Innokin Kroma-A and Zenith MTL Tank (with Plexus Z Coil) – A Second Look –

No, you’re not stuck in Bill Murray’s “Groundhog Day.” We JUST reviewed the Innokin Kroma-A and Zenith MTL Kit, featuring the Plexus Z coil in early September. And as you could see by the B+ score, our team liked it. But one (awesome, and damn good looking) reviewer never had a chance to try the kit until now.

Like many vapers in 2018, I’ve been interested in “stepping back in time” and checking out this resurgence of mouth-to-lung (MTL), smoking-like experiences. Not because I want to revert back to a time when smoking addiction was still an issue, but rather because there was an authentic sense of satisfaction that came from these experiences, that simply can’t be recreated with a cloud-chucking, wide-bore sub-ohm device.

Since the Kroma-A and Zenith MTL tank are both designed and endorsed by two legendary vape personalities, Phil “PBusardo” Busardo and Dimitris “The Vapin’ Greek” Agrafiotis, I figured this was one device that would satisfy my curiosity… and one review that warranted another look.

Like my colleague, I never expected MTL vaping to ever be popular among anyone but new vapers, but it seems like vaping has finally “rebounded” from extreme measures like high-wattages and cloud production, and reverted back to flavor and satisfaction. Maybe the high-wattage mods aren’t going away, but I’ve seen a lot fewer claims of “bigger/better/badder/more” in the last year, which is a welcome growth for the industry.

So, let’s quickly revisit the Kroma-A from the perspective of a vaper who’s returning to MTL for the first time in ages. The results were positive, to be sure… and the Kroma-A kit is definitely a good way to re-enter this simpler way to vape. But, like my colleague, I had some hiccups along the way…

The Kroma-A mod is outfitted with a fairly pedestrian 2,000mAh integrated battery. In itself, it’s not bad. But with some pod mod devices inching toward 1,000mAh or more in their pocket-sized format, I find it hard to believe there weren’t ways to cram a little more capacity inside the Kroma’s body.

Sure, the Kroma-A is a compact mod in its own right, but the battery capacity – and subsequent performance – was disappointing. The mod only goes to 75 watts – hardly a bad number for an MTL device, but pretty limiting for a versatile “do it all” kind of product. Considering the kit’s intended coils were designed for low-wattage use, maybe Innokin could have cut the output to 50 watts and added a little more longevity.

Some food for thought when designing the Kroma-A-2, A-Plus or whatever naming scheme comes next.

If you’ll allow me a minute, I need to share a few thoughts on the Kroma-A control scheme. At first, it looks like a standard vape mod interface, with a bright OLED screen, clearly displayed information, and an air of simplicity to the proceedings. And for new vapers, this is a welcome approach.

But then weird things started happening. When trying to adjust wattage on my test model, I learned I first had to get the screen to blink before being able to make changes. Fair enough – until it stopped letting me do it.

The Kroma-A never froze on me entirely, but there were several instances where I had to hit the fire button to “reset” the screen before trying again to hold the adjustment buttons to make changes. Over time, this became extremely frustrating. I understand the need to prevent potential coil-frying wattage adjustments, but I also know that adding extra steps to simple processes can have negative results. And that’s exactly how the Kroma-A became Exhibit A.

Thankfully, these were the only concerns I had with the Kroma-A kit.

Despite any nitpicking, the device and tank combination offers a delightful, flavor-rich, MTL experience that should appeal to anyone seeking these things from their vape. It’s simple enough to draw in newcomers, and advanced enough to placate veterans, while offering a no-nonsense experience to both parties.

It took a little adjustment for me to get used to a narrow drip-tip after all these years, but once I settled in, I remembered how much richer and more nuanced flavors can be… even at such low wattages! Using both of the Zenith tank’s included coils at their stated wattage levels, I was floored by how much flavor and throat hit can be had, even without three digits’ worth of power behind the vaping. (Maybe we’re overthinking this wattage thing, folks…)

The new Plexus coils were certainly more flavorful and long-lasting than previous entries into the series, and definitely made for a nice pairing with the Kroma-A device. No, the battery power isn’t good… but considering the low power output, high coil resistance and minimal juice consumption, there’s a good chance even heavy vapers could get weeks out of these coils, if not longer.

Amazingly, using a wide range of juice types, from salt nic to 50/50 viscosity, the Plexus coils handled juice flow effortlessly, with minimal dry hits. And they only happened with higher-wattage chain vaping – NOT the intended use of the atomizer!

One thing I love about the Kroma-A/Zenith pairing is how it welcomes in different types of vapers. No, this isn’t anything but an MTL setup, but the ability to use different types of juices, and a wider range of airflow settings help direct lung vapers adjust to this different style of use.

I don’t recommend leaving the airflow wide open for long, since it definitely mutes flavors. But for those accustomed to huge air channels and cloud production, this is a great way to make “baby steps” toward MTL best practices.

I don’t usually like “vape personality” devices. I think the fake signatures and rockstar personality stuff is hack, and diminishes the good work of design teams. But this collaboration between Innokin and two of the industry’s most-respected minds just makes sense. And I credit the Kroma-A device for putting MTL vaping back to the forefront of the community.

Whereas MTL devices have long been considered “entry-level” by vape snobs, the Kroma-A finds a nice balance between advanced control and simple ease of use. And the end result is a versatile, user-friendly vape mod that can appeal to a wide range of audiences. Since there’s 75 watts of power, sub-ohm fans won’t struggle to use their own atomizers, and can have a pocket-friendly backup for road trips and nights out.

And when used as intended, with the included Zenith tank, the Kroma-A offers a smooth drawing, high-performance MTL experience that rises well above pod mods and rudimentary AIO devices.

While it’s not perfect by any means (highlighted in my colleague’s earlier review) I nonetheless highly recommend the Kroma-A kit to new and experienced vapers alike. It works well, and paves an exciting path for even better MTL devices to come.

Score: A-