Why Km Is Better Than Mya

[Joel]

I have a Mya Chic and am debating a KM (I wouldn't be purchasing anytime soon as I don't have money, but just looking into it). The deciding factor from me is quantity of smoke. I have heard arguments that they would produce the same and some saying the KM would be better. What has your guys' personal experience shown?

[mushrat]

no one is better..they are different types of hookah.
As for best smoke...folks, I own 12 hookahs and i run a hookah bar so here is my personal opinion.

A hookah is a very basic machine, if you have something with water in it with a pipe doing down to it from a bowl and a way to suck the smoke out, its a hookah. If the thing is air tight and you do your part right, there isnt going to be a hell of a lot of difference. The exception being the Pumkin which is the single worst hookah i have ever seen mass produced.

Each hookah is going to have its own smoking characteristics due to inner stem with and size of the whole stem, but they shoudl all smoke about the same really.

My .02. Bring on the debate, I know this one is going to be fun to watch.

[jelatin]

I'll hop on the mushrat bandwagon.


I've smoked out of ridiculous $400+ hookahs and shitty hookahs made with clear piping and 2 liter bottles, and they honestly smoke about the same. I really think you just have a better experience with a hookah you like more, which obviously varies from person to person. The physics are generally identical.

[Chreees]

Myas are really good hookahs. Here have been the hookahs I've owned, in order, one at a time:

Crappy Inhale
Mya QT
AF Small Solid
KM OG Trimetal
Mya QT
Currently a KM Pear

But KMs are better, and here's why. They have wider diameter downstems and ports, allowing for more smoke. Myas would smoke just like them if they made them bigger diameters. Myas are the best mass-produced factory made hookahs you can get, and KMs are probably the best handmade hookahs you can buy. KM offers more smoking potential. This is all just my opinion...

EDIT: You can obviously see that I do like Myas. I just feel that KMs have more to offer. They offer a smoking experience you just can't get with a Mya.

[twoapplesplease]

KM's and mya's are both great and will give you the same amount of smoke IMO....

[Allstar]

I agree, I have a Mya Razo and KM trimetal Americana. Really the three things that will help your smoke is; pack, heat, and hose. Get a nice hose and it improves greatly.

[Joel]

Hmmm, I just guess I have to try a KM for myself to see if the wider stem is worth it.

[Chreees]

I would like to add that when I had my Mya QT with the Nammor and small Tangiers phunnel I could only ever get 2/3 the size of clouds compared to my KM... The wider diameter really plays a role in this...

[twoapplesplease]

I could see that a mya QT will only give you 2/3 the smoke of a KM,but it is only bout a 3rd the size of the KM...A larger sized MYA will perform much better then the QT....I have a QT and a MYA 22" bohimian Globe which is basically a smaller collosus stem(they don't offer this one anymore) and my 22" mya globe prouduces just as nice a smoke as my KM 32" copper heart(phoronie)....The QT performs almost as well but like you said bout 2/3 the amount.

[hookahlou]

I guess I am going against the grain here, but I do think KM allows for slightly more potential than, say, a small mya. Using a larger bowl like a large phunnel doesn't seem to work well with a small MYA but you can obviously load a KM w/ that. Being that there is more tobacco and more heat, you get more smoke. This has been my limited experience, anyway.

[PSU Smoker]

Im gonna have to go with Incubusratm on this one and say KM due to the larger ports. I feel like I can pull more smoke a lot easier than from a MYA, or any other generic hookah for that matter

[delSol_si]

i have both a KM and 2 small myas. KMs are better in my opinion. Mya hose ports suck, i struggle with those damn things every time i try to use one. It will work, but the KM hose ports are so much easier. Also, i have noticed it is damn near impossible to clear the vase on either of my Myas. I'll blow all the smoke out and the vase will still have smoke it in.

I will say that in an ability to smoke, i think more lies on the bowl, shisha, and the hose than the hookah though. If your bowl and shisha are identical, i think the hose plays a more important role in how it smokes than the hookah does.

[Venger]

I think the difference is going to be in your need as well. I am with mush in that a hookah is just a machine. A QT fits my lifestyle because I smoke at my dining room table. Its small and sit on the table nicely. I also camp a lot and it is very portable. my .02
Ray

[ghosth00k]

From my experience i like Myas better. I have a Mya Cosmos acrylic. Ive smoked KMs at lounges and at some friends house and it seems they dont get as much smoke. Or maybe there just not packing right...which could be possible.

Thats just what i think though.

[Joel]

Mya- 1
KM- 4 Edited March 8, 2010 by Joel

[bigtoepfer]

I have used many MYA QTs and some larger MYAs. It was all we used at the lounge I worked at. I personally have a Mini MYA Acrylic that i got from H-S for free. And I can honestly say I love smoking out of that thing more than any of the other hookahs i've owned. My friend has a one of the KMs with the black heart and my mini way out performs it. And thats with my Nammor hose on either one. And a MYA bowl on either one. So the only difference being the hookah. And I usually prepare the bowl anyway so its being packed by the same person. just my .02

[Whats a KM?]

I own both myas and kms, and in my personal experience the smoke volume is pretty much the same. the only difference for me, all be it a small difference, is my KM's have a slightly easier draw then my acrylic, qt, and bambino and a better purge. as for durability the mya is matched by none in my experience.

I think Venger had it right when he said it comes down to your own personal needs. just how i see it.

[Codename067]

[color="#5D5D5D"][font="tahoma, arial, verdana, sans-serif"][size="2"]
[b][color="#5D5D5D"][size="2"]Incubsusratm and Del_Sol laid it down well. KM/Egyptian > Mya for me any day. [/size][/color][/b]
[/size][/font][/color]
[color="#5D5D5D"][font="tahoma, arial, verdana, sans-serif"][size="2"][b] [/b][/size][/font][/color]
[color="#5D5D5D"][font="tahoma, arial, verdana, sans-serif"][size="2"][b][color="#5D5D5D"][size="2"]Even no-name Egyptians have better qualities in them when compared to Mya [Better purge, wider down stem, usually come with thicker gauge hoses..ect]. [/size][/color][/b][/size][/font][/color]
[color="#5D5D5D"][font="tahoma, arial, verdana, sans-serif"][size="2"][b][color="#5D5D5D"] [/color][/b][/size][/font][/color]
[color="#5D5D5D"][font="tahoma, arial, verdana, sans-serif"][size="2"][b][color="#5D5D5D"][size="2"]Bottom line: Tube Bell > Common chamber. [/size][/color][/b][/size][/font][/color]

[antouwan]

what codename is spot-on. the 'standard' tube-style bell trumps the shitty common chamber shit that mya does ANY DAY. i love to purge, so this is a big thing for me. If you're getting stuck into the popular false-dichotomy, then i would say go with a KM over the MYA. If you want to get a FANTASTIC pipe, one that may (i believe) be built better (more solid materials, superior, more sturdy building process aka threaded AND welded parts on the stem instead of potentially shoddy spot-welds) go for a copper-tubed Temsaah (not the stainless steel stuff). I have a shakil and it is AMAZING, and SIGNIFICANTLY heavier than my OG trimetal (IMO it smokes better, too).

paraenesis: Temsaah ≥ KM > MYA

[ih303]

You're asking the age-old question that gets asked probably more than anything else when it comes to people buying hookahs - Egyptian or Modern? Here's my $0.02.

Comparing KM to Mya is like comparing apples to oranges. It's not so simple as saying one is better than the other. I believe they both have their respective strengths and weaknesses.

[list=1][*][b]Construction Quality - [/b]Egyptian hookahs (such as KM's) are generally handmade. This means they have that cool, hand-made look with visible welds and all but a higher probability for imperfections like tarnished metal, loose components, crooked joints, leaks, dents, jagged edges, poor fittings, etc. Modern hookahs (Mya's to be exact) are machine made. This means you're guaranteed quality. Most are made with brass and/or nickel plated with no visible welds. They will always fit, always be solid, and rarely come with any imperfection. [b][color="#ff0000"]WINNER - MYA
[/color][/b][*][color="#000000"][b]Purge - [/b]I disagree that it's the shape of the base that attributes to KM's amazing purge. If you look at the bottom of the shank on most egyptians, you'll see it's capped off with the stem coming out of the middle and two holes connected to the hose/purge adaptors. I think it's this feature that allows for optimal airflow attributing to the great purge. With Mya's the hose and purge both open up into a chamber IN the shank itself. They're generally opposite of each other so, I'd bet when you purge a Mya, the air you blow in is going straight out the purge rather than pushing any smoke out. [/color][color="#ff0000"][b]WINNER - KM
[/b][/color][*][b]"Plumbing ID" - [/b]This may be true when looking at Mya's smaller models like the QT or Bambino, but with their larger hookahs the ID may even be slightly larger than the common Egyptian. Also keep in mind, while new KM's have a larger ID, many other Egyptians and older KM's do not.

A lot of people get caught up on diameters, but here's the thing to remember - you're only going to get as much air flow as you're smallest diameter will allow. Here's a perfect example. At my lounge we have KM's with the larger diameter "plumbing", phunnel bowls, and premium hoses. When people throw a male hose tip on that hose, they might as well be smoking out of a stock QT. You see, all the great airflow gained from the phunnel/hookah/hose is completely negated by that tiny diameter hose tip. That's why I never use them.

It's the same with Egyptian shanks. Look at the base of the shank where the hose port opens into the chamber - that's usually the most restrictive point on the hookah. That's what will determine how much air flow you'll ultimately end up with. With the Mya's, the bottleneck will always be the skinny end of the hose port. [b][color="#ff0000"]WINNER - TIE
[/color][/b][*][b]Features/Accessories - [/b]Don't knock this because it means a lot to a lot of people. With most Egyptians, you'll generally get some grommets, a hose, a bowl, and maybe a brush and/or tongs. Mya claims the metal they use on their stems does not need to be cleaned so they don't include any brushes. But you will get the grommets, hose, bowl, and tongs. Another HUGE selling point to the Myas is the fact that most of them disassemble and come with nice travel/storage cases. Egyptians don't break down at all, so if you want to carry it around, you're looking at buying a padded hookah bag.

Another cool thing about Mya's is their diversity. Since most are disassemblable, you can swap components from downstems to hose ports. Also, some of the higher end ones come with shanks that can accomodate 1-4 hoses, and you're able to choose between traditional and auti-seal ports. Also, one feature I LOVE, is the shanks and bases that are threaded enabling you to screw the shank on rather than just press it on. It feels like it's much more stable and has a better seal. [b][color="#ff0000"]WINNER - MYA[/color][/b][/list]
Ultimately it comes down to what features are most important to you. Once you decide on that, it's all about looks.

Sorry for the novel. We get this question all the time so I have a lot of thoughts on the subject.

[ih303]

I forgot to include my personal take.

I personally have a Mya QT and several Egyptian hookahs and love them all. I will say I smoke the my Egyptians 99.9% of the time. The only time I smoke my Mya is when I need to have a hookah to take somewhere. I think Mya makes fantastic hookahs. But it's the bad purge, smallish trays, and price that generally keep me smoking Egyptian. While I think Mya's are definately worth the money, I personally don't need all the bells and whistles.

[Arcane]

like ih303 stated at the end of his post, it really depends on where your opinion falls.

he stated that Mya won on construction quality. now, while agree Mya's a solid and near perfect hookahs (fit-wise), there's something about being able to take a hookah apart or one that screws together that doesn't make me feel comfortable. it's easier to fix a small like than to re-thread or port/adapter. and everyone of my KM's are well made. My QT is having ghosting issues, as well as some calcium buildup issues...imo, Winner = KM.

i'm not going into semantics on purge, but i agree that KM wins.

Plumbing ID: ih303 referenced "other egyptians", but that argument shouldn't be considered since it's a KM vs. Mya thread. as for the older KMs, the some of them may not have a wide gauge compared to the newer models, however...i haven't run across a KM that has a smaller gauge than a Mya either.

the hose tip has nothing to do with the hookah itself, so i'm gonna skip that part. however, i'd like to make mention that restriction is something to consider. while some people may argue that a Mya can smoke as well as a KM, their pull is nowhere close to being as loose. that's something i consider because i tend to pack my egyptian bowls tight. now, if you put that bowl on a KM, you'll get somewhat restricted pull, however if you place that bowl on a Mya...the pull becomes even more restricted. the wide open pull of a KM seems to offset, or at least compensate, for the restriction caused by the bowl. the Mya seems to compound the restriction. Winner = KM

Accessories: imo, this doesn't matter unless you're referring to bowls or hoses. neither of which have to do with a certain brand of hookah. soooo, if you want to "pimp" your hookah - Winner = Mya. If not, Winner = KM.

for myself, KM sweeps Mya in the categories mentioned. also, ih303...i'm not trying to belittle you or negate your arguments. it's just you have the only thread with actual points to debate (as opposed to argue). hope you don't mind

[ih303]

Not at all, Arcane. [img]http://www.hookahforum.com/public/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif[/img]

[b]RE: ID of KM's vs Myas
[/b]I don't know what it is, but I've been seeing some Myas lately that have super solid downstems with massive ID's. Of course, these are the higher-end models we carry, not the QT's, Bambino's, etc. But it drives me nuts that they still have those same cone-shaped ports with the tiny opening. It completely negates any size increase in the stem. I think that's why most Mya's smoke the same - they all use the same hose ports.

Like I mentioned in my second post, the majority of the time, I smoke my Egyptians. I just like the way they smoke better. And YES, I do think they have a looser pull. But, as sad as it may be, I've realized not all people look for the same things that I do when buying hookahs (It's silly how many people buy Mya's because of the carrying case). Because of that, I try to objectively compare the two and hit on all selling points regardless of how much they mean to me personally. [img]http://www.hookahforum.com/public/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif[/img]

[Stuie]

[color="#000000"][b]Mya Saray Obelisk
Mini Mya Saray
Mya Saray QT
Mya Saray Nou Nou
Mya Saray Bambino
Mya Saray Gelato Grande
Mya Saray Vortex
Mya Saray Mozza
Mya Saray Bohemian (Custom)
Khalil Mamoon Signature Ice
Khalil Mamoon Basha Tri-Metal
All Stainless Egyptian
Khalil Mamoon OG Trimetal
Khalil Mamoon Dark Trimetal
Hookah-Shisha.com Pharaoh 3-Hose
Syrian Brass Hand Held Hookah
[/b][/color][color="#000000"]
There's the stable which one do I smoke the most... which everyone I think of. Personally I like them all for their own reasons, looks, style, smoke.... except purge... who's wasting all that smoke? Some smoke better than others granted but I pull out a KM or Mya most days and usually my QT or Gelato... and honestly of all my KMs I can't tell a difference between them while smoking.[/color][b]
[/b]

[ezxen]

I own a Mya artoo and a KM ice . Both smoke wonderfully . I can get the same amount of smoke from the Artoo as the KM I get a better deep inhale from the KM tho . thats the only difference i can see. Kms get a better draw in my onion .