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Orion II by LVE (formerly Lost Vape) - Initial Thoughts - Is it a POD - is it an AIO ?
I received an LVE Orion II (FOC) for testing yesterday from the legendary Rob @ Stealthvape.
To be honest POD kits etc are starting to grate on me a little (not that this is really a traditional POD kit at all) - don’t get me wrong, the Caliburn etc are great devices .. especially the Caliburn AK2 - however, they have now bought out an AK3 .. and you guessed it - it takes a different POD shape, and this - the constant need to buy a new type of Pod or coil, i’m finding annoying, possibly because I come from a re-buildables background - and am not a huge fan of stock coils in the first place - it always seems geared towards locking people in, especially when they start altering the shapes and not making use of backwards compatibility.
Anyway .. enough of my opinions - presumably you here to find out my thoughts on the Orion II, I will start out by being totally honest, Rob asked if we wanted to stock them, and I was “meh - not sure, we don’t sell a lot of hardware anyway, and as per the above - I’m becoming a little fatigued with POD system manufacturers and their lack of backwards compatibility” - To which he said, no no - this isn’t like that, Ill send you one to try, you will open it and love it.
Turns out …. He was right. At least in the first instance
This is most defo no cheap POD system, from the very minute you see the box - the whole thing screams quality. The front of the box has a frankly unnecessary moving holographic image on the front that is nonetheless as cool as a cucumber, and the inside of the box and layout etc absolutely says that someone has put some real time and love into the development and overall finish of this product. It has an almost “Apple” feel about it - if Apple were less minimalist.
In the Kit you get a The Orion II itself with a POD/Tank attached, two coils (0.4 Orion II Coils - for DTL - so if you are an MTL Vaper like me , you are also going to need to get a pack of 0.8 MTL Orion II coils), a spare “tank/POD” I have not made my mind up yet wether its more tank or POD, a USB-2 charging cable (YAY!) an instruction manual, a Welcome Card about LVE and a small rubber sucker to remove the interchangeable panel covers.
The device itself is capable of both DTL and MTL - this in the past has traditionally been a massive warning flag for me - it used to be devices that did both were generally rubbish at MTL (In my experience) - that has been changing recently - and this is a great example of something more than capable of both - and without the added annoyance of airflow pins etc.
The power range is 5w - 40w - more than enough for most, and it sports a huge 1500mHa Internal battery .. nearly 3 times that of most cheap POD systems. The Orion II has a reassuring weighty feel and feels extremely solid, not at all plasticy or cheap feeling. Mine is a Gold Frame with the “Purple Heart” wood panels - and Rob kindly sent me some different coloured panels - which I have changed for a lighter browner wood. The whole thing just screams of something that two or three years ago would cost in excess of £100 - but this weighs in at £49.99 … and from the minute you first hold it - you know its going to outlast any £20 Pod system.
I am no DTL Vaper - so have not tried the 0.4Ohm Coils … Though I will at some point, but the 0.8Ohm have a great flavour reproduction at both its recommended 12watts (which it automatically switches to on MTL coil insertion - all the way unto a heady 15watts! and with the airflow dialled down it is actually a really nice MTL experience - at least for my preferences.
The board in the device as mentioned above auto senses the coil type and adjusts the wattage accordingly, you are of course then free to adjust it yourself after for your preferences.
Feel wise - the device as a nice heft to it for its size, which adds to the feeling of quality has a small TFT screen with all the relevant information a USB 2 charging port and Up and down buttons. Various button combinations will do different things such as locking the power etc .. and five quick fire presses will turn the device on and off.
The different finished panels made from either different forms of carbon or responsibly sourced exotic woods are a very nice touch, not normally something that bothers me .. I have three different wood types on my desk and cant make up my mind which I like most.
The top fill without having to remove the POD/Tank is very nice and handy and the juice level is very clearly visible - despite the smoked finish to the POD/Tank.
The Airflow ring is easy to use to dial to your preferred airflow - and sits very nicely in the lines of the device.
Removal of the POD/Tank is via a sliding switch which locks it into place - thereby avoiding the reach into pocket and pull the POD off the top of the mod common in cheap Pod systems.
After a day of use - I have had no condensation issues - and still have plenty of battery left - and I didn’t even charge it out the box.
The Coil to main body connection is kind of - separate to the top of the mod itself - and Although I cannot confirm this - looks to be designed to contain any leaks (which I doubt you will have) from the rest of the device.
Putting the POD/Tank back into place come with a satisfying and reassuringly solid click … no lost tanks here.
All in all after one day of use - I am I have to say impressed with the device .. I would probably like another!
However time is the biggest test - and I will keep this Blog Post updated with anything I find.
Also : There are whispers of a rebuildable bridge - if that did happen, and it was good for MTL and DTL - it would make this device a Solid contender to appeal to almost ANY Vaper. I hope it does, it would set an already great device in this price bracket way ahead of the competition and more appealing to a much wider array of vapers.
Conclusion : SO far - freaking awesome.
Juices used for testing : Gran Corona (a really clean burning juice) and Dairy Divergent - Caramel Kiss (one a bit more likely to clog up in a stock coil) neither coil is showing any sign of going down yet - which It shouldn’t! Although some pod kits ive tried recently have not faired so well with heavier juices.
Article from : https://manabush.com/blogs/news-events/orion-ii-from-lve-vape-kit-initial-review
I received an LVE Orion II (FOC) for testing yesterday from the legendary Rob @ Stealthvape.
To be honest POD kits etc are starting to grate on me a little (not that this is really a traditional POD kit at all) - don’t get me wrong, the Caliburn etc are great devices .. especially the Caliburn AK2 - however, they have now bought out an AK3 .. and you guessed it - it takes a different POD shape, and this - the constant need to buy a new type of Pod or coil, i’m finding annoying, possibly because I come from a re-buildables background - and am not a huge fan of stock coils in the first place - it always seems geared towards locking people in, especially when they start altering the shapes and not making use of backwards compatibility.
Anyway .. enough of my opinions - presumably you here to find out my thoughts on the Orion II, I will start out by being totally honest, Rob asked if we wanted to stock them, and I was “meh - not sure, we don’t sell a lot of hardware anyway, and as per the above - I’m becoming a little fatigued with POD system manufacturers and their lack of backwards compatibility” - To which he said, no no - this isn’t like that, Ill send you one to try, you will open it and love it.
Turns out …. He was right. At least in the first instance
This is most defo no cheap POD system, from the very minute you see the box - the whole thing screams quality. The front of the box has a frankly unnecessary moving holographic image on the front that is nonetheless as cool as a cucumber, and the inside of the box and layout etc absolutely says that someone has put some real time and love into the development and overall finish of this product. It has an almost “Apple” feel about it - if Apple were less minimalist.
In the Kit you get a The Orion II itself with a POD/Tank attached, two coils (0.4 Orion II Coils - for DTL - so if you are an MTL Vaper like me , you are also going to need to get a pack of 0.8 MTL Orion II coils), a spare “tank/POD” I have not made my mind up yet wether its more tank or POD, a USB-2 charging cable (YAY!) an instruction manual, a Welcome Card about LVE and a small rubber sucker to remove the interchangeable panel covers.
The device itself is capable of both DTL and MTL - this in the past has traditionally been a massive warning flag for me - it used to be devices that did both were generally rubbish at MTL (In my experience) - that has been changing recently - and this is a great example of something more than capable of both - and without the added annoyance of airflow pins etc.
The power range is 5w - 40w - more than enough for most, and it sports a huge 1500mHa Internal battery .. nearly 3 times that of most cheap POD systems. The Orion II has a reassuring weighty feel and feels extremely solid, not at all plasticy or cheap feeling. Mine is a Gold Frame with the “Purple Heart” wood panels - and Rob kindly sent me some different coloured panels - which I have changed for a lighter browner wood. The whole thing just screams of something that two or three years ago would cost in excess of £100 - but this weighs in at £49.99 … and from the minute you first hold it - you know its going to outlast any £20 Pod system.
I am no DTL Vaper - so have not tried the 0.4Ohm Coils … Though I will at some point, but the 0.8Ohm have a great flavour reproduction at both its recommended 12watts (which it automatically switches to on MTL coil insertion - all the way unto a heady 15watts! and with the airflow dialled down it is actually a really nice MTL experience - at least for my preferences.
The board in the device as mentioned above auto senses the coil type and adjusts the wattage accordingly, you are of course then free to adjust it yourself after for your preferences.
Feel wise - the device as a nice heft to it for its size, which adds to the feeling of quality has a small TFT screen with all the relevant information a USB 2 charging port and Up and down buttons. Various button combinations will do different things such as locking the power etc .. and five quick fire presses will turn the device on and off.
The different finished panels made from either different forms of carbon or responsibly sourced exotic woods are a very nice touch, not normally something that bothers me .. I have three different wood types on my desk and cant make up my mind which I like most.
The top fill without having to remove the POD/Tank is very nice and handy and the juice level is very clearly visible - despite the smoked finish to the POD/Tank.
The Airflow ring is easy to use to dial to your preferred airflow - and sits very nicely in the lines of the device.
Removal of the POD/Tank is via a sliding switch which locks it into place - thereby avoiding the reach into pocket and pull the POD off the top of the mod common in cheap Pod systems.
After a day of use - I have had no condensation issues - and still have plenty of battery left - and I didn’t even charge it out the box.
The Coil to main body connection is kind of - separate to the top of the mod itself - and Although I cannot confirm this - looks to be designed to contain any leaks (which I doubt you will have) from the rest of the device.
Putting the POD/Tank back into place come with a satisfying and reassuringly solid click … no lost tanks here.
All in all after one day of use - I am I have to say impressed with the device .. I would probably like another!
However time is the biggest test - and I will keep this Blog Post updated with anything I find.
Also : There are whispers of a rebuildable bridge - if that did happen, and it was good for MTL and DTL - it would make this device a Solid contender to appeal to almost ANY Vaper. I hope it does, it would set an already great device in this price bracket way ahead of the competition and more appealing to a much wider array of vapers.
Conclusion : SO far - freaking awesome.
Juices used for testing : Gran Corona (a really clean burning juice) and Dairy Divergent - Caramel Kiss (one a bit more likely to clog up in a stock coil) neither coil is showing any sign of going down yet - which It shouldn’t! Although some pod kits ive tried recently have not faired so well with heavier juices.
as long as it does what it does such things do not bother me. Escribe is not something im slightly interested in.
