but yeah i understand that the terpenes are gone in one or two hits..
This is what happens when you start the session too high of a temperature setting really. In fact most people want clouds and fast extraction and the taste suffers in the process. Even the Solo and Air on first usable temp setting are slightly too high in temperature IMHO.
On my Ascent I always start the session between 170-175°C (338-347°F) if I'm using a strain with a delicious flavor (some have a more classic skunky/weedy taste and don't deserve wasting battery for them, in which case I start at 177-185°C directly, that is 350-365°F) The flavor stays delicious until the temperature level is completely depleted, then I raise to 185°C/365°F and again get plenty of flavor for the entire level. Then when I reach 195°C/383°F and above, it starts deteriorating pretty fast, and high temperatures have a bad ABV taste usually (but you get used to it isn't it?)
Some other FC members even start at lower temperatures. But at the same time I heard many people saying anything below 185°C/365°F is useless, because well maybe they make a fixation on visible vapor exhale and feel it's too wispy? But that's a tradeoff, if you want to preserve taste you need to nurture your load and extract slowly. With my gf original FM5 that is fixed temp at 210°C the taste is indeed good for a couple of hits then deteriorates. In my FM5S starting at 195°C (blue setting) the taste is good for about 6+ hits then start to blend into something more generic, not yet ABV like in the fixed temp FM5 but something in between.
Now I made the remark in the Crafty/Mighty threads when they were released because I was really perplex and nobody was able to give me an answer: these two vapes do extract the entire load whatever the starting temperature you select and it's been confirmed by many people. Once the first level is depleted there is practically nothing left if you raise the temp afterwards or even if you put the ABV in another vape to finish it. This is not what I'm getting with any of my vapes and I wonder if it's not a reason for some of the reflections above.
But some vapes excel at extracting your load in as little time as possible (cf watertools) while others excel at giving you a long session more akin to a joint. One thing is clear though, if you want the best flavor, you need to extract slower at at a lower temp, to avoid any risk of pyrolisis. I don't think you can have both sides at once.
