Review: Imalent DD2R (XM-L2, 1x 18650 / 2x CR123) - EDC Touch Display.

Pros:

2x CR123 or 1x 18650

Electronic side switch.

Very compact for the features included in the flashlight.

Build quality is absolutely top notch; Perfect square threads, no sharp edges on the body, perfect size/fit O-rings.

Annodization is top notch.

Very sturdy and well fortified box (Ample padding inside).

Built in charge port functions very well.

Extremely smart driver with multiple step-downs to maximize run-time.

Accepts flattop/button top/lengthy protected button top all with ease.

Very nicely spaced modes.

No visible or audible PWM.

4 sides have been machined to be anti-roll but still maintain a cylindrical appearance.

Thermal management is good.



Cons:

Touch screen needs to be a bit more responsive.

I would like to see the charging feature charge to a higher voltage.

Head is glued shut.

Knurling is not quite aggressive enough.



Function/UI:

1.5 second press on the electronic side switch to turn on.

3 second press on the electronic side switch to turn off.

After 30 seconds of inactivity while on the screen will automatically turn off and lock. Reactivation is a quick press of the side switch.

The mode/brightness it is switched off in is the mode it will turn on in.

While on:

Press on the touch screen the desired brightness.

6 Bars = Turbo 2.8A
5 Bars = Turbo Step-down 'High'
4 Bars = High Step-down 'Medium-high'
3 Bars = Medium
2 Bars = Medium-Low
1 Bars = Low



While on any level of brightness:
Press and Hold on the 'On/Off' portion of the LCD Touch Display for 1 second to enter strobe.
Press and Hold on the 'On/Off' portion of the LCD Touch Display for 1 second to enter S.O.S.
Press and Hold on the 'On/Off' portion of the LCD Touch Display for 1 second to exit S.O.S.
*Note: Enabling either of these modes will give the brightness of the currently selected brightness. I.E. Having the flashlight in 1 Bar 'low' and entering strobe the strobe will be the same brightness as 1 Bar 'low'. The same goes for the other brightness levels.


Touch Screen Display:

I was honestly very skeptical about this feature above all else, but it really surprised me after just a few minutes of using it. Being an avid user of touch screen phones/mp3 players the quality of the DD2R's touch screen seemed a bit below what I'm used to in my previously mentioned devices. It feels more like what you would find on a calculator.

Having said that it still functions beautifully you just have to play with it for a few minutes to get used to how much pressure is required to change brightness levels. It requires a bit more pressure than the touch screens in devices such as the iPhone or iPod.

When a battery is first inserted and the tailcap is screwed on the LCD screen briefly turns on (Less than 1 second) I was able to measure this at 55mA of power consumption.



Charging Port:

After testing this feature for a while with several different batteries at different voltages I came to a few conclusions:

The charging port uses roughly 330mA charge current.
It automatically shuts off at 4.12v.
It takes a few seconds to check the voltage of the cell and:
If the cell's voltage is greater than or equal to 4.12v then it will function normally as if the charge cable was not plugged in.
If the cell's voltage is less than 4.12v it will enter the charge cycle and frequently/continually check the voltage of the charging cell.
I would like to see the voltage cutoff closer to 4.20v, but 4.12v is acceptable.



Run-time:

I completed a run-time test using a Protected Panasonic NCR18650B 3400mAh cell charged to 4.20v. I recorded body temperature and some observations of step-downs. The thermal management and heat distribution is very nice; the tailcap was within 10-15*F of the hottest spot on the head throughout the test. After 2 hours and 30 minutes the DD2R was still outputting roughly 300 lumens and I stopped the test when the battery was at 3.29v.




Pictures:

This box came wrapped in a few layers of thin foam, inside a plastic shipping bag.
It did have a few dings on the box.



Thankfully inside the box is some fantastic hard foam cut to fit perfectly.
Contents of the box:

Imalent DD2R Flashlight, Imalent flashlight holster, Charging cable, User Manual, Warranty card, Feedback card, 2 Spare O-Rings, and a screen protector.









Flashlight in the Holster, it's a bit snug. Needs to be worked in a bit.







LCD Touch screen display side.





Side Switch and Charging Port. The anodization is absolutely impeccable. My only light that comes close to the quality of the anno is my Convoy L4.

I'm not certain of the finish on the aluminum bezel or switch/charging port, but if I had to guess I would say it's powder coat. It's definitely not merely polished aluminum like you find in many lights.





Front view of that beautiful XM-L2 emitter. It is slightly off center. You can see the machined rings in the reflector here. One of only a few negatives I could nit-pick about the quality of this light.




Size Comparison:

Solarforce L2, Imalent DD2R, Convoy L4





Mini-'Breakdown':

Square cut threads on the battery tube that thread like butter into the head.




Square cut threads on the battery tube that allow the tailcap to thread like butter onto the battery tube. Smile




Underside of the head (The few scratches were from my feeble attempts to dislodge the retaining piece.)




Tailcap





Beamshots:



Turbo - High - Medium'High - Low

Note: Because of compression or something along the way, Low looks more like a control shot. Sad It's actually a few lumens above what I would consider a moonlight mode. Very usable for pitchblack indoor applications and perhaps very dark nights outdoors.





Beams at 2ft:

The (SMO) P60 is rocking a noctigon + XP-G2 + Qlite at 3A.

The Convoy L4 is running stock around 2.9A.

The Imalent DD2R is in turbo at 2.9A.





Beams at 30 yards:

The (OP) P60 is rocking a noctigon + xml2 + Qlite at 3A.

The Convoy L4 is running stock around 2.9A.

The Imalent DD2R is in turbo at 2.9A.




Conclusion:

This is a fantastic light. Machining/Finish is superb. It functions beautifully. You may frown/turn up your nose at the newfangled LCD Touch screen, but it really is quite nice once you get one in your hands. I rate this flashlight 5 out of 5.

Great review, I like your use of GIF's instead of videos. Many thanks.

Whilst I prefer this type of flashlight, without the flared reflector housing, I cannot see any point in having an LCD & touchscreen. A simple 3 led hi/med/lo battery indicator is ample for a flashlight. Sure its a nice gimmick , but I'd rather my money went into a better emitter or more efficient , better quality driver.

Sure looks pretty though.

Ped