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VT75 by HCigar
VT75 by HCigar

VT75 by HCigar

 

Commercial characteristics

  • Sponsor who has loaned the product for the magazine: Do not wish to be named.
  • Price of the tested product: 103 Euros
  • Product category according to its selling price: High end (from 81 to 120 euros)
  • Mod type: Variable power electronics and temperature control
  • Is the mod telescopic? No
  • Maximum power: 75 watts
  • Maximum voltage: 6
  • Minimum value in Ohms resistance for a start: 0.05

Reviewer comments on business characteristics

The DNA75 chipset is the latest offspring of the Evolv family after a DNA200 which seduced by its rendering and its adjustment possibilities making the customization of its vape accessible to all geeks. For a long time now, the manufacturer HCigar has invested in a partnership with the American founder and presented boxes in DNA40 or DNA200, often at a lower price than the competition, which has placed the Chinese brand on the steps of the high-end podium. Chinese which is now invading the market.

It was therefore necessary, in this fruitful continuity, to present a box equipped with DNA75 and it is done with not one but two references: the VT75 that we are going to autopsy today and the VT75 Nano which is the reduced model.

For a price of 103 € which places the box at the top of the range, of course, but still well below its direct competitors using the same engine, HCigar offers us a beautiful product, which flatters the retina and which is the vision. of an inspired artistic spirit. Offering 75W of peak power and different operating modes, the VT75 is not so much illustrated by its features which have all in all become common nowadays but rather by a price / chipset / aesthetic adequacy which places it straight away in the category of boxes-to-fall-that-I-want to buy-for-Christmas, you know what I mean ... Especially that the beautiful is available in black, red and blue.

It only remains for us to verify all this in practice, but the promise is fine.

hcigar-vt75-box-1

Physical characteristics and felt quality

  • Width or Diameter of the product in mms: 31
  • Product Length or Height in mms: 89.5
  • Product weight in grams: 225.8
  • Material composing the product: Stainless steel, Aluminum, Zinc Alloy
  • Form Factor Type: Classic Box - VaporShark type
  • Decorative style: Classic
  • Quality of decoration: Excellent, it is a work of art
  • 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: Mechanical metal on contact rubber
  • Number of buttons making up the interface, including touch zones if they are present: 2
  • Type of user interface buttons: Mechanical metal on rubber contact
  • Quality of the interface button (s): Good, the button is very responsive
  • Number of parts in the product: 2
  • Number of threads: 2
  • 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: 4 / 5 4 5 out of stars

Reviewer's comments on physical characteristics and perceived quality

Being able to operate with a 26650 battery or an 18650 battery (with an adapter supplied), the comparison with the VaporFlask Stout, which benefits from the same functionality, is essential. The VT75 is less compact, wider, taller, heavier and deeper. We therefore have a pretty baby in the hand which does not shine by its compactness if we compare it with the references already present on the market and which reach or even exceed 75W at output.

The aesthetics are very neat. Boasting a mix of curves and straight lines at the same time, the VT75 looks a bit like newer car models with taut and sultry lines at the same time. The touch is very pleasant, due to a soft and pearly coating which adds the grace of visual quality to a very soft feeling against the skin.

Everything is not however so pink (especially since my model is carmine red) because where the eye adheres 100%, the hand is sometimes reluctant. Between the substantial size and fairly tortured shapes, the grip will not suit everyone. Those who switch with their thumb will be taken aback by a very crowded and raised facade that will hamper them in handling. Those who use their index will be much better off thanks to the sensual curve that will curl up perfectly in the palm hollow. 

The facade, let's talk about it. While the VT75's sides are aluminum, the rest of the body is zinc alloy. So far, I have no problem with it. But I notice that the material and the cutting of the edge hosting the screen and the buttons create a control station less ergonomic than one might have thought. The switch is easy to handle and works very well, but it is small and surrounded by a somewhat coarse border of material which makes it more difficult to understand. Ditto for the [+] and [-] buttons which undergo identical treatment. Similarly, the 0.91 ′ Oled screen is also surrounded by a zinc barrier. It is undoubtedly an aesthetic choice that can be discussed but the fact remains that this control facade is not necessarily pleasant to grip with its slightly incongruous reliefs.

hcigar-vt75-face

Above, we have a large top-cap which can easily accommodate 30mm atos as long as they do not take their air through the 510 connection because this possibility was not provided by the manufacturer. Well, this is understandable because this type of atomizer tends to disappear but it is a shame to deprive itself of such a basic functionality which could have also satisfied the rare supporters of carto-tanks for example. 

hcigar-vt75-top cap

On the bottom, we have the serial number, two hieroglyphs signifying that everything is ok for the CE and that you must not throw your box in the trash (my address can be of use to you in such a case ...). We also and above all have the access door to the battery. And there, I have a mixed impression. HCigar has made the choice of a screw / unscrew hatch. Already, the system may seem a bit anachronistic at a time when the magnet is king and or other brands have made mechanical choices that are easier to operate. There, you have to screw to enter the battery and unscrew it to take it out. It's already long but, in addition, this screw thread is not up to the rest of the finish. Difficult to engage given the low height of the circular hatch, it is not very comfortable to turn to the end. In addition, its finish is clearly set back from the rest of the mod and contrasts with the beautiful aesthetic of the object.

hcigar-vt75-bottom-cap

We console ourselves by seeing two degassing holes above and a median screw that will be used to refine the setting to properly maintain your battery, regardless of its format: 18650 or 26650.

A “beauty ring”, translating “ring of beauty”, in stainless steel, is present in order to harmonize your atomizers with the top-cap of the VT75. I have doubts about the usefulness of this ring. First of all, even if the aesthetic is particularly successful, it differs completely from the futuristic universe of the mod by displaying Azteco-tribal decorations which are as complementary to it as a Renoir to a Kandinsky. And then, this ring will only accept atos in 22mm taking their air from the top since the high walls of the ring will obscure the airholes if they are placed on the bottom of your atomizer. If someone would explain the usefulness to me, please leave a comment because I can't see it.

In summary, here is a nice mod, objectively. The finishes are neat overall although some details could have been improved. The quality of machining and assembly is no problem and the few defects identified will only concern sorrowful spirits like mine. 

Functional features

  • Type of chipset used: DNA
  • Connection type: 510, Ego - via adapter
  • 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: Display of the battery charge, Display of the resistance value, 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, Support the customization of its behavior by external software, Adjustment of the display brightness, Messages of clear diagnostics, Illuminated operating indicators
  • Accusability: 18650, 26650
  • 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? No, nothing is planned to feed an atomizer from the bottom
  • Maximum diameter in mms 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: 3.8 / 5 3.8 5 out of stars

Reviewer's comments on functional features

In terms of features, it would take a book to list everything that the box does. If you are already a fan of DNA200, you will absolutely not be disoriented. Otherwise, you will have to pass the course of learning Escribe, the software of Evolv being used for the personalization of the settings of profiles or cosmetics among others.

Here, we are therefore in the kingdom of Evolv and the American founder has left nothing to chance. You can upgrade the firmware as you wish, implement the coefficients of new resistives, create multiple profiles depending on the atomizer used or influence the minimum current level in the battery from which the box will stop working. Everything is planned to draw a response curve in total agreement with your vaping desires, to adapt to the rendering you expect. 

For those who are hermetic to so much technicality, no problem either. The box can easily stand on its own, especially since the factory settings are very consistent. You have a variable power mode, ranging from 1W (?) To 75W, a temperature control mode operating between 100 ° and 300 ° C, which natively accepts Ni200, titanium and stainless steel while knowing that you can implement by yourself your own resistive wires through the software. 

For everything else, I refer you, mean as I am, to the product manual, to the user manual of Write and to our previous reviews on the DNA200 and DNA75 which will explain the modus operandi of the box and the chipset. Know that nothing is really complex and that a rainy afternoon will be enough for you to go around and to integrate all the manipulations to be done to adapt the VT75 to your type of vape.

It should still be kept in mind that the box can send a maximum intensity of 50A continuously and 55A peak, which is not nothing. For that, make the judicious choice of a battery which will be able to send the 35A necessary for a use without risks. This automatically qualifies the 26650 as the best choice, even if Escribe is more used to managing 18650s. In addition, you will gain a little autonomy which will not be luxury, the box and the chipset being made. to operate optimally with resistances between 0.15 and 0.55Ω. Beyond 0.6Ω, the box will in no case send the promised 75W and you will get a warning like “Ohms too high” which will remind you that we have entered the era of the sub-ohm.

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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? Yes

Vapelier's note on packaging: 4 / 5 4 5 out of stars

Reviewer's comments on conditioning

A pretty box, nice packaging. For once, the theorem holds true. 

The VT75 will arrive in a superb black cardboard box. a box proudly presenting the box on one side with a pleasant visual effect of shine and the reference and brand of the mod on the other. You remove from this packaging a second cardboard box, as pretty as the first which opens like a chest. In the flat part, you have your beauty and the beauty ring as well as a UBS / micro USB cable for electrical recharging through the dedicated port for this purpose or the junction with your computer to act on the chipset by Escribe.

On the cover part, you have a very nice user manual, in parchment paper, but in English only, unfortunately.

But the final grade is good because, for the price, the proposal in terms of presentation is quite consistent.

hcigar-vt75-box-2

Appreciations in use

  • Transport facilities with the test atomizer: Ok for a Jean side pocket (no discomfort)
  • Disassembly and cleaning facilities: Super simple, even blind in the dark!
  • 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: 5/5 5 5 out of stars

Reviewer's comments on the use of the product

Once you have acquired the knowledge necessary to operate your box at best, it will behave to perfection. 

No untimely heating, even at high power and / or low resistance. It works great, it's constant, it's reliable, it's Evolv. The rendering is exceptional, as is often the case with the brand, and renders this additional aromatic precision that we could already see in previous chipsets. The latency is minimal and the temperature or the requested power is quickly reached. 

On the side of the box itself, one reaches quickly, after one or two hours of grip, comfort necessary to serenely vape. The marriage between the Chinese body and the American engine works very well between the two manufacturers, better in my opinion than on the previous common achievements.

hcigar-vt75-pieces

There are of course downsides to this idyll, the main one of which lies in the power consumption of the chipset. Autonomy is sufficient, in 26650, but disappointing compared to what we get on a Stout for example. In 18650 (2100mAh), we stay on 3 to 4 hours of vape at 40W approximately. We can of course influence the autonomy by grinding Escribe but the factory settings already drop the threshold low enough or the box refuses to work, ie 2.75V, which seems consistent to me on an IMR battery. Going lower would be bad for your battery. 

The rest is only happiness and the mod remains right in its boots whatever the barbaric assembly that you are going to impose on it (less than 0.6Ω if you really want to reach the available 75W). I particularly appreciated the rendering in flavors which is not, as everyone believes, a question of assembly or atomizer, but also depends on the quality of signal smoothing and its management. Here, it's perfect, just perfect.

Recommendations for use

  • Type of batteries used during the tests: 18650
  • Number of batteries used during the tests: 2
  • 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? All, except the Bottom-Feeder drippers ...
  • Description of the test configuration used: VT75 + Vapor Giant Mini V3, Limitless RDTA Plus, Narda
  • Description of the ideal configuration with this product: Your

was the product liked by the reviewer: Yes

Overall average of the Vapelier for this product: 4.5 / 5 4.5 5 out of stars

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

The mood ticket of the reviewer

A very nice surprise! The Hcigar VT75 does with the honors on the test bench and, while some caveats exist, they are quite trivial compared to the quality of the rendering and the raw power of the machine.

The Chinese manufacturer has worked well on its product and its price to be very competitive. He also gave a real “mouth” to his machine, which is important in the seduction of the consovapor. Even if rare practical aspects have been covered, such as the famous battery hatch (improved on the Nano version), the essential is there for a high-end box but which does not have a big head.

A little gem powered by one of the best chipset makers in the world, it's blessed bread for fans and a meeting not to be avoided for others.

hcigar-vt75-bottom-cap-2

(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.

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About the Author

59 years old, 32 years of cigarettes, 12 years of vaping and happier than ever! I live in Gironde, I have four children of whom I am gaga and I like roast chicken, Pessac-Léognan, good e-liquids and I am a vape geek who takes responsibility!