I’m a big Sinewave Beacon 2 fan. I’m a bit biased because the company owner is a friend and we’ve helped each other with some things over the years. However, this is what I like about it.
1. Nice form factor without a bunch of extra extraneous wires.
2. Well built in the USA. Fair pricing.
3. The high beam is superb for big windy descents and general night riding. I have grown to think that a round beam is actually better because it helps you see things coming in from the side of the road like an animal and helps you read a sign high on a post, etc. This bit about “light up the road not the sky” regarding beams like the Edelux 2 is not accurate in my opinion. Particularly with the Beacon high beam.
4. And there’s one more feature that I believe is unique to the Beacon and that is that you can power it with an external battery if the dynamo fails or your wire breaks. Or if you are off road and going ridiculously slow. Or setting up camp etc. It actually can also be powered by both the dynamo and an external battery at the same time.
Furthermore, the Beacon 2 high beam is nice and bright for daylight riding. I pretty much always have a front light on during the day these days. It’s just safer. In some places it’s even more important than having a daylight flasher on the rear, but I try to do that as well.
Having said all that, the new SON Ladelux looks superb and I bet it’s bomb-proof because that company makes top-notch stuff. It’s more expensive than the Beacon and I haven’t used it so I really can’t comment further. It also looks like you might need more real estate on the bike for the various Ladelux bits than for the Beacon 2.
Doug