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REVIEWS
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WISMEC PREVA By Benedict Jones
Specifi cations:
- 96mm*43mm*18.6mm - Weight: 136g
- Materials: Zinc alloy, polycarbonate - Battery capacity: 1050mAh internal cell
- E-liquid capacity: 3ml/2ml (TPD Edition)
- Power output: Confi gurable via E-scribe software - Charging: 1A Micro-USB
Wismec are best known for producing affordable hobbyist hardware,
so they’ve not been hugely involved in the pod market over the last
12 months. That’s changing with the Preva, a DNA Go powered
pod aimed at enthusiast stealth vapers. The question is, have they
managed to build a compelling enough device to justify the inclusion
of a premium chipset?
Construction, fi t and fi nish of the Preva are among best in class for a
pod system. The zinc alloy chassis adds some weight and this device
feels premium in the hand. This is more robust than the vast majority
of pods and I’m glad that proper attention has been paid here. The
carbon fi bre accents are a nice touch, too.
User experience is highly confi gurable, as should be expected from
any DNA-based device. Out of the box, the Preva provides three
levels of power output, toggled via the mode select button towards
the bottom of the device. When you are particularly satisfi ed with
the vape quality you’re getting, holding the mode select button for
three seconds will activate replay mode, which replicates the puff
and introduces a form of temperature control that will throttle power
should the coil become dry.
A sliding door on the top of the pod reveals a fi lling port covered by a
membrane and I’ve had no issues with this design during my testing.
My only gripe is that Wismec have opted for disposable pods instead
of replacement coils. A rebuildable option wouldn’t go amiss, either,
considering how confi gurable the DNA Go board is.
To change the device’s settings, you can connect the Preva to your
computer via Micro USB and interact with it using Evolv’s E-scribe
software. The experience is less comprehensive than the full fat DNA
boards, but it still allows you to confi gure up to fi ve power settings from
the default three and change the colour of the LED at each interval,
should you wish. I found the factory settings to be appropriate, but
this functionality is great for those who want to fi ne-tune things. It
also means the Preva is future proof for new coil resistances that will
inevitably become available down the line.
When it comes to vape quality, the Preva competes with the best pod
PROS
- Build quality
- DNA Go functionality
- Vape quality
132 VAPER EXPO
CONS
- Replacement pods,
not coils.
systems on the market. With the top airflow controller wide open, both
the 0.25Ohm and 0.5Ohm pods provide a restricted direct lung draw
but this can be closed to a moderate MTL experience with relative
ease. I found both pods to perform best with the airflow closed
down, at the highest power setting. Replay mode is only available on
the 0.25Ohm SS316L pod and that’s likely going to be the best bet
for most people, since it allows you to replicate the ideal vape and
prevent dry hits at the same time. Both pods provided good longevity,
with the 0.25Ohm winning out, likely due to replay mode.
The 1050mAh internal cell performs as I would expect and run time
will depend on your choice of power output. Set to 16W on replay
mode, I found the Preva to last just shy of a full day’s vaping, when
fi lled with 20mg/ml nicotine salts. The device charges from flat to full
in about an hour, which is fi ne considering the run time.
The Preva is a fantastic pod system, that justifi es its price point with
great build quality, plenty of confi guration options and ease of use.
This is a device that is best suited to advanced users but the solid
default settings mean new vapers shouldn’t be put off.