Got My New Quark 123x2ti w XP-E neutral white head

recDNA · Sep 10, 2010

Last week there was a sale at 4Sevens on Quark titanium parts. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately as it turns out, they were out of titanium heads by the time I saw the sale so I bought a 123X2ti body and tail cap and added a black aluminum R4 neutral head (Correction - XP-E neutral white head).

Just arrived today! Don't you LOVE to see that package in the mail?

Some surprises for me anyway....

I LIKED the neutral white. I've returned every other neutral white flashlight I've purchased (other manufacturers) because the tint was too yellow. This Quark head really IS neutral white. Very nice.

Neutral white dimmer overall - no surprise there - but much smaller brighter hotspot along with much dimmer spill. I expected the same beam profile, just dimmer. This one is much more "throwy" and less "floody". (not so surprising had I READ what I was buying!)

Is that typical of R4 (actually XP-E so of course it is common!) vs R5 in the same reflector? I always thought only the tint and output would differ - not the size of the hotspot?

Quension · Sep 10, 2010

Re: Got My New Quark 123x2ti R4 neutral white

If the NW head you got is from the Quark Accessories page on their site, I believe that's actually from the Q3-5A run last year. It's an XP-E instead of an XP-G, hence the more throwy beam pattern.

AFAIK XP-G R4 4C/4D heads are not available separately.

recDNA · Sep 10, 2010

Re: Got My New Quark 123x2ti with XP-E neutral white

Quension said:
If the NW head you got is from the Quark Accessories page on their site, I believe that's actually from the Q3-5A run last year. It's an XP-E instead of an XP-G, hence the more throwy beam pattern.

AFAIK XP-G R4 4C/4D heads are not available separately.

Oh thanks! Duh! I should READ what the heck I'm buying! No wonder the spill is so dim! Well I wanted to try something different so I'm not sorry I got it. Now I understand why the pattern and tint were so different than R4's I've seen. What a dolt.

I would not have spent so much money for the head alone had I noticed it was XP-E. For just a little more I could have purchased an entire Q123x2 flashlight or just bought another R5 head. Oh well. I do like it so I'll keep it.

Quension · Sep 10, 2010

Re: Got My New Quark 123x2ti with XP-E neutral white

Well, it isn't actually marked either way; it was mostly inference on my part from the "added to catalog" date. That, and I've had my eye on it since before the R4 NW run.

The R4 NWs generally have a slightly lighter tint, but there's more green-magenta variation in them. I have a Q3-5A3 MiNi AA that I also love the tint of.

Xak · Sep 10, 2010

Re: Got My New Quark 123x2ti with XP-E neutral white

recDNA said:
Oh thanks! Duh! I should READ what the heck I'm buying! No wonder the spill is so dim! Well I wanted to try something different so I'm not sorry I got it. Now I understand why the pattern and tint were so different than R4's I've seen. What a dolt.

I would not have spent so much money for the head alone had I noticed it was XP-E. For just a little more I could have purchased an entire Q123x2 flashlight or just bought another R5 head. Oh well. I do like it so I'll keep it.

My XP-E Q3-5A Q 123^2 Tactical is my favorite light. The beam shape and tint are great. The tint, IMO, is better than the XP-G R4 neural. It is warmer and isn't so green.

I'm glad I waited on the XP-G craze. Lots of people like the tight hot spot of the XP-E based lights over the floody XP-Gs (The M20 comes to mind). I have a couple XP-Gs in keychain and penlights and they are great for those types of lights. But, unless you are getting an XP-G light with a reflector as fine tuned as the Maelstrom I think they are best suited in a floody-type light.

Just my 2c

Flint&Steel · Sep 10, 2010

Re: Got My New Quark 123x2ti with XP-E neutral white

Xak said:
My XP-E Q3-5A Q 123^2 Tactical is my favorite light. The beam shape and tint are great. The tint, IMO, is better than the XP-G R4 neural. It is warmer and isn't so green.

I have the exact same light and love the tint! It was my first post-"discovery of CPF" light and I'm very pleased. To the OP, put a 17670 in it and take it to the woods-it ROCKS!

Xak · Sep 10, 2010

Re: Got My New Quark 123x2ti with XP-E neutral white

Flint&Steel said:
I have the exact same light and love the tint! It was my first post-"discovery of CPF" light and I'm very pleased. To the OP, put a 17670 in it and take it to the woods-it ROCKS!

+1 !!!!!!!!!

When your in the woods everything seams so much more 3D and not washed out compared to an R2 or other white white LEDs. The tint is so natural (no pun) compared to something so white that even if the R2 is a bit brighter (still a toss up when you put them next to each other, but I guess the R2 is technically brighter) the XP-E Q3-5A just blows it away in the woods.

The 17670 lasts forever in the 123^2. When and if it dies on you it will fade as opposed to cutting you off suddenly compared to protected 2xRCR123 (I hear).

I do find that I prefer the R2 or other really white lights in an urban setting, though.

recDNA · Sep 10, 2010

I live in the woods so I took it out tonight for the test. As you suggested color rendition is perfect but to be honest it isn't ideal for me. I'm spoiled by the huge bright area lit up by the R5. We have coyotes and skunks and other critters that I want to SEE when walking from my car to the house and vice versa (let alone IN the woods). The XP-E hotspot is fine but the spill is pretty useless beyond 10 feet. In the unlikely event a bear is around I certainly don't want to miss him. Color rendition won't be my biggest concern!

To be honest I'm not a nature lover. I'm a city kid. I live where I live because it is more affordable than the city and has a lower crime rate. The total darkness due to lack of street lights and the lack of glow of the city creeps me out. I care more about bright than pretty!

This Quark will be a bathroom flashlight until/unless I can find a titanium R5 head at a reasonable price. I'm so mad I missed the beginning of the sale when I could have picked one up for $25! I paid $39 for the XP-E. (before the 8% discount). Oh well ... the XP-E will be good for traveling the house in the dark or examining skin or mouth problems.

Flint&Steel · Sep 11, 2010

Ahhh, the beauty of CPF...some of us love the Q3-5A Quark, and some of us do not. And yet, we're all still friends, we all try to help each other, and we can have a civil discussion. Too bad politicians don't get along as well as our forum. lovecpf

recDNA · Sep 11, 2010

It looks great INdoors. In fact it looks great anywhere ... I just need more light OUTdoors. It's not that I don't like it. It just isn't ideal for the purpose I had in mind. In fact the only problem is I need brighter spill. The hotspot is fine.

Had I never used an R5 or an MC-E or SST-50 I would have thought it was the greatest thing ever! The color is perfect. As I said before...it's the first tint other than cool white that I've liked.

Oh, yes ... and it's great we can discuss these things without acrimony. We all have empathy since we all suffer from the same addiction! Why I keep buying flashlights I'll never know.

Xak · Sep 11, 2010

recDNA said:
I live in the woods so I took it out tonight for the test. As you suggested color rendition is perfect but to be honest it isn't ideal for me. I'm spoiled by the huge bright area lit up by the R5. We have coyotes and skunks and other critters that I want to SEE when walking from my car to the house and vice versa (let alone IN the woods). The XP-E hotspot is fine but the spill is pretty useless beyond 10 feet. In the unlikely event a bear is around I certainly don't want to miss him. Color rendition won't be my biggest concern!

To be honest I'm not a nature lover. I'm a city kid. I live where I live because it is more affordable than the city and has a lower crime rate. The total darkness due to lack of street lights and the lack of glow of the city creeps me out. I care more about bright than pretty!

This Quark will be a bathroom flashlight until/unless I can find a titanium R5 head at a reasonable price. I'm so mad I missed the beginning of the sale when I could have picked one up for $25! I paid $39 for the XP-E. (before the 8% discount). Oh well ... the XP-E will be good for traveling the house in the dark or examining skin or mouth problems.

Well, hang ot to it. When they are gone it may be worth something to someone for more than you paid for it. Obviously you are looking for a different beam style, but those that like that beam style and/or that tint will want to buy it from you some day when they are no longer available.

Got My New Quark 123x2ti w XP-E neutral white head

recDNA

Flashaholic

Quension

Newly Enlightened

recDNA

Flashaholic

Quension

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Xak

Enlightened

Flint&Steel

Newly Enlightened

Xak

Enlightened

recDNA

Flashaholic

Flint&Steel

Newly Enlightened

recDNA

Flashaholic

Xak

Enlightened

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