Vapouround magazine ISSUE 22 | Page 172

REVIEWS REVIEW BY BENEDICT ‘NED’ JONES Device Specifications: Construction: Stainless steel, silica glass Dimensions: 25 x 39.1mm (not including drip tip) Occasionally a rebuildable atomiser comes along that changes the game. Many enthusiast vapers were beginning to think that there was little room left for innovation in the RTA market in 2019, after a string of near perfect releases at the end of last year, but Geekvape has dropped the Zeus X on us with little warning, hoping to prove the naysayers wrong. The Zeus X is the third and final instalment in the Zeus line. These are all RTAs designed with leak resistance in mind, due to their top airflow systems. Top airflow RTAs have been a divisive topic among advanced users. While this design undoubtedly mitigates the risk of leaking, it usually also means sacrificing some flavour, and often results in a slightly turbulent, louder draw. That’s not the case with the Zeus X. Geekvape went back to the drawing board with their new internal airflow chamber. This detachable piece re-directs the air intake to hit your coils squarely on the side and the result is the kind of flavour you would expect from a more traditional bottom airflow RTA. It also condenses the chamber, which further increases vapour density and flavour output. This new design seems to have eliminated the turbulence issues that have so often plagued top airflow devices. Surprisingly, the Zeus X is among the smoothest RTAs I’ve ever tried, and when paired with reasonably quiet airflow, the result is one of the most luxurious vaping experiences available. Build quality is top notch. All the threading is silky smooth and tolerances are spot on too. The construction of the Zeus X is right up there with atomisers that cost three or four times its asking price. Performance and construction are great, then, but how easy is it to build and wick? Thankfully, there are improvements here too. The build deck is a bit roomier when compared with the Zeus Dual, with plenty of space to snip leads underneath the post-less mounting points. Installing dual 3mm exotic coils is a breeze, and this seemed to be the sweet spot during my testing. I was sceptical about the wicking system at first glance. It seems like a lot of cotton is needed to properly fill the wicking ports, and a fair bit of distance for e-liquid to travel to the coil, but it works flawlessly. This seems to be due to the large surface area of cotton required, as the wicking action is incredibly fast and I’ve not had the faintest hint of a dry hit, even when testing the Zeus X at 120W. Is this the perfect RTA? Yes and no. If you’re the kind of vaper who prefers a warm, powerful dual coil vape, I can’t think of a better choice right now. If you’re a mid-wattage vaper, you may be better served by a smaller single coil RTA with more restricted airflow. 172 | VM22