High End RTA's

[Rob Fisher]

I was chatting to some RTA's boffins on one of the Facebook groups and we were discussing the merits of HE RTA's... I have tested many and own a fair number of them... and for my style of vape and my Menthol fruity juice as well as practicality and ease of use and juice capacity the Dvarw DL and Vapor Giant V4 are hard to beat!

And have I spent money on more than a few LEMONS!

 

[jm10]

And have I spent money on more than a few LEMONS!

View attachment 154589 View attachment 154590

Rob would you say they are lemons or are they more suited to eg;
Different Builds
Different e liquids(desserts)
Different restriction of the draw

Reason i ask is on certain rtas (which i cannot understand why people love so much) people build very low and seem to love the profiles of desserts and tobacco flavour were i am mainly fruity and methols so the tank just doesn’t work for me.

I find the airflows are suited to certain builds and no matter how much i try i just doesn’t cut it for me.

 

[Rob Fisher]

Rob would you say they are lemons or are they more suited to eg;
Different Builds
Different e liquids(desserts)
Different restriction of the draw

Reason i ask is on certain rtas (which i cannot understand why people love so much) people build very low and seem to love the profiles of desserts and tabacco flavour were i am mainly fruity and methols so the tank just doesn’t work for me.

I find the airflows are suited to certain builds and no matter how much i try i just doesn’t cut it for me.

Good question @jm10! And yes you are right... I call them lemons if they leak, or are difficult to build or most important don't perform with Menthols! And my pet hate is juice flow control.

 

[Jean claude Vaaldamme]

Ok so lets begin. I know nothing about HE stuff, can only comment on what I see and read here. Most things in life can be explained by psychology, or just plain logic and common sense.

Now lets leave vaping first. From school to the old age home you will always get different people. Remember the kid that always bought the most expensive tennis racket, but it did not improve his game? Or your friend that bought the most expensive golf set?
Does a t-shirt with a little crocodile on it, feel better than a spiderman t-shirt?
Most things in life you get two types of people, those who buy something as a tool and those who buy for the image. Who is right? Nobody. Thats whats so nice about life, we are all different.

So as I am a tool guy, this is my perspective.
Lets start at all that mods on the photo. Dont know what they called or what they cost. But I guess they expensive. So the question is, can any of them do anything that a 1-2k mod cant do? If not, then its an image thing, and like I said nothing wrong with image, just dont proclaim its better without any proof.

So next question. Will you put a Zues/ Intake/ etc etc on any of those mods and walk in public with it, take photos and post it here? Me personally think it will just look stupid if you put a Zeus with bubble tank on one of those white shiny mods. Will be like putting a roofrack on a Ferrari. Does it make the Zues bad?

You mention praticality and ease of use of the dvarw. I guess some of those tall rta's in the picture is dvarw's? So as a tool guy, they seem to me a bit top heavy and have big glass tanks that can break easy if they fall over. So if practicality and ease of use is the main factors, surely you should put some of those rubberband glass protectors on the tanks when you go out with them. But I think that will ruin their image

En laaste maar nie die minste. Here I might be wrong. Most fruity menthols I tasted was a strong flavour and in something like a Wasp or recurve rda its almost a bit overpowering. So if people say specific attys(HE or cheap) are for fruity menthols. For me it says that atty has not the best flavour and mute the fruity menthol a bit.

 

[Silver]

This topic is interesting

I was skeptical of so called high end RTAs. At the time i was happy with my Subtank Mini and my Lemo1 which are not high end. And a few others.

Then i got the Skyline. Highly regarded when it came out. Took me a bit of time to get the correct airflow setup but i can say that for me the flavour on my fruity menthols that the Skyline produces is better for a slightly restricted lung hit draw. Its crisper and purer. Very flavoirful. Havent had that kind of flavour on my other "less expensive" tanks. I love this tank.

Does that mean the Skyline is better than all tanks? I dont know, i havent tried them all but it works for me and its very good. And despite the drawbacks of the limited tank capacity and the extra steps one has to do when refilling (closing juice flow and taking off the ring) i still use it daily for the amazing flavour I get. I also have a vape band around it to protect the glass.

The Dvarw is similar for me, maybe just one notch lower in crispness of flavour. Its a bit juicier. So some will prefer that more. But what makes the Dvarw better is the larger tank capacity and the simpler fill procedure. It doesnt have a glass tank, its a plastic of sorts so i havent put a band on it.

I will continue to occasionally get a more expensive device when funds allow. Not often i can afford it or justify the extra cost but thats just me. I dont take photos of these tanks to look cool in front of others. Thats not the issue for me. Its more about experiencing the new device and seeking a better vape experience. If it vapes nicely and has outstanding flavour then i am happy.

 

[Silver]

Rob would you say they are lemons or are they more suited to eg;
Different Builds
Different e liquids(desserts)
Different restriction of the draw

Reason i ask is on certain rtas (which i cannot understand why people love so much) people build very low and seem to love the profiles of desserts and tabacco flavour were i am mainly fruity and methols so the tank just doesn’t work for me.

I find the airflows are suited to certain builds and no matter how much i try i just doesn’t cut it for me.

This is interesting @jm10
I am thinking that some atties are better suited to different juice profiles. Thats what Ive observed for myself over the years.

Probably depends on several factors, coils it can accommodate and airflow to name a few - as you have touched on.
Then theres personal preference too

i suppose RTAs need another segmentation. Those that have a "sweet spot" for bigger coils with more power and airflow and those that excel with tamer builds and more restricted airflow. So the preferred juice profile will probably depend on this - and then again its up to personal preference as well.

 

[Rob Fisher]

@Jean claude Vaaldamme you really need to try a Dvarw DL sometime.

 

[jm10]

Good question @jm10! And yes you are right... I call them lemons if they leak, or are difficult to build or most important don't perform with Menthols! And my pet hate is juice flow control.

Ok that makes perfect sense, i was totally on the wrong train of thought

 

[Alex]

In my admittedly very limited experience with HE devices, when it comes down to fruity menthols, an unbeatable combination for me is the “nuppin” on a Reo. It works so well for me with Xxx that I have two identical setups.

Unfortunately though, it doesn’t work well with tobacco’s. For that I have the mighty Zeus.

 

[jm10]

This is interesting @jm10
I am thinking that some atties are better suited to different juice profiles. Thats what Ive observed for myself over the years.

Probably depends on several factors, coils it can accommodate and airflow to name a few - as you have touched on.
Then theres personal preference too

i suppose RTAs need another segmentation. Those that have a "sweet spot" for bigger coils with more power and airflow and those that excel with tamer builds and more restricted airflow. So the preferred juice profile will probably depend on this - and then again its up to personal preference as well.

You are right on the mark @Silver,

Im more in the lower wattage/fruity ice/long inhale vapor so these dual coil 90w rtas just dont work for me.

But thats why I’m drawn more to the HE atties as they are more focused on single coil builds, and we have @Rob Fisher to test them so we can save our moola

 

[Silver]

Im more in the lower wattage/fruity ice/long inhale

Ditto there

And I agree we are lucky to have @Rob Fisher who shares all his experiences with these RTAs
If it wasnt for him there is no way I would have sought out and purchased the Skyline or Dvarw...
Chatting to him and seeing what works for him has helped me hugely to narrow down what might work for me.
So now I have these two and am very happy with them. Big thanks to Skipper Mr Fisher for this discovery

 

[Jean claude Vaaldamme]

@Jean claude Vaaldamme you really need to try a Dvarw DL sometime.

Im sure its great, but not for me. I found my happy place with a squonker, got a decent size tank/bottle, with great flavour of and rda. Even extended 2ml with the Vapefly rdta.

Like I said everyone have different taste/needs. For me its just a tool to replace my ciggies. I never smoked camels because the box was cool or everyone will see I smoke the most expensive stuff. Also not the cheapest stuff, just something that tasted good for me.
For me a vape mod and atty must just do its job, not break, leak and I dont want to care if its going to get a scratch etc. And for that it must be as small as possible. I think if I really wanted a HE divice, I will get the billet box, for its size.
Someone posted the other day a mod they won in a competition I think. It had this long/tall atty. Think you can put something to drink also in the atty. But man it looked ridiculous. Looked like this long tottie coming out the mod. And some of these tall HE atty's looks the same for me. Maybe if its in a women's hand/lips, it wil look sexy. I personally will give it a skip/ as I will skip a tube mech also

 

[Rob Fisher]

Im sure its great, but not for me.

And as long as you are happy that is all that counts.

 

[Resistance]

Any flavour ,anytime and any build.
I have tanks,tried a zues,tried a Dvarw but nothing comes close to this setup.
Yet there are other mods I think is better but this is still the best setup I owned. It was dropped many times. Died on me many times,fell in the sand,wet concrete,sawdust and juice spills and water, but I always manage to fix it. The other one I own is still broken though.
So tanks I rate okay'ish. I use them occasionally but really still not my thing.
The dvarw maybe I tried it on the wrong day and to short of a period of time.
Or maybe I'm just a squonker or maybe the tohbino is just what does it with SS coils.
For mods I like wooden mods. My opinion on mods would differ vastly from my opinion on tanks and I'm not saying I don't use them or wouldn't use them or I am writing them off,maybe there is a mod and tank setup for me somewhere in this universe. And maybe I might find it one day .
That said I love to squonk and would migrate that way. It's just the perfect setup for me.
The most versatile vape for me.

 

[jm10]

Im sure its great, but not for me. I found my happy place with a squonker, got a decent size tank/bottle, with great flavour of and rda. Even extended 2ml with the Vapefly rdta.

Like I said everyone have different taste/needs. For me its just a tool to replace my ciggies. I never smoked camels because the box was cool or everyone will see I smoke the most expensive stuff. Also not the cheapest stuff, just something that tasted good for me.
For me a vape mod and atty must just do its job, not break, leak and I dont want to care if its going to get a scratch etc. And for that it must be as small as possible. I think if I really wanted a HE divice, I will get the billet box, for its size.
Someone posted the other day a mod they won in a competition I think. It had this long/tall atty. Think you can put something to drink also in the atty. But man it looked ridiculous. Looked like this long tottie coming out the mod. And some of these tall HE atty's looks the same for me. Maybe if its in a women's hand/lips, it wil look sexy. I personally will give it a skip/ as I will skip a tube mech also

Personally think HE Rtas look far better then the normal rtas around.

They are also designed specifically for maximizing flavour so thats why some look tall but it all serves a purpose.

The palate is also a funny thing and some things work for others that may not work for you. I mainly use rdas these days but the only reason is, i cannot for the life of it, wick my Dvarw properly, i have tried a billion times but i cant come close to Robs flavour(same coils/cotton/method).

Last thing is that this has become a hobby for allot of us, so we want HE because its a little more special and we chase the ultimate flavour.

 

[Silver]

Agreed @jm10. The quest for more flavour never ends. I could quite easily continue with the gear I have but every now and then I get an itch to get something else and try improve the experience. Doesn't often work out but the quest is what is addictive

Side note - we got to get your Dvarw wicked correctly @jm10. If I can do it then you certainly can!

 

[Resistance]

My wife still uses a coil art mage and refuses to change.
And I was impressed by the Smoant Naboo sub ohm tank that came with the kit.
Maybe you should send me your Dvarw @jm10 maybe I can experiment for you a little and also test it some more

 

[jm10]

Agreed @jm10. The quest for more flavour never ends. I could quite easily continue with the gear I have but every now and then I get an itch to get something else and try improve the experience. Doesn't often work out but the quest is what is addictive

Side note - we got to get your Dvarw wicked correctly @jm10. If I can do it then you certainly can!

You hit the nail on the head again @Silver

I have nightmares about the itch I’m like a kid in candy store sometimes, it also doesn’t help that i have no self control. But i wouldn’t change this journey for anything, finding that little edge in flavour brings so much joy.

After this holidays I’m going to go stand outside Robs gate like little Oliver twist but instead of saying “please Sir may i have some more”, i will say please Sir wick my Dvarw

 

[Rob Fisher]

You hit the nail on the head again @Silver

I have nightmares about the itch I’m like a kid in candy store sometimes, it also doesn’t help that i have no self control. But i wouldn’t change this journey for anything, finding that little edge in flavour brings so much joy.

After this holidays I’m going to go stand outside Robs gate like little Oliver twist but instead of saying “please Sir may i have some more”, i will say please Sir wick my Dvarw

Pull in @jm10! We will sort it out for you in a jiffy! A Coil Company Alien, some Mavaton Cotton and a fresh bottle of Red Pill! Bazinga!

 

[jm10]

Pull in @jm10! We will sort it out for you in a jiffy! A Coil Company Alien, some Mavaton Cotton and a fresh bottle of Red Pill! Bazinga!

Ill Add a plate of ribs at the spot and it sounds like a perfect day

 

[Brommer]

In the end you can’t miss what you haven’t experienced. Thats also where FOMO comes in. Fear of missing out.

There are alot of overhyped attys out there. Thats why research is so important. Also gaining knowledge on the structural components of an RTA/RDA to know if it could be worth the bucks.

I have met a couple of guys who said the Dvarw is overrated... until they try mine... their reactions normally is to know where they can buy it.

 

[tool]

Call it High End, I call it quality. There were times I had about 20 combos in use, cheap stuff, not so cheap stuff, whatever, stuff went and new stuff came. All of them direct to lung devices. Then, I realised that I'm a M2L guy, and I searched up and down, tried different M2L squonk atties, tried different tanks, and they were all ok, but not more than ok. They all had some niggles, in terms of build quality, in terms of flavor, in terms of noise (oh, I hate noise).
So, I said to myself: try a Flash e Vapor, €145 (about 2400 ZAR). A fekkin' lot of money, but hey... I built it, wicked it, filled it, vaped it and immediately ordered a second one. This atty convinced me by the first draw. Best thing I ever vaped, 'cause it hit my style of vaping so perfect. Same thing as the Dvarw is for @Rob Fisher.
Now I have five of them, Atty mission completed.

Next: the mod. I was a mech squonker, Reos, CCs, like that. Reos as beaters, CCs as quality devices. The touch, the look, the feel and the performance were much different to not so HE (Quality!) stuff. So I had my FeVs and my Picos, it didn't feel right, although the performance of the Pico is darn good. I looked out and found: Dicodes Dani V3 tube, €229 (3794 ZAR)... Not even close to a Solar Storm, you know (sorry @Rob Fisher, no offense, I like these...). Put a FeV on it, configuered it for Temperature Control, and boom. Ordered a second one, the Dani Mini Box.
Pure quality, TC is perfekt, the look, the feel, the build quality, not compareable to my Picos or to anything else in the market (that you can buy in a shop and not on Facebook lists or so. I dont like that. I like Hellfire, but buying that stuff is like pita...). I realise a difference in the vape by switching from Pico to Dani, the TC on Dicodes Mods is just perfect. Simple as that. The vape is smooth, dry, cool and just right for me.
Mod mission completed.

So, I have found something called High End for me, while I was searching for quality. Of the devices, and of the vape. I found it. Funny thing: I live in Germany, home of Dicodes and FeV, so it could have saved me a shitload of money buying these devices much earlier in my vaping career...

And, @Jean claude Vaaldamme: they are a tool for me, too. Nothing else. They will scratch, they will earn their marks and dings, but a good tool, one of high quality, won't care about that. It will just work like on day one, whatever you throw at it. That's the purpose of a good tool. Cheap tools will crack.
I don't need much gear, a have all I need now, and my now used and as long as they take me devices cost a fraction of the stuff in summary I bought before.

Same with knives, I have some cheapo Ganzos, they start to wobble, need a lot of maintenance, cut for two days and need to be sharpened again, and then there are my two Sebenzas: they just work. No wobbling, low maintenance, they hold the edge for a long time, they just work. And yes, they are expensive, but worth each and every penny.

High End is not about money or prestige (well, for some it is, but why not). It's about quality.

On the other hand: not everything, that claims to be High End, is High End. One has to do some research, read the forums, think about hype and so on. And at least: try.

 

[Silver]

Ill Add a plate of ribs at the spot and it sounds like a perfect day

Dont forget the chips!!!!
And a good photo

 

[jm10]

Dont forget the chips!!!!
And a good photo

Definitely cant forget the chips
I promise this time i will remember the pics

 

[Silver]

Call it High End, I call it quality. There were times I had about 20 combos in use, cheap stuff, not so cheap stuff, whatever, stuff went and new stuff came. All of them direct to lung devices. Then, I realised that I'm a M2L guy, and I searched up and down, tried different M2L squonk atties, tried different tanks, and they were all ok, but not more than ok. They all had some niggles, in terms of build quality, in terms of flavor, in terms of noise (oh, I hate noise).
So, I said to myself: try a Flash e Vapor, €145 (about 2400 ZAR). A fekkin' lot of money, but hey... I built it, wicked it, filled it, vaped it and immediately ordered a second one. This atty convinced me by the first draw. Best thing I ever vaped, 'cause it hit my style of vaping so perfect. Same thing as the Dvarw is for @Rob Fisher.
Now I have five of them, Atty mission completed.

Next: the mod. I was a mech squonker, Reos, CCs, like that. Reos as beaters, CCs as quality devices. The touch, the look, the feel and the performance were much different to not so HE (Quality!) stuff. So I had my FeVs and my Picos, it didn't feel right, although the performance of the Pico is darn good. I looked out and found: Dicodes Dani V3 tube, €229 (3794 ZAR)... Not even close to a Solar Storm, you know (sorry @Rob Fisher, no offense, I like these...). Put a FeV on it, configuered it for Temperature Control, and boom. Ordered a second one, the Dani Mini Box.
Pure quality, TC is perfekt, the look, the feel, the build quality, not compareable to my Picos or to anything else in the market (that you can buy in a shop and not on Facebook lists or so. I dont like that. I like Hellfire, but buying that stuff is like pita...). I realise a difference in the vape by switching from Pico to Dani, the TC on Dicodes Mods is just perfect. Simple as that. The vape is smooth, dry, cool and just right for me.
Mod mission completed.

So, I have found something called High End for me, while I was searching for quality. Of the devices, and of the vape. I found it. Funny thing: I live in Germany, home of Dicodes and FeV, so it could have saved me a shitload of money buying these devices much earlier in my vaping career...

And, @Jean claude Vaaldamme: they are a tool for me, too. Nothing else. They will scratch, they will earn their marks and dings, but a good tool, one of high quality, won't care about that. It will just work like on day one, whatever you throw at it. That's the purpose of a good tool. Cheap tools will crack.
I don't need much gear, a have all I need now, and my now used and as long as they take me devices cost a fraction of the stuff in summary I bought before.

Same with knives, I have some cheapo Ganzos, they start to wobble, need a lot of maintenance, cut for two days and need to be sharpened again, and then there are my two Sebenzas: they just work. No wobbling, low maintenance, they hold the edge for a long time, they just work. And yes, they are expensive, but worth each and every penny.

High End is not about money or prestige (well, for some it is, but why not). It's about quality.

On the other hand: not everything, that claims to be High End, is High End. One has to do some research, read the forums, think about hype and so on. And at least: try.

Loved that post @tool
Appreciate you sharing that - so interesting

Its great to have a quality device that works exactly the way you want and continues doing so reliably for a long time.

PS - Now I am interested in the FeV for MTL. I am still chasing a "perfect" MTL tank.