Ascent Vaporizer by DaVinci
- Thread starter Davinci_vaporizer
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- battery powered
I hope the same for you too lol.
I don't want to take away from the product. Its a great design and works well when it works, but it's unreliable and has suspect quality issues still.
Hopefully they can figure it out whether its software or heat management issues as I'm guessing it is.
I just got a new Ascent (Stealth, it's gorgeous) and it has no issues whatsoever. It was beautifully packaged and immediately gave me the impression of quality and attention to detail. I checked carefully for every flaw mentioned in this thread and the closest I came to finding anything was that it did have a little "new" smell when I put the bowl right up to my nose. I did a dry hit before I even turned it on and got no off-flavour whatsoever. There was no whistling or air leak. The finish is perfect and the screen is flawless. I did an empty burn-off to check for off-gassing, and using my LED light in a dark room I could not detect any trace from either end.
The next thing I did was drop a screen in the bowl. It seemed obvious to me that's how to use the screens, since the air intake holes at the bottom are large enough to be a problem with fine grinds. I've seen enough questions/comments here from confused people that I do think the instructions would benefit from mentioning this, however.
My standard load is .07 g. (Yes, I'm compulsive enough to weigh them.) Clearly the Ascent handles much larger loads, and since it is primarily conduction I knew I would get the best results from a tightly packed load (not to mention I've read this here a few million times). For this size of a load, the solution is really simple: take the top off an oil jar and drop it in on top. This works perfectly and I got excellent results at all temperature settings. The heat-up was fast and the flavour was exactly as expected: excellent for the first two or three hits, fine but a bit cooked for the rest. I had no trouble at all producing everything from tasty wispy vapour at 160°C to hot dense vapour at 220°C. I could not detect a trace of silicone or anything else that shouldn't be there. After one load, the "new" smell was gone.
The draw is a little restricted but not offensively so to me. As many of you know, I am constantly telling people that if it feels restricted, you're pulling too hard. I found that the Ascent responded quite well to a micro-hit (puffing) technique. A really hard hit doesn't yield much vapour—pulling too hard will definitely result in a poor experience. It does better if you give it a rest between hits to let vapour build up. As far as I can tell, it does a pretty good job of maintaining temperature.
One thing that might be an issue for some was that it does give off some odour when it heats up. It's a stealthy design in appearance (people won't guess what it is) but if you use it near people, sharp noses will notice. If you accidentally puff into it, you'll send a trail of vapour out through the grill as well. It is not as smelly as my Pax, but it is definitely not odour-free in use.
I can't comment on battery life. It arrived fully charged and after my burn-off sessions and two bowls, it indicated about 75% left. The bowls were not continuous sessions. When I use a heat-on-demand device like my FlashVAPE, I like to take one or two hits and then wait 15-30 minutes before hitting it again. When I use a constant-heat device like the Ascent, I still tend to turn it off after about 4-5 hits. This means reduced battery life because I'm re-heating it frequently, but I also tend to recharge after every bowl so it seldom becomes an issue for me. I never drain a device's battery except for test purposes, and I hate to do it even then. I wouldn't hesitate to take this thing out for an evening, however. It would definitely last long enough for me, given my usage pattern.
Bottom line: I like it and would recommend it.
The next thing I did was drop a screen in the bowl. It seemed obvious to me that's how to use the screens, since the air intake holes at the bottom are large enough to be a problem with fine grinds. I've seen enough questions/comments here from confused people that I do think the instructions would benefit from mentioning this, however.
My standard load is .07 g. (Yes, I'm compulsive enough to weigh them.) Clearly the Ascent handles much larger loads, and since it is primarily conduction I knew I would get the best results from a tightly packed load (not to mention I've read this here a few million times). For this size of a load, the solution is really simple: take the top off an oil jar and drop it in on top. This works perfectly and I got excellent results at all temperature settings. The heat-up was fast and the flavour was exactly as expected: excellent for the first two or three hits, fine but a bit cooked for the rest. I had no trouble at all producing everything from tasty wispy vapour at 160°C to hot dense vapour at 220°C. I could not detect a trace of silicone or anything else that shouldn't be there. After one load, the "new" smell was gone.
The draw is a little restricted but not offensively so to me. As many of you know, I am constantly telling people that if it feels restricted, you're pulling too hard. I found that the Ascent responded quite well to a micro-hit (puffing) technique. A really hard hit doesn't yield much vapour—pulling too hard will definitely result in a poor experience. It does better if you give it a rest between hits to let vapour build up. As far as I can tell, it does a pretty good job of maintaining temperature.
One thing that might be an issue for some was that it does give off some odour when it heats up. It's a stealthy design in appearance (people won't guess what it is) but if you use it near people, sharp noses will notice. If you accidentally puff into it, you'll send a trail of vapour out through the grill as well. It is not as smelly as my Pax, but it is definitely not odour-free in use.
I can't comment on battery life. It arrived fully charged and after my burn-off sessions and two bowls, it indicated about 75% left. The bowls were not continuous sessions. When I use a heat-on-demand device like my FlashVAPE, I like to take one or two hits and then wait 15-30 minutes before hitting it again. When I use a constant-heat device like the Ascent, I still tend to turn it off after about 4-5 hits. This means reduced battery life because I'm re-heating it frequently, but I also tend to recharge after every bowl so it seldom becomes an issue for me. I never drain a device's battery except for test purposes, and I hate to do it even then. I wouldn't hesitate to take this thing out for an evening, however. It would definitely last long enough for me, given my usage pattern.
Bottom line: I like it and would recommend it.
flavadave109
New Member
The stealth would be my last choice typically, but the croc skin and burl wood are just so bad. honestly, if the unit worked idc if it was shaped liked a giant dick that you had to pull off of. But they could have made some other color choices. My friend actually modified an old flip phone case to fit his ascent, I've been considering doing that when my replacement gets here.
When this unit did work, it was excellent for passing around a group of 3-4 friends. I also never used any of the screens, disnt seem to be a problem.
When this unit did work, it was excellent for passing around a group of 3-4 friends. I also never used any of the screens, disnt seem to be a problem.
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nigel
And shepherds we shall be,for Accuracy & Discovery
Most definitely not refurbished.
And the only difference between the models is cosmetic. I'm not sure how they are assembled, but one design may or may not be from the same batch.
Also, failure to take into account the distribution between the models. The Stealth is being produced in greater numbers, so one would expect there to be a greater number of those with issues if there is a fixed percent of problem units. (eg, 1% of 100 units and 1% of 10 units is the same percentage, although different resultant quantities of each.)
So I would expect to see more failure (presuming no manufacturing process is 100% perfect.) in the Stealth to begin with. Then there may or may not be something related to a batch used for the Stealth specifically.
My hat goes in the ring as having both a Stealth and a Burl that are issue free. Daily use.
The Stealth is *fucking* gorgeous. The Burl is quite sharp, but the purplish iridescent light off of the black chrome seals it on the Stealth for me.
Ever since the discussion with lwien (and since buying a new scale as I still can't find my other one), I've been weighing every load. A "fat pinch" of ground flower is almost exactly 0.07g... or at least I've gotten really consistent about how I pinch.
I too puff, not unlike how I used to smoke a tobacco pipe another life ago. My sessions are long and drawn out, but quite enjoyable.
95% of my usage is on mains, so I haven't really put the battery to the test. But when I have take it for a night out, I've never run into batter life issues, sharing with 1-4 friends over the course of an evening.
Patience, my friend. Patience.
It has been said from the beginning that the initial launch would be with limited models/styles. I, for one, am holding my breath for the aforementioned see-though Steampunk style.
But I will put in a word for a Penis Landscape model, just for you.
[So as to not offend, I did NOT include the image here. Although that link is a Wikipedia page, I will still warn it is a NSFW link. The original artwork became a poster included in the Dead Kennedys' Album "Frankenchrist." I still have my copy sitting around somewhere. EDIT: For those that don't recognize the name, that's the same artist (H.R. Giger) that is responsible for the alien in "Alien". ]
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RD
"Hawaii Home Grown"
OK, sending #2 back today. With the holiday will be about a two week turn around. Have decided to get myself a backup portable from the LHS today so I can enjoy the turkey tomorrow. Solo or Pax? Open for suggestions, pros & cons.
Mahalo
PS: RMA number is approaching mid 600's.
Mahalo
PS: RMA number is approaching mid 600's.
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lwien
Well-Known Member
Your experience with the Ascent mirrors mine exactly.
Shrike
Flower Potted, Maxed, & Rio'd.
And mine...
My replacement Burl performs flawlessly, flavors are great and battery last a long time.
Looks like they got it right for some of them...maybe most? No way to tell since we are not privy to DV's list of customers, and it is too small a sample on FC to know true stats.
My replacement Burl performs flawlessly, flavors are great and battery last a long time.
Looks like they got it right for some of them...maybe most? No way to tell since we are not privy to DV's list of customers, and it is too small a sample on FC to know true stats.
nigel
And shepherds we shall be,for Accuracy & Discovery
Add to this the fact that someone with a problem unit is SIGNIFICANTLY more inclined to go online and post a comment. (Conversely, people with working units are less inclined to post the "everything is fine" posts.)
This skews perception.
[Of course this fact does nothing to help the people that are experiencing problems. I feel really bad for those people, as I know how much I enjoy using my Ascent.]
Shrike
Flower Potted, Maxed, & Rio'd.
It really is a nice portable, isn't it?
I don't use it every day...my "ticking" Cloud has that honor, but whenever I need it, the Ascent is ready to go and does a complete job of getting me where I want to be.
I'll be taking it on its first jet trip in about a week. Time to do a complete cleaning and buy some tobacco to carry along with me. Hate tobacco (except in a fine cigar), but pretenses must be upheld when leaving a "legal" state.
Looking forward to using it on a "road trip" and introducing it to a close friend.
I don't use it every day...my "ticking" Cloud has that honor, but whenever I need it, the Ascent is ready to go and does a complete job of getting me where I want to be.
I'll be taking it on its first jet trip in about a week. Time to do a complete cleaning and buy some tobacco to carry along with me. Hate tobacco (except in a fine cigar), but pretenses must be upheld when leaving a "legal" state.
Looking forward to using it on a "road trip" and introducing it to a close friend.
Well in business perception trumps reality.
My rma number is 438 which was issued 2 days ago. If it's true they are in the mid 600s, that tells you that there have been over 200 rmas in the last 2 days... kind of explains why they never answer the phone.
I want to love this product. I did love it until it died. It does seem like the people whos had problems experience it roughly a month into usage. That tells me they didn't go through a rigorous enough temp life and cycling test cycle prior to product release.
My rma number is 438 which was issued 2 days ago. If it's true they are in the mid 600s, that tells you that there have been over 200 rmas in the last 2 days... kind of explains why they never answer the phone.
I want to love this product. I did love it until it died. It does seem like the people whos had problems experience it roughly a month into usage. That tells me they didn't go through a rigorous enough temp life and cycling test cycle prior to product release.
RD
"Hawaii Home Grown"
That's what I was looking for. 200+ RMAs in two days after a months release of the new version. Not an encouraging sign. Worth keeping an eye on. FC is just a snapshot of the whole picture.
Just ordered a Solo as a back up.
flavadave109
New Member
I got my RMA exactly a week ago, which is low 300s
So I got my replacement from DaVinci today. More than a little pissed. They sent me an original DaVinci, not an Ascent. Can their customer service be more of a joke at this point?
mod note: Please use Edit to avoid back-to-back posts. Two posts merged.
Actually, I heard back from them in short order and they are shipping out the Ascent without receiving the original back first.
mod note: Please use Edit to avoid back-to-back posts. Two posts merged.
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Are they making you pay the return shipping for the 2nd shipment?
flavadave109
New Member
I am extremely mad with you guys, I was told yesterday tuesday that my unit would ship today, and to call if I didnt get an email saying it shipped by afternoon today. I called today when I didnt have an email, wheere she proceeded to say my unit had been checked in on monday, but that they have NO IDEA where my unit is, or what its status was, she said that she would PERSONALLY email me by the end of the day and that the unit WOULD ship today seeing as they recieved my defective unit early monday. It is now 8pm which means not only didn't it ship, it means she didn't even have the decency to email me which I was assured she would. I made sure I shipped my unit to you asap so davinci could ship it back BEFORE this long holiday weekend, when surely nothing will get done. I will now be telling ppl that you DO NOT MAKE IT RIGHT WHEN A UNIT GOES BAD. Super dissapointed/angry. The way she said it, she made it seem like they have actually lost my unit
This is what I sent to davinci, please don't think Im mad at you guys on FC.
Update: called davinci nonstop even though they are closed, and guess what? They answered! The guy confirmed, that my unit is lost, and that they are SOOO insanely backed up with defective units that they can't handle
It. They promised it would ship friday, if it doesn't, I am 100 percent disputing the charge with my credit card company.
This is what I sent to davinci, please don't think Im mad at you guys on FC.
Update: called davinci nonstop even though they are closed, and guess what? They answered! The guy confirmed, that my unit is lost, and that they are SOOO insanely backed up with defective units that they can't handle
It. They promised it would ship friday, if it doesn't, I am 100 percent disputing the charge with my credit card company.
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YesIt'sLoaded
Member
I have a stealth and I bought my buddy the wood. Neither of us has seen any issues yet. He is a serious connoisseur and I used mine every day for the first month. There is a marked difference in the fit, but it's not a terrible thing. My glass is tighter, and my bowl ceramic looks to have hairline cracks, but the two vapes seem to work pretty much the same.
Also, on an related note, I've been getting THE BEST response by far when I start my load at 350. It's almost amazing, really; you just need to give it time to recover between hits. I make it up to 390 and by then it's legitimately cached out.
Also, on an related note, I've been getting THE BEST response by far when I start my load at 350. It's almost amazing, really; you just need to give it time to recover between hits. I make it up to 390 and by then it's legitimately cached out.
RD
"Hawaii Home Grown"
From what I can see, you wrote this at 5:15 PM PST. Hope yet. Chill!
Smknbud
Well-Known Member
Sorry they lost your unit, they will make it right. They always do.
As for the after hours non-stop phone calls you made, well, I'll just say....
I'll assume you embellished the comment about "they are SOOO insanely backed up with defective units that they can't handle it". No rep in their right mind, hopefully at least, would admit or state something like that without expecting some internal retribution/reprimand.
LOL my thoughts exactly; what's with this trend for croc skin on shit? That's the trend for baseball caps right now too. #cmonson haha
Hey Paka I just tried the small load with the oil jar inserted with no lid and it worked flawlessly like you said!
I have tried the glass flowers, cube, and a glass bead on top but all that did was make my vapor hotter and irritating. This technique gave me great taste, no irritation, and nice clouds with just a cera sized load. Very nice. Thanks!! 
Spacer issue, solved!
flavadave109
New Member
I'll assume you embellished the comment about "they are SOOO insanely backed up with defective units that they can't handle it". No rep in their right mind, hopefully at least, would admit or state something like that without expecting some internal retribution/reprimand.
This is an EXACT quote from the davinci dude, " damn man, I'm super sorry, were just so ridiculously backed up right now we can't even handle it." ( talking specifically about the amount of defective units they have been receiving)
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