Introduction
I was contacted by Bruno at esmoke-ksd.com with reference to reviewing their new S500 mini box mod, which he kindly sent over to me free of charge for the purpose of this review.
Kangside is based in Guangdong mainland China, and have been manufacturing electronic cigarettes since 2011 and have become an Alibaba.com 5yr Gold Supplier.
Presentation
The S500 arrived in its branded box, displaying silver embossed image of the mod on the from of the box, with the wording S500 Sub Ohm at the top and KangSiDe at the bottom.
On the rear of the box is a lengthy health warning at the top, with the contents on the kit at the bottom, along with the optional items contained in the kit, although not marked on the box, Bruno had included the 18650 battery. Just to the side of the contents list, is the scratch and check authentication panel.
As you remove the lid, the S500 is neatly set in a black foam cut out, with a little pull strap poking out the side to access the underneath. Which contains the rest of the kit.
The kit includes:
1 x S500 Sub Ohm Mod
1 x USB charging cable
1 x eGo Cone Thread Adaptor
1 x hex key
8 x spare mini hex bolts
1 x Owners Manual
1 x Production Certificate
1 x IMR 18650 3.7v LI-HP - 2500mAh 9.3wh
Features & Spec
Model Name : S500 Sub ohm
Manufacturer: KSD
Main Material : Aluminum
Type : VW Mini Box Mod
Atomiser Connection: Brass Spring Loaded 510
Output voltage : 3 - 8.5 volts
Output Wattage: 7 - 50watts
Ohms Range: 0.2ohms to 3.0ohms
Battery Size: 18650 Flat top
Battery Contacts : Unknown
Screen : OLED
Chip set : Unknown
Size : 40mm x 82mm x 22mm
The S500 comes in a choice of four colours, Red, Blue, Black and Silver.
Built in Safety
The S500 has a good range of build in safety, to ensure that you Vape safely.
Reverse battery function : will prevent to burning out the processing chip should you accidentally insert the battery the wrong way round.
High temperature function : will ensure that the device cuts out, should the circuit board get to hot, to prevent damage.
Short circuit protect function : will protect the device, should your Atomizer have a short circuit, and the device will display "Check Atomiser"
The S500 comes fully assembled and ready to Vape,
Mod Body.
The body of the mod, I believe is made out of aluminium, and the finished in the colour of your choice. It has a textured grain added to the finish, which gives it a nice look that has a sort of shimmer to it, when the light catches it.
The four vertical edges of the device body, have had ridges machined into them, which enhances the look, and gives a good grip in the hand.
Function Controls
The controls and screen are located on the leading edge of the device.
There are 2 small control buttons, located toward the bottom of the side of the device.
These control switches are labeled up with (+) and (-), which is printed onto the body, and they allow you to increase and decrease the wattage of the device. Plus when both are pressed together lock the device.
OLED Screen.
The OLED screen is located just above the control switches.
And displays the following information when any of the buttons are pressed, after 3 seconds the screen will dim, and after 1 min the device will go to sleep.
- Remaining Battery Charge.
- Atomiser Restistance
- Required Output Voltage
- Output Wattage.
Fire Button.
The Fire button is the larger of the 3 buttons, and is located toward the top of the leading edge of the device, and is set in a small chrome surround, the button its self is slightly dished.
The fire button is used to turn the device on and off, by simply pressing the button five time, once turned on and pressed it will fire the device for up to 20 seconds before it cuts out.
Top Cap & 510 connection.
The S500 has a silver top cap, (aluminium, I think) which has a matt finish to it, held in place by four small hex bolts. The surface of the cap has four air slots machined into it, surrounding the recessed 510 connection, which is fitted with a spring loaded brass contact pin.
Included in the S500 kit, you get the eGo Cone Thread adaptor, which allows you to use all your cartomiser, and eGo style Clearomisers.
Base plate.
The S500 has a matching base plate, which is also held in place with four small hex bolts,
There are six vent slots machined into the bases plate, along with the micro USB socket, which is used for charged the device.
To install the battery you have to remove the small hex bolts on the base plate.
Once removed, you get a view of the insides of the device, there is no internal casing, you can see where the PCB has been inserted, and the workings of the device.
The battery can the be simply pushed into the opening, (+) end first.
Once the battery is in place you can then screw the base plate back on, ensuring not to over tighten them.
Atheistic's and Build Quality
The S500 has a clean and simple design, and feels lite in the hand. It definitely fits into the 'mini mod' category standing at only 82mm tall.
The silky look grain, on the body gives it a really stylIsh finish.
It isn't the most solid device I have used, which I think is due to the materials that have been used to manufacture it, but what it loses in solidness in seems to make up for in likeness in your had.
The finish body seems quite hard wearing, and I haven't managed to chip or scratch it yet. Although the finish on the top and base cap seems to scratch very easily, when fitting your RDA and Tanks.
The buttons feel nice and have a really positive 'click' to them, although the do suffer quite badly with a bit of button rattle.
I think the build quality is let down slightly when you remove the base plate to install the battery, having the PCB and wiring exposed, and I would have liked to have seen an inner cover.
Performance & Real World Experiences
I have been really impressed with this mini mod, it's simple, uncomplicated design made it a joy to use, I have been vaping all the way up to 50 watts, in conjunction with the El Cabron RDA, and it performed at treat,
Although at 50watts it did seem to eat through single 18650 battery.
I had no problem with it firing up on any of my tanks and drippers.
Whilst Charging, I did have to remove the dripper, due to the fact that the USB socket, is located on the base, I really wish that they would locate the charging socket on the side, to allow you to stand the device up whilst charging.
Recommendations
I think, after using the S500 for the last two week or so I would defiantly recommend it, for someone looking for a 50watt mini box mod at a super low price point, you won't be disappointed.
MVR RATING
Build: 7/10
Features : 7 /10
Finish: 8/10
Threading: 8/10
Switch: 8/10
Aesthetics: 8/10
Performance : 9/10
Overall: 8/10
Supplied by : http://www.esmoke-ksd.com/
Retail Pricing :
S500 Mod only : $41.99
S500 Mod Kit : $56.80
Or you can purchase the TC S500 with temperature control for an additional $5
Contact Bruno directly for details and to purchase your S500
