Digiflavor Etna MTL RDA review

These disclaimers are becoming slightly boring, but there’s not much to do about them :slight_smile: I won this Digiflavor Etna MTL RDA from a HeavenGifts competition. Despite of that, this review will be objective and impartial (as much as possible of course)

I’m not a big MTL person. No idea why since for the most of my adult live I smoked cigarettes. My first experience with vaping was DL, and I stuck with it ever since. I tried a few MTL devices, some were ok, some werent, and one thing I always looked for in an MTL device was a restricted DL hit. I don’t want to go into a tirade how how one device or the other completely changed my opinion on MTL, but Etna definitely came close to that (more on that down below).

Digiflavor Etna MTL RDA came to me in very nice and simple box that really reminded me of how Apple package their products. Simple minimalist design with a bold contrast on the opposite side – bright red with the standard information we would expect from the packaging.

Inside the box was the RDA itself. If not for the height, it would probably be the tiniest RDA I ever saw.

Underneath the foam packaging was the standard bag of spare parts, o-rings and tools.

In addition, Digiflavor sent a total of 6 coils, and two strands of agletted cotton.


The additional drip tip is a bit taller than the preinstalled one and comes without o-rings (gotta install the spares from the goodie bag).

First thing that everyone will notice is the unique airflow design. The RDA comes with three different airflow inserts, that are held in place with a screw that also has the role of the air intake. The airflow from the inserts can be described as tight (single large hole), tighter (three holes) and tightest (two holes). From the start it was obvious that this is a pure MTL design that wont provide restricted DL hits that I was hoping for. Four additional airflow inserts are available, but don’t come bundled with the kit. The largest of them will probably provide a restricted DL hit (1.8mm hole)

The deck is super easy to build on. I used one of the provided coils (the clapton one). All I had to do was insert the coil, tighten the two grub screws and trim the ends. A great feature on the deck is the notch on the rim. it’s primary purpose is to hold the top cap in the correct position, but when installing the coil with a rod, it also gives perfect position for the coil above the airflow openings. The juice well is fairly deep, and the wicking was a breeze as well. Just cut the cotton to the proper length, tuck it in, and it was ready to go.




Other great touch was that the RDA came with the squonk pin pre-installed. I can’t really see how dripping in an RDA this small can be convenient. In my opinion these tiny MTL RDA’s are best used on a squonker, and having the bottom feed pin pre-installed the most obvious choice. Solid bottom pin was in the goodie bag, but in my case it won’t see any use.

Visually the Etna is stunning. It’s thin, has very clean lines, and comes with a beauty ring in the bottom, and a frosted clear cover on the top. Both drip tips are made of the same frosted clear plastic, and a subtle logo is engraved on the top cap.

After I built and wicked it, it was time to see how it performs, and this is where I got the very pleasant surprise. It took me a while to figure out exactly how to vape on it. What works best for me is to fire it for about second and a half before starting to draw on it, and then to draw just like I would on a cigarette. I used my ‘benchmark’ mango juice on it, and the flavor was superb. The coil I installed measured at 0.66ohm, I set the mod to 30w, and the flavor just kept on coming.

Specs:
base width: 18mm (20mm with beauty ring)
height: 35.5mm with short drip tip
Available colors: Gold, Blue, Black, Gunmetal, Rainbow, SS

Pros:
Good flavor
Easy build
Preinstalled squonk pin
Comes with coils and cotton

Cons:
Not all airflow options included
No user manual (at least in the sample packaging I got)
No information on coil resistance

The only conclusion I can make here is that this is a really good MTL RDA. I admit i’m a complete newbie when it comes to MTL, but this is the best MTL RDA I tried so far.

Would I recommend this RDA? Yes, especially if you are into real MTL experience

Would I replace this RDA if damaged or lost? No since i’m not really an MTL vaper :slight_smile:

And for the end, the obligatory bottom shot :slight_smile:

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Nice one @adary :+1:. Great review!

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Thanks man!

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Looking good at this end too.

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Another great write up @adary. Not sure how I missed this before.

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Sorry @adary I too missed this review, but I’m very pleased I did find it eventually.
I will have to get one of these in with my next order I think.

@adary nice to see someone give the Etna some love. I’m a hybrid vaper and enjoy both MTL and RL. Although I have to admit, the Etna is truly a proper MTL and took some getting used to for me. You’re right on the money about the flavor and the design, imo, is flawless in that classy Italian way. Love it’s spartan looks and clever bottom AF.

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