The Cyborg, the vessel that houses the DNA20, the brainchild of Rob over at Fluid Industries. The Cyborg was an 8 month venture from idea to its release this past August and it shows. A lot of thought went into the Cyborg being the single modular device that is a must have in your lineup.
Disclaimer: This review is of the Cyborg itself; the device around the DNA20 that powers it. if you wish for more information on the DNA20 and its performance capabilities please read The DNA20
What is it? How much and what do I get?
As it stands now from its release in August the Cyborg is a modular DNA20 powered tube device, its available in a polished Aluminum or Brass. It consists of the DNA20 Control head, a top cap, a battery tube and optional extension rings to use the device with either an 18350, an 18490/18500 or an 18650.
The Cyborg will set you back $239/Aluminium $249/Brass in its standard configuration which only includes the battery tube to support an 18350. Optional extension rings will cost you $5 each allowing up to an 18650 configuration. The Cyborg uses the same threading that the Evic uses allowing users to choose from the many available Evic battery tubes available.
Keep in mind that when you buy the Cyborg you are not simply buying a device, you are buying a system, something that will have the ability to be changed and upgraded. Rob has plans in the future to offer other extensions for the Cyborg, such as different top caps to utilize other device threading such as 901’s and a new bottom cap which will act as a firing mechanism so that the device may be used without the DNA20 head as a mechanical device.
Look and Feel
The cyborg is a very minimalistic in its looks, a smooth cylindrical shape with nothing but the slight gaps where the different parts mate together to break up the pieces of the device. Rob himself stated that the Cyborg was meant to be one of the most advanced APV’s on the market as of its release and to be functional, it may not win any awards on your instagram feed but don’t be fooled; with a nice fresh polish it is an amazingly simple looking device.
The layout of the Cyborg is pretty similar to other tube style devices, on one side you have your display, and on the other you have your controls, however this is where the Cyborg really gets its distinction. While most devices have buttons that protrude past the body of the device, Rob made the decision to cut out and recess a section of the tube and make it flat as to make use of the integrated buttons on the DNA20 while being pocket friendly. While some may have mixed feelings about this design and the way it looks, I can tell you first hand and by the words of many others that this flat cut out is the gem of the device. The buttons are small little aluminum nubs; you have the fire button towards the top, and the wattage up and down buttons on the bottom with plenty of space in between where the Fluid Industries logo presents itself in a beautiful engraving. While it may seem almost trivial on a tube device, button size, style and placement is something many people might overlook until they have a device in there hand that just makes them go “wow, who knew this could be so important?” Finding the buttons seems almost natural, the flat cutout of the lets you know immediately where your hands need to be. The buttons while they don’t look like anything special or ergonomic in their design are quite refreshing, they give nice tactile feedback as you press them, they feel firm without being heavy and allow for a nice easy press; I have tried firing the device multiple ways with my hands and none of them gave me any problem, every time my finger was right on the button where it belonged and I never felt any fatigue in its use.
But how well does it work?
Performance wise, being DNA20 powered it works exceptionally well as to be expected . I won’t ramble on to much about the DNA20 that powers the Cyborg because you can read all about the DNA20’s workings Here: The DNA20 but I can tell you that mated with the Cyborg it makes for a wonderful experience. The flexibility of variable wattage in its ability to regulate any atomizer or cartomizer to your preferred power output without having to find that sweet spot every time you thread on a new device is wonderful. However one must keep in mind that even while in theory variable wattage should allow someone to get the same consistent vape throughout different devices without changing the wattage once they find their sweet spot, different device and juices will have different sweet spots. Luckily the Cyborg allows for easy changes with the location of the wattage up and down buttons.
This sounds fantastic, but is there anything wrong with it?
There are not many flaws overall that would make me think this device is not worthwhile, if I had to pick out a few things they would honestly be nit picky in my personal opinion but others may find them to be more significant.
If I had to give the Cyborg a single major flaw it would be the top cap design, while on the surface nothing appears wrong with the top cap, it may present a small issue to those that drip and use atomizers without the proper sealed 510 connection. I myself am primarily a dripper, and I always use a sealed 510 connection with a dripshield, however even sealed 510 connections may become a bit leaky and over time; pooled up liquid may find its way down to the threads. The 510 connection of the cyborg while it does appear to be sealed it does seem to allow a some liquid through if it sits in the connector long enough, in my case a couple of days with the same atomizer setup attached. While the amount of liquid pooled underneath the top cap was minimal and did not appear to cause an issue, it may be something worth keeping an eye on if you’re a heavy dripper.
While the Cyborg when new is very beautiful in its polish, it does wear easy, simply using the device even when standing upright will eventually net small minor scuffs and scratches on the tube, if you’re anything like me and put your devices in your pocket or in the cupholder of your car you will find that these scuffs and scratches will quickly find there way on every piece of the device; however this is easily remedied with microfiber cloth and some car polish from your local autoparts store; Cape cod polishing cloths are also a great and less messy solution.
The extension caps to some may present a bit of an eye sore while on a quick glance one may not notice,but upon closer inspection you will see that each extension ring is beveled on one edge giving a slightly gapped look to where it mates to the battery tube or control head of the Cyborg. Depending on how you have your rings configured the gap may present itself in different locations. While I don’t find this to be displeasing personally, it may bother some others who are particular about the looks and uniformity of their device. However as I understand it in the future Rob does plan to have this fixed so that the extension rings sit completely flush with the device.
Conclusion
Overall I think the Cyborg is the best DNA20 powered device one can get their hands on at this time. While there are already a few other DNA20 powered tube devices on the market, the cyborg hands down has the best overall design and the best price. If you’re looking for a solid power regulated device with options down the road to expand and at a reasonable price, the Cyborg is the device to get.
If you wish to pick yourself up a Cyborg, please visit FluidVaper.
Photo Credits: FluidVaper
