Peak vs. ARC AAA

Now that ARC AAA is no longer available, has anyone ever compared it to the new Peak AAA?

Go to the Search page.
Choose LED in the "Forum(s) to search" section, in the "Keyword search terms" box enter: +arc +peak +aaa, choose newer than 1 year for the "Date range" and click the the button for "Display All Main Posts".
This will give you ~ a whole lot of threads on this subject.
Pat /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Seems to be like looking for a needle in a haystack. Found one review outside CPF that says it is very dim and wouldn't recommend it. Also brass casing will tarnish. Comments?

I don't have any Peak lights yet, but from what I've read, I would get a AAA High Power with 3 snow white LEDs if I could get the lug style body like a ARC AAA.

You might like this Peak AAA High Power 1 Snow White LED

I have a Peak AAA hi-power. Its not comparable to the Arc AAA in terms of output. The Peak is dim and has little spill compared to the Arc. The Arc will light up half a room. Not a substitute for the Arc, IMO, but if I were trapped in a dark elevator I'd certainly be happy to have it.

If you check B/S/T regularly, you can sometimes find an Arc AAA that is reasonably priced. I passed on one last week at $35 + $5 shipping (which I now wish I had bought). I did get an Arc AA and Arc LSH-P, though. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/happy14.gif

best regards

I disagree somewhat. I EDC's an Arc for a year, then gave it to my daughter, primarily because I got a prototype (read Arc body) Peak AAA with 3 LED's. It definitly doens't have the spill that the Arc does, but it is definitely brighter. Part of this is because the recessed LED's without a small reflector (like the Arc) give much more throw. I like it much better. It will give a much greater concentration of light in one area, which works for me. The single LED versions, however, aren't as bright as the Arcs I have. Arcs are highly regarded, and I've got several, but the Peaks are very well made, and so far they've not had the QC problems that Peter did at Arc.

I just got the Peak 1aaa high power "Annamerria Dallasandra" 1-led light with the lug body. It's very similar to an Arc AAA. The Arc is a bit brighter, in my opinion not enough to matter in practical terms. Spill diameter is actually about the same, but the Peak beam is ringier, and there's a large ring way past where the Arc spill beam ends. I think this is all because the Peak's LED sticks out further in the reflector than the Arc's does. (It reaches to about 1/2mm behind the front face of the reflector). It's quite hard to tell this thing from an Arc. I'll post a more complete description in the reviews thread but I think that this light (if you want a near-exact Arc substitute) or the 3-led version (if you want more power) pretty much solves the Arc AAA vacuum.

[ QUOTE ]
It's very similar to an Arc AAA. The Arc is a bit brighter, in my opinion not enough to matter in practical terms. Spill diameter is actually about the same, but the Peak beam is ringier, and there's a large ring way past where the Arc spill beam ends.

[/ QUOTE ]
My findings exactly.

For the same cost, sure I'd rather have an ARC. But if I was looking to buy right now, I'd go for a 3LED HP Peak with snow LEDs over a stock ARC and the prices they are fetching these days.

Arc AAA were / are bright but they were plagued with problems. I never had one that would turn on everytime. Always hit or miss. I have a Peak and though it is not as bright or well constructed (battery rattle etc) it at least works when I want it to.

That said I really liked the base Arc LS with the twist on / off. I bought a bunch and gave most away as gifts. All are still working. I still have one attached to the extra set of keys I have hanging by my back door. A reliable litttle light.

I just posted a long review of the Peak in the reviews section. It's pretty good. There are a few rough spots but if Peak keeps working at improving the light the way Arc did, they will soon have the Arc pretty well obsoleted.

Not to sidetrack too much...but does anybody own a Gerber Sonic? What are your opinion(s) about the Peak LED 1AAA (3LED Hi-Power) or 1AA (5LED Hi-powr) versus the Sonic? I'm looking for a decent keychain light, something that's not big yet still packs a decent punch. AAA/AA batteries are preferred so I can either use rechargeables or regular without need of having to look for a rarer battery type.

Thanks

I've got both and like both. The Sonic(an older CMG) has good output for one LED. The beam is a bit blue, probably because it's overdriven. It's quite pocketable. The 3LED Hi-Power Peak is brighter, whiter, and a bit larger and heavier. Both don't offer a lot of spill. If I had to get just one it would probably be the Peak, but it will be about twice the cost.

Geoff

Hi, all.

I have got the Gerber sonic(new version), Peak AD collection 1 Led Snow and also the ARC AAA LE(and also the AAA standard). Though I do think ARC AAA is a really well made light, I can't say it turn on perfectly everytime.

And for any new buyer, I would definitely recommend Peak over ARC AAA for the value and performance. My Peak AD snow 1 led has more spot and whiter than my ARC AAA LE, and I guess it depends on what you need it for--personally, they are the 'backup lights' to my EDC, and I tends to carry my Peak more often than ARC AAA nowadays.

The only minor issue I had with Peak is the tailcap, which could be a potential problem if the body detaches from it. That is why now I am ordering the AD in lug body. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

As for Gerber sonic, it is still a good light; but the tailcap issue is a lot more serious--I find that it would come off fairly easily and the protruding led in front could be damaged if fell directly head down.

I have the older CMG Sonic, an EDC Arc AAA with a stashed spare, and a lug-body Peak 1AAA 1LED "snow" that I just got and reviewed in the reviews forum. Arcs now command ridiculous prices on the secondhand market, so I wouldn't bother unless you're a collector. The CMG is just not as nice a light as an Arc or Peak, but it's a lot cheaper (under $10US) and is arguably a better value. The lug-body Peak is just about an exact copy of the Arc, except a bit lower powered (that's objectively neither good nor bad, but everyone here seems obsessed with making the light as bright as possible, which is not really the point of these small lights). It's quite nice. There are indications of a lug-body 3-led Peak but it's not available on their web site as of right now.

If you just want a practical keychain light, I'd say skip the whole madness and get some of the Photon II clones that KevinL is selling in the BST forum. They're $1.25US each plus $2.50 shipping worldwide (he's in Singapore) for up to 6 pieces, so for the $30 or so that you spend on a Peak with shipping, you can get about 20 of Kevin's lights. Then you don't have to worry about finding batteries--just open another light when the old one starts getting feeble. Unless you use your keychain light an awful lot, they really do last quite a long time. And they are great gifts, cheap to hand out and always appreciated. They're about as bright as the Arc or Peak 1-led lights with shorter runtime, followed by a long tail of getting gradually dimmer.

Sonic - Blech! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eeew.gif

Another thread Click on the link in my post for some beamshots /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Just our experiences:
Id do (did) have several ArcAAAs and similar Peak lights.
My ArcAAAs which are more than twoi years old are all dimmer as the Peaks.
The Peaks are more bluish and have less sidespill.
But the most important thing: We had several different issues with the ArcAAAs, they proved to be not relyable enough for serious backup lights. Unfortunately.
We did not have any issues with the Peak lights up to now, they seem to be much more relyable.

Edit: I have to add: As the lights are mostly powered by NiMH cells, the different regulation is no issue for us.

And most of them are very early Peaks

I have a Peak prototype and it's very blueish. This new one is quite neutral.

Unfortunately it's gotten pretty dim over the past 9 hours. The runtime graph on the package is pretty obviously false.