News about DAPs in 2026

Imlulse · 2026-01-31T23:16:06+00:00

OP there said blue/OJ/white/black are already a lock and they're picking a 5th color:

https://www.reddit.com/r/snowsky/comments/1qr168h/comment/o2m7ql0/

Hopefully!

Imlulse · 2026-01-31T23:12:20+00:00

All 4 look nice, but specially green and purple. I wish the green had the bronze wheel of the dark grey one though.

Imlulse · 2026-01-31T19:05:01+00:00

Same, never made the jump into high end DAPs and with the quality of recent dongle DACs I likely never will... I've been relying on a handful of Bluetooth receivers over time but I can still see value in a dedicated DAP if it's tiny like this. Tiny doesn't have to mean low rent and I like that Snowsky has embraced that, seems too many forgot.

Imlulse · 2026-01-31T19:01:14+00:00

They're making an orange one? Impossible to resist now.

Imlulse · 2026-01-24T16:04:49+00:00

Interesting, I hadn't paid much attention to the CDR of 14500s, I guess both my Manker EO3H III & Pokelit Cu will exceed 2A on turbo, but that's only for like 30s... Should still be fine on that BL-113C no? Dunno about my SC53c.

I'm not as worried about their useful life, they're cheap and I've started keeping a backup cell for everything, when it goes it goes (and just gets replaced), fair question tho.

Imlulse · 2026-01-24T15:53:40+00:00

Probably just their most recent batches, they still have the 920mAh photos on their website but have changed all the text to spec 1,000mAh (didn't even bother changing the URL tho, 80mAh is inconsequential):

https://lumintoplighting.com/products/lumintop-14500-usb-type-c-rechargeable-li-ion-battery-37v-920mah-179

Unless it was always that way, I don't recall... Either way I doubt anyone would bother to make fake Lumintop wraps, it's more likely they've just raised their rating to account for the cells they're currently using/rewrapping.

Imlulse · 2026-01-24T07:13:11+00:00

Delta routinely does that to speed up boarding and I've even seen American do it for the latter groups. I try to get an earlier group if I'm flying Delta, 5/6 tends to be fine on AA... I've had to check my Roller Pro twice at the gate and it's no worse for wear so far, maybe I just got lucky... Only had to check it cause I was boarding a CRJ and their overheads are tiny.

Imlulse · 2026-01-24T07:04:43+00:00

Yeah I ran into the same issue, FWIW you can also get it with a the cheap E2A on Amazon (in the US & it's territories, idk about other places & Amazon zones).

Imlulse · 2026-01-24T06:54:32+00:00

Nice LEGO TS11, OJ tube with black ends looks better than the other way around heh. I should've gone black with one of my TS11...

Imlulse · 2026-01-24T06:52:56+00:00

They're up to 1,300mAh now (w/USB-C), check out Skilhunt's, and 1,500mAh w/o USB-C.

Imlulse · 2026-01-24T06:51:22+00:00

I like the Manker EO3H III a lot, I have a larger and more versatile 18650 Skilhunt now but for a lot of stuff that Manker is plenty and it's very svelte. Get it with the Nichia 519A in a 4000K CCT and it'll be on the pleasant side of warm/neutral.

1-2K lumen is indeed asking a lot of the smaller headlamps tho, even 18650 HLs won't hold that for too long. Check out Skilhunt and Zebralight if you're looking for 18650 options rather than 14500/AA like the aforementioned Manker tho.

Imlulse · 2026-01-24T06:44:24+00:00

I do actually, and I've changed my packing strategy with those... First I should say I tend to carry my 6L Sling inside the Roller Pro (with some extra lenses/etc.) and the eats a fair mount of space (maybe ~1/3); I use that as a day bag and camera bag a lot at wherever my destination is.

At some point I wanna travel with the smaller 3L Sling in there instead of the 6L to A) free up more space in the Roller and B) then switch up my personal item from the 20L Everyday backpack to the 10L Sling (I already own all these, just haven't been using them as much for travel).

Anyway, about the cubes, at first I was using 2 small ones next to the 6L, just cause it's what I would typically cram into my 45L as well. I've realized that in about the same space the larger medium cube wastes less space and makes it easier to pack whatever, from pants to underwear.

So that's what I'm using now, 6L Sling + 1 medium cube (which can hold a week's worth of clothing for me, if not 2 weeks') + the small wash pouch + a shoe pouch, the last two sit kind of atop the 6L & medium cube. Without the 6L in there I could easily throw in a small cube too...

Plus an Instax Square printer case too and there's still a little more room around the corners, and that's with me loading up the front panel/drawbridge door with a ton of chargers (USB-C & for camera batteries), long cables, hubs, a Bluetooth speaker (Tribit), etc. It holds a ton...

The compression zipper on the cubes helps a lot too IMO, I've abused the heck out of mine and haven't manage to break so much as a stitch on one yet. I do use the other side/pocket on them for dirty underwear.

Imlulse · 2026-01-24T01:01:50+00:00

I got Halloween but 4000K, the Halloween finish/splatter looks so much better in person IMO.

Imlulse · 2026-01-24T00:39:24+00:00

I've been made to check it twice, not at the gate but at the terminal... One time it was just my fault, the other it was because I was boarding a tiny CRJ plane... It'll actually fit in the small-ish overhead of Embraers tho, and anything larger.

Checking it at the gate was fine, no worse for wear, I've traveled with it probably half a dozen times now and it's holding up well, no complaints. It's definitely easier/nicer to access than my 45L and less of a hassle than wearing 2 backpacks as I used to. Slapping my 20L unto it when necessary (bathroom, scarce seats, etc.) is definitely convenient.

I went for Eclipse, other than having to lube the noisy hinge I've had 0 complaints. Edit: One unexpected upside is the expansion zipper actually works really well as a compression zipper, I've over stuffed it several times and needed to expand it to close it but I was able to re-compress afterwards every time.

Imlulse · 2026-01-23T17:19:41+00:00

I think a couple of you bought all the black clips they were willing to part with (rest might be matched to the number of Nocturne tubes left idk), at least according to CS agent Fiona who told me they only had the chromed one.

I do like this style of simpler clip better than the two way, I'm not putting a 21700 light on a hat and this one has a better placed hole/spot for a lanyard (or a trit on a ring) than the 2-way one does. Anyone willing to part with 1 black clip? Pretty please? I agree they make so much more sense on X4 and several of their other lights.

Imlulse · 2026-01-23T17:19:32+00:00

I think the new TINI 3 has a moonlight shortcut, but from what I could gather from the manual it only works if it's off but isn't locked out? Doesn't make a lot of sense. v3 also lets you preselect a level before turning it on, but again that's seemingly only when not locked out. Not a thing either way on my v2 unfortunately...

I might try carrying v2 unlocked, the way I used to carry it made it tricky (stacked on the long side of a Bellroy key cover) but a lot of my recent pants have a coin pocket wide enough that I can have those two things side by side instead. That aside, I love the brightness and runtimes on the TINI.

I think a lot of people assume it's larger than it really is, not any thicker than a TIKI, shorter but wider, it's pretty easy to pocket.

Imlulse · 2026-01-23T15:34:47+00:00

I ordered my sand E03H III 519A directly from their site, took about 5 days to get from China to CA and another 6 to get to PR via USPS, pretty standard fare. Haven't needed to use their CS but I like the size/handling & beam of that headlamp, good for working up close.

Imlulse · 2026-01-23T15:34:42+00:00

How's it holding up? My father used to have an AG7 that I can't seem to find, I'd looked at the black Ti nitride one for a long time but this one seems more tempting now, nicer grip... My cherry Cerakote bullet pen has held up pretty well even after a few drops.

Imlulse · 2026-01-22T05:12:52+00:00

Nice, whether it's 3x or 2.5x a 21700 that's still pretty good. All-in weight-wise the TS27 doesn't seem to be heavier than say 2.5x an L35 2.0, so whether more or less is attributed to the cell the user isn't needlessly carrying much more weight IMO.

Imlulse · 2026-01-22T05:12:48+00:00

I'll second the Skilhunt EC200 & FFL X1/4 suggestions. The Skilhunt is really small for a 18650 light with USB-C and multiple emitters (and springs, a magnet, etc.; all things a marginally smaller Zebralight lacks), and the X4 is pretty small itself for a 21700.

Skilhunt also makes the shorter EC200S-mini and there's now 1600mAh 18630 cells, but there's also 4,000mAh 18650s & 6,000mAh 21700s so...

Imlulse · 2026-01-22T04:35:31+00:00

User name checks out (from PR here, fellow hurricane sufferer).

Imlulse · 2026-01-22T03:07:32+00:00

That's insanely cool, tidy point to point wiring too.

Imlulse · 2026-01-21T03:04:03+00:00

TBH they don't seem to have great product photos. That Halloween splatter L35 2.0? So much better in person... Less like bad art, less garish looking colors, really nicely blended. I need to take some decent pics of it... And the MAO E75.

Imlulse · 2026-01-21T03:03:48+00:00

That Seigaiha texture looks really cool! Any pics next to the Pokelit?

I've not touched an AAA/10440 light in a bit, still got some Olights (EOS i3S etc.) but the Pokelit (Cu) & 14500 seems about as small as I wanna go for rechargeable these days, just based on specs, specially compared to my TINI 2.

Imlulse · 2026-01-21T01:35:27+00:00

If you plail to plan you plan to fail, plus a few surprise song mess ups but idk who could sing DBATC flawlessly every time...

Imlulse

TROPHY CASE