The Nexus iStim is my first experience with a TENS unit outside of my chiropractor's office. I've been interested in e-stim for a long time and never really got around to experimenting with it since most of the units that received good reviews were expensive, and the ones that were affordable had lousy or mixed reviews(see, i read them too, not just write 'em!), needless to say when I got approvale to review this product(with video!) I was quite elated.

The day it arrived I ripped through the packaging, I ooohed and ahhed at the slick black travel case, I cooed at the high density foam holding everything secure, and then I sat down and read what was undoubtedly the longest scariest manual I've ever encountered for a sex toy. A Highlight of said scary instruction manal:
"Do not use above the waist"
"Do not use if pregnant."
"Do not use if you have cardiac issues or a pace-maker"

Now while this did make me have a moment of "fucking duh!" I had to remind myself there are some pretty stupid people out there. The warnings are all very valid, despite the fact it's run on a 9v battery, the amperage of a 9v is enough to fry your self if you arc it across your heart. Hospital grade defibrillators are run on the same voltage. So seriously, don't be a dumb-ass, and unless your a medical professional or chiropractor, stick to the recommended placement for the electrode pads.

So I should mention, reluctantly as I may be to do so, that it took me a full week to figure out how to get the front panel off to find the dang battery compartment. The instructions are very vague when it comes to operating this device, and for something that has as many warnings as this does you'd think the usage instructions would be more specific and detailed.

Instructions read at length...check
battery inserted(finally)...check
electrode pads placed on my leg as per instructions...check
turn unit on...check
turn dial up...check....whoa....hehehe

I didn't notice much on setting 1 but by 2-3 my muscles were visibly twitching and the sensation rather tickled. It was pleasant and disturbing in a "this is a nearly alien situation" but not at all a negative kind of way...that is until I accidentally turned the dial all the way up when I tried to turn it off. Yeah, 10 kinda hurts, mayhaps I'm becoming a wuss in my old age. 7 is the highest I can tolerate before it becomes more uncomfortable than I care for.

The electrode pads it comes with are simply fantastic. They're re-useable and not so horridly sticky they take your skin with it when you remove them. The iStim kit comes with 4 gemstick reusable electrodes. The wires to connect the electrodes to the unit are the same durability as speaker wire, care should be taken whith connection and disconnection from the electrodes and unit respectively. I store my wires carefully re-coiled and secured with the twist tie in the baggie they came in. The pads i re-stick to the plastic they came with as well.

The unit has 7 function modes:
Burst Mode (B) - single bursts of impulses
Continuous (N) - A constant impulse that can be adjusted buy using the width and Hz buttons
Modulation (M) - The length of the pulse stays constant while the intensity changes
Modulation 2 (MR) - the pulse will decrease continually and repeat
Modulated frequency/length (MRW) - Variations of both impulse frequency and length, as the strength increases, the length decreases and visa versa.
Strength Intensity (SDR) - Increases and decreases in both strength and frequency over 6 second cycles. Essentially random strength mode.
Strength Pulse (SDW) - Same as above but focusing on increasing and decreasing of the pulses instead of the intensity.

The Unit has 6 buttons:
Mode - selects which mode your setting the device to
Time - the length of the mode your running
Width (Up and Down) - To adjust the the pulse wavelength
Rate (Up and Down) - Adjusts the pulse rate.

The amplitude is set by the dials at the top of the unit. I just want to say AGAIN, yes, it's run on a 9V, but so are hospital grade defibrillators no sticking electrodes on your chest!

So despite the somewhat vague instructions which may leave those of us who are not technologically savvy wanting(like me), the kit is superb, it's worth the money as far as I'm concerned, it's around $200 cheaper than the unit I could've bought off my chiropractor, and that didn't have functions! While it does come with the attachment bits for the nexus iStim toys, you have to buy the toys themselves separately, and they aren't exactly cheap on their own.