Table of Contents
SMOK Trophy Tank v2 – $13.99
Introduction
The SMOK Trophy Tank V2, has been kindly provided by the fine folks at Vaporetti for the purpose of this review. As with the SMOK ARO, the Trophy (both V1 and V2) makes their design inspirations very, very easy to guess: in this case, the design inspiration seems clearly to have been the Kanger ProTank.
Caveat
One of the reasons so many Vapers depend on reviews from professional sources like Spinfuel eMagazine, is because during the course of a usual month “we” are able to use, and get to know, a vast number of products. While a friend or loved one might recommend, or not recommend, a particular product, it’s usually based on a limited experience of having vaped with a handful of different products. When you do it for a living you can move from one clearomizer to the next for several days, or one mod from another, one e liquid brand to another, and so on. When we review a clearomizer, for instance, we have a number of experiences to draw from. I would like you to keep that in mind as we review various SMOK products, or Vision, or Innokin, or Kanger products.
The Clearomizer market is huge, and it seems there are new clearomziers introduced weekly, if not daily. There is no such thing as a “prefect” clearomizer, not yet anyway. Clearomizers are getting better, no doubt, but each and every one have their good points, and bad. My reviews reflect my opinion on what a ‘good’ vape is, and whether or not the product I’m writing about lives up to that standard. If it does, I’ll tell you, and when it doesn’t, I’ll tell you that as well. So, with that said, let’s move on the SMOK Trophy Tank.
Presentation
As with pretty much all of SMOK’s clearomizers, the presentation involved is… let’s call it “Spartan.” A plain white box with the SMOK branding and the basic identity of the contents are all you really get — and for such budget-friendly prices, and considering that what’s inside isn’t terribly complicated, what more could a user really ask for besides a box that doesn’t distract, that just gets right out of the way? (Unlike Kanger products and their overly packaged products. The first ProTank was packaged like an expensive watch, or necklace. That’s overselling the product with slick packaging…unnecessary frills)
Also, as with Vaporetti’s other offerings, from hardware to eliquid, they have thoughtfully provided what feels like a special touch of warmth by enclosing the device’s box in a snug and decorative plastic bag secured with a shiny red ribbon of a twist tie. I’m just never not going to like that.
Features & Specs
The specifications of the Trophy are simple and fairly standard. Boasting a 510 connection, a Pyrex tank with an estimated capacity of between 2.5 and 3ml, and can be fully disassembled, meaning base, tank, atomizer, top cap and mouthpiece can all be separated for easier cleaning and, when necessary, replacement. Sound familiar?
Aesthetics & Build Quality
There isn’t really too much to be said about the build quality or the aesthetics of the SMOK Trophy V2 that isn’t also true of the Kanger ProTank 2. If you have the latter, you can pretty much bet that there’s not a lot new for you to discover with the former. For those who aren’t familiar with the ProTank, however, read on:
The Trophy V2 has rock solid build quality. The threads are perfectly satisfactory, while the device has enough heft, thanks to its metal components, that it feels quite durable. It may make lighter devices such as eGo batteries feel “top heavy” — but this effect isn’t present on even light APV’s like the iTaste MVP, and is quite negligible even on mechanicals packing only an 18350 battery.
One of the nicer attributes of the Trophy Tank V2 over the Trophy Tank V1 — much as was the case with the ProTank 2 — is that the user can opt for his or her own 510-compatible drip tip, bypassing the flavor tainting/muting issues that tend to come with metallic drip tips.
One of the more disappointing features, however, is that the aesthetics aren’t the only place where this device is so very, very reminiscent of its design inspiration.
Performance & Real World Experience
The really disappointing thing about this design so closely following the form of the ProTank is that it uses the same head as the ProTank. Vaporetti describes it as a SMOKTech head, but I’ve seen nothing to indicate — on the packaging, in its design or, sadly, in its performance — that the head in this device is anything but a Kanger product. It might be branded as a SMOKTech, but from every point of view imaginable, it is a Kanger coil.
Specifically, where the Trophy V2 falls down is in flavor fidelity. Flavors that aren’t tainted by any latent metallic tint from the mouthpiece, these heads simply never do produce flavor equal to their competitors. What they do produce plenty of is throat hit and vapor. On those attributes, they’re just fine.
And while other SMOK clearomizers, such as the GBC and the Tumbler manage to actually overcome this deficiency in these heads somehow, the Trophy V2 does not. So, while it does provide a vape that satisfies nicotine, throat hit, and vapor cravings, it doesn’t exactly thrill me where flavor is concerned.
Frankly, after using a competing product from Vision or Innokin, there are some liquids I just won’t put in this device because it just doesn’t do them justice.
Recommendation
Would I recommend the SMOK Trophy V2? Based on its aesthetics, the eliquid capacity, and the performance, and a price of $13.99, I cannot recommend it. Having said that, Vapers that love their ProTanks might save a few bucks on the SMOK Trophy v2. And that’s not just a flippant remark. Plenty of people swear by the ProTank, and would never consider using anything else (though the SMOK Trophy Tank v2 gives an identical experience), and others do not. I’m in the “others” category, so of course my review is going to reflect that.
For a better looking, better performing, and less expensive alternative, I instead recommend the SMOK GBC (review link here, please, Dave —JC) also available from Vaporetti for only $5.99.
John Castle
