The GS Sub 2.0 by Green Sound

Relatively unseen in the United States, the GS Sub 2.0 (also sold as the Vision TOX) is a recent entry into variable voltage mods by Green Sound High-Tech of China. It is a telescoping mod with a digital display, but that’s about where its similarities with other currently popular mods end.

One word really sums up our immediate reaction to this mod: lightweight. This is not a unit to go out and buy if you’re looking for high quality or high performance. It is mostly plastic, with a thin veneer of metal over it to make it look more presentable.  To be honest, it really doesn’t look bad. It’s available in a variety of colors, and we found the antiqued copper look to be quite striking, and it takes on a somewhat steampunk-like look when telescoped, setting it apart from a lot of other plain tube mods on the market today. However, as soon as you pick the mod up and realize how extremely light it is, it becomes apparent that there’s just not much to it.  We haven’t run into many mods that feel like we could snap them in half with our bare hands, but the GS Sub is definitely one of those.

So, what’s inside the plastic? The GS Sub 2.0 is a variable voltage unit, but not variable wattage, which is a bit of a disappointment considering current trends in hardware. It can provide a range from three to six volts, which is easily adjustable from two small, clicky buttons below the digital display, set on the opposite side of a larger, also clicky fire button.  The display is quite bright and magnified slightly by a clear plastic window, making it easy to read, even outdoors. In addition to displaying voltage while it is being set, the GS Sub also has a built-in puff counter, though it is of very limited usefulness since it, along with other settings, resets to zero when the battery is removed.

One feature that is definitely a saving grace of the GS Sub 2.0 is the way it telescopes to accept a range of batteries all the way from an 18350 to an 18650, without needing additional tubes. This makes it easily adaptable to a lot of different situations, and makes it a good candidate for a backup PV, since chances are it’ll work with batteries you already have lying around.

Our GS Sub 2.0 came in a kit containing the PV, an 18650 battery and wall charger, a chromed drip tip, and the brightest, most obnoxiously flourescent pink clearomizer/tank we’ve ever laid eyes on, labeled as a V-Core 2.0.  Apparently many other colors are available, but we got 80′s nightmare pink.  The thing is built in an octopus style, and works well enough, but… well, it’s just far too pink to take out in public.  People would talk.

So, on to the judging…

Build Quality: 5/10

While it hasn’t broken on us yet, and has actually stood up rather well to fairly heavy use, we don’t want to know how many dinosaurs had to die to make up the plastic the GS Sub 2.0 was built from. The buttons feel somewhat loose in their sockets, and the whole thing just feels far too cheap, lightweight and insubstantial. We just aren’t confident this thing is going to last long.

Looks: 7/10

We find the GS Sub 2.0, particularly in some of the finish choices, to be quite a striking, unique-looking mod.  This is lessened somewhat by the use of plastic, and metal would have made a nicer-looking choice for the buttons, display housing, and top cap. The visible seam in the metal veneer used to cover the top of the unit also detracts a bit from the overall look.

Flexibility: 8/10

The telescoping feature makes it possible to use a wide range of batteries in the unit, and makes them easy to remove and replace. The variable voltage feature is easy to use, but the absence of variable wattage will be a disappointment to people following the latest trends.

Performance: n/a

“Yup. It works!”  Seriously, we need to hammer out how to rate this.

Price: 7/10

We’ve found the GS Sub 2.0 selling for around $55-$75 retail.  Considering this is the price for the PV, a clearomizer, a battery and charger, and a drip tip, all packed into a rather impressive padded carrying case, this price seems quite reasonable, even if a price of around $75 for the mod alone would be far too high.

Overall Score: 6.75

The GS Sub 2.0 by Green Sound