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Zeus Arc GTS Hub vs DaVinci IQ2 – Conduction Cabal
By
Alex Karakatsanis
Zeus Arc GTS Hub vs DaVinci IQ2 – Conduction Cabal
October 6, 2023
on
Portable Showdown, Showdowns
Updated: October 6, 2023
Today’s showdown brings about another round between two popular and well-reviewed conduction vaporizers, the Zeus Arc GTS Hub and the DaVinci IQ2. DaVinci’s flagship vaporizer has some serious accolades under its belt which is mostly thanks to its clean vapor production and highly customizable options such as an airflow dial and in-app dosage calculation.
The Zeus Arc GTS Hub is no slouch however as it brings forth a good number of innovations inherent to 3rd generation vaporizers to the table such as the all-new Zeus Xtruder and ArcPod tandem which works together to effectively streamline any setup required to get started. Read on down below for the full showdown between these two heavy hitting dry herb vaporizers!
Review: Zeus Arc GTS Hub vs DaVinci IQ2
Table of contents
Vapor Quality
As far as overall density and flavor production is concerned, it’s a pretty close call between the DaVinci IQ2 and the Zeus Arc GTS. It’s more of an apples to oranges comparison however with the glass-lined conduction chamber of the IQ2 and the gold lined oven and vapor path of the Zeus Arc GTS.
While both devices are for the most part tied when it comes to flavor quality, the Zeus Arc GTS Hub does eke out it’s competition for vapor production and the total quantity of clouds produced. It’s harder hitting and more satisfying hits are something we’ve found lacking with the DaVinci IQ2.
As far as overall comfort of use is concerned, both vapes do a great job of isolating the vapor path from the mouthpiece, resulting in a relatively cooler vaping experience that rarely feels too hot for the lips. This is especially felt with the redesigned mouthpiece of the Zeus Arc GTS that works wonderfully for minimizing heat transfer to the mouthpiece. To add to this last point, the GTS also includes a waterpipe adapter which when paired with the Utillian bubbler will further improve your vapor quality.
Manufacturing Quality
Both the DaVinci IQ2 and Zeus Arc GTS Hub are expertly machined with either device showcasing an eye-pleasing aesthetic that should appeal to most users. The brushed aluminum finish of the DaVinci IQ2 will always be a favorite among the majority while the sleek and satiny texture of the hard anodized exterior of the Zeus Arc GTS is something that feels truly pleasing when held in hand.
It’s not all perfect though as the DaVinci IQ2 does exhibit some glaring flaws in its design. The most obvious of which is the very janky silicone mouthpiece that simply feels of lesser quality than the silicone mouthpiece used in the Zeus Arc GTS Hub.
Another issue we encountered with the IQ2 and it’s heating chamber is just how quickly the oven gets gunked up by residue and is doubly difficult to clean which can easily hamper the flavor and quantity of vapor when put to heavy use.
As for the Zeus Arc GTS Hub, we’re pretty pleased with the overall robustness and rigidity of the device and it’s included components. The hard anodized finish is highly resistant to scratches, corrosion, and regular wear and tear which gives us confidence that the Zeus Arc GTS will easily remain pretty for a long time even when put through its paces.
Battery Life
As with pretty much every high end DaVinci vaporizer, the IQ2 also utilizes a user-removable 18650 battery cell. While the 18650 battery that comes included with the kit only features a 3000mAh rating which is lower than the impressive 3500mAh battery life of the Zeus Arc Hub GTS, we don’t see why the replaceable battery of the IQ2 can’t be upgraded to a higher-spec variant in the future.
The Zeus Arc GTS manages to outstrip the DaVinci IQ2 in overall vaping time thanks to its larger battery and faster, more efficient heat up with the help of the included ArcPods. When it comes to charging either of these two vaporizers, both are unfortunately tied down with a rather dated Micro USB charging port which results in equally long charging times.
Portability
The Zeus Arc GTS Hub is the easy winner in this category. The inclusion of the Zeus Hub, Xtruder, and a good number of ArcPods greatly assist the user for using the GTS on the move. Not only is everything simple to stow away for travel or safekeeping, grinding dry herb and loading it into an ArcPod with the Zeus Xtruder is an incredibly straightforward process that easily trumps the manual loading method that most other dry herb vaporizers such as the DaVinci IQ2 require.
When regarding the dimensions of either vaporizer, they’re roughly the same size and both offer a comfortable grip when held in hand. While neither of the two are the smallest dry herb vapes you can get on the market, both are easy enough to pocket given they aren’t being shoved into skin tight jeans or something similar.
Ease of Use
Another strong point that goes to the Zeus Arc GTS Hub is it’s easy and very approachable process for preparing dry herb for use. Well-suited for even the most neophyte enthusiasts to vaporization, grinding and loading dry herb with the Zeus Xtruder and ArcPod takes no time at all and makes preparing multiple ArcPods for consecutive vaping sessions a no-brainer.
The DaVinci IQ2 on the other hand does take a bit more know-how and finagling to get the best results. While the adjustable zirconia ball on the chamber lid lets you optimize the best experience based on the amount of dry herb loaded in the chamber, figuring out the optimal setting for it is not intuitive at all and there’s a good amount of trial and error required to get the most out of this device.
While the airflow dial is a nice touch on paper, in real-life scenarios it didn’t do much to elevate the entire vaporizing experience with the DaVinci and was better left untouched (most likely why it was eventually excluded from the updated DaVinci IQC).
Discreetness
For users that prefer to use their vapes incognito, both the Zeus Arc GTS and the DaVinci are ideal choices. With both devices sporting a form factor and design that is both compact and non-obtrusive, they easily pass under the radar even when used in public given the user has a bit of finesse when it comes to their sessions.
The Zeus Hub that comes included with the Arc GTS Hub is also effective for discreetly stowing everything away and it doesn’t stand out at all in any environment thanks to its matte black finish and overall non-garish design.
Overall Experience
While both the DaVinci IQ2 and Zeus Arc GTS Hub are very impressive dry herb vaporizers in their own right, the Zeus Arc GTS does a much better job at simplifying the entire process of setting up the vaporizer for efficient and effective use.
First time users of the DaVinci IQ2 will most likely experience some issues with achieving the right settings for adjusting the chamber size and the airflow dial with the way it’s implemented on the IQ2 simply feels unnecessary.
You really can’t go wrong with either device, but our vote strongly goes to the Zeus Arc GTS Hub. Not only is it much easier to use, but we’re also more partial to its marginally higher quality finish which we feel will outlast the brushed aluminum design on the IQ2.
As Tools420 put it, Zeus Arc GTS is a high-quality portable dry herb vaporizer that was designed in Germany to bring amazing performance at a low cost and we’re inclined to agree.
Given the price of the kit and all it’s included accessories, the Zeus Arc GTS Hub offers significantly more value as it eliminates the need to purchase a separate grinder and dosing pods which is something you’ll have to face with the DaVinci IQ2 vaporizer.
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