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OXVA Origin AIO Review: A New Brand from a Familiar Designer
Product intro and specs
The OXVA Origin is an AIO that’s been said to be one of the best AIOs so far in 2020. It’s made by Justin Lai, the designer of the Aegis series of mods at Geekvape. But this isn’t a Geekvape product. OXVA is the name of the brand, and Origin represents the first letter in the brand name—and its first product.
The Origin is a sleek and ergonomic AIO powered by a user-supplied 18650. It has an adjustable watt range of 5-40 watts and it’s equipped with the PHOTON Chip. It comes with two mesh coils—0.3 ohm and 0.5 ohm—that fit inside of a small plastic pod concealed by a thin magnetized panel.
Although it has adjustable airflow control, the Origin is currently configured best for low nic with a restricted lung from open to tighter. Apparently, a 1.4-ohm MTL coil and an RBA deck are slated for later release…but they’re not here yet. As soon as I get those coils, I’ll update the review.
Price: $39.95 (Here)
Colors: Brilliant black, black and red trim, muzo green, silver aurora, black carbon fiber
Specifications
- Dimensions: 32.8 mm x 23.5mm x 113.5 mm
- Battery: Single 18650 battery
- Chipset: Photon
- Operating mode: VW mode
- Output power: 5 – 40 watts
- Case Material: Metal + plastic
- Coils: 0.5 ohm / 0.3 ohm / 1.4 ohm / RBA
- Port: Micro-USB port
Kit contents
- 1 x Origin Kit ( 0.3ohm UNI coil pre-installed)
- 1 x 0.5ohm UNI mesh coil
- 1 x Warranty Card
- 1 x User Manual
- 1 x USB cable
Build quality and design
The OXVA Origin is a good-looking all-in-one that’s well-made. It’s got a rounded tear-drop form with a narrower footprint than most AIOs these days, although it’s the same height as something like the Mechlyfe Ratel. I hate the word “sleek,” but that’s what the Origin is. Out of the five I have, the black and red trim has the most issue with fingerprints due to its glossiness, making it a bit too sleek. Despite other colors having a chrome mid-section, the black and red trim is the one that always needs a wipe. The other colors I have are either too high-key to show prints excessively, or they’re matte like the “carbon fiber” version. I like the look of the “carbon fiber” but I like the feeling of the glossy shell. There’s something I like about them all, but there’s always a trade-off.
The dimensions are 32.8 mm x 23.5 mm x 113.5 mm and without an 18650, it weighs about 70 g. It uses a 3 mL plastic pod as its tank that’s concealed by a removable lightweight plastic panel. The panel is held on by some strong magnets with hardly any play at all. I’ve tested five of them and only on the silver aurora is there more play than the others. Overall, they’re consistently set in place. The panel is so lightweight, the magnetics practically snatch it from your hand!
Once the pod panel is on, you can only see the juice level from the non-removable panel. The narrow window is raised and it’s what helps the pod lock into place; and because it’s raised, it acts like a peephole into the tank. Just read it vertically so the bubble doesn’t belie your true levels (laying the pod flat makes the window read as practically empty). One legitimate con is that the OXVA Origin uses a removable proprietary drip tip (cap). Mine fits on tightly, so I’m not worried about losing it. But the threat is there. Just know that there’s no need to take it off unless cleaning it.
MyVpro is selling the replacement pods, which is a good thing. Too often these kinds of systems come out with no real way to get replacement parts. And for anyone that has attempted this, trying to get a part from the manufacturer is too much hassle. Plus, by the time it ships to you from China likely on your dime, you’d had been better off just buying a whole new device. Hopefully they will also have replacement drip tips since only one comes in the kit.
Getting started
The Origin has a two-button interface for power and wattage. It has a small screen that shows basic info like battery life, power level, voltage, ohms, etc. The screen is a bit small, but the power level is clearly visible.
To get started, remove the panel by prying at the side indentation where it’s marked “Open,” and insert your favorite 18650 for 40-watt max vaping. I’m going with VTC6.
Power and adjustments
One button is for firing and the other is a + button. There is no – button. The wattage has a fast scroll up to 40 watts, then it rounds back again up from zero. It’s not quite a con because there’s not a whole lot to scroll through and it scrolls quickly. The device also regulates how high a coil can be pushed.
- 0.3 ohm: max 40 watts (pre-installed)
- 0.5 ohm: max 25 watts
The scroll is lighting quick and it’s easy to stop on a dime to adjusting up in one-watt increments. I have no problem overshooting my target or anything like that.
Coil installation and refilling
The empty pod comes with a 0.3-ohm coil installed in the pod and a horizontal-mounted refill plug. The silicone plug is easy to get a hold of, and it’s firmly in on the other side (but you can remove it you pull hard enough). You can refill directly into the pod easiest with precise droppers like unicorn or needle tips. But it’s best to remove the pod for filling if you’re using something like pipette droppers. Either way, just fill it with the pod horizontal (in your hand or on a table) and leave a small bubble unfilled.
Removing the pod is awesome!
To remove the pod, pry on the righthand corner of the pod. It swivels out making it easy to take out. It’s a smooth motion and its convenient. Also, with the pod housed behind a panel, you can’t accidentally pull off the pod when pulling it out of your pocket.
To replace a coil, turn the pod upside down (and it should be empty-ish), and pull on the bottom of the coil and airflow base assembly. You’re probably going to have to pull a bit from the airflow ring. Pull straight out because it’s held in with two flat sides, so turning it won’t help. It’s all standard stuff here really, but another proprietary part that you’re going to want to keep track of. That makes it feel more to me like an intermediate product.
Airflow and adjustments
The Origin is a direct-lung device so far. It may be able to do MTL in the future with the MTL coils, but now it’s DL for a restricted lung hit. Even at its most open, it’s a restricted lung draw. It’s not super tight by any means though. Adjusting the airflow ring can tighten it down a lot, but with these coils, it’s never a comfortable MTL. I find diminishing returns after a slight adjustment closing off the airflow. Both coils, but specifically the 0.3-ohm coils, are best to me almost wide open or wide open. That’s going to be subjective though.
One part I’m not too fond of is adjusting the airflow. Based on how the ring sits in the device, adjusting it is easiest when you totally take out the pod. Luckily, I like any chance to use that swivel! But, if you like to adjust the airflow on the fly as you vape, you’re not going to be able to do that.
The Origin comes with two coils in the box:
- UNI 0.3-ohm mesh
- UNI 0.5-ohm mesh
Without a doubt, the best coil for me is the 0.3-ohm mesh head. I think this coil is awesome! The flavor is fully saturated and dense; clear and accurate. I don’t have a lot of coils, but the ones I’ve used so far have been refilled multiple times with hardly any noticeable drop off in flavor. I’ve used it with max VG and up to 12 mg. But the coil is such a big performer that I can really only recommend going up to 6 mg unless you’re into a more aggressive vape. In general, the 0.3-ohm UNI mesh performs like a flavorful restricted DL sub ohm tank.
The 0.5-ohm mesh coil is just okay. I’ve refilled it a few times, but it’s not noteworthy enough to keep using. It doesn’t have much personality. It’s not a bad coil, but it seems to flood a bit and occasionally gurgle. On the flip side, the 0.3-ohm UNI pod is smooth with almost no performance issues that I can find. I’m not sure really what’s the point of the 0.5-ohm coil because, although its maxed wattage is just 25 watts, it just performs like a lesser version of the 0.3-ohm pod instead of a whole new experience. The airflow is basically the same on both pods, so that’s not even a distinguishing factor.
With the 0.3-ohm coil, you can take the Origin all the way up to 40 watts if you want. I keep mine around 30 watts. The 0.5-ohm coil can go up to 25 watts, but the coil feels a little stressed out at the max wattage. I would’ve preferred the Origin come with two 0.3-ohm coils. I do look forward to a real MTL coil and especially an RBA deck.
Pros / Cons
- (+) Build quality and design
- (+) Lightweight and ergonomic
- (+) Adjustable airflow
- (+) Pod swivels out for easy access
- (+) Pod won't accidentally fall out
- (+) Replaceable 18650
- (+) Incredible flavor and vapor on 0.3-ohm pod
- (-) Proprietary drip tip
- (-) 0.5-ohm coil doesn't perform as well as 0.3-ohm pod
- (-) Airflow adjustment isn't the easiest on the fly
- (-) Refill could be a tad quicker
Gallery
Verdict
Setting aside the 0.5-ohm coil, the Origin is one helluva performer. It’s the one AIO right now that I reach for, no matter what mood I’m in. In other words, even if I want an MTL vape, if the Origin is near I’ll opt for it. That coil and this device have been flat-out reliable!
I am interested in the MTL coil and the RBA head though. With Chinese New Year and then this virus madness, the release of those new heads is taking longer than expected. I’ll keep an eye out for them and will consider updating this review once I try them. As of now, know that the Origin is a killer AIO with the 0.3-ohm head. Highly recommended. From what I’d heard, I was not let down.
What do you think of the OXVA Origin? Let me know in the comment section!
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Article Author: Jeremy Mann
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