This is the first MAO light in my collection, I decided to give this finish a shot as I saw reports describing how much more durable it is compared to standard white MAO finishes. In person, the dark white finish appears to be even and provides extra grip, although time will tell if this is durable or not compared to standard HA anodization.
As with other fireflies lights, I have no qualms with the build quality of this light, with a crisp button action making it pretty easy to navigate the extensive UI that comes with the light. The optics that comes with this looks interesting as well and does not seem to be a standard TIR design
I had this configured with a FFL707A in 6500k, and comparing against the FFL707A 5000k in the X1S (beamshot), both have pretty interesting beam profiles as seen in the photo. The X1L produces a wider hotspot with less spill, but at the same settings it appears less intense. Testing outdoors indicate that the X1L still has better reach, which I believe is due to the slightly higher lumens offered by the 6500K version. It is still mostly a medium distance thrower that's great for spotting, the same as the X1S
Lastly, the form factor of this light, with the large head, while comfortable to hold, makes this more of a dedicated thrower for those specific scenarios where you'd want something with reach, it's not really that pocketable to me but that's expected given how larger optics produce better throw. Ultimately, it's still a great addition to the collection of lights that I have, and I eagerly look forward to more new releases from fireflies in the future!