I have an eVic Classic, e-Vic Supreme and a ZNA. I think a quick review of all three devices is worth it. While its about the +15W device category, I include the classic as it is the legacy of the Supreme and the differences are worth noting, and I own all three devices. These are also DC-DC devices. I am not a fan of PWM power control - I actually think I can feel and taste the difference.
Note: For fair comparison in this shot, my ZNA is using the gold 18650 tube. With the 18490 tube, its even shorter, blowing the e-Vic Classic out of the water. Important for stealth vaping and portability.
e-Vic:
The e-Vic line is the most gadgety of the China APVs. Lots of displays and fine control over the vaping experience with micro-USB and software to collect data and configure the device. Brilliant design if you're into that, but can also be a barrier to those who are not gadget freaks. My experience is both, sometimes I just want the device to "get out of my way" and let me vape - the software firing delay is my biggest annoyance. When I want to vape, I WANT TO VAPE, not think about it and vape. This is an addiction and there is no time for delay (grin). Both devices have screen brightness issues. I prefer the e-Vic classic brightness to the Supreme, but both are poorly lit.
You can't beat the price on the e-Vic line for features packed into it.
e-Vic Classic
Pros:
Reasonable size tubular APV
Accurate
East to maintain
Good battery management
Fits in a coat pocket easily
Micro-USB Charging
Cons:
Lightweight build quality (cheap)
Not very rugged
Screen is not bright enough in sunlight
Control ring is awkward to use one handed
Beauty ring is slightly too high and not adjustable, some tanks don't fit or make contact with the 510 connection. Take beauty ring off to fix, but looks horrible
10W or below - even 15W would have made this device better as I vape between 7W and 13W.
Black tube is an upgrade
e-Vic Supreme
Pros:
More rugged than the e-Vic Classic
Available in black or stainless out of the box
Improved 360 travel control ring (better than e-Vic Classic)
Replaceable 510 connection
Overall more stylish than the e-Vic Classic
30W with good battery management
Micro-USB Charging
Cons:
Very tall (my youngest asked mum why daddy was smoking a lightsaber)
Brightness of screen is WORSE than the e-Vic Classic, impossible to read in sunlight
Sharp metal finishes makes it uncomfortable sometimes
USB cover gets lost easily (lost mine the first day)
Loading your own vanity picture strikes me as totally ghey. YMMV. Should have spent that design time fixing the screen brightness.
Not easily transported in a pocket
House of Hybrids ZNA
Pros:
Shortest tube 30W APV
Built like a tank out of billet stainless steel
Tube options galore
North American made (support our industries!)
Unique and stylish design unlike no other
Firing button is easy to find and a pleasure to use
Feels good in the hand/insanely ergonomic for a tube APV
Physically bombproof - I've dropped this onto concrete multiple times with no damage (not recommended as a testing regime)
Simple/stupid 3 button device that I don't need a computer science degree to operate
Smash full on power the moment you hit the fire button (take that e-Vic!) I WANT MY VAPE AND I WANT IT NOW. Thanks Zen.
Cons:
Buggy DNA-30 boards (battery life indicator problems, disappearing ohm symbol, locking/unlocking sometimes hard to do)
Expensive
Poor battery management (DNA-30) compared to e-Vic
Classic 510 connection is poorly designed and you have to spend $40 to get it right if you bought early on. More on this...
Upgrade tube fitment has been an issue for me
Inconsistent advice on battery (nipple vs flat) - both work for me, others flat tops don't so inconsistent design/assembly or advice
Lottery style availability from his online sales channel
No Micro-USB Charging
More on my HOH/ZNA Gripes
My biggest pet-peeve is when I watch Zen on YouTube go on about quality and service and then to have to pay for an upgraded 510 connection in order to get proper fitment in a device of this cost. This is completely contradictory to his made in North America, customer number 1 message. $40 is a money grab and makes me sad. My device is even serialized. For a $300 device, I should be able to register it on his website and have a free fix sent to me without me even asking. If this was a $100 device I would not complain. It impacts my desire to buy his next upcoming device.
As everyone knows getting this device is like playing the lottery - there should be a queue to service sales so people have a predictable opportunity to acquire this device. This is poor customer service in another form - like IKEA in the sense that they are marketing an inconvenience as a virtue. This is NOT a mass market device, it is largely a handmade (even with CNC machining) boutique device that only HOH fans or APV collectors will desire and will seek out. Given the production constraints this keeps the price high by restricting availability. I'm fine with this if they're upfront about that but they are not. And like I said, I only complain because the cost of the device warrants better customer service. Outside of that, stellar device.
I am planning to document my 510 connect and DNA30 issues in more detail and hopefully I can ship back the device to ZEN and HOH and get a properly working one. But its my go-to APV and to be without it would suck, so I just live with it for now.
