Soooooo true!!! The D10/EX10 lights are wonderful.
Until VERY recently, I have EDC'ed the Nitecore D10 for a number of years. I liked it so much that I bought a back up D10 a couple of years ago. Both are XR-E R2 neutral emitters, which even by today's standards are wonderful emitters for an EDC light! Wonderful beam characteristics, beautiful neutral tint, and plenty of output for an EDC light... plus the D10 UI.
Recently, I got the itch to "try out" a couple of the newer designs, instead. I bought an EagTac D25 XP-G2 R2 neutral tint, EagTac Titanium X-ML neutral, and a SWM V11R X-ML neutral.
The V11R is clearly a beautifully made, quality light. Will it withstand drops to concrete? I haven't the slightest idea and I don't want to test it out on my light!
What I did discover is that as nice as the quality is on the V11R, I'm not taking to the rotary level control as much as I thought I might. And interestingly, I'm liking the D25 with XP-G emitter (which is stated to be neutral, but is warmer than that to my eyes - and happily so, I might add) more than the V11R.
So, I've (temporarily, anyway) replaced my D10 EDC with an EagTac D25 X-PG with neutral/warmish tint emitter and so far I'm liking the light. Is it as good as the D10? Well... sort of, maybe, I think. It isn't necessarily worse, anyway. The interface is more typical... no continuous ramping, infant low, instant high. But not bad, either.
I will always be a fan of the D10 and may, in fact, return to carrying a D10 for EDC. I found with my D10 EDC lights that I rarely EVER ramped and only very occasionally did I instant minimum. I mostly left the light at or near max and just on-ed and off-ed it. As nice as the ramping function sounds... for me anyway, it wasn't as important as I once thought it might be.
For me, flashlight output levels are exceptionally useful at three or four pre-defined levels. There really is virtually no true utility in the fine-tuned increments between three or four well placed fixed output levels. With this realization (for me. anyway) I've come to feel that having continuous variable output levels is not anything that matters to me. If a light gives me three or four well-placed output levels that I can quickly and easily choose from, I'm fine. Actually, the Zebralight interface with min, medium, and max levels works magnificently well!
SO that leaves me thinking that the continuous variability of output offered by the D10 and by the V11R, surprisingly, don't appeal to me nearly as much as they initially sounded like they would. Ramping the D10 to find an ideal level is too slow and takes too much user effort. Give me three or four levels to quickly and easily jump to and I'm even happier!
What I've also discovered is that light output on an EDC pocket light has long since achieved desired maximum output requirements and now, it's all about UI, beam, and tint - as far as I'm concerned.
If you can find a D10 or EX10 out there... with an emitter which gives what you like, snag it. But as an alternative, you might consider the V11R and the D25. I think the D25 makes for a better EDC because it's so small and unobtrusive. The V11R is a quality light, but a bit bulky, in my view, for EDC.