What’s up vapers!
SirRisc here with another gear review!
The ETAlien X2 was sourced by the lovely lady nicknamed Doris from FocalEcig!
Thank you, Doris! You’re a star!
Premise.
Before I go into the review, I will clear something up.
I know a lot of you don’t like the way this mod looks, and I’m perfectly fine with that.
Before you go off on a rant about the looks of the device or the fact that it’s not an original design, or that it’s an insult to the art of H.R. Giger, or whatever you’re thinking of ranting about, consider this:
Some of us appreciate an alternative design. In fact the entire market of high end mods is partially based on having something different.
And while this may not be your cup of tea, it will be for some others. Respect that.
I like the way the mod looks, and I like it well enough to review it. As such, I will.
With that out of the way, let’s see how it does!
Specifications.
- Stainless steel and zinc alloy body
- H.R. Giger inspired design
- 80W maximum power output
- Temperature control for Ni200, Ti01, NiChrome and SS316
- Available in grey, black, silver, white and gold
Packaging.
The packaging for the mod is a rather fancy looking box with the mod depicted on the front.
Under the photo of the mod is a rather ominous sounding slogan stating “Coming for you”.
Permit to say: Eek!
On the back of the packaging is a range of available colors (for reference, I have the gunmetal grey version) and a bit of information about the mod.
The box slides out of the wrap and has a small and subtle logo on it in black.
Opening the box reveals the same logo engraved in the foam protection layer.
Taking the protection away reveals the usermanual as a first item.
Underneath is the main prize, the absolutely badass looking mod.
Most packaging has the mod sitting in a foam insert, but the ETAlien X2 sits in a rubber insert which feels rather heavy and very sturdy.
Under the rubber insert you’ll find a braided USB cable for charging.
Performance.
The mod has been surprisingly easy to use, and it has been performing very well.
Surprisingly so, because if you look at the website of the manufacturer, you’d expect it to blow up on inserting the battery.
The website is riddled with bad grammar, dead links and cheesy slogans.
But that doesn’t reflect the quality of their mod, in fact I’m very pleasantly surprised by the quality.
The mod is essentially a redesigned and improved clone of the Deviate by Madvapes.
The original mod was plagued with several flaws and faults, and didn’t sell all that well.
The batterydoor was loose, the board didn’t keep up, the batterylife was poor, there were gaps and creases in the body… it wasn’t a great mod.
But it did generate a lot of hype at the time and when I saw that there was finally an improved clone on the market, I wanted one.
And I have to say I haven’t regretted my decision to get one, not one bit.
The board is an unknown but can output a maximum of 80W.
It feels rather light for 80W but that is to be expected from a single 18650 device.
In comparing the output to the Smok Nano One, it felt like a rather light 80W.
When the multimeter came into play my suspicions were confirmed, it didn’t give me the full 80W but a rather low 67W at best.
Despite that flaw, which I can live with because I’m not going to push this mod to its limits, the mod does have a pretty balanced board.
The temperature control seems to work very well for Ni200 and Ti01, but the SS316 mode is a bit… difficult.
Sometimes it fired well and got to the set temperature to give me a full vape, sometimes it refused to fire and then suddenly burned the cotton.
It probably has issues with reading the resistance correctly in SS mode, which causes it to essentially misfire.
The board also does TC for NiChrome alloy, NC80 to be exact. This was a bit of a surprise because it wasn’t listed on the website, nor on FocalEcigs website.
I borrowed some NC80 from a friend and built 2 sets of coils to test, I never got to the second set.
The reason for this was the same as the SS mode, it sometimes fired well and gave a good vape, sometimes it misfired and burned the cotton.
The steel molded buttons which are integrated into the design of the mod have some slight rattling.
The firebutton in particular does have a bit of play to it, but also has a very nice tactile feedback.
The click is easy to feel and the button doesn’t seem to be bothered by misfiring or deadzones, it fires instantly.
Plus and minus are are also integrated into the design of the mod and have an equal tactile feedback, though the throw on the buttons is far less.
Adjusting the wattage or temperature is easy and can be done fairly quick.
Just above the plus and minus buttons is the display, again integrated nicely into the design.
The display is small but very bright and very easy to read. Even in direct lighting the display gave me no issues seeing my set wattage.
One thing that did irk me about the mod is the sticker in the battery compartment.
It’s also mentioned in the usermanual that this mod requires an 18650 battery with a CDR of 40A.
Allow me to say: BULL-FUCKING-SHIT. There’s no such thing as a 40A CDR 18650 battery. No, not even that shiny Efest battery you’re holding.
The highest rated 18650 battery available on the market is the VTC4, which can be safely used up to 30A CDR. Even then, the battery tends to run warm.
For good measure, I’ve used Sony VTC4 batteries in this mod and they’ve been fine.
Aesthetics.
Here’s where this mod will divide vapers… I know a lot of you hate the look of this and I get it.
Not everyone likes the art of H.R.Giger either, but I do like the sentiment of a tributed look.
That said, I also feel the mod has improved a lot over the original Deviate design.
The gaps which were mostly where the two sides of the mod met are now closed off very well.
Though it isn’t without flaws. The batterydoor for instance is a bit on the loose side and could’ve used a magnetic lock.
In terms of comfort the shape actually does pretty well too.
I expected the spine of the mod to be sharper and press into my hand after a while but it doesn’t.
The firebutton is easy to reach and has good tactile feedback, while the plus and minus buttons are nowhere near your hand while using the mod.
It’s a heavy mod though, it won’t be suitable as a daily carry.
I won’t go into the mods looks too much, because I really do feel the photos do a better job at showing the aesthetic value of this one than my ramblings.
Pros and Cons.
Pro.
- Looks fucking badass
- A nice tribute to the artwork of H.R.Giger
- Looks fucking badass
- TC for Ni200 and Ti01 works well
- No gaps on the body
- Did I mention I think it looks fucking badass?
Con.
- Batterydoor is rather loose
- Slight wiggle when the mod is standing upright
- Batterylife isn’t great (single 18650 never is)
- TC for SS316 and NC80 doesn’t work well
- Heavy mod, definitely not a daily carry
- Aesthetic isn’t for everyone (not really a con)
In conclusion.
I regret nothing about buying this mod, though it would’ve been nice if the poweroutput was an actual 80W.
The TC isn’t all that great, but Ni200 and Ti01 mode works well. Considering I use Ti01 most of the time for TC, I don’t really see it as a problem for me personally.
The device looks fucking badass and is a great conversation piece, it won’t be a daily carry but I will happily lug it to a metalshow or a tattooconvention and be the most badass vaper there.
It’s an aquired taste and I do realize not everyone will like the look, but as I said in the premise of this review; to each their own.
For me, this mod will get special place in my collection and I will gawk at it on a regular basis.
In closing I would like to thank FocalEcig for sending out the ETAlien X2!
Thanks for reading, join me next time as I take a look at a beast of a mod that has now replaced my RX200, the Koopor Primus! (which as I understand it, has now been nicknamed the Cheesegrater)
UPDATE: I’ve just been told that Focal is running a promotion for $48.5 right now. That’s a steal for such a badass looking mod!
Need to reach me? Head over to my website.
Interested in what I vape daily? Check out my Instagram.
Want to know more about DIY? Head over to ELR.
#staycloudy !
SirRisc disappears in a cloud of strawberry banana milkshake scented vapor
DISCLAIMER: This review is based on personal opinions and is not intended as a promotion, endorsement or advertisement.
The publisher is not sponsored, affiliated or compensated in any way.
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