ShadowLink12's LSV Review
I have had the LSV for a couple weeks now, and I have used it exclusively since receiving it, except for recently for comparison sake. This review will be in-depth. For those that don't want to read, skip to the conclusion at the bottom. Here are the links to my videos and photos of the product for those that are still confused.
http://picasaweb.google.com/shadowlink420/LSV?authkey=Gv1sRgCPC2sKCD34z79AE&feat=directlink
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQTvqDIVVzs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_ZrFDek8D0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZE3QpKzLnx8
Design:
I will be the first to admit that I was not overly impressed when I saw the pictures of this device online. Although I was blown away when I first unboxed the unit. It is heavy duty, but lightweight. Not too big, not too small. And once you start to use the device, you realize that the design choices are all functionality choices as well. As I am sure you can tell from looking at the pictures, the design cleverly creates a multipurpose device that could stand on its own with any of its uses. Also, big plus, it has a super long very thick power cord. Unlike the PD when you have to huddle around a power outlet, I have never had that problem with the LSV.
Usability:
This is one of the most important categories in my opinion, as I usually like to vape with less experienced friends. I personally love how simple this vape is; it feels like getting back to basics. Much like smoking, you load up your herb, apply heat and you are good to go. No tubing or over convoluted setup is a major plus. In this way this is a great vape for someone first transitioning from combusting. I have found though that my less experienced friends, who have tried all my different vape setups, feel ridiculous when using the water pipe adapter, and do not immediately take to it. It is mainly an issue of airflow, as they mostly grab the bong and start ripping as hard as they can, which we all know doesn't lead to the best hit. The Cloud looks to be the first vape to fix this, but with the LSV some care in the way you hit is still necessary. Now if you hit it right, the hit is incredible and you can get some serious clouds. My friends like the glass wand, while I am not a huge fan. It is super simple, very one hitter feel like the PD. The issue I have is that it is VERY long, making passing it around feel a bit goofy. The biggest issue with the glass wand is stirring the bowl. You load the bowl into the wands joint, but then some falls into the screen on the heater cover. Therefore you must be VERY careful when pulling the wand off to stir the bowl, as you have herb in both places. As you can imagine, this also means that when using it you can't clear the wand, which means you end up with vapor leaking out the tip between hits, it looks cool but breaks my heart.
Performance/Efficiency:
I will not spend too long on this, but just say that once you discover your best temperature point, this vape performs quite well. I have gotten some HUGE clouds, but can also dial it for a more mild experience. As far as efficiency goes, this vape is about middle of the road. It can't compare to the PD or the EQ with an elbow pack, but is comparable to loading up the cyclone bowl. I usually end up loading a "party amount", and just turning the vape off and saving for later if it is more than needed. I have loaded smaller amounts before with favorable results though. Frequent stirring is necessary, because the air/heat stream seems to be narrow like the SSV. When turning the temp up a bit too high, and not stirring the middle of the bowl gets much darker than the rest.
Taste:
This is where the LSV really shines in my opinion. I never thought the tubing really affected taste, the LSV has proved that wrong. These are hands down the most flavorful hits I have ever had. The first hit, at 1 or 2 o'clock on the dial is usually a hit of pure flavor with fairly thing vapor. As I gradually dial it up the taste doesn't become as sacrificed like it does as I push past 190C on the EQ. My EQ is what I used to always use to hook up to my glass with silicon tubing, and I didn't think this experience could be approved upon, but it certainly has been.
Conclusion:
This vape has some very minor flaws, but lives up to the label of being a true multipurpose device. It isn't a jack-of-all-trades master of none, but rather a cleverly designed item that is proficient under multiple different scenarios. For those that still haven't sworn off combustion, this device is simple enough, and equitable enough to smoking that it would be a great intro to the world of vaping. Its taste is what really makes this vape stand out among the crowd. The cloud promises a 100% glass air path, but the LSV is the closest thing we have for now, and if this is any indicator, the future of vaping is bright.
Pros:
Simple
Durable
Ergonomic Design
Taste
Multifunctional
Classic "smoking like" experience
No tubing
Cons:
Wand is too long, difficult to stir, and can't be cleared between hits
Price point (worth it, but out of reach for some users)
Questionable efficiency
Requires a lot of stirring