Possibly so, but I would think since there are two "colors" of headlamps I got the neutral/warm tint and it is a little yellowish not bad compared to blue or green tints others have. As for efficiency and runtime there are reviews on it out there and it looks pretty good. If you haven't used a decent 18650 based light/headlamp I don't think you will be disappointed. I tend to run on medium a lot and only need to recharge it every 3-5 days if I am using it more than a few minutes a day. I use high/turbo sparingly and only once had it step down on me to medium in very heavy use during the day when I didn't charge it up from running it a lot the day before.
I bought 3 $20 Amazon lights this week.
In any review, current and candela, at each mode, should be attempted. Else, review is largely worthless to me, beyond hobby interest. This post will fill in these important details, missing from nearly all light reviews.
(My quick phone composed, thumnail review of 4 cheap lights, which are available in one day via Amazon prime (with order over $35).)
-- Imalent Hr20 (still my standard for as close to ideal edc, belt worn, work light as is sold, in the single cell format) 4540 lux at 1 meter 1.86 amp (likely 2.1 amp in a resistance free mm) infinite dimming.
Circa 2300 lux per watt, aka 1C, aka 1 work day, aka one 4 hr unexpected work evening without full charge.
Opinion, this is still my favorite all round edc, which I hang on belt, daily, and forget until emergency and brief daily use. I do not think the xpl hi has as good of lux per watt as the xpg2 (but close enough, with more impressive output) , which is critical for conserving juice and trying to keep these single cell lights to 1C, 350 mA max for all but brief bursts. 4000 lux at one meter is necessary, constantly over 8-10 hours. These 20 mm xpg 1x18650 lights, might get 2500 cd, at best, over 10 hours. However, doubtful if any are really constant current. This, plus, duffus drive levels (greedy hobbyist, who has no imagination of actually working daily with their lights for maximum reliable runtime and reliable 1000 candela lux when bouncing from 1 to ) , not matching a human work day, and need for 1000 minimum lux at 2 meters from object of focus) , is why a dimmer and xpl hi, will be essential in the 20 mm single cell format. A tir could get you more throw, but in build attempts, I never liked the apparent lumen drop, lux tradeoff. Also, in my tests of 2 years ago, the xpl hi just flat out impressed me with lumens, over the xpg2, and was worth the small drop in lux. However, hopefully Cree has inched up the xpg2 bin in two years but I doubt it, with the new management and focus on the stock price.... I own both the 4000K and cool versions of the light. I own two of the so called nw, hr20s. My opinion is that I grab the cool more often than so called nw. The cool seems more efficient, with noticeably longer runtime, the cooler is is more like real daylight, works better to stimulate the brain scn, renders color separation just fine. Personally, I think they should offer a 5000/5300/5700 k version, whichever they could obtain. My opinion is that 5300 seems true nw. 4000k seems yellow. Warm is more relaxing. However, building a screen shade for my phone, I determined a reddish screen filter is far less jarring than even yellow- when sleepiness is the goal. This leaves little love for yellow lights in my heart.
-- A2: above average color rendering.
Opinion. Tiny bit heavier and bulkier than the Hr20; but at $30 cheaper, I could forget this point quickly. The charging scheme is not for me, but would bump the light from downpour resistance to submersion. And my guys won't mind taking the battery out to charge it, as much as myself, who has already 9 things to plug in each night before crashing. Most importantly, I know for a fact that this xpg2 will be 2x lux per watt, compared to the xpl in the A2S. This light's fatal flaw is not having a 1C setting, making it only useful for 2 or 3 hours a day. The a2s does have the 1C setting, yet is only 1100 CD (spec sheet and my experience with the xpl in a 20 mm), which is not bright enough for anything other than inspection at arms length in the black of night (useless working in day, or inspection at 2 meters). I will stick to my Imalent Hr20 xpl hi with infinite dimmer to get my lux and runtime.
A2 measurements ( per usual, My $50 multi meter has internal resistance, so I take current measurement over an amp with a grain of salt. Unfortunately, measuring temp and high ohm resistance is the criteria for my mm purchases.) : 6200 lux at 1 meter (all lux is standard at 1meter +- an inch since I use my body as a meter stick) turbo (10 minutes to damage led, otherwise likely 1.4 amp) ,2300 lux on high 600mA (.65 amp, aka 3 to 3.5 hours, aka too short of runtime to be reliable), mid 600 lux 140 mA at 1 m (likely 18 hours okay to 1 to 1.5 meter, aka far dimmer than the potential during a workday), low unmeasured because not bright enough for work,
--- What if fire good color rendering,
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FDKFG1Z/?tag=cpf0b6-20
Opinion: promises 1600 lumens. And indeed lots of wakeup light to jar my glial wake up cells in the periphery of my eye. For reason of efficiency, or lack of heat grease, it does not get as hot as I would expect. Yes, this light surprised me. It has two xpl leads, each in a reflector smaller than 20 nm. Probably 17 mm. It is a center heavy flood, with need for lots of amps to be useful, up close. It is not submersible, but should handle a down pour. I added orings to improve the blow test air resistance. However, this little light has several saving features which I really like: it actually is a tiny bit, noticeably lighter and smaller than the a2s and even, perhaps, the hr20; the two xml2 leads, each sharing the drive current, noticeably, are more efficient than a single emitter (translating to more light at any drive level, which the eye can pickup); it has 5 well chosen drive levels (!). I will probably use this as a supplemental light for my Hr20 (two lights for my belt), mainly in morning as a packup/wake up light, with expectation of a max of 3 hour at the 800 mA drive level. I added a center elastic strap and elastic x strap to hold tightly onto the base, since it is designed to easily be removed and used by a moron
as a hand held.... Now, this rivals my bedside reading light for comfort, which is the ubiquitous, green Energizer 3aaa 220 (250) lumen ramping headlamp
, which I love for its genius, except for the 3aaa, (now, $12 Amazon and Walmart) no USB, aspect. I plan to mod one of these (great bedside lights) with an old, small 2 amp hour phone battery and USB charging board, and see if I can keep its form factor.
(Best "invisible" form factor, with decent output, driver which I love, and optic. However, inferior 3aaa design, only used by my bedside and daughter. Needs to be pink, for her to like it. $12 amazon/Walmart. )
WHAT IF FIRE measured: 1590 lux 1 m with 1.84 A (probably 2.1), 800 lux .8A, 380 lux at 360 mA ( 7 or 8 hour work setting ok to 1 or 1.5 meter) , 160 lux at 150 ma, 50 lux
-- Xph 50: borderline acceptable color rendering,
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07SJNG5FW/?tag=cpf0b6-20
This is more of a bone cheap worklight, not an edc. Purchased as a curiosity.
5200 lux at .96 amp, 2600 at 480 ma ( 12 hours on 3200 MA, probably 8 on these cells okay to 2 meter without zoom)
Opinion : OK for $20. I like that it has a useful 480. But would be far more useful with a 1C, rather than 1.5 C and .6 C. Did not last me a full day of inspection inside, during day, fighting with outside glare. Probably garbage bin of Xph 50, both, color and efficiency. Would be far more useful with a proper bin of Xph. I imagine, an Xph 35 hi, would work well. ... Using this light, while I can make the low work when zoomed, I only like the output on high mode, which would make runtime too short for any real world use. I am no color snob, but the light color is a throw back and bothers me.... A possible modification is to add a third cell, for 1c. However, likely the built in charger could not put out enough juice to charge up three cells overnight, at this budget price it is likely a 500 ma charge circuit. Maybe.
Conclusion. So, will I be trying the a2s? Probably not: Since at 1 C the lux is not high enough to be useful. Above 1 C the light will not have enough reliable runtime to be reliable. I do find the useful drive levels in the a2s, something lacking in the a2, lamentable. Since both the A2 and a2s miss the mark of useful lux at the useful drive current, wasting anything more than $20 on a light that doesn't meet spec, is insanity. I might buy more A2 as emergency, end of the workday lights for my workers, that they take home and care for. For myself, the Imalent HR20 will be my edc, which has held up fine for last 1.5 or 2 years, with near daily water splashing (not submersible, like the A2). The what if fire, could nearly replace the niche of the green plastic energizer, if it were a little bit lighter. And, I wonder, if I could grind, shave metal from the What If Fire and get a true high power light with the near perfectly invisible form factor of the Energizer.
I figured out how make my own superior 2x 18650 headlamps and wristlights in 2014. The breakthrough is to use avid heat sinks for bezels, old fashioned cpu spiked heat sink for rotation body and further cooling.,and buck pucks with dimmer from led supply. I am still buying single cell lights because I can't make anything as tough, or as small, or as cheap, as even the imalent Hr20.... Also, I have been waiting for low improvement over the v6 xpl, at 350 mA and 700 mA target, reliable 1C levels. Hank at intl-outdoor.com has had these 202 low nw for years; Cree 303 lpw press release is very old; I don't think 240 lpw unreasonable in a 350 to 700 mA. Maybe Samsung will step up to the plate.