Dude, i'm so super stoked that PV hooked you up with an EVO you are very happy with! The EVO that I used (from
@lazylathe) never once had any sounds of popping or cracking or anything, and I used that thing for a good couple of months I think).
Your original EVO abv on max doesn't look like there is anything wrong with it IMO. Your grind looks chunkier than the other pics, and with the EVO technique really does matter and determines how dark your ABV gets. I started getting that colour ABV on MAX temp, but then when I started to learn the technique and that is was different from Cloud+, I slowed it down, and got the ABV colour I wanted by the length of time I hit the bowl.
Furthermore, I have recently also discovered, as many have already determined specifically in the Herbalizer thread, that ABV colour doesn't mean much. Your original EVO ABV probably was almost all extracted, and i'm starting to notice a pattern of two different kinds of vaporists here....one is a higher temp vapour/smoke hybrid vaper, which I used to be....massive high temp hits, little flavour, and worse on health IMO (DARK ABV), or two a lower temp, purist that wants vapour only (no traces of smoke) and favours taste (light abv). After using the EVO (and Herbie) which are the latest in vaping tech, I now know not to base things on ABV, but rather EFFECT.
Really looking forward to the future of the EVO and VXL. Looks like SM55 has been busy, but I always look forward to and enjoy any updates and information from Monkey Land!