Steam Crave is not located in China or in the USA, but in Othrys, the home of the Titans. This explains the size of their equipment. The smallest member of their team measures 5 metres. When they make an atomizer, it’s not a 9ml, it’s a chunky 41mm with a 28ml tank. So when they bring out the Hadron Lite Combo, “lite” kit to make it “light”, therefore compact… it’s quite reassuring, but everything is relative! The kit weighs 300g (with a 21700 battery), contains 5 or 7ml of e-liquid, and offers no less than 20 parts, including three different decks.
Enough to keep you busy playing for a few hours with the big boys!
A versatile little monster
The main attraction of the Hadron Lite Combo kit is its rebuildable atomizer, the Aromamizer Supreme V3. Not that there is anything wrong with the Hadron Lite box. It works very well and its connections mounted one above the other mean you get a relatively compact kit measuring 105mm. So the box does its job well, but it’s the atomizer that vapes, not the box.
That atomizer is the Aromamizer Supreme V3. Steam Crave describes it as versatile and able to deliver excellent flavours.
We are usually very cautious when it comes to claims of versatility regarding atomizers. However, we have to admit that, after pushing it as far as possible, we are impressed. It works just as well at 30W in restricted direct to lung as it does at well over 100W in direct to lung. MTL is not something it can handle, but for the rest it’s impressive and the flavours really are there. Awesome.
Technical specs
| Mod dimensions | 88x53x28mm |
| Mod weight | 230g |
| Battery size | 21700/20700/18650 |
| Charging | USB-C, external charger |
| Maximum power | 100 |
| Max. atomizer diameter | 25 |
| Modes available | Watts, Volts, Temperature control |
| Clearomizer dimensions | 25x57mm |
| Clearomizer weight | 80g |
| Clearomizer volume | 5ml |
| Range of use | 35 to 100W |
| Filling | Top fill |
What’s in the box?
- Mod
- Spare tank
- Spare parts
- USB cable
- Coils
- Drip tip
- Tool
- Goodies
- User guide
The Hadron Lite box
It is a robust box made entirely of zinc alloy with the connections one above the other.
Its connector is slightly more than halfway up the box.
The box can take a 25mm diameter atomizer, which is exactly the circumference of the Aromamizer Supreme V3.
The battery compartment is in the tallest part of the box. It is accessed via the base through a steel cap with a decent thread. It isn’t the smoothest, but that doesn’t pose a problem.
The Hadron Lite box is designed for a 21700 or 20700 battery to provide a maximum of 100W. With the adapter provided, a 18650 battery can also be used. In this case the maximum power is 80W.
In reality, expect more like 60 or 80W. Manufacturers’ claims are a bit like car speedometers!
The two adjustment buttons are also positioned on the base.
The switch is on the top of the box on the battery side. It is soft to the touch, with a clear but silent click, and it has three functions:
- Vaping
- Switching the box on or off (5 quick clicks)
- Changing mode (3 quick clicks)
The screen is positioned under the 510 connector, like the chipset. It is fairly bright, monochrome and displays all the essential info: power, voltage, resistance value, puff counter and puff duration. Personally, I like to know what the current is more than the number of puffs, but you can do without it.
The USB-C port under the screen can be used to recharge the battery.
The box offers all the classic vaping modes:
- Power and voltage variation.
- Bypass, with display of the current battery voltage.
- Temperature variation with steel, titanium and nickel wires.
Basic and efficient insofar as we are all going to use the power mode at 99%.
In a nutshell, as we said earlier, the Hadron Lite box does its job well. It is robust and massive, too much so for those who like light-weight boxes and just right if you like a brick in your hand and in your pocket!
The Aromamizer Supreme V3 atomizer
The atomizer seems relatively simple. It is a reasonable size, only 25mm in diameter and 57mm high, nothing to make us suspect anything,
and yet…we should. Steam Crave doesn’t do things like everyone else… It’s much more complicated than just a simple atomizer!
Notice, in passing, that the air inlets are on the sides, so it has lateral airflow.
The tank, 5ml in this configuration, is filled from the top after turning the top cap through a quarter turn.
Take it apart, and we have 6 parts:
- The base and the deck which, with Steam Crave, is removable and fits directly under the tank.
- The tank itself is made up of a machined steel cylinder and a straight tank.
- The top cap and the top of the tank, on the left.
- The chimney that links the tank to the top cap.
So it’s clear how it works. Look what else there is in the box and….happy days!
Firstly, there are two other decks, making three in total.
- In the middle is the one fitted when it arrives. It’s a single coil deck, with an airflow 80% from the sides and 20% from underneath.
- On the left is a double coil postless deck, much less reasonable. It leaves ample room for a very airy side airflow.
- And on the right is a deck that can be fitted with…a mesh
Of course, since Steam Crave is generous, they provide coils, mesh and cotton in the box to mount your atomizer immediately.
The top part of the single coil deck reduces the volume of the atomisation chamber. This is the deck you want to use to beef up the flavours and for reasonable direct to lung vaping.
The mesh deck comes mounted with a mesh with a resistance of 0.13ohms for energetic vaping.
We have fitted the single coil deck with a 0.5ohm fused Clapton to demonstrate that the Aromamizer Supreme V3 can also be on its best behaviour.
But that’s not all. Let’s see what else there is in the box before we start vaping.
There’s a second chimney and a second tank, domed to contain more juice. Initially we thought there was a link, a taller chimney for a taller tank?
Not at all. The second chimney on the right is simply wider to allow more air through at once.
The second tank is the same height as the straight one. It can just hold 7ml of liquid…but not with the Hadron Lite box!
Its 29mm diameter doesn’t fit on the side-by-side connector at all.
It doesn’t really matter, it’s because this atomizer is also sold separately.
The drip tip it comes with is the 810 standard of course, but it isn’t as wide as some: 15mm.
In the box it has an adapter for a 510 drip tip. You might ask, what’s the point of a 510 drip tip for such a beast? It’s a fair question, but as we will see, it is in fact a useful option given the versatility of the atomizer and its airflow.
There isn’t usually much to say on this part of an atomizer. That’s not the case here.
Above the airflow adjustment ring, there is a juice flow control ring.
That’s right, the Aromamizer functions like a GTA. Its deck is floating and the liquid feeds it from below. This means that the base contains liquid and when the tank seems to be empty, there is still a good millilitre in the base. This juice flow control ring is useful to avoid flooding the deck when you aren’t using it, or depending on the power you use to vape.
The airflow adjustment ring offers a draw range that is both very wide and very accurate. There are 12 holes. When they are all open, like in the photo, the airflow is like breathing through a snorkel… very airy.
When you turn the ring, a second zone allows you to open only all or part of the middle and bottom holes. A third zone allows you to select only the middle ones. It’s a smart choice to get the best airflow for the coil.
It means that you can open just one hole if you want, for MTL vaping. Now you can see why a 510 drip tip might be a good thing!
How does it vape?
Well, that’s the thing. It vapes like 14 different atomizers!
We’ll make it simple, otherwise this review will be the longest ever written.
With the double coil deck on the left. First, you absolutely have to combine it with the wide chimney and accept that it’s made for strong vaping. 0.15 to 0.25ohm suits it perfectly and it will generate dense vapour that could easily exceed the box’s 80W. The flavours are very honest for a powerful dual coil, provided that you go for suitable liquids. Delicate fruit isn’t right for it; you’d be better off with a nice creamy custard.
With the single coil deck and the narrow chimney, the draw ranges from mouth to lung to direct to lung. In practice, tight mouth to lung is not very satisfactory. There are limits. However, with three holes open, you get a great direct vape with strong flavours. This time you can vape delicate fruits.
If you open the airflow and increase the power, the vapour becomes dense and the flavours remain very good.
The mesh deck delivers what you expect it to. Fit the wide chimney and increase the power to the max, it’s made to kick ass! Dense, smooth vapour, featuring sweet notes, so if you have a sweet tooth you’ll love it.
Finally, it has to be said that this atomizer leaks a bit. That means that it sometimes seeps. It’s inevitable with a side airflow. However, in comparison to other atomizers, it is more reliable. Just make sure that you close the juice flow before filling your tank.
The Aromamizer Supreme V3 really is versatile, even more so because with three decks you can assemble them all and swap them round when you feel like it. We’re talking at home of course…don’t go out with your three decks so you can change them during the evening, you’ll look like a bit of a geek.
Unless maybe we just need to accept that this kit is made by and for geeks?
In summary
What we like
- Great versatility
- Three different decks
- Convincing flavours
- Relatively compact for a monster
- A delight for vape geeks
What we don’t like
- The 7ml tank doesn’t fit the box
- The box could be more powerful
- A bit too geeky for non-geeks
