Supplied by Yihi for review
https://www.yihisxmini.com/productview/247.html
RRP £159.99
Every now and then we get something rather special to review, and the SXmini G class V2 is certainly special. I’ve had a lot of fun exploring the wealth of functions on this mod, not only that but it looks and feels pretty high end too.
Now I am going to try my best not to get carried away with over-writing on this review, there’s just so much to cover as the Yihi chipset has a hell of a lot of functions and customisation options, this feels like a vaping computer (in a good way) but I will try to cover the standout features along the way.
- Chipset: SX750
- Battery: 2 x 18650
- Size: 94 * 47.7 * 34.3mm
- 510 Diameter: 30mm
- Coil Resistance: 0.05-3.0 ohm
- Temp Range: 100℃-300 ℃ / 212℉-572℉
- Material: Zinc alloy, Aluminium & ABS battery Panels
- Weight: 150g
- Charging rate: 5V/2A
- Power Range: 10-200W
- Output Voltage: 0.7-6V
- Standby Current:<20μA
- Temp Ω Read precision: 0.0001Ω
SXmini G Class Version 2 Features:
- Wi-Fi - OTA Upgrades, Wallpaper and themes, language packs, and more
- Waterproof Chipset - So much more durable with that much-appreciated coating
- 4th Generation Temp Control - with Ohm read accuracy of 0.0001
- Two temp modulation to choose from, and easy, much easier to set up
- Smart Boost - the world's most intelligent preheat system. To put it in short: Preheat only when the coil needs it. period
- 7 Curves pre-sets, and very user-friendly adjusting DIY curves
- Daily puff counter that auto resets according to your schedule
- Quiescent Current - <20uA
- 2 CPU - UI Dedicated + Vaping dedicated CPU
- Battery Overload Notification - based on your CDR!
- Adjustable cut-off time
I’ve shamelessly copied and pasted the above from YiHi’s product page, there’s a lot to digest already. A few things stand out, and if you haven’t already sussed it; the SXmini G Class is a mod designed for DIY user with an RTA/RDA to get the most from it, stock coil tanks won’t benefit from a lot of the features such as the temp control and preheats.
Unboxing
Yihi have kept their packaging similar to previous releases with the classy white flip-open box with an outer sleeve displaying the product and contents.
There’s not a whole lot of boasts or functions splattered on the packaging and, without sounding snobby, most buyers kind of know what to expect before buying one online, similar to other high end products where the name says it all.
It’s not a kit so don’t expect too much in the package, there’s the mod, a charging cable, and a little envelope with info cards and a QR code for the manual.
The mod comes wrapped in cling wrapped plastic for protection but I removed it for the photos and shoved a couple of 18650s in for the clock to display.
The online manual is a PDF and is superb with a lot of useful images, Yihi have really optimised the manual to be smartphone friendly with nice large fonts and page sizes to match most phones screen ratios, here’s a link to the manual:
https://www.yihisxmini.com/upfile/file/20220222/SXmini-G2Manual-English-v1.97.pdf
Before I crack on with the mod’s overview, there’s one little thing included in the envelope, a clear vinyl sticker that’s cut to match the base as a protector. I’m pretty precious when it comes to keeping my kit pristine so this was a welcome nice touch.
Overview
Cripes! Where to start?! Let’s just cover the looks and construction for now. From the moment you first hold the SXmini G Class, it feels ‘serious’ for want of a better word, as in it feels no nonsense and a little hefty even without batteries. I wouldn’t class it as heavy but it's not light either. The oval shape is surprisingly comfortable as it just gels into your grip and favours thumb firing, you can index finger fire it but it feels less natural.
There are two large features that stand out straight away, firstly; the 1.3” TFT IPS display screen, it’s not huge but is much larger than the narrow Yihi version I have used and is also larger than a DNA screen. It is also inset a couple of mms to avoid scratching it. The other thing is the 30mm diameter 510 plate which will take some pretty large tanks without overhang.
As you can see in the photos, it looks pretty stylish all round. The two battery doors have a subtle bird pattern (I’m assuming it’s a phoenix) embossed which adds to the tactile feel to the grip. Another feature I didn’t notice at first was that the rear logo lights up, I know I said it was a ‘no nonsense’ design earlier and this might sound an unnecessary gimmick, but I think it adds something to it, a bit like the MacBook or iMac’s but not as bright. Even at full brightness it doesn’t glare out, but you can tone it right down or turn it completely off in the menu.
The two battery panels are attached with strong magnets with a really precise fit, there’s not a single bit of wobble or rattle. The included panels are alloy metal but you can also get plastic ones if you prefer to keep the weight down, and YiHi sent a set along with the review version, but I’m not sure if they will be included in an optional version?
Fitting the 18650 batteries is simple enough though the orientation markings are black on black. The spring loaded contacts are high quality and don’t put too much pressure on the contacts but still hold them securely, to remove them you have two ribbons which are nothing new, but a little touch I liked is they are doubled over and feel a bit better to grab hold of and pull.
Weight wise, some of you may have noticed the advertised weight is 150g but that’s for the plastic door version. With the metal panels, it comes in at 181g and bumps up to 272g with 2 x 18650 cells. By the time you’ve added a large tank, it starts to feel hefty but I personally like that, it just all feels right.
If that weight does concern you, then the plastic panels may suit you better, they will shave that 31g off to give you 150g.
The plastic panels feel a bit cheap when loose but less so once fitted to the mod, I was quite surprised how good they looked and felt and there is not as much difference as you would have thought compared to the metal ones. Personally I much prefer the metal panels and I don’t mind that 31g extra weight.
(Metal panels on the Left, Plastic on the Right)
Before I move onto the chipset and controls, the only other things to mention are the fire button and joystick; the large metal hexagonal fire button is something I like a lot, it feels tactile and firm. As with everything else on this mod, the fit is perfect with zero rattle. The joystick is one of YiHi’s signature control methods which may feel odd to those that are used to navigation buttons. The joystick is quite small and the movement travel is very short which takes a little getting used to as it is very responsive, but when you do get used to using it, then I think you will enjoy this unusual control method.
As you can see from the above photo; the 510 base is quite large and can comfortably take up to 30mm tanks which isn’t that common on a lot of dual 18650 mods.
Controls
I know I aimed to keep the review as brief as possible but this is where the SXmini G Class gets more expansive, as high end as the mod is; it’s the chipset that makes it something special. Right out of the box, there’s a lot of customisation features and options, and for even more options, you can connect it via Wi-Fi to enable features such as wallpapers and themes as well as firmware settings.
DNA Evidence
For those that are interested in comparing the Yihi SX:750 chipset to the DNAc board, without needing to hook it up to a PC/Mac I can already tell you that the SX750 is so much better, mainly for the reason that you can do so much more in the mod including TCR settings, coil ohms lock, and boosts. The navigation is easier and mostly intuitive (once you get used to the different navigation method), the TC controls are a bit more beginner friendly, and the preheats make sense. I love my DNA mods but I don’t think they have attempted to update as much as Yihi clearly have.
Where the DNA wins is the TC settings for wires as you can add your own, I have not found a way to do it on the SX750 chipset or via the connected app, the DNA chipset is also better for screen and menu customisation via the Evolv software (you can add your own wallpapers on the SX750 but that’s about it).
I had aimed to go through the controls individually BUT to do so would bloat this review into an epic tutorial and I doubt I could do as good a job as the PDF, so instead I will just comment on the standout bits, but take a look at the PDF as you will get a really good overview of all the features the YiHi chipset has to offer.
Perhaps the downside for some folks will be the over-awing amount of settings and menus to navigate your way through, it’s true there is an awful lot to familiarise yourself with but the almost unlimited tweaks to your vape makes it a true DIY vapers dream. I have had to prevent myself playing with the options too much otherwise I would never get the review finished.
Despite this, YiHi still have a good amount of ‘common sense’ controls that you can dial in easily while you are learning the rest, if you are a wattage only vaper then you will find it very easy to setup and go. The preheat pre-sets are likely to be the first thing you will come across and tweak, they make total sense and you risk little by playing around with them. As mentioned earlier, most of the settings really need a DIY build in an RTA/RDA to make the most of them, if you are just using a stock mesh coil then preheats are fairly pointless as the vape is pretty instant.
I just found myself waffling again and had to edit my next ‘essay’ down, so here’s a few bits that caught my eye:
- Preheat Curves: The on-screen icon visually referenced of each effect, there are quite a few pre-sets and you can make your own if you prefer.
- Home screen shortcuts: You can quickly navigate a few of the main functions with the joystick such as; Mode, Preheats, Memory, Wattage, Main Menu and you can also change the font colour (joystick Right) and the wallpaper depending on which theme you have active.
- Stats: There’s some pretty useful and interesting stuff in this screen such as your battery health, Wi-Fi and more.
- Puff Counter: Usually something I don’t usually care about which is a Puff Counter but this has Lifetime Puffs, Manual Puffs (where you can reset to keep your own tally) & Today’s Puffs.
- Tweaks: This has some very useful settings such as; Auto Wattage Suggest, Night Mode settings where you can adjust the brightness after a certain time, screen brightness and timeout and more.
More on the Preheats/ Power Curves; they are far more useful than on many other devices, in particular the ‘CWM’ ones that reduce the wattage during the puff which is ideal for chain vaping and stock mesh coils, here’s the settings:
POWER / TEMP CURVES PRESETS:
* CWM - Consistent Wattage Modulation
- Hard Starts at ~125% gradually to 100%
- Neutral Constant on 100%
- Soft Starts at ~75% gradually to 100%
- *CWM-3s Start at 100% to reach ~50% in 3 seconds
- *CWM-5s Start at 100% to reach ~50% in 5 seconds
- *CWM-7s Start at 100% to reach ~50% in 7 seconds
- *CWM-10s Start at 100% to reach ~50% in 10 seconds
But I really recommend you take a quick look at the PDF as it has so much more to offer:
https://www.yihisxmini.com/upfile/file/20220222/SXmini-G2Manual-English-v1.97.pdf
Wi-Fi
Connecting the mod to Wi-Fi is straight forward enough, but I’m not all that sure it was worth the effort. There’s not a whole lot to do and I was expecting a bit more, you can rename your memory profiles, add themes (only a handful of different ones at the time of writing), and update the firmware, but not much else it seems.
Tanks A Bunch
So with all the choices, you’re left with what tank to pop on top, and with the large 510 base it gives you plenty of options.
As previously mentioned, you really need an RTA or RDA to get the best out of the SX Mini G Class V2, especially dual coil round wire tanks, I used the OXVA Arbiter 2 which is quite large but even that looked small on the mod. You can comfortably go up to a 30mm tank, but I found anything less than 26mm started to look a little lost on it, especially a 24mm RDA I used for test TC mode.
I also tested out the new VooPoo MATT stock coil tank and despite my earlier reservations about stock coil tanks being wasted on it; using the CWM power curves actually helped with chain vaping, but I will be sticking with the Arbiter 2.
Performance
Whatever I threw on the SX Mini G Class V2, it was a pleasure to use, but it comes alive when you use a TC (Temperature Control) build in an RTA. I did hit a slight snag with the profiles though, I could not find SS316L. It did have normal SS316 so I used that and manually set the TCR to suit and it worked a charm.
Setting up and using the memory pre-sets came in very handy, especially as I was swapping between tanks and RDAs, and that’s when I found having different TC setups and preheat/boosts for stock coil tanks quite useful.
The large and clear screen was also a joy to use, I settled on the speedometer style screen as it just seemed easier to read and looked the better option to me, I also found the gimmicky clock when on standby to be quite useful and somehow it gave me an excuse to admire the mod between vapes.
The SX750 chipset had a bit of a different twist to TC (Temperature Control) than I’m used to, it kind of takes some of the fine tuning away to make it a bit more user friendly and less guesswork as it reads and locks the ohms and sets the voltage and wattage for you, the preheats/boosts give you the warmth and power options, I’m quite experienced with TC so I found it a little too much hand holding, but I had to step back and adjust my habits and if I’m honest, I wish I had started TC vaping with something like this as it makes a lot of sense.
I’m fast approaching 3,000 words so I’m reigning myself in here (it would be so much easier to show off the SX Mini G Class V2 on video) but there’s a certain ‘it factor’ that this mod has, it oozes class (pun intended) and is one of those mods that just looks and feels special, the chipset is unique and takes a bit of getting used to, but once you’re familiar with it then it becomes quite intuitive and natural.
Oh! I almost forgot to mention the Smart Boost! Here’s how YiHi put it:
Smart Boost - the world's most intelligent preheat system. to put it in short: Preheat only when the coil needs it. Period.
And I couldn’t have put it better myself, I played around with this option turned on and used it with a few different tanks, you can notice it reduce the power when chain vaping to avoid dry hits and it worked a charm especially on an RTA dual coil tank.
Conclusion
The SX Mini G-Class V2 is indeed ‘class’ in pretty much every way, the styling and build quality looks and feels high end, and the chipset is in a league of its own and is very expansive which makes it ideal for experienced vapers with RTAs. That said; it also can be quite beginner friendly if they don’t mind a bit of learning, and there are plenty of on-screen hints and info to help along the way.
I had a lot of fun experimenting with the wealth of options the mod offers and I enjoyed throwing a variety of tanks/setups onto it, and I found it easy to quickly change the settings to suit, but I feel that I have barely scratched the surface in what the SX Mini G-Class V2 can do, this feels like a vape enthusiasts mod.
I’m done comparing YiHi to DNA as they are chalk and cheese these days, both offer something different and I love both of them in different ways, but the YiHi is easier ‘out of the box’ as you don’t need to hook it up to a PC/Mac.
Pros
- High end build quality
- Classy design
- SX750 chipset is brimming with options
- As complex or as simple as ‘you’ choose
- Joystick control
- Large and clear screen
- Backlit logo adds to the looks
- Preheats and Boosts are very effective and useful for any setup
- Large 510 base for up to 30mm tanks
- Smartphone Wi-Fi connectivity (no need for a PC/Mac)
- Room temperature ohms measuring and locking is superb
Cons
Okay… I’m honestly surprised I can’t find any actual cons, there are a couple of subjective ones at a push; some users may find it too complex or alien, but this is also a pro by design. At the moment I am excluding the no SS316L option as I feel it could be that I have missed something, and once the TCR was set it wasn’t an issue.
Final Thoughts
Every now and then we get to review something special and the SX Mini G-Class V2 is just that, as I’m finishing off the review it is just sinking in that the mod has made a lot of my other mods redundant, there’s no novelty factor to it and I cannot see it becoming outdated so it’s a keeper and will get a lot of cherished use.
Also, bear in mind that this review is barely scratching the surface and the SX750 chipset has the potential for much more to come.
Score: 9.5/10 – YiHi - Woo-hoo
Si Davies
Reviewer at POTVMy background is Engineering and Professional Photography. Mostly from POTV users knowledge I learned so much about pretty much all styles of vaping and equipment, Cloud Chasing, Squonking, Mouth To Lung, Direct To Lung, Pods, Mechs, Rebuild-able tanks and atomisers etc, and have experience with many many devices and atomisers, it's become a hobby and enjoy trying out the latest gear. I like to think my reviews are plain speaking and informative without getting too technical, if I have to resort to reading the manual then I don't consider it user friendly!
Join the discussion
Vaporesso GEN SE
Stephen got his grubby little mitts on the new Vaporesso Gen SE kit and this is what he thought
Kumiho Thoth S pod
Antony takes a look at the Kumiho Thoth S pod kit after being impressed with their last offering
NIXER X Jack Rabbit Longfills
We reach the end of the line with the NIXER X Jack Rabbit range, and what a way to go out.....for now!
Lost Vape E Plus RBA
Antony follow up on his Lost Vape Thelema Elite 40 kit review with his thoughts on the E Plus RBA kit