Arc AAA premium Vs. Standard questions...

I'm confused; is the Arc AAA premium brighter than the standard, whiter, or both?

I've read that it is brighter AND whiter, and then read that it is only whiter, not brighter.

I think I already know the answer /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif , but which would you recommend? Do they both have the same runtimes?

What place has the best price on them? Considering a few as gifts...

Thanks!
Drjones

Don't get the Premium. It is not worth the money. From the ones I've seen, both are around the same brightness, the Premium is just less purplish/bluish. Inconsequential in actual use...

Best price I've seen is Vicomptel...their price includes Priority Mail shipping.

It's mainly whiter. My premium actually puts out a little less light than my standard, but some people have experienced the opposite.

The standard is still HA-III, right?

And a URL for "Vicomptel" please? Tried www.vicomptel.com but got some telecommunications co...

Yep, standard is still HAIII.

From their main page, click "Product", and then at the bottom of the left bar, there is a "LED Lights".

Drjones,

I have both an AWS and AWP (well actually it's an LE) and my premium has a smoother, nicer colored beam. On the other hand both put out about the same amount of light, as far as I can tell, so practically speaking you are paying a premium (dah) for the "premium." Is it worth it? Well, it depends upon how much of a perfectionist you are. I think it is, but I also think the standard is great, too. I think it's excellent that Arc offers you the choice at a reasonable price spread.

I just ordered another AWP v. 3.2, so I will re-post here when I get it and tell you how it compares to my AWS v 3.3. If you're interested, that is.

[ QUOTE ]
js said:
I just ordered another AWP v. 3.2, so I will re-post here when I get it and tell you how it compares to my AWS v 3.3. If you're interested, that is.

[/ QUOTE ]

Of course I'm interested! Please post!!! Thanks!

OK. I received my Arc AWP v. 3.2 today, sooner than expected, as usual. I suppose I should start expecting a shipping miracle every time. Is it Fed-Ex or Arc or both?

Anyway,

Things stack up this way: LE has the best tint (warmest), AWP is the brightest and is only just slightly less warm than the LE, and the AWS is a little bit less desirable of a tint than the AWP, but is every bit as bright as the LE. Also, the AWS has the most artifacts in the hot spot, and the LE has almost no artifacts, and the AWS has a few barely discernable artifacts.

But they all ROCK! Really, only minor differences bewteen them. Worth $11 more for the AWP? I don't know. I think so. Not that I'm rich or anything, but $10 more or so doesn't seem like that much for a light I'm going to have for a couple decades or so. Might as well go for the premium, I say. OR, for that matter, the LE: they are still available on the Arc website in the closeouts section. At any rate, if someone had bought me the AWS as my first Arc, I would have been every bit as impressed and delighted and FANATIC.

How about this? If it's a gift, the AWS. If not, the AWP or LE.

Also, a note on beam testing: do it in the dark! Don't try to compare beams in a lighted room.