Intro: The age old question is, “Silver Bullet or Omega?” and the age old answer is, “They're both amazing!” So I decided to write this review on two inexpensive mods, both dubbed to be perfect for the new vaper. The Lavatube has gotten a lot of publicity in the vaping world since it came out a few months ago(Buy Lava Tube | Get Lava Tubes | Find LavaTubes Carry Case and Accessories). It is a very affordable variable voltage mod that takes an 18650 high drain battery. It has a small screen in which you can adjust your voltage on the fly, much like a cheap version of the Provari (which is why some people call it the poorvari). In the other corner, we have the primitive, yet effective, Madvapes VV Box with it's traditional unregulated knob-style voltage adjustment that takes two protected 14500 batteries (Variable Voltage Box Mod). Though the design isn't as sturdy as the Lavatube, it's a very good starting point in the big battery mod realm just like the Lavatube. In this review I will be going over the pros and cons of both.
Lavatube Pros
Voltage Change on the Fly: Like I said earlier, they call this the Poorvari because it's got a similar easy method of changing your voltage whenever you want. There are two buttons right under the screen to click the voltage up and down inincrements of 0.1. Furthermore, you can hold down both of these buttons at the same time for a few seconds to lock the voltage inplace. I don't use this function, but I'm sure there's someone out there who would appreciate this. I love being able to change the voltage easily because sometimes I wake up early a bit hungover, andmy throat is a bit sensitive because I drink straight up liquor, sobeing able to back the voltage down to a more tolerable “waking up”vape is something I can appreciate. I can take the voltage down on my Madvapes VV box in the morning, but that means I have to dig outmy voltage reader and my screwdriver and steady my hand to tune theuber-sensitive knob to the voltage I like, then take the voltage reader and the screwdriver with me so I can change the voltage back to where I normally like it later.
EpicBattery Life: Most veteran vapers can tell you that 18650s have great battery life, and sincethis mod comes with a good quality regulator, it's no surprise thismod can easily last a 9 hour work day, and then some. If you do what I did, and get 2 batteries, then battery life will never be an issue. There's also a cool feature that they don't tell you about in the description that I use all the time, and that's the battery check. If you click the red button 7 times in a row, it will show the voltage of the battery itself. When the high drain 18650s are fully charged, the voltage is 4.2, and when they reach a voltage of 3.3,that means they're about to die. Being able to check this on the fly is another awesome convenience. The Madvapes VV Box doesn't last a day of work on a single set of batteries without having my Lavatube in my car as a backup.
KitsAvailable: You can get a Lavatube, an 18650 high drain battery, a universal charger (emphasis on the universalpart, since it works on most other batteries you may buy in the future for vaping), a 3.0ohm 510 atty, and a drip tip for 100 bucks. Good ... deal if you ask me, considering a Silver Bullet alone is 90 bucks. The only reason I'm pointing this out is because the Madvapes VV Box doesn't have this option. (Dear Madvapes.com, get on that.)
LavatubeCons
Too Damn Big: If you stack two 18650 batteries on top of each other, that's about the size of this mod. Its slender, but just too damn long, especially if you put a carto tank on the end. This mod isn't very work friendly, but if you're looking for something to puff on in your car or at home, this is a good option.
OverRegulated: If most of your atties are low resistance, than you're going to have to buy some 3.0 atties. This mod is made to work best at higher resistances, and if you put a low res atty / carto, it claims to drop the voltage down to 3.7v, when in reality it drops it down to 3.1 volts, meaning that you're better off keeping those things on your eGo. The same thing happens when you put a dual coil carto on the Lavatube, it goes by the resistance of one of the coils rather than the combined resistance, so you get that same deep drop in voltage. If you vape this mod at 3.0ohms, though, it performs phenomenally.
Madvapes VV Box Pros
Very Compact: Like every mod you seebeing reviewed on youtube, the camera makes this box look bigger,when in reality, its about 2/3 the size of a pack of cigarettes, and half as wide. If you can keep a pack of cigs in your pocket everyday, then this thing will not only fit like a glove in your pocket, but probably free up some space too. Even if you put a extra set of 14500s in your pocket for backup, they're the same size as AA batteries, and barely take up any space. Putting the Lavatube in your pocket, on the other hand, makes you look like you're daydreaming about things you shouldn't be daydreaming about when you're at work. “Is that a Lavatube in your pocket, or are youjust happy to see me?”
FullRange of Voltage: You can vapefrom 2.9 to 7.0 volts on this device. They say that it goes up to 7.4 volts, but mine doesn't, and I really don't care because my sweet spot is about 5v anyway, give or take. The Lavatube only goes up to 6.0v, FYI, which also doesn't bother me because of what I said in the last sentence. Though I did crank it all the way up one time, took two puffs, and my throat said to me, “Stop it!!!!”
Unregulated: The fact that it doesn't kick the wattage down when you're at too low of a resistance really makes me appreciate Darwinism. I know how to calculate wattage (V^2 / R), and I know not to put it above 15 watts, and if you hurt yourself because you were vaping a 1.3ohm attyat 7.4 volts, then the spirit of Dawin is probably in your room laughing at your dumb .... Long story short, I'm a big boy now, I can calculate my own wattage. The Lavatube fails in this category because its too regulated, which I talked about earlier.
Cheaper: The Lavatube itself sells for 70 bucks, yet this box sells for 35 bucks... Can't elaborate anymore on that category, you get your money's worth, especially if you already own 14500s.
MadvapesVV Box Cons
BatteryLife: I cant tell you how many times I've been at work on my last 15 minute break vaping away when all the sudden, the vapor gets less and less until the box is completely dead. The age old rule is that the bigger the battery,the better the life, and visa verse. Knowing that, if you're going to bring this to work with you, bring either a backup pair of batteries, or another PV so you're not stuck bumming cigarettes. Then again, I'm a moderate vaper, and if you vape less than I do, you might not run into this problem.
Iforgot my voltage: If you're going to buy this thing, I can't recommend to you enough to get a voltage reader, because otherwise you're basically guessing. The Lavatube is cool because you can see your voltage whenever you vape,much like the high-end 200+ dollar mods like the Monkeyboxx or the Provari (I keep praising the Provari, yet I don't own one >.>). The Madvapes VV Box is cheap and you get what you pay for. The voltage is meant to stay in the same spot for a while, which is why this mod is meant for those who have found their sweet spot on the voltage dial. If you want the same quick changing of the Lavatube,you're going to have to carry around a screwdriver and your voltage reader with you. Also, you'd better have a steady hand because the voltage dial is ultra mega uber sensitive.
No kits available: Like Imentioned earlier, you can get the Lavatube in a nice 100 dollar kit with everything you need to get started. The Madvapes VV Box doesn't have that, and I wish they did for Madvape's sake because if the sophomore vapers knew how awesome this mod was, they'd flock to it like ants on a sugarcube. Here's my suggestion, to the website: Make the mod out of solid metal, and sell it in a kit for the same price as the Lavatube.
Andthe winner is...
It's a tie. Sorry to be cliche like Grimm Green's Silver Bullet vs. Omega review, but the truth of the matter is they're both good in their own way. It's all a matter if you prefer epic battery life and easy voltage change or compactness and full range of voltage. I hope this conclusion hasn't been too much of a disappointment for you, and I hope any of you newbie vapers out there who are reading this are happy with your next purchase whatever it may be.
Lavatube Pros
Voltage Change on the Fly: Like I said earlier, they call this the Poorvari because it's got a similar easy method of changing your voltage whenever you want. There are two buttons right under the screen to click the voltage up and down inincrements of 0.1. Furthermore, you can hold down both of these buttons at the same time for a few seconds to lock the voltage inplace. I don't use this function, but I'm sure there's someone out there who would appreciate this. I love being able to change the voltage easily because sometimes I wake up early a bit hungover, andmy throat is a bit sensitive because I drink straight up liquor, sobeing able to back the voltage down to a more tolerable “waking up”vape is something I can appreciate. I can take the voltage down on my Madvapes VV box in the morning, but that means I have to dig outmy voltage reader and my screwdriver and steady my hand to tune theuber-sensitive knob to the voltage I like, then take the voltage reader and the screwdriver with me so I can change the voltage back to where I normally like it later.
EpicBattery Life: Most veteran vapers can tell you that 18650s have great battery life, and sincethis mod comes with a good quality regulator, it's no surprise thismod can easily last a 9 hour work day, and then some. If you do what I did, and get 2 batteries, then battery life will never be an issue. There's also a cool feature that they don't tell you about in the description that I use all the time, and that's the battery check. If you click the red button 7 times in a row, it will show the voltage of the battery itself. When the high drain 18650s are fully charged, the voltage is 4.2, and when they reach a voltage of 3.3,that means they're about to die. Being able to check this on the fly is another awesome convenience. The Madvapes VV Box doesn't last a day of work on a single set of batteries without having my Lavatube in my car as a backup.
KitsAvailable: You can get a Lavatube, an 18650 high drain battery, a universal charger (emphasis on the universalpart, since it works on most other batteries you may buy in the future for vaping), a 3.0ohm 510 atty, and a drip tip for 100 bucks. Good ... deal if you ask me, considering a Silver Bullet alone is 90 bucks. The only reason I'm pointing this out is because the Madvapes VV Box doesn't have this option. (Dear Madvapes.com, get on that.)
LavatubeCons
Too Damn Big: If you stack two 18650 batteries on top of each other, that's about the size of this mod. Its slender, but just too damn long, especially if you put a carto tank on the end. This mod isn't very work friendly, but if you're looking for something to puff on in your car or at home, this is a good option.
OverRegulated: If most of your atties are low resistance, than you're going to have to buy some 3.0 atties. This mod is made to work best at higher resistances, and if you put a low res atty / carto, it claims to drop the voltage down to 3.7v, when in reality it drops it down to 3.1 volts, meaning that you're better off keeping those things on your eGo. The same thing happens when you put a dual coil carto on the Lavatube, it goes by the resistance of one of the coils rather than the combined resistance, so you get that same deep drop in voltage. If you vape this mod at 3.0ohms, though, it performs phenomenally.
Madvapes VV Box Pros
Very Compact: Like every mod you seebeing reviewed on youtube, the camera makes this box look bigger,when in reality, its about 2/3 the size of a pack of cigarettes, and half as wide. If you can keep a pack of cigs in your pocket everyday, then this thing will not only fit like a glove in your pocket, but probably free up some space too. Even if you put a extra set of 14500s in your pocket for backup, they're the same size as AA batteries, and barely take up any space. Putting the Lavatube in your pocket, on the other hand, makes you look like you're daydreaming about things you shouldn't be daydreaming about when you're at work. “Is that a Lavatube in your pocket, or are youjust happy to see me?”
FullRange of Voltage: You can vapefrom 2.9 to 7.0 volts on this device. They say that it goes up to 7.4 volts, but mine doesn't, and I really don't care because my sweet spot is about 5v anyway, give or take. The Lavatube only goes up to 6.0v, FYI, which also doesn't bother me because of what I said in the last sentence. Though I did crank it all the way up one time, took two puffs, and my throat said to me, “Stop it!!!!”
Unregulated: The fact that it doesn't kick the wattage down when you're at too low of a resistance really makes me appreciate Darwinism. I know how to calculate wattage (V^2 / R), and I know not to put it above 15 watts, and if you hurt yourself because you were vaping a 1.3ohm attyat 7.4 volts, then the spirit of Dawin is probably in your room laughing at your dumb .... Long story short, I'm a big boy now, I can calculate my own wattage. The Lavatube fails in this category because its too regulated, which I talked about earlier.
Cheaper: The Lavatube itself sells for 70 bucks, yet this box sells for 35 bucks... Can't elaborate anymore on that category, you get your money's worth, especially if you already own 14500s.
MadvapesVV Box Cons
BatteryLife: I cant tell you how many times I've been at work on my last 15 minute break vaping away when all the sudden, the vapor gets less and less until the box is completely dead. The age old rule is that the bigger the battery,the better the life, and visa verse. Knowing that, if you're going to bring this to work with you, bring either a backup pair of batteries, or another PV so you're not stuck bumming cigarettes. Then again, I'm a moderate vaper, and if you vape less than I do, you might not run into this problem.
Iforgot my voltage: If you're going to buy this thing, I can't recommend to you enough to get a voltage reader, because otherwise you're basically guessing. The Lavatube is cool because you can see your voltage whenever you vape,much like the high-end 200+ dollar mods like the Monkeyboxx or the Provari (I keep praising the Provari, yet I don't own one >.>). The Madvapes VV Box is cheap and you get what you pay for. The voltage is meant to stay in the same spot for a while, which is why this mod is meant for those who have found their sweet spot on the voltage dial. If you want the same quick changing of the Lavatube,you're going to have to carry around a screwdriver and your voltage reader with you. Also, you'd better have a steady hand because the voltage dial is ultra mega uber sensitive.
No kits available: Like Imentioned earlier, you can get the Lavatube in a nice 100 dollar kit with everything you need to get started. The Madvapes VV Box doesn't have that, and I wish they did for Madvape's sake because if the sophomore vapers knew how awesome this mod was, they'd flock to it like ants on a sugarcube. Here's my suggestion, to the website: Make the mod out of solid metal, and sell it in a kit for the same price as the Lavatube.
Andthe winner is...
It's a tie. Sorry to be cliche like Grimm Green's Silver Bullet vs. Omega review, but the truth of the matter is they're both good in their own way. It's all a matter if you prefer epic battery life and easy voltage change or compactness and full range of voltage. I hope this conclusion hasn't been too much of a disappointment for you, and I hope any of you newbie vapers out there who are reading this are happy with your next purchase whatever it may be.
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