Innokin Kroma-A & Zenith kit review by Mjag

Thank you for taking the time to view my review of the Innokin Kroma-A & Zenith kit which was sent to me courtesy of Innokin.

Contents:

  • Kroma A mod with built in 2000mah battery
  • Zenith Tank (1.6ohm coil installed)
  • Extra 0.8 ohm coil
  • Extra drip tip
  • Extra O ring pack
  • INNOKIN Vape Band
  • Micro USB Cable
  • Quick Start Guide

Specs:

  • Mod dimensions: 69.5mm x 47mm x 24mm
  • Zenith tank dimensions: 24mm x 49mm including drip tip minus 510
  • 4ml capacity, 2ml TPD version
  • Variable wattage with TC (SS316, ni200, Ti)
  • Weight of mod, tank and filled with juice 206 grams

Colors Available: black, white

Getting to know the Innokin Kroma-A & Zenith kit

The Zenith atomizer is a collaboration between Phil Busardo, Dimitris Agrafiotis, and Innokin. If you don’t know Phil and Dimitris are popular youtube reviewers and active in vape advocacy. I have a lot of respect for both of them but that won’t cloud my judgement, either it is good or not. I do not believe they had anything to do with the Kroma-A mod but to have a kit you need a mod and they match up nicely.

The kit comes in a nice presentation box, didn’t take a pic of the box, I was just impressed with how it came packaged. Comes with most things you would expect for accessories, the one odd omission for me was no spare glass for the Zenith. The Zenith does have a protective metal shield around glass and the glass is recessed. Still, with a well placed hit I could see it breaking. A spare glass would be nice but I cannot figure a way to open the tank to be able to change the glass anyway so that is a mute point. That means cleaning the tank would involve just swishing some water in there. No real way to take it apart other than the bottom to change the coil.

The kit is nice and compact but not too small and fits comfortably in the hand.

I really do like the angled back, fits perfect in my palm or in my fingers of I want to thumb fire it.

Size is right in line with other small kits, here it is with the Vaptio Wall Crawler on the left and Wake Little Foot on the right to give you a size comparison.

Comes with 2 trip tips which are 510 and really thin. Since the 510 connection protrudes and is thin as well you will have trouble finding other 510 drip tips that fit flush. The 2 included drip tips are the 2 top pics and the 2 bottom pics are of the smallest 510 drip tips in my collection, both are a bit too wide.

Large easy to use twist open fill port.

5 very small air holes and on only 1 side.

The Kroma mod is a sturdy little mod, the buttons are a little loose so there is slight button rattle but it is minor. I partially disassembled the mod, there was one screw that would have been near impossible for me to reinstall with the tools I had on hand so I didn’t press my luck.

Battery is a bit slimmer than an 18650, loose apparently second wrap on the battery made it hard to measure properly. Being 2000mah I am guessing maybe a 16650?

The 510 is of good quality and the plate has an o’ring around the inside which I was unable to get a pic of as I could only see it when prying it up. The screw that I would have to remove then pray I could reinstall was the culprit there.

Here is the best pic I could get is the 510 from inside and there is that pesky screw I alluded to earlier.

Not often I take pics of screws, ok, sometimes when watching skinamax but that is it. I wanted to show these as they are some decent metal screws. Some mods I have taken apart in the past are screws into plastic which I have seen break or strip when taking a fall. These screws are mounted into metal with long threads, makes me feel better about it surviving a fall, I would just worry about the plastic back.

Long screws for the bottom, shorter screws for 510 plate

Overall it is an impressive kit, so much so that it is what I took with me on vacation along with a couple of pods.

Kroma-A mod performance

Using the Kroma mod is a little different than other mods. I will list the button combinations below:

3 clicks of the power button = on/off
Adjust watts or temp up = Hold the + button until it blinks, same for down
Resistance reading, volts and puff # = press + and -
Flip display = press and hold + and - until it flips
Mode select = Hold power and +
Adjust wattage in TC mode = Hold power and - (adjusts in 5 watt increments from 25 to 75 watts)

The Kroma will have you select the mode when a new tank is installed, even if it is the same tank. Use the + and - buttons to cycle through the modes and press the fire button to select.

In power mode not too much to complain about other than ramp up seemed a little slow when using it at higher watts. Seemed pretty accurate all the way up to 75 watts. No preheat option and comparing to my SXmini G class with it’s preheat turned off I got a comparable vape. The G Class still had an edge in ramp up but that should be expected considering the price difference.

In TC mode is where the ramp up was more noticeable for me, found it best if I took a prepuff to get the coil hot even if set at full power of 75 watts. Aside from that TC was pretty good although at times a little cool, some builds required me to raise the temp 10 to 20f. Even when I did raise the temp to points where other mods would give off a bit of a dry hit the Kroma’s dry hit protection was spot on. I did find it best to use with single coil TC builds to compensate for the 75 watt limit. Dual coil builds worked well too but no Alien or double helix triceratop builds, good god people, it is 75 watts we are talking about here.

Zenith tank or how Pbusardo and the VapinGreek like to vape

I have been slowly dipping my toes into the MTL scene. Not my usual cup o tea…clouds bro clouds is my usual obnoxious self, tasty flavorful clouds though. I was skeptical, another reviewer tank and not even a style of vape I usually enjoy. Loaded up the Zenith with the same juice I use for every new tank with the 1.6 ohm coil in place. Now we are talking a coil rated at a whopping 10 to 14 watts, oh no, can I handle that much power? After priming the coil and letting it sit for 10 minutes to let the juice soak in I took my first puff…hmmmm, tasty. Wasn’t at all what I was expecting, I was expecting more of a pod style of vape but this was really tasty. With every consecutive puff I got to thinking wow, now I understand why some prefer MTL. This really threw me for a loop and the main reason I took it with me on vacation, great flavor without blowing obnoxious clouds in public places.

As much as I liked the 1.6 ohm coil the 0.80 ohm suits me even better, a little more open of a draw with maybe a tad less flavor but still great. A little warmer of a vape too at a whopping 17 to 18 watts which is where I liked it. I liked the 0.80 ohm coil so much I actually ordered a pack, should be arriving tomorrow and just in time. I got about 3 weeks on the 0.80 coil and the flavor is beginning to fade. Overall that is decent coil life but if you are vaping like a freight train 2 weeks or less is probably more in line.

The 1.6 coil is much more stingy on juice, I could go all day with just 4ml. The 0.80 not as much, might have to top it off again in a day, just depends on how much you vape.

Battery life

With the Zenith tank can expect 2 days or more with the 1.6 ohm coil, 10 to 14 watts is not going to be a burden for the 2000 mah. This is another reason I took it on vacation with me and it didn’t let me down, only charged it 3 or 4 times in 8 days. I have used it at the full 75 watts here at home, uhhhhhh maybe a few hours at best but that is to be expected. For me I might as well super glue the Zenith to the Kroma, those 2 make for a great combo. I might use the Kroma here and there with a TC tank, it is enjoyable that way and looks good with the Loop RDA on it.

Pros:

  • Contoured design makes it comfortable to hold
  • Great battery life with the Zenith tank or any low wattage tank
  • Very good TC performance
  • Good build quality
  • Great flavor
  • Easy to fill

Cons:

  • No spare glass and no way to replace it anyway, break the glass and you have to buy a new tank
  • Good luck finding a 510 drip tip that doesn’t overhang
  • Buttons have some play to them, will rattle some

Final thoughts

I have to hand it to Phil, Dimitris and Innokin, they have changed my perception of how good MTL can be. Now I am more open to accepting MTL tanks in the future where as I have turned them down in the past. I think the Kroma is a great mod for the Zenith and a pleasure to use. It also adds a decent SS316L TC mode which only falters at being a little on the cold side and ramp up. It still is a decent TC vape though with excellent dry hit protection.

I am seeing this kit for under $50 at vapecrawler: http://www.vapecrawler.com/results/innokin%20kroma%20zenith
I think that is a fair price for a complete kit, just add juice. I did buy a pack of coils for the Zenith so your damn right if I lost it tomorrow I would buy another Zenith tank. I might have to look into the Innokin Ares RTA as well which is another Phil and Dimitris design. They have definitely piqued my interest in MTL but I would still kill em in a cloud comp.

Thank you to Innokin for supplying the Kroma-A & Zenith kit for this review, this really opened my eyes to a new way to vape. You can find more info at there website: https://www.innokin.com/vaporizers/kroma-a%26zenith/

Check out how this stacks up to other tasty gear and meet the Steampugs team of reviewers. Your bound to have a good time and read up on some great products, not so great ones too http://www.steampugs.co.uk/

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Very nice!!!

Did you find yourself having to adjust your nic when changing over? Or were you satisfied with your normal mixes in it?

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I started off with my normal nic and switched to a high mg salt nic but still searching for one that I don’t have to sneak up on to avoid coughing. I mixed up a higher mg nic for my trip, gonna try again higher to see if it is any better but I was satisfied. Any suggestions you may have tried when using DL compared to MTL in regards to nic levels?

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@mjag Nice peek into the guts! I’m shocked @Sprkslfly didn’t mention :wink: So that battery isn’t some kind of LiPO? Coils? For the Ohm rating I have to assume that’s a Kanthal coil. Are there any other options (SS316, Ceramic or RTA decks?) From experience pre-made coils only last a week. Any lifespan notes you can add?

Thanks for the review(!), and have to agree that when remote you need a little stealth pocket rocket with boosted Nic …Vacay or some quiet alone time in the Corporate Restroom. About to buy someone else a new MTL kit and this one checks all the boxes.

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Thank you Bo!

Great catch on the battery and I just found this quote on innokins site: “The Kroma-A has a real internal 2000mAh Li-Po battery with 2amp microUSB quick-charge” so it is a LiPo.

Couldn’t find info on the coils other than what is written on the 1.6 I still have and it says KAL which I assume is Kanthal. I will be getting some new .8 coils today so I will let you know later in the evening if they list the material.

As far as coil life these aren’t the longest lasting for me but there not bad at all. That is a tough question as it all depends on your vaping habits and more importantly juice used. I always use the same juice in reviews for consistency. Nothing scientific, just relaying my experience but I would put these coils in the middle of the pack coil life wise. The 1.6 lasted longer for me but the watts and juice consumption was lower than the .8ohm.

No other options other than the 1.6 or .8 coils, at least for now. Since they also designed the Ares RTA I would think an RTA for the Zenith is unlikely.

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Thanks @mjag, I actually think this is one my mom would enjoy a lot as she vapes MTL. I quit years back on an Innokin Endura, and it was probably the most flavor I have gotten on a MTL pen. The coils were long, and actually used stacked dual coils, which made the flavor really nice. I probably wouldn’t have looked at the Kroma for her, but thanks to you it looks like a good buy. :grinning:

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Thank you Amber and I am sure your Mom will enjoy it, great little kit.

It is funny, I quit with a Innokin SVD, the lightsaber mod :grin: I then moved onto mechs and RDA’s and back to regulated but the SVD got me to quit smoking and I keep it around as a reminder. I haven’t had a Innokin product in awhile so I am glad they still do quality work.

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Great review and a fine looking mod, where is the display though?
Keep up the good work!

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Thank you Cosmic.

I did take some pics of the display but the review is already long as it is, I still should have gotten it in there so thanks for the reminder.

This pic was to show how the display pops up when installing a new tank, 2 pics to show that “Same” is blinking and you can then use the + and - buttons to select your coil and press the fire button to confirm. It is viewable when holding in your right hand with the buttons at your finger tips.

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Hey, quick question…Do you reviewers get to keep all the hardware the vendors send to you or does it have to be sent back? Never thought about that til just now.

Nice review. Keep 'em coming!

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Thank ya man!

Yeah, pretty much most of the reviews you see people get for free, no returning. For the vendors the cost to return items would cost them more than it would be worth anyway. I got started when I won a contest and the vendor asked if I could write a review. I thought sure, I had given my thoughts on new items I bought over the years and was grateful to have won. I am sure a lot of others have the same experience, it is where it starts for a lot of people. I have to admit it can be a chore at times, the time I put it to these reviews would equal out to the same pay scale as an Apple iphone factory worker when you factor in the price of the free item :grin: I will keep on doing it while it is still fun and helps others, I am grateful to have quit smoking due to this great hobby and community.

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Getting vape mail must be pretty exciting. But I imagine at some point it becomes not so exciting given the amount of time required, like you said. And stalking the mailman becomes less frequent. :sunglasses:

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It has lost it’s lustre, my mailman sleeps easier though :grin:

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3mg?

6mg?

It’s been a long while since I’ve used my Nautilus Mini, but the last time I did use it, I needed 8mg to maintain my balance (with only that MTL device to use as a reference).

That’s largely why I was curious what you found you needed after so long at DL. :wink:
I was curious whether (like mods) the technology of MTL advancing, has it affected the nic requirements? Or is it still the old rule of roughly double? (if you need 6mg on DL, then you can expect to need 12mg on MTL atties)

Given the above, and the fact that I haven’t used any recently produced MTL atties, I’m not really able to offer advice.

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Lol! Nah. I’ve seen similar plenty, and besides which, I’ve complimented him on his gut shots before! :wink: (Don’t want him getting a swelled head or something… He knows he takes great pics!)

No… Just the normal factory wrapping style for a plain Jane Chinese LiIon battery (I’ve seen that exact wrap style across several brands of mods with built in batteries.)

EDIT: (after reading mjag’s update)
I’d be shocked if that actually is a LiPo!
That looks like a candidate for teardown brother (once the time comes, assuming you’re not willing to sacrifice it!) LiPo cells are usually stacked (or so I thought)! Need someone with more experience with them to comment though.
/EDIT

Whoever actually makes that particular wrap though, uses it on various sizes, and in everything from generic ‘no-name’ mods (as far back as 2014) up through current generation Eleaf, and other major brands. So they seem to be half decent. It just always sucks that they’re not user replaceable. Because I’ve seen a few mods where all they needed was a new battery, and they would’ve been good to go. But the price (labor) of replacing a battery like these renders them disposable. :cry: And I hate that.

Part of what made me so overjoyed with the release of the Eleaf Pico, was that it should have rendered the use of the disposable shit like the Istick 40/50/60 etc null and void. IMO, those are premature landfill products (if/when they only die from a rechargeable battery that’s been exhausted naturally). Of course, that’s nothing to do with the ones that “die” from ham-fisted button MASHERS though, or premature death from cheap ass, low quality buttons.

The most frequent cause of perma-death of a mod, is eliquid getting down inside (be it user error, or shitty atty design).

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I have been slowly reducing my nice over the years, I am now down to 1.5mg but for the trip I upped it to 3mg and brought along some salt nic juice for the pods at 25mg. That 25mg is a real kick in the short hairs if I forget to MTL and take it straight to the lungs. Think I might try 6mg in a 60/40 blend for pods and MTL tanks, that might work good or suck but worth a shot.

Oh yeah, definitely when it has run it’s course I will send it to the mod morgue for an exam :+1:

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Nice review @mjag, glad to see more mtl reviews.

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awesome stuff brother, excellent tear down pics again, you’re knocking it out of the park man :wink::ok_hand:

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Thank you @SessionDrummer and @Steampugs!

If I remember correctly @anon45050679 has the Ares RTA, I am hoping he reviews it as I have heard good things.

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He does, I sent it to him :wink:

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