Ascent Vaporizer by DaVinci

[OF]

Better than your minivap and comparable to the cloud? I have to see this...any chance of a video?

Good point. I've never even seen one, but I'm told Cloud is 'second to none'? Makes sense, it's a 'no holds barred' attempt to make the ultimate desktop, right? So here we have 'equal to second to none'? And it's a portable?

Funny also that others don't report this astounding level of performance for a portable......or anything really close to it.

It's kind of a moving target right now seems to me, hopefully it'll firm up in the coming weeks.

Thanks for the reports, guys, I'm still hanging fire on this one too.

OF

 

[Zorbak]

I'm really surprised by the wildly differing perspectives on the Ascent so far. I've been using this unit for 3 solid days now, and my overall opinion is extremely positive. Even running at 430 for a long time, the unit feels barely warm to the touch on the bottom, and it hits hard with big clouds in no time flat. Unfortunately I don't have an iphone or video camera, so I have no way to show it I did do a burnout and ISO cleanse soon after receiving my Ascent, and just now I set it at 430 for 3 minutes with an empty bowl and examined the bottom very carefully as it was hot. I'm not kidding when I say I saw absolutely no smoke or haze coming from the bottom of the unit.

I'm sorry to hear others are having a different experience from me, but I just wanted to get my piece in to say some of us are having a great experience with it so far.

 

[Pappy]

Giving Ascent another shot today but would love to see vids of these "milky clouds" shot by consumers.

Conducted 3rd test @ 215 C... Full charge, preheated unit, dry grind, packed tight with oil can... Nothing! Bottom of unit hot, very mild buzz, not even a hint of cloud vapor.

 

[thedanks]

I'm really surprised by the wildly differing perspectives on the Ascent so far. I've been using this unit for 3 solid days now, and my overall opinion is extremely positive. Even running at 430 for a long time, the unit feels barely warm to the touch on the bottom, and it hits hard with big clouds in no time flat. Unfortunately I don't have an iphone or video camera, so I have no way to show it I did do a burnout and ISO cleanse soon after receiving my Ascent, and just now I set it at 430 for 3 minutes with an empty bowl and examined the bottom very carefully as it was hot. I'm not kidding when I say I saw absolutely no smoke or haze coming from the bottom of the unit.

I'm sorry to hear others are having a different experience from me, but I just wanted to get my piece in to say some of us are having a great experience with it so far.

put it directly under a light, clear as day. I have a light on the bottom of my microwave above my stove that i am holding the ascent under and its definitely noticeable.

 

[deadseasquirrel]

My Pax comparison (sorry for the length):

I've lurked on FC about a year... it led me to try a Pax a year ago, and that was my first vape. It has become my only driver (unless I am hitting the pipe which is very rare now). I use the Pax every night, sharing with the wife for a good 20 min session. I have my complaints about the Pax and I will be sure to name them when discussing the comparison.

I ordered Stealth and I love the way it looks and feels. It's significantly bigger than the Pax, which is definitely a downer for me (not that I didn't know it going in) because I like the sleek, small Pax that fits in my pocket so easily. That being said, I don't see why the Ascent will disappoint due to size alone. It'll honestly feel like carrying around 2 cell phones (which I've had to do for work before). My Stealth Ascent has no blemishes or poor quality like others have noted.

I charged it (for just a couple of hours) and then used a timed session with the wife last night (5min at 375, 5m at 400, and 5m at 430). It wasn't long enough, that's for sure. I need to play with it more and figure out how to get from one mode to another easily. I turned it back off and then back on, and then just did another 10m at 420. The first thing I noticed compared to the Pax was the MUCH better taste at high temps. I only picked apart some nugs and didn't pack tightly at all. Very loose, and may have been half a bowl (though since it was loose, it filled it up).

The bottom did get hot, especially at 430. However, it was JUST the bottom. My Pax gets mother-f'ing HOT and does it ALL over. And don't get me started on the Pax at max temp with fresh herb... taste is terrible after a couple of hits and the smell is bad. I can't safely use my first experience as a direct comparison on smell because at the moment, I have some plants curing in the same room I was using. But I did not notice a BAD smell like I do with the Pax on high for a while.

The results were great, but like many others have said, thin vapor, low clouds. I can't say I care about most of that, but care most about the effect (which was great). However, this morning, after reading some posts, I re-packed with the hit ABV from last night (that we hit the heck out of), packed it tight, and then since it wasn't even half-full, I threw some other ABV right on top (which also had been torn up bigtime in the Pax previously). It ripped hard and I had significantly larger clouds than previously. And this was herb that got roasted and got me toasted hard on previous days. I didn't even know it still had that much in it, which my Pax couldn't get out.

Ascent loses to Pax when comparing:
Size/weight
Pax stands up easier and, in my opinion, packs easier (I use the Pax oven lid to tamp and have gotten VERY used to doing so... started using the jar for the Ascent and maybe that will work, but it's now an extra piece I have to carry around)

Honestly, both seem equal to me on bowl size, cloud production, and effect.

Ascent wins against Pax:
Draw resistance is much better
Less heat
So far, less smell
MUCH better taste
Gonna say it again, MUCH better taste (especially at high temps and even with roasted ABV)
Maintenance and cleaning... though I haven't had it long enough to say that FOR SURE... but nothing and I mean nothing can be as bad as the Pax is for cleaning and maintenance (temp light issue, stuck mouthpieces, etc, etc)

I haven't had it long enough to test battery life. I charge my Pax every morning, but have taken it for a trip and didn't bring the charger and didn't need it for 3 days, so I would hope the Ascent can match. Time will tell. I also need to play around with the grind (or not grinding at all) as well as packing. During use on the Ascent, the herb did rise off the bottom during use and repacks were needed (same with the Pax, but again, with the oven-lid on the Pax it was simple to repack... not so easy on the Ascent for me yet... don't fancy a burnt pinky). Maybe cotton could help... or just packing a full bowl tightly (which I do with the Pax all the time).

Feel free to ask any questions. Last night was the first night in a long time that I didn't use my Pax. Both will get used in the future though (planned on getting a second Pax for the wife, but then I learned about the Ascent and decided to try it out).

 

[thesoloman]

There is some offgasing, you should take it to a dark room with a flashlight, at first i couldn't see any in the light but.....

Edit: I also left it on the charger all night and never got a "full" battery logo, showed it was sill charging

 

[Rexxe]

Hey guys,

The Ascent is my first vape ever and my first vape experience was last night (whoohoo!). I did not get any vapor clouds and got either no vapor or a thin, whispy vapor people are talking about, but I did feel the effects. Can you guys explain why this makes the unit subpar? From what everyone is saying, the Solo is much better because it produces thick clouds. Why does that make it better?

Thanks!

 

[mewash2]

I have been trying the ascent with smaller loads today and here is what I think is happening... with a small load and a very tight pack at 390. After a few nice rips the bud in the bowl has lost some moisture and shrunk a little bit. This makes it very easy to suck the wad of bud up against the glass screen and off the bottom of the bowl. When this happens, vapor production stops. A tamp down of the bud is necessary at this point and sometimes even that is not enough to keep it down if you are inhaling rapidly. If you sip from the ascent, this problem is mostly avoidable. For people who want to hook this up to water pipes and stuff, a marble on top of the load may be needed. Just my opinion here.

 

[thedanks]

There is some offgasing, you should take it to a dark room with a flashlight, at first i couldn't see any in the light but.....

Edit: I also left it on the charger all night and never got a "full" battery logo, showed it was sill charging

i lol'd hard at the we've been "davinci'd" in the title. i knew i was on to something. they need to recall this thing or disclose what the hell that gas is that they are telling us to inhale. Somebody call Sanjay Gupta.

 

[pakalolo]

First off, kudos to the mods for not deleting all the recent posts from actual reviewers with actual production units slamming the Ascent where it needs to be done. I was having my doubts about their neutrality (Sorry, seeing pakalolo right next to Davinci people makes you wonder about this. Please don't take it personally, pakalolo). My faith in this forum is restored..

I was "right next to" every manufacturer and vendor at the Toronto TY Expo. I made it a point to visit each one participating in FC and several who don't. To assume something about FC's neutrality because one moderator was seen on Youtube visiting one manufacturer is a hasty and ill-advised leap to an unjustified conclusion.

No problem, despite the FACT that my advocacy statements made on behalf of my fellow FC member/consumers DID advance the conversation, and still does. See for yourself the vast majority of posts after the wrist-slapping I got. They are as critical, if not more-so, than mine. And yes, admittedly, some of my statements were intended to be critical of DV and the current incarnation of the Ascent. However, that said and done, I will from here on out back off and trust in the good sense and intelligence of my fellow FCr's as they continue to provide anecdotal evidence (good & bad) and QC implications for themselves. It should be noted that mine was not a singular mission to bash DV, as I did also generously spread around my "Like's" to those who expressed satisfaction and successful methods with their new Ascents. I'm sure there's a silver lining here somewhere. I still want my Ascent, and will ask ezvapes to make all the quality checkpoints before shipping to me. Carry on my good friends. Enjoy!God bless America and our freedom of speech. Go FC!!!

Where to start? First, you should know that public discussion of moderator decisions can get you a point. You've already gotten one break for me and now you want to test your luck with another?

Second, the cauton was not about being critical. it was about posts that said nothing but "The QC is bad, I told you so." over and over. These did not advance the discussion in any way. You don't even own one, but you kept bashing away. No one else was doing that.

Third, you seem to be under the delusion that somehow I might be infringing your right to free speech. Read the rules you agreed to when you registered again. FC give you the privilege of posting here for agreeing to and following those rules. There is no right to "free speech" here; if you break those rules (and you did) then your privilege can be revoked.

I should be giving you a point here but instead, I'm reporting your post and I'll let the other moderators decide. In the meantime, you might want to review the rules you agreed to when you signed up.

 

[The High Cyde]

Hi you guys, I'm a first time poster (obviously lol) and I'm planning on getting a Solo as my first vape. Cash is tight right now, but I'm saving up to buy it, however I was wondering if I should save up another 130 bucks to get an Ascent? Is it worth it over the battle tested Solo? I read a few pages of this thread, and it's mostly mixed reactions, and I personally don't want that in a product if I decide to drop 250 plus dollars on.

I was pretty dead set on getting a Solo, but the Ascent looks really stealthy. Yet I don't like how it gets hot, and it hasn't been thoroughly tested yet, at least not on the level of the Solo. I won't be able to buy either any time soon, but I want to find out all I can of the things between these two, for good or bad.

 

[Tweek]

Hi you guys, I'm a first time poster (obviously lol) and I'm planning on getting a Solo as my first vape. Cash is tight right now, but I'm saving up to buy it, however I was wondering if I should save up another 130 bucks to get an Ascent? Is it worth it over the battle tested Solo? I read a few pages of this thread, and it's mostly mixed reactions, and I personally don't want that in a product if I decide to drop 250 plus dollars on.

I was pretty dead set on getting a Solo, but the Ascent looks really stealthy. Yet I don't like how it gets hot, and it hasn't been thoroughly tested yet, at least not on the level of the Solo. I won't be able to buy either any time soon, but I want to find out all I can of the things between these two, for good or bad.

If cash is tight, I would wait awhile for more reviews and videos of the Ascent to roll in. There is already enough positive feedback on the Solo to read through for now.

 

[thedanks]

Hi you guys, I'm a first time poster (obviously lol) and I'm planning on getting a Solo as my first vape. Cash is tight right now, but I'm saving up to buy it, however I was wondering if I should save up another 130 bucks to get an Ascent? Is it worth it over the battle tested Solo? I read a few pages of this thread, and it's mostly mixed reactions, and I personally don't want that in a product if I decide to drop 250 plus dollars on.

I was pretty dead set on getting a Solo, but the Ascent looks really stealthy. Yet I don't like how it gets hot, and it hasn't been thoroughly tested yet, at least not on the level of the Solo. I won't be able to buy either any time soon, but I want to find out all I can of the things between these two, for good or bad.

Really? I would reassess when you are ready to purchase. Right now, no doubt my answer would be thhe solo and Im pretty sure in 6 months that answer will remain the same. The overwispyness of ascent is enough to put it at a significant disadvantage.

 

[OF]

Is it just me, or does this guy seem like the fable of the blind men describing the elephant? It's like some guys aren't describing the same vape as others......

Reminds me of the old joke about the Sargent giving the reenlistment speech to the PFC about to get discharged. After hearing how great the Army is for a guy, he says, "sounds great Sarge, tell you what how about we both quit this Army and go join the one you're talking about?".

There is some offgasing, you should take it to a dark room with a flashlight, at first i couldn't see any in the light but.....

Edit: I also left it on the charger all night and never got a "full" battery logo, showed it was sill charging

Talk about "deja vu all over again". Outgassing 'mystery vapor' and batteries that didn't ever seem to complete charging are traditional issues with the original DV.......right?

Still some are getting good results so IMO yet there is hope. Thanks for the reports guys.

OF

 

[lwien]

Right now, no doubt my answer would be thhe solo and Im pretty sure in 6 months that answer will remain the same.

Sooooo much can happen in 6 months in regards to running improvement mods done by DV, I don't see how you think that things wouldn't improve. All one has to do is to look at the running improvement mods done with the Solo since it was first introduced. They had MAJOR problems with "the flaking bowl" syndrome that they have since addressed. DV has been in this game for awhile now, and while the initial launch along with the initial bugs being reported in the first production run has some GLARING issues, I would find it unlikely that DV would not address these issues in future production runs since continuing on with a product like this without making those necessary adjustments could prove fatal for DV.

There is some offgasing, you should take it to a dark room with a flashlight, at first i couldn't see any in the light but.....

Regarding the off-gassing, how long did you leave the unit on at full blast to burn off any production material before that vid was shot?

 

[max]

Really? I would reassess when you are ready to purchase. Right now, no doubt my answer would be thhe solo and Im pretty sure in 6 months that answer will remain the same. The overwispyness of ascent is enough to put it at a significant disadvantage.

The Ascent is a pocket vape while the Solo has the advantage of incorporating some home vape features. Not exactly an apples to apples comparison.

 

[nigel]

I re-packed with the hit ABV from last night (that we hit the heck out of), packed it tight, and then since it wasn't even half-full, I threw some other ABV right on top (which also had been torn up bigtime in the Pax previously). It ripped hard and I had significantly larger clouds than previously. And this was herb that got roasted and got me toasted hard on previous days. I didn't even know it still had that much in it, which my Pax couldn't get out.

Thanks for the review/comparison! A lot of people will appreciate the PAX contrasts.

I too, did the ABV + extreme pack last night. Prior to this, I've been doing a medium pack on flower with a slow draw and quite enjoying the effects. But then again, I was looking for effect as primary and then flavor as the "icing" on top of it, and not so concerned with clouds.

I took Ascent ABV from the medium pack sessions, and used the oil can and compressed the fuck out of it. ("SHUT DOWN ALL THE GARBAGE MASHERS ON THE DETENTION LEVEL!!!") I'm sure it was "over-tampt", but, hey! this is for science. I was surprised at how much I was able to extract. The draw was definitely affected, but it was over packed. I had a good long session with it. Two things to note: A) The flavor wasn't as good as flower, but that is to be expected, and B) I was NOT producing giant clouds (it IS ABV, after all) but nor were they wispy (well... after a while they were, but not at first) and were quite good for material I though to be spent.

I think, for the future, if I am using out in public, I am going for medium to lighter pack. I get all the effect I want, without obvious exhale. However, at home, I'm going into full on "Garbage Masher" mode.

[EDIT: My previous device doesn't really lend itself to "packing" the stem with much variation (I broke the glass once) so packing hasn't been a concern for me previously. I also wasn't saving ABV, but now am.]

There is some offgasing, you should take it to a dark room with a flashlight, at first i couldn't see any in the light but.....

The second I saw the wisps in your video, I grabbed my device. It is absolutely pristine at this point, and has the unused set of stems in it.

I cranked it up to max temp, 430°F, and have been letting it run. @sam reynolds -- I have been holding it in my hands and don't find it too hot to hold. In fact, I rather like the warmth. I don't work with my hands (unless you count typing as work) so I don't have calluses or the like. But I guess we each have different sensitivity to temp.

I've let it run through a full 20 minute session.

I tried to replicate @thesoloman 's conditions (dark room with no windows, flashlight). I don't have my 500 Lumen HexBright right now, but am working with something ~120 lumen and a second less bright (~40? lumen) light.

I can not see anything coming off of mine.

I will keep trying through the day.

@thesoloman -- Sorry, this is a stupid question and I presume the answer is "yes", but you did clean yours before testing right? I'm trying to figure out what the difference between yours and mine is. (Other than Burl vs Stealth, but I can't see that would cause anything.) Have you used yours a *lot* or is it still kinda new? I've been "forcing" just about every friend of mine to try my unit, so perhaps mine is more "broken in"??

Other than that, I'd send that unit back for a new one. I don't think that is correct behavior.

 

[The High Cyde]

Thank you guys, I appreciate your quick feedback. I've decided I'm going to stick with the Solo, I personally don't think such a huge difference is price will be replicated in a huge difference in Vapor quality, unless honest reviews comes out that the Ascent completely blows away the Solo (in vapor quality). I mean I don't know about you guys, but 250+ for a hand held vape is a bit too steep for me, too, and it would take me months to save up for.

Regardless, I thank you for your responses.

 

[Snappo]

I was "right next to" every manufacturer and vendor at the Toronto TY Expo. I made it a point to visit each one participating in FC and several who don't. To assume something about FC's neutrality because one moderator was seen on Youtube visiting one manufacturer is a hasty and ill-advised leap to an unjustified conclusion.



Where to start? First, you should know that public discussion of moderator decisions can get you a point. You've already gotten one break for me and now you want to test your luck with another?

Second, the cauton was not about being critical. it was about posts that said nothing but "The QC is bad, I told you so." over and over. These did not advance the discussion in any way. You don't even own one, but you kept bashing away. No one else was doing that.

Third, you seem to be under the delusion that somehow I might be infringing your right to free speech. Read the rules you agreed to when you registered again. FC give you the privilege of posting here for agreeing to and following those rules. There is no right to "free speech" here; if you break those rules (and you did) then your privilege can be revoked.

I should be giving you a point here but instead, I'm reporting your post and I'll let the other moderators decide. In the meantime, you might want to review the rules you agreed to when you signed up.

Points taken.

 

[OF]

Thank you guys, I appreciate your quick feedback. I've decided I'm going to stick with the Solo, I personally don't think such a huge difference is price will be replicated in a huge difference in Vapor quality, unless honest reviews comes out that the Ascent completely blows away the Solo (in vapor quality).

Welcome to the Forum and all the fun, THC.

Guys helping other guys make informed buying decisions? How cool is that?

A group hug is out of course, but maybe this is a good time for a "FC Collective Bow"? I think the exchange of ideas and experiences here is priceless! Good folks helping other good folks.....for free.

Just a bit of personal conjecture, but if the idea is to "completely blow away Solo in vapor quality" you'd best pack a lunch.......

OF

 

[thesoloman]

Ok i've tried a bowl yesterday, then cleaned it real well with iso, so there shouldn't be anything in there that is gassing. I took a tooth pick and gently poked the black silicone part under the grill, i did this too see if it was hard or soft. soft meaning it's silicone. I have a hunch that this might be the off-gasing part..
@nigel Try holding the ascent still and then holding the light so its shinning perpendicular and above the Ascent. Im trying to do a burn-off right now, but it's dropping it's temp. WTF??
Edit: timer at 20:00

 

[thedanks]

here is my video showing why I won't use my ascent. Literally, what are you guys vaping?

 

[mewash2]

90 second auto shut off motion detector.

 

[lwien]

I think the exchange of ideas and experiences here is priceless! Good folks helping other good folks.....for free.

OF

We may be a bit crazy, but that's how we roll, eh?

 

[Rexxe]

here is my video showing why I won't use my ascent.

Wow, that's not good. I'm going to try this test right now. So, are people going to contact Davinci for a refund?