheap price though, it requires lot of research, and it takes longer to get delivered. When you already had reliable one, you knew you can be relaxed, can wait little longer for other toys. Get two proven quality lights in your hand first, then start look for cheap stuffs to play arround.

phantom23 said:

-D10 has slightly shorter runtimes than Fenix but is also slightly brighter with Ni-MHs. Which is great because Fenix is current controlled which is more efficient than PWM (but doesn't allow to create adjustable modes). Akoray's driver is very inefficient, using ~1,5V AA it's below 40% and ~65% using 14500. There's also huge difference in brightness between ~1,5V and Li-Ion.
-Last thing. Akoray's Q5 is less bright than genuine Q2...

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Where did you get that data?

seaside said:

Here's my thought.

I think getting reliable first, then start look for cheap play toy is better way than buying cheap first, keeps getting cheap stuffs till you find something works for you. Of cause, you may able to get nice one at cheap price though, it requires lot of research, and it takes longer to get delivered. When you already had reliable one, you knew you can be relaxed, can wait little longer for other toys. Get two proven quality lights in your hand first, then start look for cheap stuffs to play arround.

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I completely agree with this. If you're looking for something you might depend on, buy something decent first. I finally broke down and bought a Romisen rc-g2 and I'm happy enough with it for the money, but I already have some good quality lights. I know how tempting the cheapos look when you don't have money coming out your ears (which I certaintly don't), but there are some things I feel are worth a bit of an investment, and a good flashlight is one of them. Once you have that, it's easier to bare the risk of buying cheapos from places like DX (and I must admit to finding DX a fun place to browse, and buy cheap bits & bobs from ).

I'm still unclear on why the AKOray is taken so seriously and/or compared to any of our name-brand $30+ lights - the one full-length review model drew 3.5 amps from a Li-Ion, then another user with the same model got only .5 amps. Yet another user who had three identical copies of the light noted that one had a different beam from the others.

And no one is sure which model is which because there appears to be several different modes/drivers being sold in the same host.

And no one is sure if there is a updated driver, or if it's one of the original driver variations, or if they're selling different lights under the same name..

:shakehead

phantom23 said:

Akoray's driver is very inefficient, using ~1,5V AA it's below 40% and ~65% using 14500. There's also huge difference in brightness between ~1,5V and Li-Ion.

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You'll always get huge difference between 1.5V alkalines and LiIon cells. Alkalines will give you pathetic runtimes with the current draw of a high-flux emitter driven at anything approaching specified power.

Also, have you put a multimeter in series with the LED and circuit to determine driver efficiency in percentage?

-Last thing. Akoray's Q5 is less bright than genuine Q2...

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This cannot be.
First of all, there ain't no such thing as a "non-genuine" Q5. If it's a Cree then it's genuine, period; if it isn't a cree, then you'd notice immediately, as the shape would be different.

Secondly, driving current being the same, a Q5 will always be brighter than a Q2 (unless the Q5 is defective or partially ruined due to overheating). You can make a Q2 brighter by driving it harder, but then the comparison no longer makes sense.

Once my review is ready I'll post it here too, by the way.

How do you know that AKORAY is less bright than a Q2 light ??
Have you tried it or you're just trying to trash this light ?
I have this light and it's as bright as FENIX P1D Q5 with the hotspot being at least as bright...so throwing over 3,000 lux while NITECORE is able to throw 2,600 with 14500 cells and that for only 20 min !!! Indeed, very efficient NITECORE driver !
I must be very lucky :
1. I did receive this light from DX...it didn't get lost
2. I did get it in about 3 weeks, wow...I guess the others are waiting more than 2 months according to some posts
3. This light worked and works flawlessly ...
4. For me the anodizing appear to be TYPE III ...hell I am lucky !

phantom23 said:

-D10 Q5 is $59, D10 R2 is $63. + clips and after coupon it's $61,64 (Q5) and $65,32. So difference between D10 and Akoray is $40,05 or $43,73 (but it's genuine R2).
-D10 is built from T7075 aluminium + Mil-Spec HA-III while Akoray is T6 and type-II.
-D10 has slightly shorter runtimes than Fenix but is also slightly brighter with Ni-MHs. Which is great because Fenix is current controlled which is more efficient than PWM (but doesn't allow to create adjustable modes). Akoray's driver is very inefficient, using ~1,5V AA it's below 40% and ~65% using 14500. There's also huge difference in brightness between ~1,5V and Li-Ion.
-Last thing. Akoray's Q5 is less bright than genuine Q2...

So there is 2x price difference. But there's also huge difference in quality.

Click to expand...

radu1976 said:

I have this light and it's as bright as FENIX P1D Q5 with the hotspot being at least as bright...so throwing over 3,000 lux while NITECORE is able to throw 2,600 with 14500 cells and that for only 20 min !!! Indeed, very efficient NITECORE driver !

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Can you equate lower lux readings to poorer efficiency? I'd have thought the overall output would be a fairer comparison.