When a vape starts to look like something out of Frankenstein’s lab I’m a little wary. That said, with the DaVinci EQ, DaVinci company has made something that is simultaneously cool, cool-looking, and immensely useful, especially if you’re focusing on vaping concentrates. Interestingly, the DaVinci EQ also now supports flower, something that makes this $499 device far more interesting to average folks.
DaVinci has spent years building its reputation around dry-herb vaporizers, with a particular emphasis on clean materials, flavor and precise temperature control. The Electric Quartz, or EQ, takes that same philosophy into a new category. It is DaVinci’s first dedicated e-rig, one built around a replaceable quartz crucible, glass vapor path, and on-device touchscreen. DaVinci gives it a wide 450°F to 650°F temperature range, customizable Smart Paths, USB-C charging and dual 3000mAh batteries rated for up to 50 sessions.
The centerpiece, though, is the quartz. Instead of hiding the concentrate inside an opaque chamber, the EQ lets you see what is happening as it melts. DaVinci pairs the quartz crucible with a glass bubbler and zirconia mouthpiece and carb cap, an unusually transparent setup both literally and figuratively. The company is clearly betting that people willing to spend this much on an e-rig care as much about what their vapor touches as they do about cloud size. Further, the EQ looks damn good.
Looks great, vapes great
That decision also defines the EQ’s strengths and weaknesses. In testing, I found the lower-temperature vapor smooth, clean and particularly good at preserving the flavor of concentrates. I’ve used a few handheld vapes before — I’ve mostly focused on flower — and this gave far more nuance than similar, smaller device. Heat-up is quick, and having a touchscreen means you can select an exact temperature without memorizing LED colors or pulling out your phone. Further, there aren’t a bunch of difficult lock sequences you have to memorize to get it to start up.
Because it heats from the bottom you’re going to have less of a burnt taste after a few puffs. Further, it’s quite gentle and pleasant. For both concentrates and flower I found the EQ to be superior to stuff I’ve tried from Storz & Bickel and even earlier DaVinci gear.
The Bottom Line
At $499, the DaVinci EQ is hardly an impulse purchase. It’s a serious piece of hardware for people who care about temperature control, flavor and the materials their vapor passes through. The addition of flower support makes the price much easier to justify, especially if you’re looking for one device that can handle both concentrates and dry herb without much fuss.
There are cheaper and more portable options, of course, and the EQ’s glass-heavy design means you probably won’t be tossing it into a backpack. But as a home vaporizer, it’s one of the most enjoyable devices I’ve tested. The touchscreen is genuinely useful, the vapor is excellent and the whole thing feels thoughtfully designed rather than needlessly complicated. It may look like something a mad scientist would keep on his desk, but the results are anything but experimental.
