Sigelei KAOS Z GS Edition Vape Mod Preview

A while back, we reviewed the original KAOS Z, and to be honest, weren’t thrilled with the device’s looks or performance. We felt it was a mishmash of ideas that never came together as a viable vape mod. So, when we received the gold, emblazoned, even shinier Sigelei KAOS Z GS Edition, our hopes weren’t too high. However, Sigelei might have listened to our advice, because so far, the GS Edition isn’t too bad!

Of course, it’s early, but let’s take a quick peek at the KAOS Z GS to see what Sigelei kept the same, what’s changed, and what our early takeaways are.

My original KAOS Z was a pumpkin-like orange nightmare, so by comparison the gold and black GS Edition we received was much more reserved. But make no mistake, there’s nothing subtle about this vape mod. If “loud and proud” is how you like to vape, the gaudy, luxurious gold trim will have you showing the KAOS Z to everyone around.

But here’s where things get weird. We haven’t spent much time with the KAOS Z yet, but the mod advertises the same LED color light show as its predecessor. But it also has solid, opaque side panels. So, when I adjusted my LED settings to “always on” and fired, I was shocked to see… NOTHING. No glow, no flashing, no effects of any kind.

Figuring it was a fluke, I changed colors and the setting, and tried again – nothing still. Opening the battery door reveals an LED light, but nothing shows through when vaping or idle. Even if the KAOS Z GS Edition can use the transparent panels from the previous editions, there’s nothing here that even remotely takes advantage of this feature.

Personally? I couldn’t care less about more LED light shows. But to advertise this as a “feature,” only to block it completely? It’s beyond bizarre, and something we’ll be investigating during our review.

Lights or no lights, however, there’s nothing subtle about this mod. It’s a touch bulky and boxy, but it’s lightweight, and feels good in the hands. In fact, I’d venture to say the GS Edition feels a little sturdier than the original, and the fire key is much improved, as well.

There isn’t much to report about the KAOS Z GS Edition internals since it’s effectively the same device we reviewed six months ago. And that’s where the lion’s share of our testing will be, since the original model had a boatload of problems with misfires, spotty temperature control, and overpowered wattage performance.

We’ve only used the KAOS Z GS Edition for a few hours, and are cautiously optimistic about what the testing will reveal. It hasn’t been a perfect run, but it seems like Sigelei’s proprietary chipset has received a sizable firmware upgrade. It looks and operates the same, but the misfires and quirky temp control seem to be fixed. We’ll be sure to dive deep into these details in our full review.

The system and display? Well, they’re about as subtle as the rest of the mod. Colorful digital fonts and a busy layout dominate the 0.96-inch screen. It’s hardly pretty by modern standards, but it’s clear and legible, which is fine in the grand scheme of things.

We’ve already alluded to it, but we’re going to be watching the KAOS Z GS Edition’s firing performance VERY closely. While our early impressions of this updated model show some decent output, there were a lot of problems with this chipset the last time around, and we need to know that Sigelei didn’t just slap a new coat of paint on a broken system. Our fingers are crossed, though, so stay tuned for these updates.

Also, we’re definitely going to look into this oddball LED light show concern. While no one can honestly say flashing LEDs made for a better vaping experience, it still seems strange that Sigelei would include LEDs that are completely blocked by the side panels.

On the surface, this seems pretty humorous and meaningless. But the more we think about it, the more we’re concerned that Sigelei is literally just putting old chipsets inside updated frames and calling it a “new” vape mod. THAT would be worthy of some criticism, so we’re hope we’re wrong.

Finally, we’re going to try and determine which kind of vaper would be best served by owning a KAOS Z GS Edition. Is this supposed to be a more mature, adult version of the carnival sideshow Sigelei released last fall? Or is this supposed to be an entirely new SKU, aimed at a different audience? It isn’t likely, but we’ll know for sure in the next few weeks.

Stay tuned for our full review soon!