REVIEW: Lost Vape Paranormal DNA75C Box Mod

The first I heard about the Lost Vape Paranormal DNA75C my immediate thoughts were all about; why Lost Vape would produce a second DNA75C mod only weeks after introducing the Lost Vape Therion DNA75C. I still haven’t figured out why, but after receiving mine from Element Vape, I was blown away by how gorgeous it is, how intricately built it is, how great it felt in my hands, and how it delivers a luxurious vape when accompanied with the right sub-ohm tank (more than the tanks a bit later). This just might be the best damn mod Lost Vape has created yet, and it makes me long even more for the inevitable DNA250C that must surely be on the way soon. I imagine the reason why it hasn’t appeared yet is the power consumption, but it will happen. Until then, we still have a nice 75 watts at our disposal, and in glorious color.

The Lost Vape Paranormal DNA75C is available now at Element Vape for $139.95

What separates Lost Vape from most other manufacturers isn’t about power, there are plenty of box mods with more power than even the most powerful DNA250S, it’s about art and function. It’s also about precision. It’s about making mods that anyone would cherish if given the opportunity to own one. Every mod from Lost Vape, from the beginning, has always been tremendously well built, dependable, durable, and striking to look at. Does any manufacturer design more attractive mods, consistently, then Lost Vape? No, but I do admit that The Council of Vapor comes close.

Packaging – If you’ve ever been given, or purchased for yourself, an expensive watch, then the packaging will feel familiar. The Paranormal comes in a luxurious box made with a hand-stitched leather top, fastened by a secure hinge, with a hard-inset cutout that fits the fine Lost Vape Paranormal mod, just as a fine watch fits inside a similar box. This kind of presentation shows the respect of Lost Vape itself for its mod that rests inside . During the unboxing of my Paranormal, it made me think of the Tag Heuer watch my wife gave me on Christmas 2013. Had the Paranormal box mod not lived up it this superb packaging I would have felt very disappointed. Luckily, the packaging is well-deserved.

As for the $139.95 price tag through Element Vape, it makes sense that this expensive presentation would add to the cost of producing the Paranormal,  but it doesn’t seem to have increased the price of the mod beyond its cost/value ratio. By that I mean, after using the mod for a little more than a week, I believe the price I paid was well spent.Considering the new Evolv DNA75C chipset is still being sold at a premium, and the incredible quality of the materials used to create and manufacture the Paranormal, $139.95 seems almost too low. (though I would be a fool not to wish the DNA75C wasn’t at least a DNA167C)

The Paranormal has a “slide and lock” battery access door located at the base of the mod, the aforementioned leather-wrapped battery bay is not removable, as is the case for the Therion DNA75 and DNA167. Included with the Paranormal DNA75C Mod are ebony wood and carbon fiber panels for the user to further customize the look of the mod.

No doubt then, that the Lost Vape Paranormal DNA75C from Lost Vape, is one seriously luxurious mod priced aggressively.

And just in case you use a Mac, like I do, you will be delighted to learn that Evolv has finally ported the Escribe software, software that allows for real customization and multiple profiles, to the Mac platform!

Having installed the Mac version I can attest that the software is fully actualized, though not very Mac-Like in the application’s GUI. Otherwise, it seems to work with very little, if any, noticeable bugs or lack of features when compared to the PC version. (I’m not an expert on Escribe software, but I had no issues assigning custom profiles with the Mac version)

Now that Escribe is been properly ported, perhaps someone will begin the process of fine-tuning the GUI so that it can take advantage of all the interface tools that the macOS builds in to its dev kit. With theme designer software and customizable user interface, the combination of the new chipset and Escribe for Mac (or PC), there is plenty of reason to learn the ins and outs of this software, even if temperature control isn’t part of your wheelhouse.

Praise Evolv for finally paying attention to our insistence that a Mac version of Escribe was vital to further growth of the DNA chipset.

Getting back to the Lost Vape Paranormal DNA75C, the mod is machined out of a die-cast zinc alloy that is strong and durable, and the main chassis of the Paranormal reflects a robust and solid look, with a touch of handsome thrown in for good measure. The leather battery door and carbon fiber inlays are also made with high-end materials to give it a Lost Vape look and feel. In addition, as a dual 18650 mod, it’s slightly smaller than the Lost Vape Therion dual battery mod.

The integration of Evolv’s DNA 75C Chipset is the second time Lost Vape has seen fit to build a box mod around it. The chipset offers near-limitless configurations for the Paranormal mod, and with native Mac support, tens of thousands of Mac users will finally get to configure profiles that fit their vaping style with Escribe.

The Lost Vape Paranormal has the same color display, the 0.96 Inch OLED TFT display seen in the Therion DNA75C, along with the same three-button adjustment configuration that makes operating the mod so much easier than before. Don’t downplay that 3rd “Select” button, it makes adjusting the settings a piece of cake.

The onboard DNA75C chip sustains an 85% efficiency rating (one reason the DNA250C hasn’t shown up yet), along with a maximum output of 75W. Naturally, the DNA75C allows for full temperature regulation, and even a personalized screen option when used with the Escribe application. This is something many Mac users were not able to take advantage of before now.

The Paranormal DNA75C Box Mod is a durable and sophisticated mod that any Vaper would be proud to own. With price point that is lower than I expected, this terrific little dual battery mod never leaves my side. The Fire Button is firm and responsive, the adjustment buttons are also firm and responsive. It seems that every curve and corner was designed for maximum comfort in any size hand.

It took me two days to decide which of the hundreds of Sub-Ohm Tanks would look and perform best on my new Paranormal DNA75C. There are plenty of times I’m vaping well above the maximum output of 75W, but certainly there are also times when I don’t need to.

The three newest sub-ohm tanks I considered as a partner for my Paranormal were the X-Baby by SMOK, the Athos tank by Aspire, and the NRG Tank from Vaporesso. These all looked good on the Paranormal, though one less than the other.

The first tank removed from the list of possible companions was the Aspire Athos. The Athos requires way more than 75W for an optimal vape. Once I scratched that one off the list it was between the NRG and the X-Baby.  Both worked very well within the 75W limit, but that new X-Baby kind of ticks me off. Why? I think it is an unnecessary tank, built so SMOK had a new tank to offer the hungry public, and along with a new tank, the need of another Coil line to boost sales. The X-Baby uses coils exclusive to it, and I didn’t feel like buying a stack of replacement coils for a tank that performs no better than the SMOK Big Baby.  So, the Vaporesso NRG won the day, and it has worked out wonderfully. Of course, that doesn’t mean there aren’t hundreds more sub-ohm tanks out there that wouldn’t look and work perfectly fine on a 75W maximum output mod, but like most other Vapers, I do like to use the latest gear.

The Vaporesso NRG in Black ($29.99) looks beautiful on this Mod, with almost 3mm of extra space (the Paranormal has a diameter of 27.5mm), so the NRG has no overhang. The Coil structures I chose are the GT 8 0.15-ohm coil, rated at 50-110W and the 0.3ohm GT cCell (ceramic) Core – rated for 25-40W. Both offer a flavorful vape with plenty of clouds, all within the 75W limitation of the DNA75C.

If you have the entry fee to become a member of the Lost Vape Paranormal DNA75C club, and can live within the 75W means, then this is a mod you will cherish as I do. If the wattage isn’t high enough, if you won’t be happy with the power limit, then nothing I say about the mod will move you toward buying one, as it should be. I’m not here to sell you on the mod, I’m just here to tell you what its like to own one and use one, and to tell you what I know about it.

If it is out of your price range, or if you are a Vaper that doesn’t like to spend top-dollar on a mod that will surely see an upgraded model in a matter of months, then maybe it won’t appeal to you either. However, I will say this; if you get the opportunity to hold one and use one, I’m thinking you might change your mind. There are better ways to spend your money, Lord knows, though sometimes splurging on a functional piece of art like the Paranormal DNA75C it can be a rewarding experience.

John Manzione – August 10^th

I love the Paranormal DNA75C, and I don’t have an ounce of Buyer’s Remorse. But… when Evolv decides to manufacture a DNA167C for dual battery mods, I hope that Lost Vape  reintroduces the Paranormal as a DNA167C, like they did with the Therion mod. For now, this incredibly fine mod deserves my highest score.