Maxo Zenith by Ijoy

Commercial characteristics

• Sponsor who loaned the product for the magazine: Acquired on our own funds
• Price of the tested product: between 50 and 60 €
• Product category according to its selling price: Mid-range (from 41 to 80 euros)
• Mod type: Variable voltage electronics
• Is the mod telescopic? No
• Maximum power: 300W
• Maximum voltage: 6.2V
• Minimum value in Ohms resistance for a start: Not communicated ...

Reviewer comments on business characteristics

Those who still believe that Ijoy is an obscure secondary brand are urged to review their copy. Indeed, for some time now, the mark of the middle empire has been constantly showering us with new products, each more interesting than the other and with a fairly marked difference from the competition to broaden the horizons of vapers.

It is in this new card trick of a future great of the vape that reaches us the Maxo Zenith, a box well in the air of the time, proposing neither more nor less than a power of 300W, a simplicity of biblical operation and a tariff almost indecent since corresponding to that of a mod 75W entry-level. 

Welcoming three batteries and freely inspired by the concepts of Hexohm, Surric and others, the Maxo will try to impose itself as a game-changer, being there to seduce the hardcore-vapers in their quest for the perfect cloud and to inspire sessions of vape power.

Available in five colors for less than € 60, it should interest those who dream of a so-called mecha-regulated box without however having the possible budget for American references in the matter.

Anatomy of a bomb ...

Physical characteristics and felt quality

• Width or Diameter of the product in mm: 40.7
• Product Length or Height in mm: 88
• Product weight in grams: 346
• Material composing the product: Aluminum
• Form Factor type: Box type Reuleaux
• 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: On the top cap
• Fire button type: Mechanical metal on contact rubber
• Number of buttons making up the interface, including touch zones if they are present: 0
• User interface button type: No other button
• Quality of interface button (s): Not applicable interface button
• Number of parts in the product: 2
• Number of threads: 1
• Quality of the threads: Very 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: 4.5 / 5

Reviewer's comments on physical characteristics and perceived quality

Small hands and rickety biceps won't be part of the party, alas, because the Zenith looks like a big cobblestone, heavy and bulky. Inspired by the “Reuleaux” style, it reveals an aesthetic yet successful, little used in this type of segment, which makes heads turn when you are vaping in the street.

The shape is therefore known but the aesthetic has been taken care of with a battery of small details that give it a beautiful personality. On the sides, gills let you see the interior of the monster, they are pierced with a multitude of small holes used to cool the chipset.

On the front panel, below the simple logo indicating the name of the product, a potentiometer sits at the very bottom, marked with a raised lightning bolt very useful for gripping. It is therefore by turning this element that we will be able to manage the increase or decrease in the voltage sent to the atomizer. This button is very flexible to handle, which changes us from some “big” references. 

Behind, it is the logo of the manufacturer, Ijoy, which is cut from the bodywork, serving at the same time as an aesthetic element and degassing holes if an incident should happen. 

Above, on the top-cap, there is a spring-loaded 510 connection. The plate is quite small in diameter but of a robust appearance, in stainless steel, and equipped with a positive brass pin. The location should be able to accommodate large diameter atomizers, up to 30mm. Next to it is the switch, large and comfortable, which will suit both those who steam with the thumb and those who have put their finger on the index ... Its position may disorientate at the start but we quickly find its marks and support becomes, over the passing minutes, more and more natural.

The handling of the switch is flexible and is distinguished by a small very dry click. Its stroke is short, I want to say ideally short and its operation is imperial. No missfire here, no undue pressure to submit… it's butter. And if we do not quite find the comfort of the switch of a Hexohm, we are getting dangerously close.

Three green LEDs are triggered on firing. One on the top, next to the switch and two inside which light through the gills. Although not a big fan of “sounds and lights”, I admit that the effect is quite nice for once, visible enough to make the “cake” in a vaporizer, discreet enough not to alert the police !

The overall finish is very good, largely sufficient at this price level and ensures consistent operation of the whole. The adjustments are quite precise, the thread of the 510 well done and the paint well laid. What a little regrets that the inside of the battery hatch has not undergone the same surface treatment, it is all the same a pity, it did not really cause an increase in production costs. But I reassure you, we also meet this style of forgetting in much more expensive products.

Constructed of zinc / aluminum alloy, a big standard at the moment, the shapes are rounded on the edges and the grip, while imposing, is pleasant and intuitive. In short, Ijoy has put it all out for the Zenith. It does not miss any more that the ramage relates to the plumage ...

Functional features

• Type of chipset used: Owner
• Connection type: 510, Ego - via adapter
• Adjustable positive stud? Yes, through a spring.
• Lock system ? Electronic
• Quality of the locking system: Excellent, the chosen approach is very practical
• Features offered by mod: Clear Diagnostic Messages, Operating Indicators, Cut-off 10s, Chipset Overheating Protection
• Accusability: 18650
• Does the mod support stacking? No
• Number of batteries supported: 3
• Does the mod retain its configuration without batteries? Yes
• Does the mod offer a recharge feature? No recharge function offered by the mod
• Is the recharge function pass-through? No recharge function offered by the mod
• 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: 30
• 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

The chipset made by Iwepal, like on the Maxo Quad, is in charge of regulating the box and smoothing the signal. The functions are limited but the simplicity and ergonomics are thereby increased. 

As said above, we therefore have a potentiometer which allows to influence the voltage sent to the atomizer. This covers a scale from 2.7 to 6.2V. To send the maximum power, it would therefore be necessary to make an assembly in 0.12 / 0.13Ω and to be equipped with three batteries delivering a (very) strong discharge current because the delivered intensity would then be approximately 50A, the reality corresponding to the data of the maker. The manufacturer is not very talkative about the technical specifications of its product, in particular on the recommended resistance scale. 

Contacted on its platform, the manufacturer does not give more information on the minimum resistance. I cannot recommend you enough then to stay around 0.2Ω to use the maximum voltage without taking any risks. However, the box fires at 0.1Ω without noticeable heating of the batteries but, in the absence of additional data on the on-board protections, this is not decently a behavior to be encouraged.

There is a ten second cut-off as well as a protection circuit which is activated when the temperature of the chipset exceeds a certain threshold detrimental to its proper functioning. To turn the box off or on, it is usually sufficient to click on the switch five times.

The upper led also indicates when the residual voltage in the batteries is falling. Green when they are almost full, it turns red and green when the battery is largely discharged and red when it can no longer be used. The box ends up stopping quickly afterwards.

And that's it, alas. Also because of a somewhat abortive communication, the manufacturer does not reveal any other specification on its engine or on the protections with which it is equipped. This will be the only really negative aspect of this test.

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? No
• Does the manual explain ALL features? No

Vapelier's note on packaging: 3 / 5

Reviewer's comments on conditioning

The packaging is correct in this price range. A good large box effectively protects the box in transport. It also contains a summary manual, in English and Chinese (youpi!) Where I would have liked to find more details on the integrated protections and the usable resistance scale.

No USB cable here, the manufacturer having had the wisdom not to provide internal reloading. It will therefore use your external charger, which seems more reasonable because of the vocation of the box to ramp up.

Appreciations in use

• Easy transport with the test atomizer: Nothing helps, requires a shoulder bag
• 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: 4/5

Reviewer's comments on the use of the product

Autonomous, powerful, fiery, lively ... the list of qualifiers grows longer as we discover the Zenith in situation. Indeed, what strikes first of all is the total absence of latency between the pressure of the switch and the heating of the resistive. The signal is perfectly managed and does not come undone when turning the knob to go up in the towers.

Atypical, the vape rendering is less precise and surgical than on a DNA, less voluptuous than on a Hexohm but is somewhere between the two with a beautiful definition and an appreciable roundness. The smoothing of the signal is well calculated by the chipset and the whole is somewhat similar to the rendering of a Tesla Invader, reliable and constant whatever the voltage requested.

Used with a triple coil dripper for 0.10Ω total resistance (you have been warned!), The box sends what we expect: cloud like a rainy spring day, which does not prevent having the banana like a kid using it!

The autonomy is good even if it is a little burdened by the power supply of the LEDs. Between a day and a half of vape and two days are possible at medium power. Not bad… 

Recommendations for use

• Type of batteries used during the tests: 18650
• Number of batteries used during the tests: 3
• 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 recommended to use this product? All but the box is rather devoted to atomizers cashing a strong power
• Description of the test configuration used: Kayfun V5, Saturn, Tsunami 24…
• Description of the ideal configuration with this product: A good big bad dripper!

was the product liked by the reviewer: Yes

Overall average of the Vapelier for this product: 4.6 / 5

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

The mood ticket of the reviewer

In summary, the Zenith is an excellent mod whose price / power / rendering ratio is really bluffing. Of course, it is not intended for beginners or lovers of quiet vape, this is a powerful mod, cut for the cloud. However, the quality of its rendering also makes it compatible with flavored atomizers and, at that time, we will discover all the autonomy that the three batteries give us.

In the unfortunate absence of precise data, be sure to equip yourself with “sturdy” batteries, even if this means skipping the mAh capacity to promote maximum intensity, an elementary precaution that will allow you to increase the voltage without taking any risks. . 

Obtaining a Top Mod thanks to its advantageous pricing, the Zenith will count in this narrow yet exciting category and could well make a box!

(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.