OBS Crius II Dual-Coil RTA Review
The first thing you need to know about the OBS Crius II Dual-Coil RTA is that it’s a completely different beast than the original Crius II, which came out about six months ago and was a single-coil atomizer. I have no idea why the Chinese company decided to go with such a confusing name, but it would be a shame for people to confuse these two very different tanks, which don’t even look the same. Anyway, this is a review of the dual-coil version of the Crius II RTA by OBS. Lets’s check it out:
A Look at the Contents
The new OBS Crius II comes in a fairly large slider box with a picture of the atomizer and a gnarly and completely unnecessary nicotine warning on the front, and a list of contents, as well as information about the tank (size, weight,color) on the back.
Pull on the little textile handle on the side of the box, and you’ll find the assembled Crius II dual-coil RTA as well as a box of accessories. Inside that yellow box, you’ll find a spare glass tube for the tank, a couple of ready-made coils, some silicone o-rings, a small screwdriver, a sheath of organic Japanese cotton and a user manual. It’s pretty much your standard atomizer kit, although I do appreciate OBS going for the slider-type box. It was an escape from all the classic cardboard boxes that most other companies use these days.
Design and Build Quality
As I said in the introduction to this review, the dual-coil version of the Crius II RTA is completely different that the single-coil one released last year, both on the inside and on the outside.
This new Crius II measures 42mm from top to bottom – not including the drip tip and connector pin – and 25mm in diameter. It weighs 63 grams, which is just about the right weight for its size. It has a juice capacity of just over 4ml.
Starting from the top, we have a wide bore resin drip tip which, at first glance, appears to be an 810, but is actually an outdated 510 type. I love the look of it – black resin with white accents – but I personally would have preferred the wider 810. Then we have the stainless steel top cap, with the OBS name etched into it, which conceals the patented OBS filling port. Just pull on the top cap and it will reveal a large slot on the side of the atomizer through which you just pour juice into it. When you’re finished, just press the top cap back down and you’re good to go.
Then we have the glass portion of the tank, through which you can see the massive atomization chamber with four juice control slots cut into it, and a very short chimney. The base is pretty standard, featuring an airflow control ring and four medium-size air slots. At the very bottom, we have a gold-plated, non-adjustable 510 pin.
At first glance, the OBS Crius II dual-coil is not the most exciting-looking atomizer on the market. It has a fairly classic design, a very clean line, but it doesn’t really stand out in any way, like the OBS Engine did when it launched. But don’t be fooled by this tank’s tame appearance, it really is a beast in sheep’s clothing.
Now for the part that matters most – the build deck. Well, if you’re a fan of OBS products, or if you just happen o be familiar with the company’s Crius RDA, you’ll probably recognize this particular build deck the moment you see it. They literally took the exact same clamp-style deck from the Crius RDA and adapted it slightly to fit the RTA system. The deck itself is exactly the same, only instead of a juice well, we now have four wicking slots and two massive bottom airflow holes.
So now that we’re familiar with the design of the Crius II dual-coil RTA, let’s talk about setting it up for the first time.
Setting Up
Dual-coil RTAs can be pretty tricky to build on, but that’s not the case with the OBS Crius II. Thanks to a very simple and intuitive clamp system, you can get it done in a couple of minutes or less, depending on how experienced of a builder you are.
But first things first – take the atomizer apart, give it a good wash under running hot water, lave it to dry or use some paper napkins to speed up the process. Once that’s over with, it’s time to work on the build deck.
Basically, all you need to do is loosen the screw on top of the gold-plated clamp until you see some space between the positive and negative posts and the ceramic buffer between them. Then, insert one of the coils from one side, and the other from the opposite side, hold them in place with your thumb and index finger, and tighten the screw with your other hand. Once the clamp is tightened down, straighten the coils and make sure they are positioned above the massive air slots at the bottom of the deck. That’s it, you’re ready to wick.
Now, wicking is always a bit tricky on RTAs, but even more so on OBS products. I remember the Engine being particularly problematic in this area, which resulted in me having to rewick it several times. The Crius II dual-coil is not much different, but luckily I have more experience this time around. Essentially, all you need to do is make sure you don’t overdo it with the cotton. Cut your leads as short as possible, as you only need the cotton to reach about halfway into the wicking channels,. not fill them up completely. The idea is to prevent the atomization chamber from flooding, while at the same time allowing the juice to reach the coils easily.
I personally like to thin out the cotton leads a little bit as well, to make sure that they don’t hinder wicking at all, but that’s just personal preference. What is important to keep in mind is not to stuff the cotton in the juice channels, but gently guide it in there and make sure it stays relatively loose.
Once you’re done with the wicking, put a few drops of juice on the cotton to prime it, and screw the base back on to the top part of the tank. Next it’s time to fill this baby up with e-liquid, but before you do that, make sure that the juice flow control slots on the barrel of the Crius II are sealed shut. You can open and close them by gripping the base of the RTA and rotating the glass tube clockwise. Then, all you have to do is pour juice through the fill port concealed by the top cap.
That’s about all there is to it.
How It Vapes
I have to admit that I did not have high hopes for the OBS Crius II RTA. I hadn’t really been very impressed with either the OBS Engine or the Engine Nano. Everyone else seemed to love them, but I just always preferred other tanks and RTAs to them, and I thought the Crius II would just be more of the same – ok, but nothing to write home about. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Long story short, this is my new favorite dual-coil RTA, and it wasn’t even a close call. I had been gushing over the GeekVape Blitzen thinking RTAs couldn’t get much better, but the Crius II just blew it right out of the water. Vapor production is actually about the same, but in terms of flavor, the OBS Crius II is on a whole other level. I couldn’t tell you exactly how it squeezes so much flavor out of e-liquids, but I suspect it has to do with the bottom airflow slots pushing the vapor straight up, and with the very tall atomization chamber that stretches up almost to the bottom of the drip tip. Whatever it is, it works.
I’ve been using the OBS Crius II with the stock coils that came in the box, so I’m sure you can get even more vapor and better flavor with some exotic coils, but I’m more than satisfied with its stock performance. I have yet to read any other reviews on this atomizer, but I doubt anyone can complain about its performance. It’s a superb tank that I for one will be using a lot going forward.
Leaking has not been an issue for me, but that doesn’t mean that the Crius II can’t leak. It all depends on how well you wick it. If the cotton doesn’t seal those juice slots properly, juice will get into the atomization chamber and leak through the bottom airflow slots, so pay close attention to that.
Conclusion
I have not tried all of OBS’ atomizers, but I have a feeling that the Crius II dual coil may just be their best one yet. It’s easy to build on and wick, has excellent build quality, and its vapor production and flavor intensity are simply impressive. If you’re in the market for a new dual-coil RTA, I highly suggest you at least consider it. Just make sure that you don’t get the original Crius II, which is a single-coil atomizer.
The OBS Crius II dual-coil RTA was sent to me by Heaven Gifts for the purpose of this review. They are currently selling it for $39.90. It’s not the cheapest RTA money can buy, but I can guarantee that it’s worth the price.
