ZEUS ARC GTS REVIEW

Background

Zeus Arsenal is a Canadian brand known for creating high-quality, performance portables. Their former flagship devices the Zeus Arc and the Zeus Arc GT were products of two years of intense research and development – with the GT defining what the brand calls “solid-gold vaping”. In the most literal sense, the Arc GT swaps out standard metal/aluminum parts for gold.

The Arc and Arc GT are also part of the second generation of on-demand vaporizers. Devices that are straightforward in function yet still required manual loading of the oven at each turn. With the release of the Zeus Arc GTS Hub (buy) and the Arc S Hub – Zeus Arsenal introduces its 3rd generation vaporizers alongside a full suite of accessories / aka the “The Hub” made for the devices and are designed to make cannabis consumption as seamless an experience as possible.

The devices themselves, the Arc GTS Hub and Arc S Hub- follow a similar design language to Zeus’ prior devices, yet have several improvements under the hood and are optimized for use with the ArcPods. The Arc GTS’s heatsink, airpath, and heating chamber are also still lined in gold – making it the most premium device that the brand currently has available in their line.

Compatibility: The Arc GTS Hub and Arc S Hub devices are compatible with dry herb and I tested their performance with Sour Glue CBD from InHemp and THC herb from my local dispensary.

The Hub kits & options

The Arc GTS and Arc S come with what is called the “Hub”. In the simplest of terms, both devices come with all the necessary tools for you to start vaping right out of the box – without needing anything otherwise.

The entire Arc GTS hub kit includes:

• Zeus Arc GTS
• 15 ArcPods and 45 ArcPod Lids
• Zeus Xtruder
• Carry case
• Micro-USB charging cable
• Gold Flow Sink Tool
• Instruction Manual

As the command station for all your vaping essentials – Zeus Arsenal has everything covered. The Hub case itself with its custom-molded cutouts is a high-quality travel/storage solution coupled with a few functional features such as a sink made for the extraction of already vaped herb.

Already vaped herb may be used to make either tea or edibles – all you have to do is place the cashed ArcPod through the tool embedded in the sink and the herb should come right out. Although personally, I’m not one to re-use my cashed herb – it’s definitely a useful feature for those who do.

ArcPods

The ArcPods are capsules that hold around 0.3g of herb and may be pre-filled and popped into the oven. This easy loading and unloading are what thrusts these devices as 3rd generation vaporizers.

The ArcPods minimizes loading and drastically reduce cleaning time. Allowing users to simply change the pod inside the Arc GTS or Arc S without having to go through the motions of what used to be a slightly more complex step-by-step process.

Each ArcPod is made from energy-efficient aluminum for rapid heat transfer from the chamber to the dry herb inside. The kit comes with 3 boxes of 5 pods, which you can use to store filled ArcPods with different strains of herb.

The Hub comes with 15 ArcPods and 45 ArcPod lids. The lids are made from what seems to be an organic disposable material (maybe hemp?). Once you do run out of lids, and the included ArcPods have run their course – a triple pack of pods + 45 more lids are available for sale.

Zeus Xtruder

Once you open the Hub, what might catch your eye first is the large Xtruder.  Zeus Arsenal calls it “the next evolutionary step for dry herb mills” and it works in unison with the ArcPods and automatically fills them with ground dry herb.

Constructed out of food-grade plastic, the Xtruder simplifies the grinding and loading process. In addition to the perfect grind, to ensure the most consistent experience – the Xtruder ejects each ArcPod when it reaches its optimum capacity.

To use the Xtruder;

1. Remove the bottom cover and place the ArcPod in the holder located in the center
2. Replace the bottom cover and open the top lid and fill it with the herb.
3. Replace the lid and rotate it to grind the herb and bring it down the mill.
4. Once filled, the bottom cover will pop off slightly to indicate that it’s full.
5. Repeat the process until you’ve filled your desired number of pods.

The process takes a bit more time at the start since the herb has to be ground first, but eventually, it takes roughly 10 seconds each for subsequent pods.

Pricing

The Arc GTS hub is priced at $239 while the Arc S is available for $159. The Arc S is only made for use with the ArcPods while the GTS hub may be used the conventional way – loading the gold-lined oven directly.

There’s also a Hub-only kit, priced at $55. This kit is made for owners of the previous generation of Zeus Arc vaporizers which are also compatible with the ArcPods.

Design and Features 

Body: All Zeus devices currently have a box-style design with device bodies constructed out of a hard shell anodized aluminum which contributes to the overall dense feel when the device is in your hand. It’s also a lot more scratch-resistant than the usual medical-grade plastic or sandblasted aluminum seen on other devices.

The Arc GTS has a rectangular body with flat sides and a slight center curve. The entire device is all matte black and is punctuated by the gold “GTS” lettering on the side, which adds to the overall premium look of a simply designed device.

While the Arc GTS doesn’t have a display – there are 3 horizontal LED strips that indicate the current device status and current battery level. The lights are an intuitive enough visual cue since the number of lights indicates the cycle that’s currently active. The Arc GTS also features haptic feedback, so it vibrates whenever heating is complete.

Accelerometer: The Arc GTS has a built-in accelerometer that detects when the device is in use and shuts it off after 30 seconds of inactivity to preserve battery life. You can also give the device a quick shake and it’ll display the current battery level via the LED strip.

Mouthpiece

The Arc GTS’ top lid/ mouthpiece sits flush at the top of the device and is fully removable to expose the gold heatsink. It is secured by strong magnets when placed back on the device.  On this 3rd generation of devices, the mouthpiece has been redesigned and is now made of medical-grade plastic instead of the former silicone. This plastic is also heat-resistant, which is great for those who like to crank up their devices to higher temperatures.

Though it does resist heat better than its predecessor, it is somewhat more prone to scratches, especially when used with the included pick.

The mouthpiece vapor path is removable and has also been shifted to optimize surface area – which makes it possible for the Arc GTS and Arc S to deliver vapor with a better flavor profile than their predecessors.

Battery

The Arc GTS has a 3500mAh battery which is good for about 90 minutes of use. The Arc GTS has a default power-saving mode, which means it’ll shut itself off after 10 minutes of inactivity.

Charger: This is my biggest issue with this vape. It is a Micro USB cable. Micro USB! The first thing that went through my head when I opened the box and found the charging cable was “wtf Zeus??”. A USB-C cable is faster, more stable, and much more common these days. There is just no excuse to have any other cable type than a USB-C. Especially for a flagship “high-tech” vaporizer.

Firmware Updates 

The GTS can be updated with new firmware releases, the latest firmware update allows users to select the heating cycle that best matches their vaping styles and habits. There’s also the option to change the 3 current default pre-sets on the device.

• Performance mode: is the default setting for the Zeus Arc. Its temperature settings are 205 C, 215 C°, and 225 C°.
• Flavor Mode: This one is obviously for the flavor fiends, in this setting, the default temperatures are scaled-down by 20C
• Balanced Mode: This is the best of both worlds, providing a more dramatic gap in-between temperatures. The starting temp is lower at 185C, while the middle temp is 205C, before cranking it up to the default 225C

How to use 

As mentioned earlier, the Arc GTS may be used either of two ways – with the included ArcPods or via the conventional loading process.

To use the Zeus Arc GTS

1. Remove the mouthpiece carefully to expose the gold heat sink.
2. Load the sink with dry herb. You may opt to use the recessed side of the device to scoop herb directly into the heatsink. Tamp it down with your finger and avoid packing it too tight.
3. Once loaded, replace the mouthpiece
4. If you’re using the GTS with an ArcPod, simply pop it in and close the mouthpiece.
5. Turn the device on by pressing the button located at the top of the device. The LEDs should start flashing blue to indicate power on.
6. Press the button again to select your temperature and once selected – it should begin heating up.
7. The Arc GTS will vibrate once desired temperature has been reached and the lights will be solid green.
8. Take long steady draws and enjoy!

Performance 

The Arc GTS whether used with the pods or the usual way – delivers terpene heavy, rightfully dense, and balanced vapor. If you think the gold heatsink and vapor path are simply a gimmick – think again.

The gold-lined parts of the Arc GTS allow for the rapid heating of your material, but a near-instant cooldown of the vapor. This is definitely impressive especially if you consider that the Arc GTS is a conduction vaporizer with a flat mouthpiece- two factors that more often than not, result in hot and harsh vapor.

The temperature cycles on the Arc are also an interesting shift from the usual pre-set settings we see on most devices. Basically, the cycles allow you to use the same load at different times or you can opt to have a long session in one go.

With the pods, there is only a very slight, nearly unnoticeable change in the amount of flavor in the vapor, but it’s a very small trade-off for the level of convenience that they deliver.

Bottom Line

Zeus Arsenal has always made only reliable, well-performing devices that go beyond just being the perfect daily driver. The Arc GTS is no different. On its own, it delivers excellent and uncompromising vapor quality, coupled with its very straightforward ease of use.

Alongside its Hub, the GTS becomes one of the most convenient devices on the market. This new precision in the user journey and to have everything you need from start to finish, all in one place – makes the Arc GTS Hub a total marvel.

As of the moment, I can only compare it to the Mighty+ (review) and S&B’s suite of accessories. But even then, you’ll have to purchase those individually. If you’re looking for what might be the most complete kit you’ll ever purchase – this is the one to get. If you’re still on the market, there are more devices on our list of the best dry herb vaporizers of [year]