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Argus GT II Kit by Voopoo
Review by Jen_Turista
Voopoo Argus GT II Kit Review: The Tri-proof Argus!
It’s spring and yet (still) I am bloody freezing… and so, there is no better time to get tucked into another review, my beloved vape community! So have a brew, take a seat, put your feet up, and let’s have a look at something relatively different from Voopoo !
Their recent releases have been almost exclusively pod systems (Drag series, Vinci series), and so you can imagine my delight in their announcement of a new mod. Yessur! Voopoo just released last month the Argus GT II Kit !
This kit was sent to me for review purposes by Voopoo (much love, Aimer!).
Now, you may recall the Argus GT Kit from Voopoo from about a year and a half ago, if my memory serves. It was marketed as an outdoor mod for its looks and for being lightweight… but it wasn’t shockproof or anything which made some of us scratch our heads (why call it an outdoor mod if it probably won’t withstand some rough and tumble in the outdoors?). So I suppose, as a follow-up to this successful box mod kit, Voopoo has decided to make the Argus GT II Kit. Indeed, the mod of this newest kit in their Argus series is waterproof, dustproof, and has what Voopoo calls an “anti-collision multiple safety protection”- so shockproofing in a way, I would surmise. Now, my interest is piqued!
Not only that, the Argus GT II Kit comes with a new sub-ohm tank from Voopoo called the MAAT Tank New. It’s been a fair few years since Voopoo released a sub-ohm tank, and so it will be interesting to see what the MAAT Tank New brings to the sub-ohm atomiser market!
As always, this review is from my own genuine experience of using this kit as an average vaper.
Packaging and Contents
I was sent a sample of the Argus GT II Kit, which was in a stylish and unique metal box slipped inside a cardboard sleeve. The box contained:
- Argus GT II Mod.
- MAAT Tank New that can hold up to 6.5 mL of E-liquid.
- A TPP-DM3 0.15-ohm coil.
- A TPP-DM2 0.2-ohm coil.
- A USB-C charging cable.
- User manual and battery warning card.
You’ll pretty much have everything you’d need to start using the kit, but I kind of wish Voopoo included a spare glass – maybe they’ll do so in the final retail packaging.
Salient Features include:
- The MAAT Tank New utilises the now well-established TPP coil environment!
- Voopoo has said that the MAAT Tank has a volcano crater structure to collect condensation. You know me, of course, we will test that!
- In addition to the features I mentioned in the intro, the Argus GT II mod has an IP68 rating.
- Mod goes from 5-200W in 1W increments.
- Mod has a lock switch called QS Lock. And unlike what we’ve seen in the Drag X/S Pro, unfortunately, this switch doesn’t seem to be multifunctional.
- Mod uses a new Voopoo chipset in the Gene TT 2.0 chip.
- Reads 0.05 ohm to 3.0 ohms resistance.
- Mod runs on 2 x 18650 cells.
- Maximum output voltage at 12V.
- Kit dimensions at 143 x 54 x 29 mm.
- Has 3A charging via its USB-C port.
- Mod has a not so extensive menu with Smart, RBA, TC (Ni, SS, Ti), and the new Turbo mode.
Impressions and Experience
I have to say, I was impressed by the metal box presentation as it is so different from all other Voopoo releases I’ve reviewed, and it is sort of uncommon compared to most devices on the market. I suppose Voopoo are really gunning for that edgy and rugged look with the presentation, to give you that feeling from the moment you rest your eyes on the box. The cardboard sleeve has the usual device features, box contents, manufacturer information, and socials written on it.
A. MAAT Tank New and TPP Coils
We’ve seen the TPP coils before with a couple of Voopoo releases in their Drag series of kits, which means we’ve only seen and experienced them with their corresponding pods. So, I have to admit that I was excited to see that Voopoo designed a sub-ohm tank around an existing coil platform. This is of course a major pro as those who own TPP-coiled devices can use the same in the MAAT Tank New.
As a side note, I know that Voopoo had released a MAAT sub-ohm tank a few years back, but I can’t speak much about this older atomiser as I have not used it, e.g., as to how different the MAAT Tank New is versus the MAAT Tank.
The MAAT Tank New appears to be made from stainless steel (and glass, of course). It looks beefy and is on the large side when compared to other stock coil sub-ohm atomisers in the market these days. Surprisingly and as compared to previous Voopoo releases, there is hardly any branding on this tank; in fact, “MAAT” is just printed on the coil chamber (personal pro for me).
Starting from the top, the atomiser comes with a custom drip tip that is rather longer than the usual 810 drip tips. I say custom, as this drip tip has the o-rings on it. The drip tip was comfortable to use although I would have preferred it a tad shorter. And with it being a custom one, unfortunately, that does mean that you won’t be able to use your favourite 810 drip tip on this tank- and this may be a con to some.
A quarter-turn of the top cap reveals the fill ports which are protected by a layer of silicon with slits. These ports are plenty big enough to accommodate most e-liquid nozzles. I haven’t had any trouble filling the tank up nor did I experience any e-liquid seepage in this area of the tank. The only thing I’d say is that the top cap threads are a little crunchy, and so I hope that the retail units will have this point addressed.
Coming to the base of the tank, this threads into the coil chamber and has the contact pins for the coil. The threading here is also a little crunchy, although a little better than that of the top cap. The airflow control ring is also at the tank base, and I would say that this part is pretty tall as compared to all other sub-ohm tanks I own. There are two rectangular slots on either side and sliding levers on either side as well. The levers are how you’ll control your airflow, and they have line markings printed on them that increase in size from left to right as you’re looking at it. The increase in size corresponds to the size of the airflow hole exposed as you move the lever. I thought this was pretty clever from Voopoo and in practice, this mechanism did allow me to have good control over the airflow. The levers move with the perfect amount of tension so that your setting will stay on and not be moved about accidentally.
The coils slot into the coil chamber in a push-and-pull fashion, which makes coils-changes easy.
The coils released with this kit are almost the same as the TPP coils out in the market. I say almost because of 2 things: 1) rather than having the usual round gold contact pin, the coils that came with the MAAT Tank New have an elongated one, and 2) the wicking slots are now a little narrower versus the TPP coils I have reviewed before. Now, did these changes make a difference in how they vape versus the “old” TPP coils? In my experience, not really, and I did load the MAAT Tank New with an “old” style TPP coil. But… I think these new coils may perform better in the TPP Pod versus the “old” coil, primarily because the narrower slots may solve the flooding issue of these coils. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a chance to test this theory, but do let me know in the comments if my theory holds water!
Moving on, the TPP DM3 0.15 ohm coil (80-100W, best at 85-95W) performed superbly in flavour (7.5/10), warmth, and clouds. I vaped this coil mostly at 80W, with the airflow about a third of the way closed, as this gave me the most pleasant vape experience. I could tell the different notes of the flavour of the e-liquid I was vaping, and the clouds were dense and full enough for me as far as mesh coils are concerned.
Next was the TPP DM2 0.2 ohm coil (40-60W, best at 50-55W) which also vaped well (flavour 7/10), albeit the vape was a little cooler with the lower wattage that could be applied to it. I used this coil mostly at its limit of 60W to get that vape quality I like, with the airflow about halfway closed.
For both coils (and also the “old” TPP coil I used), the big difference for me is the lack of flooding and consequential spit back with the MAAT Tank New, and that was a refreshing improvement! This almost leads me to believe that the TPP coils are more meant for this atomiser than the TPP pods. Controversial, I know, but this is what my experience informs me of. In fact, I will most likely be using these coils on this atomiser going forward instead of the TPP pods. The MAAT Tank New just gives a very satisfying vape with the TPP coils, on its own and as compared to the TPP pods.
B. Argus GT II Mod
The mod is very comfortable to handle and use, with rounded corners for ergonomics. It does have a little bit of weight to it but not too much to be burdensome. It appears to be made from zinc alloy for a sturdy frame, and rubberised materials for comfort and cushioning. The kit I received has this rubberised pad (made from the material?) opposite to the fire button that is made to look like wood, which is done well although obviously not wood. The metal frame though wasn’t finished in matte, and as such, it is a bit of a fingerprint magnet.
In terms of branding, this one is a classic Voopoo device with “Argus GTII” debossed on the rubberised pad mentioned above, and in big bold letters. I thought that since the branding was done in the same colour as the material it is on, it didn’t look too loud or tacky. Might be just as well, as, from a form factor perspective, I cannot deny that this mod sort of resembles another popular tri-proof mod made by another manufacturer… you know, those devices associated with Greek mythology…
At the top, you’ll find an offset 510 plate with no obvious screws, and a sliding button that conceals/reveals the USB-C port. Now, when I put the MAAT Tank New and Argus GT II mod together, I have to say that the tank looks a little big for the mod, but it’s a bit of an illusion caused by the bevelling around the top plate. As such, I would suggest atomisers up to 24mm for this mod, or perhaps 25mm but not as chunky as the MAAT Tank New so that the tank and mod would look like they belong together.
The mod’s battery door opens with a spring-loaded sliding switch, with the door not moving about too much when open. The battery door is marked for cell polarity, but I didn’t find any inside the mod- a room for improvement on this point. When loaded with batteries, the mod is secure with no play of the cells inside nor any movement with the battery door even when the mod is dropped at a reasonable height (like a desk to the floor). The switch and battery door are also flush to the base of the mod body, so this mod won’t be wobbling about when you set it down on a flat surface.
The front of the mod has the fire button, TFT coloured screen, up and down adjustment buttons, and QS Lock. The screen looks clean and bright, displaying expected vaping data such as battery life as an icon and also in percentage (a pro, kind of, will explain), power level, the mode selected, ohm load, voltage, duration of puff, and a puff counter. Saying that, I can see that there will be vapers who might find the bottom of the screen a little hard to read because of the small fonts, especially the battery percentage. I hope this is something that Voopoo can address in future; they could decrease the power level font a little to make space for the information below it.
Another observation is that the buttons of this sample mod I received have quite a lot of play on them. So much so, that I can actually hear them jiggle about when just lifting the mod and putting it down. I do hope that this won’t be the case for the retail units as the jiggling does get a little annoying eventually.
Operating the mod is easy enough:
- Five clicks of the fire button to turn the mod on/off.
- Toggle the QS Lock switch left and right to lock and unlock the whole mod. Unfortunately, this locking also locks the fire button which is a shame (you won’t be able to vape AND have wattage locked at the same time). Per the manual, this mod should be software upgradable, so I hope Voopoo will update the lock functionality in future that will allow the user to lock just the adjustment buttons.
- Pressing the up and down buttons at the same time accesses the menu. The menu has Mode (Smart, RBA, Turbo, TC in most common materials), Setting which is just to clear the puff counter, About the Device, Exit.
And that’s all I could find as far as mod operation is concerned. Keeping an open mind, it could be that this is just a sample unit and that the retail chipset will have more control features, like three clicks of the fire button for easy switching between RBA and Smart mode, or even a way to adjust screen brightness. At least that is my hope!
Going quickly through the modes, Smart mode is when the mod reads the coil resistance and assigns a wattage limit automatically. To get the full wattage scope of the device, you must choose the RBA mode. TC is TC and the mod does have memory slots for 3 presets. Coming to Turbo, this is what Voopoo describes as “most in line with the smoking habits of users”, and it seems that this mode is supposed to deliver a more concentrated burst of power to the coil. In my testing though, what I did find with Turbo is that it seems to give even finer atomisation of the e-liquid. Do I prefer this mode over classic Smart or RBA? Not really, and I used this mod in the RBA mode in most of my testing as this is where I get the best vape experience to my preference.
In terms of mod performance, it performed as I expected Voopoo mods to perform: quick to fire and start up and also close enough to true wattage. The only comment I have though is the battery percentage readout as the mod’s reading seems to be way off versus my intelligent charger. We’re talking like around 20% off, give or take, which isn’t normal as compared to all my other mods. However, battery drain seems to be managed fairly well by the mod, so you can expect decent battery life out of your cells. Maybe the battery read-out is another issue that can be solved with a software upgrade? I really hope so as this is important information for the vaper.
In terms of the 3A charging, I can confirm that this mod does charge quickly! Although Voopoo didn’t include a fast-charger set with this kit (I do hope the retail version will have an FC option), when using my own fast-charger, this mod charged my partially drained cells very quickly. The mod didn’t get too warm either during charging, which is a pro. But as always, I highly recommend using an external charger rather than charging your cells using your mods!
Overall: Yay or Nay?
The Argus GT II Kit gets a Yay* (*with conditions) from me. That’s because I really like the MAAT Tank New, especially with the TPP coils. This atomiser has smooth airflow and gave great flavour and warmth to my vape. The mod looks decent and compact for a dual 18650, performs well, and is able to withstand daily rough and tumbles. But as mentioned throughout the review, I did pick up some issues that I hope Voopoo will correct in the retail units or via a software upgrade like the play of the buttons, inconsistent battery life readout, and limited control options.
I would recommend this kit to vapers wanting to get into sub-ohm vaping as it is very simple to operate, or those who are already fans/users of the TPP coil platform as they will love their TPP coils even more with the MAAT Tank New.
My sincerest thanks again to Voopoo for sending this kit for my review! To check out the kit and where to purchase it, head over to the Voopoo website via the links at the start of the review.
This review was written by jen_turista who is very active within the vape community. You can go give her a follow on Instagram and Twitter.
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