Lost Vape Centaurus DNA 250C Review: Legendary Reborn
Lost Vape Centaurus DNA 250C Review: Legendary Reborn?
Adam A. May 14, 2020Here we are in 2020 and the day has finally come. The Lost Vape Centaurus DNA250C is Lost Vape’s new dual 18650 box mod and, as the name suggests, it uses the DNA250C chipset. It looks very much like the Paranormal DNA250C but there are some tweaks and changes to the body to make it more comfortable to use.
The Centaurus DNA250C will fire at up to 200W, it supports temperature control from 200°F-600°F, and it comes with an extremely detailed menu/settings system. Like other mods that use the DNA250C chipset, the Centaurus DNA250C also has a “Replay” mode that can capture and replay the “perfect puff”. I’ll go into “Replay” mode in more detail in the review.
Box Contents
- 1 x Centaurus DNA250C Mod
- 1 x USB Cable
- 1 x USB On-The-Go Adaptor
- 1 x Warranty Card
- 1 x User Manual
The way that the Centaurus DNA250C is packaged just screams quality. The box that I received is black with the Centaurus logo and “Centaurus DNA250C” printed on one side and “LOST VAPE” printed on the other side. The box for the retail version will be different and will have a picture of the mod along with some other changes.
The box slides open like a drawer. Inside there’s a semi-transparent paper with golden stars and constellations. “LEGENDARY REBORN” is printed in gold in the center of the paper.
Under the paper is the mod and an accessories box. There’s a gold colored ribbon that you can pull to lift the Centaurus DNA250C from the box.
From the get-go with the unboxing, the experience already feels luxurious. This is the kind of feeling that I want to have when I purchase something expensive and Lost Vape has done an excellent job. Before you even use the mod, it already feels like the price is worth it.
Specifications
- 91mm x 55mm x 26mm
- Weighs 173g
- Stainless Steel Frame
- Carbon Fiber Panels
- Dual 18650 Box Mod
- Evolv DNA250C Chipset
- 0.90” Color Screen
- 200W Maximum Output
- 200°F-600°F Temperature Range
- Fits up to 25mm Atomizers Without Overhang
Design & Build Quality
The Lost Vape Centaurus DNA250C is a clean and good looking mod. Just from appearance, it looks high-end and more polished and refined than your every day mod.
I got the “Black/Ostrich -Chopped Carbon Fiber” finish for my review unit and boy is it nice! The body is made of stainless steel. It’s black with a brushed/matte finish. The back of the mod has a soft, leathery grip that feels comfortable to hold. The panels are semi-reflective chopped carbon fiber — not something you see every day on a mod but it looks really classy. All of the components on this mod feel and look top-notch and opulent.
The Centaurus DNA250C looks very much like the Paranormal DNA250C but there are a couple of notable changes. Unlike the Paranormal DNA250C, there are no screws on the corners of the Centaurus DNA250C. There is also no wood inlay on the body of the mod under the 510 plate which I think is a welcome change.
The 510 plate on the Centaurus will fit atomizers up to 25mm in diameter without overhang. The plate is slightly raised from the rest of the mod so atomizers don’t quite sit flush. It’s barely noticeable but if you’re a stickler, you might find it annoying. I understand why they did this though; so that the atomizers won’t scrape the top of the mod. Still, I like my tanks to sit flush.
Instead of rounded curves like the Paranormal, the Centaurus DNA250C has straight cut, slanting edges. This is especially noticeable around the front of the mod. When I hold the device to fire the Centaurus DNA250C with my index finger, my fingers sit comfortably on the slanted sides.
The mod has a comfortable size at 91mm tall, 55mm deep and 26mm wide. It’s also weighty but not too heavy at 173g. It feels solid and well-built in my hand.
The battery door is spring loaded and secured by a strong latch. It’s not flimsy in the least and rather feels very well designed. The door springs open when released and stays securely shut when closed. I’m usually concerned about the long-term durability of battery doors but I don’t have any concerns with this one.
On the front of the device are four buttons: one circular firing button and three adjustment buttons. All four buttons are firm, tactile, and responsive. The firing button is positioned just right to comfortably fire with my thumb.
The Centaurus DNA250C has a 0.90” color TFT display. It’s clear, crisp and bright. The screen displays your coil resistance, battery life percentage, your current mode, current wattage/temperature, and a settings option.
Features & Functions: DNA250C Chipset
In the vaping world, Evolv’s DNA250C chipset is a big deal. It’s their latest chipset and it’s known as one of the most accurate, reliable and customizable chipsets out there. It’s especially good when it comes to temperature control vaping.
When it comes to features and functions, the Centaurus DNA250C is just like any other DNA250C mod. It has an in depth menu, multiple settings that can be tweaked, and a host of modes. Lost Vape didn’t add a custom theme for the Centaurus so it uses Evolv’s default theme.
However, you can download a theme from Evolv’s forums and upload it to the Centaurus using Evolv’s Escribe software.
Escribe will also let you customize the UI and change the modes, however I would advise against doing this unless you know what you’re doing. If you’re not careful, tweaking the UI and modes can seriously mess up the device.
Like other DNA devices, the Centaurus doesn’t turn off. Instead, it locks after a period of inactivity. Pressing any button five times will unlock the device.
The Centaurus DNA250C will fire at up to 200W and supports a TC range of 200°F-600°F. Out of the box there are the following modes: Watt Boost, Watts, Replay, Kanthal, SS430, SS316, Titanium, and Nickel 200.
To switch modes, use the top and bottom adjustment buttons to hover over the mode at the top of the screen. Use the middle adjustment button to select the mode. Using the top and bottom adjustment buttons will cycle through the modes. When you’ve found the mode you want, press the middle adjustment button again to select it.
Here’s an explanation of the different modes:
Watt Boost: This mode is wattage mode with preheat functionality. This boost allows for faster ramp up times which is awesome to have in power mode. First, set your desired wattage. Then go into the settings menu and into the Atomizer option. Make sure that Boost is set to “On”. Changing the Punch will alter the aggressiveness of the preheat. The Punch can be set from 1-11.
Watts: This is your good old-fashioned wattage mode. You can actually make the default wattage mode use boost if you want to by following the same steps as listed above for Watt Boost mode. However, I prefer to leave the boost off for wattage mode so that I can just switch between the Watt Boost and Watts if I want to turn the boost on or off.
Replay: Replay mode is essentially an easier way of using temperature control. Replay mode only works as long as there’s temperature control compatible wire in your build. This means that while kanthal won’t work with replay, a kanthal/SS316L combo wire will.
All you have to do is go into Replay mode and select your desired wattage. Then, vape until it gets to a temperature that you like. From here, select save puff. Now the screen will say “Playing” and it will keep your vape at the same temperature that you saved. This takes away having to select the correct material or figuring out what temperature you want to vape at. It’s a simplified and easier to use TC mode that works exceptionally well.
Kanthal, SS430, SS316, Titanium, and Nickel 200: These are your temperature control modes. Select the correct mode for your wire and set your desired wattage and temperature. The chipset will take care of the rest.
Lost Vape Centaurus DNA250C Settings
In addition to the modes, the settings menu is rather detailed. Here you’ll find Atomizer, Puff Info, Diagnostics, and System.
Atomizer: This provides info on your coil, like the resistance. You can re-measure the resistance here if you believe that it’s displaying incorrectly. You can also change the wattage and temperature as well as adjust the preheat level and turn it on or off.
Puff Info: This is a log of all of your puffs that you’ve taken. It shows information for each of your puffs with a chart of the wattage, temperature and battery consumption of each puff. Very neat stuff.
Diagnostics: Here you’ll find everything about your build and batteries, even the temperature of the board.
System: In the system menu you can change the brightness of the screen, set the time and date, and change the temperature units from Celsius to Fahrenheit.
Power Bank Functionality
An interesting feature of the Centaurus DNA250C is its power bank functionality. Using the included On-The-Go adaptor you can charge your cellphone or any other device that uses USB. Just plug the adaptor into the Centaurus DNA250C, then plug your charging cable into the other end. This obviously drains the batteries very quickly so I wouldn’t use it unless you’re absolutely in a pinch but it’s a neat feature to say the least.
Performance
I’ve been using the Centaurus for a few weeks now and in that time I’ve used it with a bunch of different tanks. RDAs, RTAs and Sub-Ohm tanks have all had their turn atop this baby. You’re probably wondering how they all performed. To that, I say: they’ve never been better.
All of my tanks looked excellent sitting on top of the Centaurus DNA250C, certainly a selling point of this mod. But the real selling point, of course, is how well they performed.
Wattage mode worked flawlessly. I didn’t test if the mod was actually outputting the wattage that it displayed. But from pure feeling alone, it felt like it was outputting correctly. Wattage boost gives noticeably quicker ramp up times so I liked using it for my kanthal coils. Setting the boost to 5 gave me the best results.
If you’ve ever used any other DNA250C mods then you’ll already know the following, but temperature control vaping with the Centaurus is unlike any other non-DNA chip mod. It reaches temperature quickly and accurately and it throttles correctly at the right time. The throttling isn’t too aggressive and works just right.
One of my best experiences with this mod was when paired with the OFRF Nexmesh tank using the SS316L coils. With the wattage set to 80W and temperature at 450°F it’s a heavenly vape. Just the right level of warmth and it’s flavor heaven. The draw is consistent every time with the same warmth and draw. Not once did it burn.
Just as good as the temperature control mode is the replay mode. No matter what coil I used, it worked flawlessly. Whether combo wire or straight SS, the replay mode accurately and consistently replayed my saved puffs. If you want to get into TC vaping but you’re on the fence, using Replay will allow you to see what all the hype is about and ease yourself into using TC.
Verdict
If you haven’t guessed already, my verdict for the Centaurus DNA250C is an overwhelmingly positive one. It’s certainly one of the best looking mods out there and the build quality is exceptional. It’s going to cost you more than your average mod but the high-end design, finishes and panels are worth the cost. In a way, Lost Vape’s DNA mods are the luxury goods of the vape world.
In addition to the attractive design and solid build quality, the DNA250C chip is an amazing performer. No matter what mode you use, you’re getting the absolute best performance available from a vape mod. This is especially true for the temperature control and replay modes. Plus, the ability to change the theme along with the level of customization available just blows every other non-DNA mod out of the water.
The only negative point I have about the Centaurus DNA250C is that the 510 plate doesn’t sit flush. But when you consider how much good this mod has going on, this is a relatively minor con in comparison.
If you don’t have a Paranormal and you’re willing to shell out the extra dollars, the Centaurus DNA250C is an excellent choice for a dual battery mod.
