Acebeam X80 GT2

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Acebeam X80GT 2 Review: Lumenmonster Flashlight

Acebeam X80GT2 specifications

Brand/modelAcebeam X80 GT2
LED18*CREE XHP50.3
Lumens34,000 lm
Beam intensity61,900 cd / 498 meters
Battery config.4*18650
MaterialAluminum
Modes7
BlinkiesStrobe
ReflectorSmooth
WaterproofN/A (up to 30 meters underwater)
Review dateJanuary 2022

Acebeam X80 GT2 Introduction:

Since I bought and reviewed all of the other most potent Acebeam models, I just had to get this one as well. This is the 2nd generation X80-GT, and according to specs, is only 1,500 lumens brighter. However, that didn’t stop me from buying it to review.

The 1st generation Acebeam X80-GT (which we also reviewed) has 18* CREE XHP50.2 LEDs with a total of 32,500 lumens, and the 2nd generation uses the newer XHP50.3 LEDs. For the rest, there aren’t any significant differences, except for a few small details.

Package quality.

The box opens with a flip-open lid held on with a magnetic clasp. The flashlight itself is inserted in the holster, with the batteries loaded in the battery carrier. You just need to remove the plastic tabs to start using them. They arrived pre-charged at around 4.19V. So what’s inside the box:

  • The flashlight: Acebeam X80 GT2
  • 4* Acebeam 18650 batteries
  • Handle
  • 2 spare o-rings
  • Holster
  • Lanyard
  • Warranty card
  • Manual

Flashlight in use

If you want a real pocket monster, this is it! It’s really small compared to other 25,000+ lumen powerhouses. Well, you need big pockets, but it will likely fit in a jacket pocket.

The diameter of the body is relatively large because it’s housing a battery carrier holding 4*18650 batteries. But in case you don’t like the size, you can always use the included handle. The handle attaches to the body on the opposite side of the switch. So, when you use the handle, the switch is located at the bottom of the flashlight.

Also, I’d recommend using the handle, because this little crazy thing will turn your fingers into charcoal… just kidding.. maybe not… The handle has a Picatinny rail to attach it to a gun.

To attach the handle to the flashlight, they included a small screw that also serves as the lanyard attachment point. Because that’s the only place you can attach the lanyard to.

You don’t need to worry about slipperiness, because the knurling around the battery tube is pretty decent. The tailcap (which can’t be unscrewed, unlike the X80-GT’s) has reeding that helps get a good grip to unscrew the battery tube. As I said, you are not supposed to remove the tailcap (and you can’t), but you need to remove the battery tube to get to the battery carrier.

And because it’s so tiny, it’s not front-heavy, and it doesn’t feel like exercising.

Build Quality, and Warranty

Acebeam knows what it’s doing, and all of their flashlights are built pretty well, and that includes the X80GT2. The X80-GT2 is not a budget flashlight. At the time of reviewing, the Acebeam online store has it for $378.95, which is a little more expensive than the Acebeam X50. But the price will likely get lower the longer the flashlight is available.

The battery tube, tailcap, and flashlight head are all made of aluminum. The manual says the following: Aircraft-grade aluminum body structure with premium type III hard anodized anti-abrasive finish. Whatever that means, I believe them.

The same goes for the handle, which seems to be made of aluminum, and has a nice black finish. Both the flashlight and the handle have a matte finish that I really like. There’s only 1 main part that is made of stainless steel and that’s the bezel. Also, the bolt doesn’t screen down completely without the handle, unlike with its predecessor.

Threads and the single o-ring keeping water out, came lubed. There’s only 1 o-ring, but Acebeam says you can take it underwater, up to 30meters. I’m not sure if I would like to do that.

Acebeam’s warranty:

From the Acebeam site: If the customer experiences any problems with an Acebeam product within 15 days of purchase, the dealer will replace that product. If an Acebeam flashlight fails during normal use within a period of five years (60 months) of purchase, the dealer will repair or replace the flashlight with the same or similar model. Acebeam flashlights enjoy a limited lifetime warranty – after 60 months the dealer will attempt to repair the flashlight for the cost of spare parts and shipping (i.e. no charge for labor).

LED, Lens, Bezel, Beam, and Reflector

Like I said above, the only part of the flashlight made of something different than aluminum is the bezel. The bezel is made of stainless steel that will protect the lens and threads. I wouldn’t like to test the drop rating, but I know that aluminum is much weaker than stainless steel.

Behind the window, you can see 18 LED babies. These are CREE XHP50.3’s and are the 3rd generation CREE XHP50 LEDs. They are domeless LEDs to increase ‘throw’. The original X80-GT with XHP50.2 was rated at 34,000 cd (369 meters) while this version has a rating of 498 meters (or 61,900 cd). And it gets really hot….

Generally speaking, CREE XHP50’s don’t have the best reputation when it comes to beam quality. This is sometimes referred to as the CREE Rainbow.

It’s hard to see any rainbow with 30,000 lumens, to be honest…. the beam is all flood… really floody. I added some comparison shots between the v1 vs v2.

Measured with the Opple LightMaster: (I added a frosted lens in front of the X80-GT2)

  • CCT: between 5400 and 5500K
  • Ra (CRI): 63.7
  • DUV calculated: 0.0107

Funny enough, the DUV calculator I used shows a different spot on the color spectrum than the device itself. CRI is low, as expected.

Dimensions and size comparison

  • Length: 118 mm / 4.66”
  • Head diameter:  65 mm / 2.56”
  • Body diameter: 49 mm / 1.93”
  • Tailcap diameter: 53 mm / 2″

Weight: 

  • No batteries: 328.7 g / 11.59 oz
  • With batteries: 523.7 g / 18.47 oz

Flashlight comparison

Size compared to other powerful flashlights.

First, a comparison between the v1 and v2 of the X80. They look very similar.

Group 2 from left to right: Olight Marauder 2, Lumintop GT3, Acebeam X80-GT, Acebeam X80-GT2, Acebeam X50, and Imalent MS08.

Driver & User Interface:

Just like many other high-power Acebeam flashlights, the X80GT2 has 2 mode groups.

The default mode group is: Power mode, and not ECO mode Acebeam claims to be it. This means you have the highest output settings by default. I don’t really understand the point of having 2 similar mode groups, with just lower outputs. That doesn’t make much sense, to be honest. If the second group would have a different UI, it would be more interesting. But 2 the same groups with just a lower output… nah…

How to change between Eco mode and Power mode?

From OFF: click the switch 10 times, and you’ll see the light blink 2 or 3 times. If it blinks 2 times you activated ECO mode. When it blinks 3 times, you activated Power mode.

Whenever you remove the batteries, the next time you turn the X80 Gtg2 on, you’ll be back to Power mode again.

Available modes:

  • Low, Med1, Med2, Med3, High, Turbo, Turbo Max
  • Strobe

From OFF:

  • Single-click: to last used mode, mode memory
  • Double click: Turbo (another double-click activated Turbo MAX)
  • Triple-click: Strobe
  • Press and hold: Low mode
  • Press and hold 5 seconds: lockout (it will first enter Low mode, but continue pressing for lockout mode)

From ON:

  • Single-click: Off
  • Double click: Turbo (repeat for Turbo Max)
  • Triple-click: Strobe
  • Press and hold: Cycle through the menu from Low to High

Shortcuts:

  • To Turbo: double click from on/off
  • To Low: press and hold from off
  • To Strobe: triple click from on/off

Mode memory:

  • Yes, but you still have access to Low and Turbo with the shortcuts…

Blinky modes menu:

  • Yes, strobe (3 clicks from on/off)

Low battery warning:

  • Yes, a small indicator LED will show Voltage:
  • Green >13V
  • Red: 12-13V
  • Red flashing: 11-12V
  • Powered Off when Voltage is lower than 10.8 (I measured

Lock-out mode:

  • Yes, hold switch for 5 seconds from off (it will go through Low mode, but keep pressing). Repeat about 5-6 seconds to ulock

PWM:

  • Not visible.

Batteries & Charging

Acebeam adds 4 newly designed Acebeam batteries. Up till now, all of the Acebeam batteries were black. The ones shipped with the X80-GT2 are white, and have the following product code:

The battery carrier has the following yellow warning: Must use high drain unprotected 18650 cells, or protected 18650 which PCB including 4 Mosfets.

Also, before you can use the light, you have to remove the insulation sheets from the battery carrier.

Unfortunately, Acebeam didn’t really upgrade it with onboard charging. That would have been a ‘real’ upgrade. I’m not saying this isn’t a worthy upgrade, I’m just saying that if you ‘upgrade’ a flashlight, why not go the extra mile, and include something new?

The battery carrier holds 4*18650 batteries, and flat tops Samsung 30Q don’t fit! They are too short. Unprotected cells (Samsung 30Q) with button tops fit, but not very tight. So I don’t recommend them either. Having a few extra millimeters seems to be important to have for this battery carrier. The included batteries fit very snug!

Performance

This is the gear I used for testing:

GearPurposeLink to buy
Hagner E4-XMeasuring beam intensity (throw)Inquire at Hagner.se
Extech SDL400Lumens and logging runtimesAmazon.com, Amazon.co.uk,
Leica Disto D2Distance for throw measurementsAmazon.com, Amazon.co.uk,
Uni-T UTi260BThermal cameraAmazon.com,

Lumen measurements:

All output numbers are relative to my homemade Integrating Sphere. It is set up with an Extech SDL400 Lux Meter for measurements including a Kenko PRO1D ND-16 filter. The base measurement is done with a Convoy S2+ that has been tested at 255 lumens.

For Amp readings, I use a Fluke 77III DMM. For higher amps, I now use a Fluke 325 True RMS clamp meter. For microamps, I use a cheap DMM with an easy-to-use micro amp setting.

All of my readings were taken from fully-charged Acebeam Acebeam ARC18650H-310A. And since there are 2 mode groups, I measured lumens for both groups. I measured output at turn on, and at 30 seconds. I recharged batteries between Medium3 to Turbo Max, and didn’t recharge between Low to Med2. the 10-minute numbers are taken from the runtime charts.

POWER MODE MEASUREMENTS

ModeSpecs@ start@ 30sec@ 10min
Low220154 lm154 lm154 lm
Med112501,104 lm1,101 lm1,083 lm
Med22,5002,185 lm2,173 lm2,114 lm
Med34,1003,615 lm3,603 lm3,428 lm
High9,4008,453 lm8,332 lm3,949 lm
Turbo17,800 lm16,551 lm16,067 lm3,956 lm
Turbo-Max34,000 lm31,890 lm27,143 lm3,934 lm

ECO MODE MEASUREMENTS

I didn’t do runtime tests for these, so I have no 10 minutes measurements. And that’s kind of pointless if you know how Power mode performs. Measured at turn on, and at 30 seconds. I recharged batteries between Medium3 to Turbo Max, and didn’t recharge between Low to Med2.

ModeSpecs@ start@30sec
Low220152 lm152 lm
Med11,000912 lm914 lm
Med22,0001,832 lm1,832 lm
Med33,2002,909 lm2,891 lm
High6,8006,256 lm6,189 lm
Turbo13,00011,995 lm11,764 lm
Turbo-Max21,000 lm19,292 lm18,745 lm

Parasitic drain:

  • Can’t measure

Runtime:

The runtime test was done with the 50cm integrating sphere, including the Kenko Pro1D ND-16 filter and Extech SDL400 data logging Lux Meter.

This graph looks really boring, and unhelpful…

Turbo Max: starts at almost 32,000 lumens, and drops quickly to 3900+ lumens in 1 minute. It slowly decreases output till it reaches 3750 lumens at 1h37min, when it rapidly reduces and shuts off in less than a few seconds.

Turbo: Starts at around 16,500 lumens and slowly reduces to 15,000 lumens in 1 minute and 45 seconds, when it drops quickly to 3900+ lumens. Runtime is very similar to Turbo Max, and shuts off at 1h37min40sec. Less than 1 minute later than Turbo Max

High: Starts at almost 8500 lumens and slowly decreases to 7777 lumens at 6 minutes and then drops to 3900+ lumens. At 1h37min it shuts off. Almost same runtime as Turbo and Turbo Max.

Med3: Starts 3600 lumens, and slowly decreases to 3200 lumens in 2h3min when it shuts off

Med2: starts at 2180 lumens and is pretty stable. At 3h24min it’s down to 2026 lumens , and then shuts off.

Med1: starts at 1100 lumens and sustains that output, more or less, and shuts off at 6h41min.

Low: starts at 157 lumens and continues at that output throughout the full runtime. It shuts off at 34h57min

Few more runtime graphs, but zoomed in

I also tested it with cooling, and here is the comparison graph. You decide for yourself.

Non-cooled vs cooled (with fan)

Throw Measurement

Measurements were taken indoors with a professional Hagner E4-X Lux meter. They were taken at 5 meters distance and 30 seconds after turn on.

ModeSpecsCd measuredThrow in MetersThrow in Yards
Low5502503235
Med1277017508492
Med238503525119130
Med363655900154168
High1640013825235257
Turbo2700025500319349
Turbo-Max6190041250 cd406444
Turbo-Max (@Start)6190050750 cd451493

Acebeam X80GT vs X80GT2

Max. output measured:

ModeAcebeam X80GTAcebeam X80GT2
Low176 lm154 lm
Med11,057 lm1,104 lm
Med22,078 lm2,185 lm
Med34,058 lm3,615 lm
High7,958 lm8,453 lm
Turbo15,210 lm16,551 lm
Turbo-Max27,765 lm31,890 lm

Peak beam intensity measured

ModeAcebeam X80GTAcebeam X80GT2
Turbo Max36,750 cd 50,750 cd

When you compare the runtime graphs, they are very very close together.

Acebeam X80-GT vs X80GT2

I bought my X80GT second hand, and it’s possible that those batteries weren’t in the best shape. My first generation has a much shorter runtime for every mode. In terms of output, they are very very close.

High power flashlight comparison

Here is the list with most of the high-power flashlights we reviewed in this category (Category: high-power soupcan sized flashlights).

FlashlightMax. Outputafter 30sec
Acebeam X45 II17,97217,116
Acebeam X5035,50730,383
Acebeam X7564,29573,716
Acebeam X80-GT27,765
Acebeam X80-GT231,89027,143
Astrolux EC0618,1118,352
Fenix LR50R11,69810,849
Imalent MR9052,32632,128
Imalent MS0620,479
Imalent MS0825,74519,615
Imalent MS12 Mini68,77346,750
Imalent RS5020,30216,939
Imalent SR1653,65743,115
Lumintop GT316,26715,168
Manker MK38 (SFT)16,01313,129
Olight Marauder 214,25113,964
Thrunite TN5018,20017,360

(Interactive line graphs below)

Hover your mouse over the lines in the graph to see more details, or select a flashlight in the graph.

Using a mobile phone? Hold your phone horizontally!

Another comparison, focusing on the first 10 minutes after activation

And here’s another comparison, but zoomed in. The first 60 minutes after activation.

Beamshots

Flooders:

For the following beamshots, I used a Canon EOS 5D Mk2 with a 50mm lens. manual settings: ISO1600, 1/4sec , F4, 5000K

The shed is about 65 meters / 71 yards away, and the reflective fence is about 200 meters. 

There is a small difference to see between the 2, and the GT2 has an edge in throw. There’s no CREE rainbow visible outdoors, with this output…

Disclaimer: I bought this flashlight with my own money. Nobody paid me to review this flashlight, nor have I been holding back on problems or defects. 

Final Verdict

Pros

  1. Extremely bright flood light
  2. Almost pocketable (so small)
  3. No PWM
  4. Replaceable batteries
  5. Includes handle so you don’t burn your fingers
  6. Instant access to Low, Turbo and Strobe

Cons

  1. The upgrade from X80GT to X80GT2 was only minimal, a LED upgrade.
  2. Gets really hot! You need to use a handle in the 2 Turbo modes!

Explanation on star ratings:

1: Avoid: my phone flashlight would be a better choice – 2: Poor: significant defect or issues; almost unusable – 3: Average: some defects or issues; but still usable 4: Good: recommended (minor issues) – 5: Great: highly recommended

Reviewer Marco
Author: Marco

4.5 stars: ★★★★⋆

Yeah.. if you want something bright.. you will get something hot. And the X80GT2 becomes extremely hot when not properly cooled (by airflow). Very powerful for its size.

I was hoping to see a more comprehensive upgrade like onboard charging, new UI, but it looks like the only things changed are the LEDs. For the rest, it throws farther than the older version though.

Buy your Acebeam X80-GT2 with a discount code

Get a whopping 15% off your next order at Acebeam.com with the following discount coupon: AE15. Simply add the coupon code at your checkout.

1lumen selects and reviews products personally. We may earn affiliate commissions through our links, which help support our testing.