Both are listed as the same output since the warm/neutral version is an XM-L2. The cool would normally be approx. 7% brighter if both were the same gen emitter. It's a mater of your preference of tint...I own both and the cool is around 6300k whereas the SC52w is listed as 4400k, rather similar to an incandescent light bulb's tint to the uninitiated.