HB DNA 40 by Hcigar

Commercial characteristics

• Sponsor who lent the product for the review: lemondedelavape
• Price of the tested product: 129.90 Euros
• Product category according to its selling price: Luxury (over 120 euros)
• Mod type: Variable power electronics
• Is the mod telescopic? No
• Maximum power: 40 watts
• Maximum voltage: 9
• Minimum value in Ohms resistance for a start: 0.1

Reviewer comments on business characteristics

HCigar is definitely the rising brand at the start of 2015! After having invested all sectors of the vaping market with some success (or even some success), the manufacturer is now tackling High-End electronic mods. It is a long time since HCigar made a reputation for its clones and today, the Chinese seems determined to do battle in all segments with original products.
It is by motorizing its new box-mod with a real Evolv DNA40 that the brand rushes into the breach opened by a formidable and predatory competitor: Vaporshark….

Physical characteristics and felt quality

• Width or Diameter of the product in mms: 50
• Product Length or Height in mms: 95
• Product weight in grams: 181
• Material composing the product: Aluminum, Copper
• Form Factor Type: Classic Box - VaporShark type
• Decorative style: Classic
• Quality of decoration: Good
• Is the coating of the mod sensitive to fingerprints? No
• All components of this mod seem well assembled? Yes
• Fire button position: Lateral near the top cap
• Fire button type: Metal mechanics on contact caouctoucouc
• Number of buttons making up the interface, including touch zones if they are present: 2
• Type of user interface buttons: Mechanical metal on contact rubber
• Quality of the interface button (s): Very good, the button is responsive and does not make any noise
• Number of parts in the product: 2
• Number of threads: 1
• Quality of the threads: Excellent
• 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: 4.4 / 5

Reviewer's comments on physical characteristics and perceived quality

The HB DNA 40 is built in an aluminum of good thickness and presenting well, slightly satin. The case seems made to last and one can only be stunned by the ease of opening and closing the access cover to the battery thanks to two very powerful magnets which guide the closing almost by themselves.

The position of the screen is ideal and allows you to have important information in front of you at all times.

The 510 connection consists of a spring-loaded copper screw that perfectly matches your atomizer and avoids excessive current loss.

The switch was deliberately placed across the board, above the screen. It's a bit disturbing at first because the ergonomics are not usual. But you adapt to it fairly quickly by operating it with your thumb if you are right-handed or your index finger if you are left-handed. The fact remains that with the use of certain atomizers requiring a specific position for optimal operation, like certain genesis, this could constitute a handicap.

But let's not sulk our pleasure to have in our hands one of the very first original Chinese High-End mod !!! Especially since the quality of finish is there. No wonder with a brand that is beginning to count in the Vaposhère and which has accustomed us to a certain excellence in terms of quality.

Functional features

• Type of chipset used: DNA
• Connection type: 510, Ego - via adapter
• Adjustable positive stud? Yes, through a spring.
• Lock system ? Mechanical
• Quality of the locking system: Excellent, the chosen approach is very practical
• Features offered by the mod: Display of the charge of the batteries, Display of the resistance value, Protection against short circuits from the atomizer, Protection against reverse polarity of the batteries, Display of the current vape voltage , Display of the power of the current vape, 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 mms of compatibility with an atomizer: 25
• Accuracy of the output power at full charge of the battery: Excellent, there is no difference between the requested power and the real power
• Accuracy of the output voltage at full charge of the battery: Excellent, there is no difference between the requested voltage and the actual voltage

Vapelier's note regarding functional characteristics: 5 / 5

Reviewer's comments on functional features

We are already familiar with the Evolv DNA40 chipset and it behaves here with the same rigor as usual. The vape is perfectly smooth, the calculation algorithms are very precise and the mod sends perfectly what is asked of it without any anomaly.
We note the presence of a protection in case of deep discharge, which seems logical for a mod that still sends 16A in regular output and 23A in peak.
Of course, it will be necessary to add a quality battery that supports a high rate of discharge, such as LG, Samsung, VTC or Purple, in order to best support it in its tough task.
Because, just like the reference model of Vaporshark, this mod knows how to do everything… It also knows how to manage the temperature of the coil as long as we use NI200 to make its coils. He knows how to go down to subohm without trembling, to power-vaping with the suitable atomizer without fear and without reproach and he even knows how to send all of his potential on high resistances, which is rare these days ...

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? We make fun of us!
• Presence of a user manual? Yes
• Is the manual understandable for a non-English speaker? No
• Does the manual explain ALL features? Yes

Vapelier's note on packaging: 2.5 / 5

Reviewer's comments on conditioning

Arrrrgggghhh… .. It is the howl of the chronicler who realizes with the greatest of despair that the packaging is far from being up to the event !!!! Is it for the sake of economy to tighten the tariff? Is it a desire to be in the same ascetic lineage as his reference? 
In any case, HCigar, who had accustomed us to serious and ambitious packaging, here splits a plastic box that even Innokin would refuse to use. Under these conditions, the presence of an explanatory note in English becomes downright reassuring ...
Even if the mod is an excellent quality / price ratio, the price is still relatively high and would have deserved a case to match the jewel!

Appreciations in use

• Transport facilities with the test atomizer: Ok for an inside jacket pocket (no deformations)
• Disassembly and cleaning facilities: Super simple, even blind in the dark!
• Easy to change the batteries: Super simple, even blind in the dark!
• 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: 5/5

Reviewer's comments on the use of the product

Much like the Vaporshark which is hard not to compare it to, the mod is confusingly stable throughout the day. Easy to use, disassemble, recharge, it ensures a perfect vape and the word is chosen on purpose. The rendering is unstoppable: soft, voluptuous, constant and with surgical precision, the best chipset in the world (this is a subjective opinion but that I can back up…) makes the vape simply better. The flavors are sublimated and we take pleasure in rediscovering juices that we thought we knew by heart.
Even though I hate to use that word, I will still use it today: a killing!

Recommendations for use

• Type of batteries used during the tests: 18650
• Number of batteries used during the tests: 1
• With what type of atomizer is it advisable to use this product? Dripper, A classic fiber - resistance greater than or equal to 1.7 Ohms, A low resistance fiber less than or equal to 1.5 ohms, In sub-ohm assembly, Reconstructable Génésys type metal mesh assembly, Rebuildable type Génésys metal wick assembly
• With which model of atomizer is it advisable to use this product? All… .. without any exception! Just avoid atomizers larger than 23mm but just for aesthetic reasons.
• Description of the test configuration used: DNA 40 + Taifun Gt, Origen, Mephisto, Iclear 30S
• Description of the ideal configuration with this product: To my personal taste, I found it exceptional with the Taïfun GT for a typical “flavor” set-up. But this is only one proposition among thousands of possibilities ...

was the product liked by the reviewer: Yes

Overall average of the Vapelier for this product: 4.9 / 5

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

The mood ticket of the reviewer

I will try to temper my enthusiasm and remain objective. Here we have a mod at 129.90 €. To which must be added a good battery at 10 €. For a total of 139.90. To compare with the 189 € of the selling price of the Vaporshark rDNA 40 V2, we earn about 25%, which is not nothing, you will agree.

Of course, the price difference is explained all the same by an even more successful construction at Vaporshark but this fact absolutely does not devalue the finishing work provided by HCigar on this very good holding HB DNA 40. The great strength of this mod is to bring within the reach of more vapers a quality of vape that was only around 200 € until now and it is already a performance not to be neglected! No chipset copy here, no guesswork, just using the best engine in a quality body.

As we have seen, this mod is an all-terrain tool: well built, light, small, it still knows how to send all its power with ultimate precision, regardless of the resistance that we have chosen. and the atomizer that we use with. It provides a rendering without comparison with the mods that exist today in this price range, a surgical rendering, typical flavor that will happily accompany any type of atomizer and liquid.

The only “negative” point that I could find concerns the unusual position of the switch even if the quality of this one compensates. Its flexibility allows it to be actuated by the edge of the thumb or index finger. The “plus” and “minus” buttons would undoubtedly have benefited from being a little less flexible but these are only trivial points of detail as the truth seems elsewhere, in the perfection of a full and voluptuous vape.

The competition promises to be fierce and fierce in the months to come because the Chinese are arriving in all market segments, without any complex and, from now on, they will also have to be counted on for the high end.

(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.