Dominator 100w Kit by Advken

Commercial characteristics

• Sponsor having loaned the product for the magazine: LCA
• Price of the tested product: 89 €
• Product category according to its selling price: High end (from 81 to 120 €)
• Mod type: Variable power electronics and temperature control
• Is the mod telescopic? No
• Maximum power: 100W
• Maximum voltage: 8.5V
• Minimum value in Ohms resistance for a start: 0.1

Reviewer comments on business characteristics

The Dominator kit is offered to us by Advken, a Chinese brand which is still not very present on the French market but which is starting to make itself known. The brand seems to be moving towards products intended for confirmed vapers.

The Dominator kit consists of a single battery box that accepts 21700 or 20700 or even 18650. It is able to reach 100W.

The mod is accompanied by the Dominator sub-ohm clearomizer. It is an aerial and cloudy atomizer that embeds 4.5ml of e-liquid.

A kit which does not necessarily seem to be new but which is very much in tune with the times.

All that remains is to check its proper functioning, then on the way ...

Physical characteristics and felt quality

• Width or Diameter of the product in mm: 26
• Product Length or Height in mm: 85
• Product weight in grams: 210
• Material composing the product: Aluminum
• Form Factor Type: Classic Box - VaporShark type
• Decorative style: Classic
• Quality of decoration: Good
• Is the coating of the mod sensitive to fingerprints? Yes
• All the components of this mod seem well assembled? Can do better and I'll tell you why
• Fire button position: Not applicable
• Fire button type: Mechanical plastic on contact rubber
• Number of buttons making up the interface, including touch zones if they are present: 2
• Type of user interface buttons: Mechanical plastic on contact rubber
• Quality of the interface button (s): Good, not the button is very responsive
• Number of parts in the product: 2
• Number of threads: 1
• Quality of the threads: Good
• Overall, do you appreciate the quality of manufacture of this product with regard to its price? Yes

Rating of the vapelier as to feelings quality: 2.6 / 5

Reviewer's comments on physical characteristics and perceived quality

The dominator is a relatively compact box but its design gives it a certain “heaviness”, a small massive side just attenuated by the soft edges. The lines are simple but there is still originality in the design.

On the front face, the oled screen finds a place in the middle of the height but it is off-center to the right in relation to the width. Below, the two small round buttons +/-. We can see the cutout of the battery cover on which is engraved an original symbol.

The reverse of this face is distinguished by the contribution of a carbon part which accommodates the micro USB port.

One of the small sides receives a large black plastic “plate” of rectangular shape but the small sides of which are rounded. Above, the name Dominator is embossed, it is in fact the trigger switch.

On the other hand, there is the battery hatch, it is this side which gives the “massive” appearance with its raw design. It is correctly held by two magnets.

On the top of the box, the 510 port is placed on the same line as the screen, the pin is spring-loaded and is very flexible.

If the design is quite nice, the assembly suffers from a few small approximations. Indeed, the trigger is not quite adjusted, it is not dramatic but it is not really qualitative. The other small defect is in the battery cover. Again, the fit is not ideal and the hood moves slightly. The last thing, the metal finish that I am testing takes a bit of fingerprints.

All this could be excused but some competitors on the same price bracket do better.

The atomizer is very classic. The lines are simple and without any fancy. It is a very consensual sub-ohm clearomizer that fits perfectly into this family of atomizers. Its 24mm in diameter and 40mm high allow it to carry 4.5ml of juice. It wears a black drip-tip with a fairly large diameter but it is still a type 510.

At its base, there is a very smooth airflow ring, pierced with two fairly long but not very wide slots.

A correct kit but some defects come a little tarnish the note of this item. These imperfections are not prohibitive but, for the moment, given the prices, it remains behind competitors such as Smok or Joyetech.

Functional features

• Type of chipset used: Owner
• Connection type: 510
• Adjustable positive stud? Yes, through a spring.
• Lock system ? Electronic
• Quality of the locking system: Good, the function does what it is for
• Features offered by the mod: Switching to mechanical mode, Battery charge display, Resistance value display, Protection against short-circuits from the atomizer, Protection against reverse polarity of batteries, Display of the current vape voltage, Display of the power of the current vape, Temperature control of the atomizer coils, Support the update of its firmware, Clear diagnostic messages
• Accusability: 18650
• Does the mod support stacking? No
• Number of batteries supported: 1
• Does the mod retain its configuration without batteries? Yes
• Does the mod offer a recharge feature? Charging function possible via Micro-USB
• Is the recharge function pass-through? Yes
• Does the mode offer a Power Bank function? No power bank function offered by the mod
• Does the mode offer other functions? No other function offered by the mod
• Presence of air flow regulation? Yes
• Maximum diameter in mm of compatibility with an atomizer: 25
• Accuracy of the output power at full charge of the battery: Good, there is a tiny difference between the requested power and the real power
• Accuracy of the output voltage at full charge of the battery: Good, there is a tiny difference between the requested voltage and the actual voltage

Vapelier's note regarding functional characteristics: 4.3 / 5

Reviewer's comments on functional features

While the Dominator has everything you need, it doesn't offer anything superfluous.

Indeed, there is a By-pass mode which transforms your electronic mod into a mechanical mod. Then the inevitable variable power mode whose value scale goes from 5W to 100W. And finally, the TC Ni, TC Ti and TC SS modes which propose to vary the temperature of the coil from 100 to 300 ° C.

All modes have the same range of values ​​for the compatibility of resistors, so we can vary this value from 0.1 to 3Ω.

The screen is clear, a little simplistic in the display, it tells you: the current mode, the value of the power or the temperature chosen, the vape voltage, the value of the resistance and finally the level of the drums.

The micro-Usb port will be used for updating the firmware or recharging the battery even if it is recommended to use an external charger as a priority.

The box can be used with either an 18650 with a supplied adapter, an 21700 or an 20700.

We therefore have a complete set-up but which does not add anything new to the category.

The atomizer is also quite simple and classic. It is equipped with a top-filling system with its sliding top-cap. It embeds 4.5ml of juice, which seems in line with its use.

It is associated with proprietary resistors of 0.2 or 0.6Ω but it seems that there is an RBA base.

It is intended for an aerial vape, which is confirmed at the sight of the airflow ring and its beautiful openings. We can, of course, vary this opening but do not consider an indirect vape, it is really not made for that.

Evaluation of the packaging

• Presence of a box accompanying the product: Yes
• Would you say that the packaging is up to the price of the product? Yes
• Presence of a user manual? Yes
• Is the manual understandable for a non-English speaker? Yes
• Does the manual explain ALL features? Yes

Vapelier's note on packaging: 5 / 5

Reviewer's comments on conditioning

The kit arrives in a black rigid cardboard box surrounded by a thin cardboard sleeve. On the scabbard is a photo of our box plus atomizer set on a nebula background that my poor knowledge of astronomy does not allow me to identify.

On the back, as usual, we find the description of the contents of the pack and the normative logos. On one of the small sides, we mark the date of manufacture and the scratch code to verify the authenticity.

Once the scabbard is removed, the black box is decorated only with the symbol chosen for that product. Its cover is held by a magnet, when we lift it, we discover our box, the atomizer, a spare tank, gaskets, two resistors (one of 0.2 and one of 0.6), a USB / micro-USB cable and finally, a notice translated into French.

The kit is complete and the presentation rather good, no complaints.

Appreciations in use

• Transport facilities with the test atomizer: Ok for an external jacket pocket (no deformations)
• Disassembly and cleaning facilities: Easy, even standing on the street, with a simple Kleenex
• Easy to change the batteries: Easy, even standing in the street
• Did the mod heat up? No
• Has there been any erratic behavior after a day of use? No
• Description of situations in which the product has experienced erratic behavior

Vapelier's rating in terms of ease of use: 4.5/5

Reviewer's comments on the use of the product

One of the strengths of this mod is its ease of use. As we have seen, it offers a full range of fashion, but it shines with its simplicity. No specific settings which are sometimes complicated, here we click 3 times on the switch bar and we choose its operating mode from a very clear list.

Once the mode has been chosen, we will intervene either on the power value or on the maximum temperature of the coil using the +/- buttons. The only other manipulation is to lock these two small buttons, just keep them pressed simultaneously for a few seconds to activate or deactivate it.

The ergonomics are very good, the box is comfortable thanks in particular to the fire bar. The screen is very basic in its display form but it is very readable.

The size, without being ultra-small, is quite acceptable for nomadic use.

Changing the battery does not present any difficulty since it suffices to remove the cover to access the battery. The management of the battery charge is quite correct and you will need two 18650s to last the day at an average power of 40W.

The atomizer is also easy to use, filling is done from the top after sliding the top-cap to reveal a filling hole of a correct size, compatible with many bottle tips.

The disassembly is straightforward, just unscrew the base to access the resistance. Likewise, the variation in the opening of the air inlets is done quite simply by rotating the airflow ring. Too bad that the latter is completely smooth because, without any grip, the operation is not always easy in practice even if it is simple in theory.

The sensations of vape are good, a beautiful production of steam and a good enough transcribing of flavors. The only point less friendly is the small leaks that can occur after filling or when we leave our kit lying too long.

Overall, a rather pleasant kit to use which stands out above all for its ease of adjustment.

Recommendations for use

• Type of batteries used during the tests: 18650
• Number of batteries used during the tests: The batteries are proprietary / Not applicable
• With what type of atomizer is it advisable to use this product? Dripper, Classic fiber, Sub-ohm assembly, Genesis-type rebuildable
• With which model of atomizer is it advisable to use this product? No limit except the maximum diameter of 25mm for the atomizer
• Description of the test configuration used: as is
• Description of the ideal configuration with this product: as is, but the box can of course be effective with most atomizers.

was the product liked by the reviewer: Yes

Overall average of the Vapelier for this product: 4.1 / 5

Link to a video review or blog maintained by the reviewer author of the review

The mood ticket of the reviewer

Advken presents us with a complete kit which is easy to use and quite practical to use.

The box has a simple design but original enough to seduce. Too bad the realization suffers from some small approximations.

Equipped with a trigger switch, the mod is comfortable, the controls are simple and you will only need a few minutes to assimilate them all. The box is efficient and shows no signs of malfunction.

Even if it is intended for experienced vapers (due to the power it can develop), beginners will have no trouble using it because the menus are simple and the possible settings are reduced to the essentials, not need to be an expert.

I am less seduced by the atomizer. He too is simple, he is in no way different from what already exists and his look is very consensual. So, it gives quite a good feeling but it occasionally suffers from small leaks just after filling or when you lay the set-up for too long.

Despite everything, this kit is nice, its look can make the difference but it is really its simplicity that allows it to score points. Advken has chosen to focus on the essential and not to complicate its use by increasing the number of adjustment or display options.

Rest the price, the kit displays a rate close to 80 € on foreign sites and I find it a bit high but maybe in a month or two we will find it at more correct rates that I would position around the 60 € .

Good vape,

Vince.

(c) Copyright Le Vapelier SAS 2014 - Only full reproduction of this article is authorized - Any modification of any kind is totally prohibited and infringes the rights of this copyright.