REVIEW BY BENEDICT ‘NED’ JONES
NOVA KIT
DEVICE SPECS:
Dimensions: 88mm x 52.3mm x 25.15mm
Wattage output: 5-200W
Temperature control: 200F-600F/100C-315C
Resistance range: 0.05Ohms – 3Ohms
Battery capacity: 2x 18650 cells
Charging: Micro USB, 2A quick charge
• Super responsive, reliable AS chipset
• Great fit, finish and construction
• Bundled with highly underrated mesh tank
• Boxy form factor not for everyone
• Nova mod on the larger side
Geekvape should be no stranger to vapers who enjoy rebuildable atomisers, but
over the last 18 months this veteran company has started to dip its feet into the
world of regulated devices and sub-ohm tanks, taking aim at a more mainstream
audience.
In many ways the Nova kit runs counter to trends we’ve been seeing this year,
forgoing a large colour display, LED lights and outlandish finishes for a classically
styled kit that focuses on functionality and clean lines.
The Nova mod utilises the same AS chipset found in the recently released Aegis
Legend mod. The chip had a few teething issues upon release which were
resolved with firmware updates and thankfully, the Nova kit comes with these
latest amendments pre-loaded right out of the box. This is a snappy chip full
of features, which may come as a surprise considering the unassuming LED
screen which is quite small by today’s standards.
Power curves, temperature control and TCR settings are all available here
and navigating the menu system is intuitive. All but the pickiest of users will be
satisfied with this chipset and many may actually prefer this smaller screen to
the large OLED displays found on some of the Nova’s competitors.
In terms of form factor, the Nova feels like a bit of an homage to simpler times
when mods were rectangular and built to last. This isn’t the most ergonomic
design, but the boxy frame is deceptively comfortable in the hand and feels very
solidly put together, with no play at all in the magnetised battery door. The resin
veneer that covers half of the device is unobtrusive and of better quality than
the usual fare.
The Cerberus sub-ohm tank is a clear step up from other tanks bundled with
kits, which all too often feel like an afterthought. The X1 mesh coils perform very
nicely and also last for a good while, I was easily running 70-80ml of e-liquid
through each coil before noticing a substantial decrease in performance.
Geekvape’s coil quality seems to have slightly improved since they originally
released their X1 coils and I found I was getting more intense flavour production
than with the previous batch that came with the Aegis Legend kit. I feel that the
Cerberus has actually been overlooked and is a very solid single mesh tank that
can compete with the best on flavour, especially with the airflow turned down to
two or three times of the way open at 50-60W.
The Geekvape Nova kit is a fantastic all-around bundle that is ideal for anyone
who’s setup is a bit long in the tooth and needs a refresh. Impressive.
VM19 | 175