The Quark MiNi X 123, just as its name implies, is very small and light weight. It's made of aluminum and coated in black Type 3 anodizing. The head has a pretty simple design with a smooth bezel. Behind this is an AR-coated sapphire lens which allows better light transmission as compared to regular glass. A lightly textured reflectors focuses light from the LED which sits well-centered at the bottom of the reflector cup. The coating on the reflector is nicely polished and consistent with no noticeable flaws. The exterior of the head is mostly covered in diamond-textured knurling which provides ample grip which is good since the light is twist-activated. Viewed from the rear you can see the PCB with electrical contacts for the battery.

The battery tube continues its simple, cylindrical design. It's almost totally covered in knurling on the exterior, with a slightly raised section towards the rear end. There is also a small lanyard hole at the tail end for lanyard attachments. The flat end also allows the light to tail stand easily with no problems. Threads between the head and tail cap mate well and smoothly, no cross-threading or squeaking was experienced during testing. A well-lubricated rubber o-ring sits just behind the threads which provides a moisture seal. On the inside, the battery tube is cleanly finished and has a spring contact at the bottom which prevents the battery from rattling when the head is loosened while switched off.

If you're unfamiliar with any of the terms used in this review, click here for explanations on common flashlight related vocabulary.

The MiNi X 123 provides a total of 7 modes of output. From off position, switching it on presents the low output level. Subsequent off/on twists of the head within 2 seconds cycles through medium then high output levels. The remaining 4 output modes are strobe, S.O.S., beacon (hi) and beacon (lo). These are activated by going through 2 cycles of the low, medium and high output levels. So an overall sequence available is as follows:

Off > Low > Medium > High > Low > Medium > High > Strobe > S.O.S. > Beacon (Hi) > Beacon (Lo)

Take note that there is no memory functionality so it will always revert to the low output mode first after the light is left off for anything more than 2 seconds.

Beam profile provided produces a medium sized hot spot with a smooth corona tapering off to its spill beam. Compared to the earlier MiNi CR123 which uses an XP-G LED, the MiNi X 123's hotspot is slightly wider. The beam is clean with no noticeable artifacts. The review sample has an almost pure white tint. The low and medium output levels are achieved by means of PWM, though the frequency used is high enough for it to not be noticeable in practical usage unless you intentionally wave the light around looking for signs of this. Performance wise, it's really similar to the previous version. In fact, coincidentally its High output level measured exactly the same at 176 lumens. Runtimes are also quite similar as can be seen below.

The Good - Clean design and well-machined body. Respectable runtime performance. Compact and light weight.

The Bad - Nothing significant.

The Relative - Beam is clean with an almost pure white tint. Uses a twist switch. Is able to tail stand.