These words are mine, they don’t reflect those of a sane person and they certainly do not represent the opinion held by POTV...if POTV held any views about the Subzero RDA from Sub Ohm Innovations.
The atty was purchased with my own money for the purposes of blowing chunky clouds in front of the television, pissing off my wife and impressing small children.
The atty was purchased with my own money for the purposes of blowing chunky clouds in front of the television, pissing off my wife and impressing small children.
Atomiser: Subzero RDA from Sub Ohm Innovations
From: CustomVapes
Cost: £49.99
Webpage: https://www.custom-vapes.co.uk/product/subzero-competition-rda-by-sub-ohm-innovations/
The greatness of something is often not measured in things achieved but in mistakes made. I bought a Forge V2 by Masterpiece Custom Vapes this week. I wanted to review the RDA because I love a bit of MCV. I wanted to but I couldn’t for as good as the atomiser is, and it is good, there was so much MCV got wrong.
The Forge arrived dripping in oil and had black oil residue baked onto the drip well base. There were no spares, no packaging beyond bubble wrap and piss-all response from the maker when I wrote politely to him asking how this was worth £80-odd. But this is not a review about The Forge V2.
This is a review about the Subzero RDA from Sub Ohm Innovations.
Wrong. This is a review about the Subzero COMPETITION RDA from Sub Ohm Innovations. Custom Vapes UK had a pre-order listed for a while and I held off. I hesitated because I don’t do pre-orders any longer; I wanted to see a review or two first. Also, I hung back because the whole “competition” thing brings me out in hives. Like being asked if you enjoyed your meal, indicators on most cars and the “Pro Series” label on mech mods – why bother calling something, anything, a competition device? It’s pointless. It’s a dripper.
For sure, there are people who take part in competitions but I’ve never understood it. Competition is limited to football matches; everything else in life is a hobby because if it wasn’t I’d be a pro-series competition-level wanker.
Shut up, I know what you’re thinking.
And you’re also thinking that there are no reviews of it and I have one so something has gone wrong with my plan. Truth: I’m full of shit and prone to flights of fancy. Following my disappointment with the Forge, CVUK posted on Facebook that the Subzero RDA comes with a “shitload of spares”.
That was enough. RDA bought and then somehow RDA bought a second time. PayPal took two lumps of cash that was instantly returned when I got in touch with Absy. No fuss, just friendly efficiency. He didn’t even take the piss out of me for being so crap I can’t even order from websites without cocking up.
One day later and the Subzero is here.
The excellent box has two layers, the RDA sits snugly in the top level, underneath is a bag of spare O-rings, two pairs of Allen keys, a drip tip adaptor so you can use normal 510 tips, two spare post screws, two blanking screws for the air holes and a U-bar to encourage the atty apart if hands don’t work.
On that alone I’d say the whole package is class leading. But all of this is as useful as the press complaints commission if the vape sucks balls.
*It doesn’t suck balls.
The base is pushed through from the top of the body. The bottom of the body contains cut outs so that it can be rotated to adjust the airflow and (if out and about) totally close them off.
This has an added benefit in that the body remains fixed on the base when removing the cap/drip tip to refill – like the Aeolus V2, it’s an RDA feature that I love. Also, given the ridiculous lengths of some 510 pins, it's nice that there's a fixed protruding one on this so it can be used safely with hybrid mods.
The design of the airflow means that although it looks a tall atomiser the actual space between coil and cap is very small. For a cloud atty there’s a stunning level of flavour produced. This double .5mm 5-wrap is my stock build and usually produces spitting – I’ve experienced no hot juice flying up which I put down to the slanted underside of the drip cap. Airflow is phenomenal.
A further reason I didn’t leap on this to begin with was the twin post deck. I’ve grown to love the ease of four post T-decks but then the undercoil airflow limits space here. I did find it easier to build on this than most twins because of the quality of the fixings used but it remains the one feature I’d like to see designed out.
Sometimes you have to hunt for reasons to justify a purchase, no need with the Subzero RDA because I’m totally smitten. This is a stonking RDA no matter how you look at it: airflow, clouds, flavour, machining, spares...and then support should you need it from a top class vendor/agent CustomVapes plus SOI themselves. I’ve become a massive fan of Sub Ohm Innovations, there’s a Sub Zero mod sitting on my desk too – I’m giving serious consideration to getting the short switch version as well.
Because this is where the word “competition” can be used: for what you get, SOI’s products are seriously competitively priced. £150 would buy you an Overdose or a mid-range Limitless – or a Sub Zero mod AND atty.
