VooPoo Argus XT Kit
VooPoo keep on smashing it. Si checks out the new VooPoo ARGUS XT with MAAT New tank
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by Si Davies
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Supplied by VooPoo for review
https://www.voopoo.com/argus-series/argus-mt-xt.html
VooPoo’s 2022 has been quite a busy year and it about to get busier as they release another four new products: Argus MT, Argus XT, Drag H80-S, and the DRAG E60. We will be reviewing all of them in order, but let’s kick off with the ARGUS XT and MAAT New tank kit.
Tank
- Name: MAAT TANK NEW
- Size: 26*52mm
- Capacity: 6.5ml(Standard/US) , 2ml(TPD)
- Material: Stainless Steel+Pyrex
- Resistance:
- 0.2Ω(TPP-DM2)
- 0.15Ω(TPP-DM1)
Mod
- Name: ARGUS XT Kit
- Size：148*34.5*37mm
- Material: Leather + Zinc Alloy
- Output Power: 5-100W
- Output Voltage: 0-8.5V
- Resistance range: 0.05-3.0Ω
- Charging voltage: Type-C 5V/3A
- Battery:18650 or 21700*1(Not Included)
VooPoo aren’t known for repeating themselves other than the names, and the Argus XT is like nothing that VooPoo have released do far. It supports a single 21700 (or 18650 if you prefer), and has a nifty three place locking lever bundled into an all new body which has an unusual shape and a smattering of innovation.
Unboxing
Due to an unfortunate incident during shipping, I can’t cover the box in the review as the posty had a proper tantrum with it and crushed it beyond recognition, the cool all metal container is similar to the ARGUS GT though.
Amazingly the kit contents survived without so much as a scratch, which was impressive, even the spare bubble glass was still intact.
(Apologies for the wrong manual, I mixed them up)
The kit is a decent bundle and includes: the ARGUS XT mod, the MAAT New tank, two different coils, some spare tank seals, a good quality USB-C charging cable, and a very welcome spare glass. The usual documentation is also included.
First Impressions and Overview
The lack of unboxing didn’t bother me as I got my paws onto the kit sooner and it’s an absolute beauty, there’s something about VooPoo mods that seem on another level to their competitors and it always feels like they are being innovative and are pushing the boundaries in styling.
The shape is an irregular polygon (six sided with mixed angles) and just feels right in the hand, the edges are fairly hard but oddly it adds to the feel and intuitive ergonomics, the design is so interesting and there’s something going on all over it.
Even the use of the overly common leather is that bit different. The version I received has grey and mint green, I’m not a fan of green in vape mods and least of all green leather! – BUT I bloody loved this one as it gives it an unexpected classy look and stands out as something unique.
Weight wise; it’s not the lightest single 21700 mod I’ve tried but the weighty construction appeals to me, the mod is 145g, add a 21700 cell and it comes out at 211g, and by the time you add the tank with e-liquid, it comes out at 290g so something to bear in mind if you prefer lighter kits.
The main difference between the XP and the MT is the battery option, the MT has an inbuilt LiPo so it’s much lighter. The XP takes either a 21700 or an 18650 using the adapter (I missed it from the contents photo as it was tucked up inside the battery compartment).
The battery door feels good quality and requires a bit of effort to open and close it, this means it is fairly secure when stored in your bag or pocket. There’s a tiny detail which was nice; there are two little rubber pads which help protect the mod and surfaces when you put it down.
The USB-C charging port is hidden under a little flap near the bottom, it felt slightly loose but didn’t rattle or accidentally pop open during normal use. The charging screen is nicely animated but only shows the percentage charged, but with the 3 Amp charging rate you won’t be watching it for too long.
As you can see by the photos, the design is elegant and no nonsense, but that doesn’t mean it’s dull, far from it as there’s plenty of subtle details and styling touches.
The top 510 connection area looks unique and features a solid metal lanyard ring. I’m 50/50 about this, I use lanyards a lot but the 290g weight can feel too heavy around your neck, also you will require a decent lanyard to support the weight, I used a wide band metal one.
Poo-Wiped
There’s a subtle difference with VooPoo’s current branding, gone is the large font ‘POO’ branding, in fact the only mention of the P-word is on the battery door in a tiny font and on the hidden underside of the tank, I’m used to the word by now but it often brings a snigger from friends when I mention the brand. To be fair VooPoo is a good name that rolls of the tongue (ew!), it’s just one of those unfortunate lost in translation things.
By now you may have noticed the little lever between the 510 plate and fire button, this is the physical locking switch which has three functions: Lock all (including fire), Lock adjustments (still fires), and Unlock all which obviously is fully unlocked.
Controls
The screen is bright and the wattage font is really big and looks good, though the rest of the info is quite small and my older eyes struggled to read details such as the resistance and battery levels, but the information on screen is spot on and includes battery level and percentage.
For DIY tank users, you can find the regular options such as ‘RBA and ‘TURBO’ where you can set your own wattage without restriction up to the 100 watts (SMART limits to 80 watts), you also get TC (Temperature Control) options including Ni, Ti and SS with the option of saving your pre-sets.
- 5 x Fire = Turns device On/Off
- Press & Hold Up & Down = Enters top menu
- MODE – SMART/RBA/TURBO/TC
- SETTING – Puff Counter / Brightness / Display Time
- ABOUT DEVICE – Version & Serial No
- EXIT – Erm… exits!
TC Modes offer a few more options and is fairly easy to dial in the desired temperature and wattage (3 x Fire to set wattage once in TC vaping), and you can easily save the settings by pressing Fire and Up buttons.
Overall the chipset offers enough for the majority of users and is reasonably easy to understand. DIY users may benefit from a quick read of the manual which is easy to follow and explains it all quite well.
MAAT New Tank
The ‘NEW’ tank is very different to the MAAT original (from the Alpha Zipp) with ‘Volcano Crater Design’ which offers leak protection, DM1-4 coils, and rather fancy airflow adjustment.
The new styling is rather good and suits the mod as it is quite contemporary, that is until you get to the airflow adjustment. It has dual sided air inlets which look a little small even when wide open, but that’s deceptive as this tank is VERY airy fully open, a bit more on the airflow later, but it impressed me even before I vaped with it.
The tank strips down quite easily though I struggled with removing the glass. Since I didn’t have a spare and needed to review it, I didn’t risk the brute force required. I’m sure it will just push off once I break the seal. The top filling cap is a third of a turn counter-clockwise and stays put and seals, the base unscrews with minimum threading and is well machined. The coils are an easy press fit and are equally easy to remove.
The tank is compatible with TPP-DM1,TPP-DM2,TPP-DM3,TPP-DM4 coils which are widely available and are a bit larger than the PnP coils, so they support higher wattage vaping.
- TPP-DM1 0.15ohm Coil - 60W - 80W
- TPP-DM2 0.2ohm Coil - 40W - 60W
- TPP-DM3 0.15ohm Coil - 80W - 100W - NEW
- TPP-DM4 0.3ohm Coil - 32W - 40W – NEW
The included coils are the DM-1 and the DM-2, these are the perfect selection for a single battery kit and I’m glad VooPoo thought this through properly, as good as the DM3 is, it’s just too much for this kit.
Taking a Leak
The leak protection is quite smart, there’s a rubber capture tray fitted into the tanks base. I’ve been using the MAAT New tank since the Argus GT kit and it works really well, bottom airflow tanks like this will always leak eventually, especially if left unused for days but the rubber insert did a remarkable job and is one of the least leaky tanks I’ve tried so far.
Tip-Top-Tip
The 810 drip tip is just superb; the shape is well designed inside and out. It is finished off with a ringed metal base which adds style to the tank. It’s not that often we see mainstream manufacturers put this much effort into the drip-tip.
As previously mentioned, I’ve used the MAAT New tank a fair bit and the airflow control still impresses me, it’s remarkably airy when fully open and less noisy than triple inlet tanks. The innovative lever’s novelty hasn’t worn off either, this is VooPoo’s best tank yet in my opinion.
Performance
Before I go into the performance any deeper, the ARGUS XT kit performs best (in my personal opinion) with the TPP-DM1 0.15oHm Coil 60W-80W, and I found 75 watts to give the best results.
The flavour, warmth, and smoothness is just fantastic which is obviously down to the MAAT New tank and coil, the mod does its job well but more than that; it feels like the right tool for the job with the single battery design and ergonomics.
I had doubted that the ARGUS XT would be better than the dual 18650 GT, but for this coil it was. The actual vape quality is the same (as it should be), but it was the overall vaping experience that made this one better for me.
The coils I would personally recommend for this kit are:
- TPP-DM1 0.15oHm Coil - 60W - 80W
- TPP-DM2 0.2oHm Coil - 40W - 60W
- TPP-DM4 0.3oHm Coil - 32W - 40W – NEW
The latter (DM4) will give you the best battery life and is not a bad compromise, but I haven’t tried this one yet (I say ‘yet’ but there’s one included in the ARGUS MT kit so I can say for sure in that review).
I nearly forgot to mention the locking lever! It’s simply superb and is very handy in general use, I soon got into the habit of locking it off, it felt intuitive and well positioned with a smooth clicky action.
Argus XT vs Argus MT
I will be reviewing the MT next but I’ve checked them out side-by-side. The main two differences are: the MT has an inbuilt battery and for some odd reason it doesn’t have the same physical locking switch.
Conclusion
I love many of VooPoo’s mods but this one stands out as one of my favourites for so many reasons, I have covered most in the details but you can’t really express the feeling you get from a quality, classy kit such as this, and I love it.
It has style, substance, and outstanding vape quality with a few innovations thrown in, and knowing VooPoo’s competitive pricing I expect it to be great value.
The MAAT New tank tops off this kit perfectly and performs flawlessly, I’m fast approaching the pros and cons, but I’m already feeling that that the cons will be challenging, perhaps it’s a bit too heavy for some users but the weight is among the many aspects I like the Argus XT for.
Pros
- Modern and classy styling
- MAAT New tank and DM series coils
- 3 mode physical locking switch
- IP68 proofing
- Bright and clear screen
- Attention to detail
- 21700 battery option (18650 adaptor included)
- High Flavour and vapour production
- It has the ‘it’ factor
Cons
……..
I really don’t have any at all, I tried knit picking but it felt cruel to criticise for the sake of it when VooPoo have clearly done such a good job.
Final Thoughts
VooPoo are one of the most prolific and innovative vape manufacturers out there and they have been relentless in 2021/2022 with products that always manage to be that bit different. The ARGUS XT looks and feels like something they should be proud of, better still; it performs as good as it looks, a virtual high five goes out to their design and engineering team.
Though my review is at risk of sounding like a ‘fanboy’, I can only comment that credit where credit is due is very fitting here.
Score: 9.5/10 – Plenty of Voo – No Poo
Si Davies
Reviewer at POTVMy background is Engineering and Professional Photography. Mostly from POTV users knowledge I learned so much about pretty much all styles of vaping and equipment, Cloud Chasing, Squonking, Mouth To Lung, Direct To Lung, Pods, Mechs, Rebuild-able tanks and atomisers etc, and have experience with many many devices and atomisers, it's become a hobby and enjoy trying out the latest gear. I like to think my reviews are plain speaking and informative without getting too technical, if I have to resort to reading the manual then I don't consider it user friendly!
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