Digiflavor Drop Solo RDA Review
Following the massive success of the original Drop RDA, Digiflavor and Brian from The Vapor Chronicles (TVC) YouTube Channel recently came out with a single coil version called the Drop Solo. It retains the same qualities that made the Drop 24 so popular, like the unique stepped airflow system, deep juice well and versatile build deck, but is designed with single coil RDA fans in mind. Let’s check it out:
A Look at the Contents
The Drop Solo RDA comes in a small white and red cardboard box that Digiflavor has been using ever since it made its debut in the vaping world, two years ago. On the front, we have the ‘Digiflavor’ and ‘TVC’ logos, and instead of a picture of the RDA, we have a transparent window that offers a peak at the actual RDA inside. On the back, we have a bullet point list of the Drop Solo’s most interesting features as well as company information and a scratch & check authenticity sticker.
Inside the box, we have the Drop Solo RDA sitting in a Styrofoam holder next to an extra acrylic glass barrel which you can use to replace the stainless steel one. Underneath the holder, we have a small user manual and an envelope containing the warranty card, a warning card and a ‘thank you’ note from Brian, and at the bottom of the box we have two bags of accessories. One contains two Clapton coils and an Allen key, and the other contains a hollow squonk pin, a 510 drip tip adapter, lots of spare o-rings, some grub screws for the build deck and another small screwdriver.
This is actually quite a generous kit. Most companies don’t even include coils, let alone extra top caps for the RDA, so props to Digiflavor and Brian TVC for setting an example of how it should be done.
Design and Build Quality
At first glance, the Drop Solo looks very similar to the original Drop RDA, but a closer inspection reveals quite a few differences. For one, this is a 22mm single-coil RDA, whereas the first Drop was 24mm in diameter. The new drip tip si completely different as well – yes, it’s still an 810, but it’s made of acrylic glass and has a shape that I for one don’t like at all. It looks ok, but it doesn’t feel comfortable in the mouth at all. It feels like a narrow 510 and I happen to like large tips. Plus, the acrylic top cap already comes with a 510 drip tip, so why not make the other beefier?
Finally, the top cap that you rotate to adjust the airflow has a different knurling pattern on the Solo than on the original Digiflavor Drop.
However, there are some similarities between the two Drop versions. They both share that same ‘T’ shaped airflow slots and the stepped top cap on the inside that allows you to open and close the airflow one of of holes at a time, as well as the two notches on the base that basically ensure that your coil is always aligned with the airflow slots. On the bottom, we have a gold-plated, adjustable 510 pin that can be replaced with the included hollow pin if you want to use the Drop Solo for squonking. Just remember to keep your finger on the positive post of the deck when you unscrew the pin, or it will fall off.
The build deck is somewhat similar to that of the Drop 24, only now you have one pair of posts to the side of the base, instead of two centered pairs. The posts have the same design as on the previous version, allowing you to install your coil in a number of ways. You can insert the leads through the top and have your coil sit higher up in the RDA, or through the bottom, so that it sits lower. You can even install a vertical coil, although it requires a bit of patience, or even install two coils -one from the bottom and one from the top – although, as the name suggests, the Solo is designed for single coil vaping.
The point is that this style of build deck, with the way the posts are designed and all the room you have to work with, allows you to try out all kinds of builds, and that was really one of the main qualities that made the original Digiflavor Drop so popular.
One thing you’ll want to remember is that you install your coil from the bottom and plan on using the Drop Solo with a squonk mod, you should know that the included squonk pin stands out from the base quite a bit, so make sure that it doesn’t touch your coil.
I’m not really a big fan of the included acrylic glass barrel and drip tip. It’s nice that they included them, I still consider that a big pro, but they just aren’t my style. Yes, the acrylic is much lighter, and lets you see the build deck since it’s translucent, but I just think it feels cheap compare to the stainless steel top cap.
How It Vapes
When it came out, the Drop Solo was touted by many as the best RDA on the market, or at least a close second, after the equally popular Dead Rabbit RDA. I never got a chance to try it, or to be perfectly honest, preferred to try my luck with the Dead Rabbit and Bonza RDA from Vandy Vape, so I can’t really say whether the Drop Solo is a worthy successor, but I can tell you what I like and don’t like about it.
First off, I always thought the stepped airflow system was genius, so I’m glad they kept the original design. You can leave all the little holes open, or you can gradually close them off one by one, row by row, starting from the bottom or the top. However, you have two of these T-shapped airflow patterns on each side of the barrel, so if you have too many of them open, the draw can feel a bit too airy. Also, the more airflow holes you have open, the noisier this RDA is. If you have the airflow wide open, the “woosh” sound is actually kind of annoying.
Also, the way that the build deck is designed, the coil will always sit either in the center or very close to it. I’m not sure how much this affects the flavor, but I can’t help wondering it wouldn’t have been better to have the coil sit closer to one of the airflow openings, so that the air hit it directly. The flavor is definitely above average on the Solo – although it is largely affected by your coil build – but maybe it could have been even better?
I’ve only been using the Digiflavor Drop Solo in squonk mode, with the Vandy Vape Pulse 80W, and I’ve grown quite fond of it. It took me a while to adjust the airflow to match the position of my coil, but once I hit that sweet spot, everything was great. I’ve had no leaking issues with it, although you definitely don’t want to tilt this RDA for too long, as juice will leak through the lower air slots.
Conclusion
The Drop Solo RDA retains most of the qualities that made the original Digiflavor Drop so popular, while introducing some new elements, like the acrylic glass top cap, that I’m sure a lot of vapers will appreciate. The build quality is right up there with the best RDAs on the market, and the kit really is great value for money.
Should you get the Drop Solo if already own the Drop 24? I don’t think so, since they are very similar, but if you’re into single coil vaping and want to add this to your collection, go for it!
The Digiflavor Drop Solo was sent to me by Vapesourcing, for the purpose of this review. They are currently selling it for just $29.95.
