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Joyetech Espion Solo Kit | Review

Joyetech Espion Solo Kit | Review

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Joyetech Espion Solo Kit

Joyetech has decided to celebrate their 10th Anniversary with the release of the Espion Solo. It’s a single battery device capable of outputting 80w and is Joyetech’s first attempt at implementing a full touchscreen.

Instead of using dual batteries like the original Espion, the Solo acquires its name for being a single battery device which can use either 21700, 20700 or 18650 (included adapter) batteries.

It comes paired with the new ProCore Air tank, which uses Joyetech’s ProC line of coil-heads.

The Good

Excellent build quality, elegant design, compact for a single 21700 device. Really good power performance.

The Bad

The touchscreen has the occasional lag, and temp control is a little conservative. ProCore Air tank has noisy airflow.

The Bottom Line

This is an excellent device by Joyetech. The touchscreen may not be to everybody’s liking, but it does function adequately. As for the rest of the device; it looks classy, has excellent build quality, brilliant battery life, performs great and comes with good sub-ohm tank included.

8.8

Disclosure: This product was sent to us by Joyetech for the purpose of this review.

Specs

  • Compatible with 20700, 21700 and 18650(adaptor included)
  • 80 Watt max output
  • Dimensions: 25.5 x 39.5 x 126.5mm
  • 1.3” touchscreen/ 64 x 126 px
  • Modes: power/RTC/Bypass/TC(Ni/Ti/Aluminium
  • Resistance: 0.05 to 1.5 for TC/TCR mode and 0.1 to 3.5 ohm for Power mode
  • Temp range: 100 – 315 C
  • Max charge current : 2A
  • Max output current: 30A
  • Max output voltage 9V
  • Automatic screen lock
  • Magnetic battery cover
  • Reverse polarity & dual-circuit protection
  • Upgradable firmware

In the Box

  • 1 x Joyetech Espion Solo
  • 1 x ProCore Air Tank
  • 1 x AVB 21700 battery
  • 2 x Pro CA 0.4ohm head
  • 1 x 18650 battery adaptor
  • 1 x QC USB cable
  • 1 x Manual
  • 1 x warranty card
  • 1 x spare parts
  • 1 x Fashion drip tip, 1 x Black, Delrin drip tip
Design9.2
Joyetech Espion Solo Kit

The Espion Solo takes a mix of design cues from both it’s siblings in the Espion family and its predecessors from the Evic line.

It is a premium looking device which is slightly boxy, but with curves in all the right places, making it extremely ergonomic. It’s basically like the more classy older brother of the Evic VTC mini and Evic Primo SE.

The Espion Solo is capable of fitting 25mm atomizers but still remains compact and pocket-friendly by design.

Joyetech Espion Solo Kit

Style

I like when Joyetech sticks to the sleek and professional designs, they always seem to get the balance right of simplicity and elegance.

The Espion Solo is no exception, in my eyes its probably their classiest looking device to date. Even the grooved strips on either side of the mod look stylish while adding functional grip.

The large fire button with ’10th anniversary’ subtly printed on it is well implemented and perfectly positioned.

The finish on the Gunmetal version is incredible and just further reinforces its premium appearance.

Joyetech Espion Solo Kit

Build Quality

The build quality of the Espion Solo is as impressive as it looks.

The device feels solid in the hand, and the paintwork on the black version appears to be relatively resistant to scratches, while the zinc/copper metallic finish on the gunmetal version is extra durable.

The battery door which encompasses the back half of the device in a curved half moon shape is held extremely securely by powerful magnets. It does require a fairly strong pull to remove it, but there’s no chance of it accidentally coming off or any sign of movement while using the device.

The gold-plated 510 pin is spring loaded and has a good amount of travel.

The fire button requires a moderately firm push to activate it but has a nice tactile click.

The 1.3-inch display is big and bright, and the touchscreen works reasonably well (more on this later).

Joyetech Espion Solo Kit

Portability

The Espion Solo is a really compact mod for a single 21700 device.

Its dimensions are 25.5 x 39.5 x 126.5mm, and it weighs 110g without a battery, and just under 180g with a battery inside.

It’s definitely pocket-friendly, and with the added lifespan of utilizing a 21700 battery, it’s an excellent size for a portable mod.

Innovation

While there’s nothing innovative about the Espion Solo, it is Joyetech’s first attempt at a touchscreen.

They have made a smart decision to not just rely on the touchscreen to navigate the device, with the inclusion of a function button below the screen. This does make it a lot easier to lock and unlock the device compared to some other touchscreen mods on the market.

Also, the fact that it can use 21700, 20700 and 18650 batteries (with provided adapter), although not new, is a welcome design choice.

Features8.8
Joyetech Espion Solo Kit

The Joyetech Espion Solo features a brand new board and has a maximum power output of 80W.

It has all the usual operating modes of; wattage, temp control, bypass, and TCR. It also features an RTC setting, which isn’t really a mode just a real time clock display.

The Espion Solo also has preheat options, allowing you to set/adjust both the duration and the intensity of the preheat.

There also is 2 amp charging on-board, along with firmware upgradability.

Operating

Not everybody is going to be a fan of having a touchscreen mod; sometimes they lead to frustrating usability with awkward menus and clicks not getting recognized.

Thankfully, for the most part, the Espion Solo is easy to use, Joyetech has reverted to an easy menu layout, which is accessible with a couple of swipes.

There’s also the inclusion of a function/unlock button, so on the whole, the device is easy to operate.

Operating the device:

  • 5 clicks on or off
  • Press Unlock button to unlock the screen
  • Swipe right from home screen accesses the menu
  • Swipe left from home screen displays current settings in list form
Joyetech Espion Solo Kit

Touchscreen

While navigating the device using submenus and setting modes is intuitive, the Espion is not hiccup-free.

A couple of times it will stutter or not recognize presses. Which is not out of the ordinary for a touchscreen display and not something that will make me class it as a bad device. I think it’s just par for the course with these types of displays.

ProCore Air Tank8.2
Joyetech Espion Solo Kit - ProCore Air Tank

The ProCore Air is Joytech’s latest entry in the ProCore line of tanks. It’s fairly similar to the original ProCore and the ProCore X tank that the dual-battery Espion mod comes with.

It’s also 25mm diameter, with a 4.5ml e-liquid capacity (also comes in a 2ml TPD compliant version) and is compatible with the ProC line of coil-heads.

Two main differences are instead of using a hinge fill system it is slide to fill, and it comes with a snakeskin-like resin drip tip. I do feel the drip tip is a bit too large and long for the tank, but it’s still comfortable to use.

Joyetech Espion Solo Kit - ProCore Air Tank

Refilling

As mentioned Joyetech has adopted the slide to fill method that we have seen on numerous sub-ohm tanks recently, like those made by Eleaf.

It has an indication where to push to slide open, with small arrows above the subtle Joyetech branding. It works well and is definitely one of the easiest fill methods available.

Joyetech Espion Solo Kit - ProCore Air Tank

Coils

The ProCore Air utilizes the popular ProC coil heads and comes with two in the box, both 0.4ohms.

They are the latest additions to the ProC coil head family and provide what can only be described as a modest sub-ohm vaping experience.

They won’t blow your socks with the vapor production at 0.4ohm, but the flavor really is on point.

One of the biggest pros about the ProC coils is they tend to have a fairly good lifespan.

Flavor

Sub-ohm tanks and coils have improved tremendously in the past few years, and I think the ProC coil heads are right up there for producing really good flavor.

As a tank that comes as part of a kit, the ProCore Air helps utilize these flavorful coils in a way that won’t disappoint.

Joyetech Espion Solo Kit

Airflow

While not the most wide open of airflows, the ProCore does have adjustable airflow that should suffice for most vape styles.

But the one big issue with the airflow is it’s incredibly noisy, which some may dislike.

Performance8.7
Joyetech Espion Solo Kit

I always consider Joyetech devices to be solid performers, but not exceptional.

However, with the latest board/chipset they are using Joyetech may have just taken it up a notch.

Wattage Mode

In power mode, the Espion Solo feels like it is giving the exact power you have set, which is great.

The ramp-up time is fairly quick, and I’ve had no issues whatsoever is power mode. It performs excellently.

Joyetech Espion Solo Kit

Temperature Control Mode

There have been some definite improvements in the way that Joyetech are handling temp control. It’s a fairly smooth experience with no noticeable pulses.

However, irrelevant of having the device set to SS316 or using the TCR value of 92 I noticed the temperature setting is still a little too conservative. It’s not a major problem, as I usually vape at around 420F, so I just had to bump it up to 450F. Not a deal breaker, but worth noting.

Joyetech Espion Solo Kit

Battery Life

Joyetech kindly supplied the Espion Solo with an Avatar Controls 21700 battery. I believe the kit is available both with and without a battery.

Obviously battery life is going to be dependant on which 21700 you use in the device, but with the one supplied I was getting around 9 hours battery life. That was with a lot of screen-on time, and various wattage and temp settings.

On the whole, a 21700 battery will last you anywhere between 5 hours and a couple of days depending on the power you are outputting.

So I think it’s fairly safe to say for a single-battery mod, and because it utilizes 21700’s, the Joyetech Espion Solo has excellent battery life.

Likes

  • Elegant ergonomic design
  • Excellent build quality
  • Large fire button
  • Large bright screen
  • Good power performance
  • Preheat options (power/duration)
  • Easy to use menu system
  • Great battery life
  • Fits 25 mm atomizers
  • Good battery door
  • Decent choice of coils for ProCore Air
  • Good flavor from included coils

Dislikes

  • The occasional lag on the touchscreen
  • Conservative TC
  • Drip tip is a little long
  • Noisy airflow

Verdict

The Espion Solo is bar far my favorite Joyetech device to date.

It has an elegant compact form with excellent build quality and can utilize 21700 batteries.

Joyetech managed to get lot right with the design of this device by keeping it simple, and not overcomplicating things with pointless features like flashing LED’s.

The one feature they did take a risk on was the touchscreen, but despite the occasional lag, it does work well with their simplified menu system.

If you are looking for a good looking compact single battery device, that can take 21700 batteries; the Espion Solo is certainly one of the best on the market for the price.

OUR VIBE

This is an excellent device by Joyetech. The touchscreen may not be to everybody's liking, but it does function adequately. As for the rest of the device; it looks classy, has excellent build quality, brilliant battery life, performs great and comes with good sub-ohm tank included.
Design
9.2
Features
8.8
Tank
8.2
Performance
8.7
Cost
9.0

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Marc Panayiotis
Marc Panayiotis
Marc Panayiotis, co-founder of our vaping website, combines over 10 years of expertise and a deep understanding of 1000+ products to establish our platform as a reliable industry resource and inspire our team.
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This is an excellent device by Joyetech. The touchscreen may not be to everybody's liking, but it does function adequately. As for the rest of the device; it looks classy, has excellent build quality, brilliant battery life, performs great and comes with good sub-ohm tank included.Joyetech Espion Solo Kit | Review