ReyLight Krystal Titanium Review (Quad & Secondary LEDs)

Posted on by TLR

Preface

The ReyLight Krystal is Rey Ye’s first Quad flashlight (4 main LEDs) with an additional secondary LED that runs on his new ReyLight driver.

The name Krystal has an interesting play of the word “crystal” as well.

At the time of this writing, the ReyLight Krystal is made of Grade 5 Titanium (Ti-6Al-4V) only.

Notes:

  1. The Ti Krystal reviewed here are as per the following specifications:
    1. 18350 body in Bare bones Stonewashed version (no tritium vials installed by Rey Ye) with Nichia 219C (4000K), Orange TurboGlow GITD Gasket (optional) and Titanium V-Clip (optional).
    2. Additional 18650 body only and stock Titanium Clip (same as the one used on the ReyLight Dawn).
  2. By default, if no options are chosen, the ReyLight Krystal will come with a 18350 body, stock Titanium Clip, no TurboGlow GITD Gasket and no tritium vials installed. The only required compulsory options to choose are the Titanium body finish (Stonewashed or Machined), Main LEDs (Cree XP-L HI or Nichia 219C) and Secondary LED (RED or AMBER).

Packaging & First Impressions

This is what the light will come with as shown below.

  • Rey has gone all out for the packaging of the Krystal – it comes in the form of a specially built aluminium case, complete with o-ring to ensure that the case is waterproof.
  • The case can store a ReyLight Krystal with 18350 body (Krystal with 18650 body will not fit), spare batteries or any personal belongings safely for transport purposes.
  • Case is padded on the inside’s top and bottom for cushioned support of the case’s content(s).
  • With the 18350 body, the Krystal has a total of 16 Tritium Vials (1.5mm x 6mm) that can be installed (8 on Head and 8 on Tail).
  • With the 18650 body, the Krystal has a total of 26 Tritium Vials (1.5mm x 6mm) that can be installed (8 on Head, 10 on Body and 8 on Tail).
  • The threads and o-rings were mildly lubricated but the threads are a little rough still (slight galling). Cleaning the threads and re-lubing with Christo-Lube MCG 111 helps to make the threads much smoother.
  • Battery can only be replaced from the head portion of the battery tube.
  • The Ti clip is held down firmly by 2 x T9 Torx Titanium screws. This Ti clip is swappable with the optional Titanium V-Clip, Steel Flame (SF) clips, McGizmo clips and the likes.
  • The stock clip and optional V-Clip has sufficient tension to ensure that the light will stay clipped to any material to prevent the light from falling out.
  • The tail switch is a reverse clicky and requires slightly further “travel” to activate, which helps prevent any unwanted activation of the light.
  • The Titanium switch cover has quite a fair bit of side-to-side play, especially when compared to the ReyLight Dawn.
  • When activating the switch at an angle, there is the typical metal scraping sound that plagues most metal switches.
  • Stonewashed finish is uniform throughout the light (with the slight exception of the clip).
  • No lanyard and/or holster is provided.
  • Battery compartment holds unprotected IMR 18350 and 18650 batteries without issue (lengthwise and width-wise). Most protected 18350/18650 batteries are too long to fit and are not recommended for this light as well, due to the driver used.
  • Both Button & Flat Top 18350/18650 IMR batteries can be used.

Case with optional 18650 body:

Case Only:

Case Contents:

Quick Overview (Manufacturer Specifications)

  • Body, Clip & Clip Screw Material: Grade 5 Titanium (Ti-6Al-4V)
  • Titanium Body Choices :
    • Machined
    • Stonewashed (as received for this Review Sample)
  • Lens Material: Sapphire
  • Pill and MCPCB Material: Copper
  • Main LEDs with default Optic:
    • 4 * Nichia 219C High CRI, 4000K (as received for this Review Sample)
    • 4 * Cree XP-L HI, 6000K
  • Secondary LEDs with default Optic:
    • Cree XQ-E, RED
    • Cree XQ-E, AMBER (as received for this Review Sample)
  • Battery Format: 1 x 18350 or 1 x 18650 ONLY (Do NOT use 2 x 18350 batteries!)
  • Driver used: ReyLight Driver
  • Default Modes (Indoor Mode Group):
    • Level 1 (MOONLIGHT)
    • Level 2 (LOW)
    • Level 3 (MID)
    • Level 4 (HIGH) / 2,000 lumens [Nichia 219C] OR 3,500 lumens [Cree XP-L HI] — there is a temperature-based output step down.
  • Waterproofness: Rating not available but see “Waterproofness” section for more information
  • Dimension: 87mm (length with 18350 body) x 27mm (head diameter) / 25mm (tail diameter)
  • Weight: 85g (excluding battery – with 18350 body)
  • Battery reverse polarity protection
  • Accessories Included:
    • 1*Special Built Waterproof Case
    • 1*Clip
  • MSRP:
    • Titanium Krystal with Stock Titanium Clip & 18350 body
      • $200 for Nichia 219C (4000K)
      • $220 for Cree XP-L HI (6000K)
      • Stonewashed OR Machined finish (No extra cost)
      • Shipping Options:
        1. Standard Shipping $5 (Flat Rate)
        2. DHL Shipping $20
    • Optional Add-ons:
      • Additional 18650 Body Only: $70 (Stonewashed finish only)
      • Titanium V-Clip: $30
      • TurboGlow GITD (Glow In The Dark) Gasket: $15 (Green OR Orange)
      • Optional Copper Bezel: $5
      • Tritium Vials with Installation (per Tritium Vial): $7 (Colors: Ice Blue, Green, Yellow, Red, Orange, Purple, White, Pink – subject to availability)
      • Limited Run Titanium finish: $50 (Tiger Stripe OR Black Oil Finishes – Subject to availability)

Optional Extras

Here are some of the optional extras available for the ReyLight Krystal.

Additional 18650 Titanium Body

For more run time, it is recommended to get the 18650 Ti body as well – to be able to run the Krystal on higher capacity IMR 18650 batteries. In addition, using the 18650 Ti body will gain an additional 10 tritium slots around the body (when compared to the 18350 Ti body).

Titanium V-Clip

ReyLight offers a special Titanium V-Clip that will fit both the ReyLight Krystal and ReyLight Dawn as well.

Here are some photos showing the Ti V-Clip and Stock Ti Clip on both the 18350 and 18650 bodies.

The Ti V-Clip provides better ingress and egress as well as rides better in the pocket (especially with thicker materials such as jeans) with the 18650 body than with the 18350 body. This is largely due to the larger head diameter of the Krystal as compared to the body diameter and would obstruct the ingress and egress if the Ti V-Clip is attached, as opposed to using the Stock Ti Clip.

As such, it is highly recommend to get the Ti V-Clip with the 18650 body.

Stock Ti Clip with 18350 Ti Body:

Ti V-Clip with 18350 Ti Body:

Stock Ti Clip with 18650 Ti Body:

Ti V-Clip with 18650 Ti Body:

TurboGlow GITD Gasket

These are CNC-machined from TurboGlow plates and there are a total of 2 color options (Green or Orange) available [Photos are courtesy of ReyLight].

Copper Bezel

For those that love copper or simply are looking for a little more color for their Krystal, there is an option for a Copper Bezel (Photos are courtesy of ReyLight)

Limited Run Titanium Finishes

Here are the 2 optional Titanium finishes that Rey offers, subject to availability (Photos are courtesy of ReyLight).

Black Oil Finish:

Tiger Stripe Finish:

UI (User Interface)

UI for this light is good for Every Day Carry (EDC) as it is fairly simple to use, after the initial learning curve.

Switching ON and OFF is done by the tail switch of the light. It is a reverse clicky switch so no half press for momentary activation is possible.

The default mode from Rey is the Indoor Mode Group.

Normal Operation (Indoor Mode Group)

From OFF:

  • 1 Click – Direct access to MOONLIGHT.

From ON:

  • 1 Click – Light will switch OFF.
  • 1/2 Press – Mode change per Press (light cycles through MOONLIGHT, LOW, MID, HIGH ⇒ MOONLIGHT, LOW, MID, HIGH).
  • 1/2 Press & HOLD (~1.5 secs) – Direct access to HIDDEN GROUP Modes:
    • 1/2 Press – Mode change per Press (light cycles through “Heartbeat” Flash, Fast STROBE, BEACON with constant ON 10% brightness, “Breathing Rhythm”, STROBE ⇒ “Heartbeat” Flash, Fast STROBE, BEACON with constant ON 10% brightness, “Breathing Rhythm”, STROBE).
    • 1/2 Press & HOLD (~1.5 secs) again – Return to Indoor Mode Group modes.

Note: Switch OFF and switching ON again within ~1.5 secs will activate the HIDDEN GROUP Modes instead.

Steps to Enter Configuration Mode

From ON:

  • 9 (or more) * 1/2 Press till Light stops Switching Modes & Release Switch – Light will enter Configuration Mode.
    • When doing the 1/2 Presses, do it as quickly as you can. Additional 1/2 Presses (more than 9) is not an issue.
    • Release Switch after the Light stops Switching Modes only, do not carry out 1 Click.
    • Once in configuration mode, the light will give 4 slow flashes to depict the 4 available configuration items (4 Slow Flashes ⇒ Pause ⇒ 4 Slow Flashes ⇒ Pause ⇒ 4 Slow Flashes ⇒ Pause).
    • The number of solid flashes indicates the option number to be changed (I.e. 2 Solid Flashes means Configuration Mode 2)
  • Subsequent 1/2 Press Switch – Select current Configuration Mode item.

Configuration Mode Options

The following Configuration Mode numbers below are depicted by the number of Solid Flashes.

There is a total of 4 Configuration Modes as shown below, 1/2 Press Switch to select current Configuration Mode.

If none of the Configuration Modes is selected after 3 full cycles, the flashlight will revert back to previous Mode.

  1. Indoor Mode Group – 4 modes (MOONLIGHT, LOW, MID & HIGH only)
    1. Mode cycles – MOONLIGHT, LOW (5%), MID (25%) & HIGH (100%) ⇒ MOONLIGHT, LOW (5%), MID (25%) & HIGH (100%).
    2. There is no mode memory in this Mode – light will always switch ON in MOONLIGHT mode.
  2. Outdoor Mode Group – 3 modes (LOW, MID & HIGH only)
    1. Mode cycles – LOW (15%), MID (50%) & HIGH (100%) ⇒ LOW (15%), MID (50%) & HIGH (100%).
    2. There is last mode memory in this Mode – light will always switch ON in the last Mode used.
  3. Tactical Mode Group – 2 modes (HIGH & STROBE only)
    1. Mode cycles – HIGH (100%) & STROBE ⇒ HIGH (100%) & STROBE.
    2. There is no mode memory in this Mode – light will always switch ON in HIGH mode.
  4. Secondary LED Mode Group – 6 modes (Secondary LED only, No Main LEDs)
    1. Mode cycles – LOW (25%), HIGH (100%), Fast STROBE, BEACON with constant ON 20% brightness, “Breathing Rhythm” & BEACON ⇒ LOW (25%), HIGH (100%), Fast STROBE, BEACON with constant ON 20% brightness, “Breathing Rhythm” & BEACON.
    2. There is no mode memory in this Mode – light will always switch ON in LOW mode.

Notes:

  1. All of the above Configuration Mode Options can activate the HIDDEN GROUP Modes at any point of time.
  2. There is no option available to have both the constant ON Main LEDs and Secondary LED operating in the same Mode Group.
  3. The only way to activate the Secondary LED is via the Configuration Mode Option 4, which does not have any constant ON Main LEDs activation (i.e. MOONLIGHT, LOW, MID or HIGH modes).

Form Factor

For flashlights that are intended to use on a daily basis (EDC) and for possibly a long period of time, form factor is extremely important.

This light feels relatively well balanced in a medium sized hand (not head/tail-heavy) in both the 18350 and 18650 configurations. That said, it does feel noticeably heftier, in the optional 18650 configuration, with the 18650 battery inside. Switching between overhand and underhand holding method is easy with its form factor. The unique knurling style on the light’s 18350 and 18650 bodies enables it to feel “grippy”, even with wet hands/gloves.

The light is able to tail-stand stably without any issues.

Although the optional Titanium V-Clip looks great on the 18350 body, we would recommend using the stock clip instead. This is largely due to the larger head diameter of the Krystal as compared to the body diameter and would obstruct the ingress and egress if the Ti V-Clip is attached, as opposed to using the Stock Ti Clip.

However, the optional Titanium V-Clip will work perfectly (and looks great as well) on the optional Titanium 18650 body.

Beam Style/Beamshots

For quad lights (like the Emisar D4), the spill, corona and hotspot is somewhat predictable – often producing what is known as a “wall of light”. With the sheer output from the LEDs used, the beam is still sufficiently “throwy” for recognising items in the near to mid-range distance.

The above beam profiles are rough interpretations of what is seen when white wall hunting when up-close with the TIR optic.

When up-close, the Main LEDs (Quad) beam has a large circular hotspot with some slight corona and a somewhat square spill. There are some beam artifacts in the beam when whitewall hunting but not visible in real world usage.

However, the Secondary LED (Orange) beam has a squarish hotspot with some slight corona and a somewhat square spill. There are some beam artifacts in the beam when whitewall hunting but not visible in real world usage.

The below photo shows the optional Orange TurboGlow GITD Gasket in action.

All of the beamshots taken below are done so with the following camera settings:

  • Indoor Mode Group – MOONLIGHT: 3.2sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB, LOW: 0.4sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB, MID: 1/6sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB and HIGH: 1/13sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB.
  • Outdoor Mode Group – LOW: 1/5sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB, MID: 1/8sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB and HIGH: 1/13sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB.
  • Secondary LED Mode Group – LOW: 1.6sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB and HIGH: 0.8sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB.

Some pictures have been adjusted slightly to depict as close as to what is seen in real life. The distance of the light from the door is 4.6m.

Indoor Mode Group

Control shot:

MOONLIGHT:

LOW (5%):

MID (25%):

HIGH (100%) – 2,000 Lumens:

Outdoor Mode Group

Control shot:

LOW (15%):

MID (50%):

HIGH (100%) – 2,000 Lumens:

Secondary LED Mode Group

Control shot:

LOW (25%):

HIGH (100%):

Mode (Output) Spacing

Mode spacing appears to be progressively brighter to the eye and the modes are well spaced enough to be able to know which mode one is currently in. With that in mind, TLR tend to view mode spacing as battery life indicators (amount of runtime left) rather than the specific output (lumens).

The default MOONLIGHT mode is what most can call a proper moonlight mode and is perfect for night-adjusted eyes and midnight snack runs.

When compared to the ReyLight Dawn, the ReyLight Krystal seems to be lacking in the UI’s (User Interface) customization department. As such there are only 4 different Mode Group and an additional Hidden Group Mode but the Krystal makes up for it with Quad Main LEDs and the Secondary LED.

That said, those who prefer not to go into customizing their Krystal’s UI, the default preset levels of this flashlight is sufficient for most uses.

Tint & CRI

Main Quad LEDs

ReyLight mentioned that the Nichia 219C’s tint (color temperature) is 4000K but did not disclose the CRI (Color Rendering Index) for the LED used in their light. For this light, a guesstimate would be in the 90+CRI ballpark.

There is a slight tint shift throughout the beam profile. The hotspot and corona have an almost creamy neutral white (with a hint of pink) tint and the spill possessing a slight pinkish tint.
However, the tint shift is noticeable in real life.

For those looking for High CRI and prioritise quality over quantity of light, the Nichia 219C LEDs will be an excellent choice. However, for those who prioritise maximum output (lumens) at the expense of CRI rating, the Cree XP-L HI LEDs will be the better choice.

Secondary LED

Secondary LEDs such as RED and AMBER are generally used when retaining night vision is required. When used, almost everything will appear in different shades of red and amber respectively.

Both LEDs are excellent choices. However, AMBER tends to be brighter than RED so it is usually recommended in areas where there might be ambient light pollution (sub-urban or urban areas). RED are often recommended to be used in areas where there is little to no ambient light pollution (rural areas).

That said, a guesstimate wavelength for the AMBER LED would be 590nm. There is some slight tint shifts in the beam profile and it has a slight varying orange tint throughout. This is probably due to the LED being situated in the centre of the TIR optics.

Waterproofness

Even though there is no official rating for the light, we went ahead to test it like as though it was rated for IPX-8.

The light was subjected to warm water submersion, followed by cold water submersion and left under room temperature running water tap whilst running on HIGH.

No signs of water intrusion in the head, switch or body was seen.

Lockout Capability

No electronic lockout or mechanical lockout is possible when needed, like during transportation in a bag.

Hence, we do not recommend transporting this flashlight in an enclosed area (bag, purse, etc.) with the battery installed. If absolutely necessary to transport the flashlight with the battery in it, we recommend activating Indoor Mode Group, to ensure that even if the reverse clicky switch does get activated; the flashlight will always switch ON in MOONLIGHT mode only.

Note: If the UI is still in default configuration (Indoor Mode Group), the flashlight will always switch ON in MOONLIGHT mode only.

Tritium Vial Installation 

ReyLight (Rey Ye) provides Tritium Vials installation for all Krystals purchased directly from him at a cost of $7 per Tritium Vial (inclusive of Installation).

However, if one prefers to install the Tritium Vials instead, the full installation steps can be found HERE.

After purchasing the required number of Tritium Vials (11 or 17 Tritium Vials – depending on Ti Dawn configuration selected), the following steps will be required.

  • Follow Step 4 of the Installation Steps for the Head & Body horizontal-style Tritium slots installation.
  • Follow Step 5 of the Installation Steps for the Tail vertical-style Tritium slots installation.

Note: For installing the Tritium slots installation at the Tail, remove the installed Clip for easier installation of the tritium vial that is partially block by the Clip.

Scale Comparison (Ruler)

Summary

To sum up, we believe that the most important part of any review is if given the chance to purchase the same light for our own EDC or to gift to our loved ones out from one’s pocket (wallet), would we still do it?
For this light, it is a definite YES, if the UI (User Interface) is not an issue for one’s usage.

The flashlight’s Quad LEDs (Nichia 219C or Cree XP-L HI), Secondary LED (RED or AMBER), rather straightforward default UI with Hidden Group Mode, semi-programmable UI options (when required), Tritium Vial slots as a standard option, specially built & waterproof aluminium case, 18350 or 18650 battery capability with the optional 18650 body, made of Grade 5 Titanium, sapphire lens, 2 types of Titanium finishing and easily-swappable clip compatibility are all plus points for it – especially at this price point.

However, the main issue with this new ReyLight driver is that there is no option to activate the Secondary LED while in Indoor Mode Group or any of the other Main Quad LEDs-only Mode Groups. That said, it is probably the first driver in the market that can successfully operate Main Quad LEDs and Secondary LED. [At the time of writing, the only other drivers in the market now that have a Secondary LED option, operate with Main Triple LEDs only].

Here is a bonus size comparison with some of other 16340 or 18350-sized flashlights which utilizes a TIR optic instead of a reflector.
(L to R: ReyLight Krystal Aluminium Case, Acebeam TK16, Oveready TorchLAB BOSS 35, ReyLight Dawn, ReyLight Krystal, Hanko Machine Works Titanium Twisted Trident with Steel Flame Crusader Cross Clip, Okluma Ti DC1).

Here is a bonus size comparison with some of other 18650-sized flashlights which utilizes a TIR optic instead of a reflector.
(L to R: ReyLight Krystal Aluminium Case, Lumintop FW3A, Olight S2R Baton II, ReyLight Dawn, Oveready TorchLAB BOSS 70, ReyLight Krystal, McGizmo AquaMule/AquaRam).

Here is a bonus size comparison with some of other ReyLight flashlights.
(L to R: ReyLight Krystal Aluminium Case, ReyLight Dawn, ReyLight Krystal, ReyLight Ti Lan V3)

As with all gears, two is one and one is none.

Stay safe,
The Lite Review

Disclaimer: Light was provided for by ReyLight (Rey Ye) for this review. No other compensation was provided.

Where to Buy Links

Disclaimer: The links to the Ti Krystal do not contain any affiliate or tracking links.
However, purchasing using the Christo-Lube MCG111’s affiliate link below will enable TLR to receive compensation from corresponding affiliate companies (Amazon/ShareASale/etc.) directly.
It will NOT cost you anything and is a way to help support the website to keep pumping out reviews like this.

ReyLight Krystal

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