After 1 full year of dedicated practice on each, I can tell you that the question of equivalency is not the right question. Rather, we should consider them as technological complements.

Instead of considering the technologies on basis of fundamental principles, we should emphasize their practical differences. The vlogger Cewpins has said that quartz is inarguably superior, but people will get better hits on an eRig. I would drill further in saying that yes, quartz is superior, and yes, eRigs will deliver consistent dabs more easily, but an eRig can never deliver as good of a hit as quartz can, even with all else equal. They’re not just different bows; they’re aimed at different targets.

Quartz nails are invariably better radiators and insulators than the most polished ceramic atomizers Puffco et al can provide. There is no real comparison. Ceramic atomizers work on battery voltage because the working material is thin and minimal. Sure, the electronics provide precision, but nothing more accurate than manual heat and IR thermal technology could provide. The point is that an atomizer cannot be loaded with the same heat energy quartz can absorb.

It follows that the process of vaporization will differ. Atomizers rely on constant low energy to provide a temperature “floor”. Quartz nails rely on radiant decay to provide a temperature “ceiling”. The ceiling being higher (literally: hotter) than the floor, it provides a more robust vaporization environment. This bears out not only in quality of flavor, but also in volume of vapor.

In other words, an optimized eRig is a rudimentary nail. An optimized rig reaches higher.