[Help Thread] What is a quiet 3x3 cube?

[Dash Lambda]

The Gans Air is ultimately the quietest cube you can get. It's also extremely configurable, so you can tighten down the stalks to eliminate rattle, use heavier springs to reduce snapping, and stuff the screwed-together cubies with cotton or foam, as well as anything else I may be missing.
It's worth noting that the Air UM is actually rather loud in comparison, the magnets add quite a bit of snappiness. I haven't tried the Air U, but the hollow pieces should actually make it louder and you can't fill them because they're glued together.

 

[Dom]

The KungFu LongYuan is pretty quiet. And it's INSANE fast! Only $4USD and it comes with a free cube stand.

 

[gavinz]

Your best options are to add foam into the pieces, get quieter springs, fix your turning style, add magnets to prevent corner cutting which is loud, and lube it.

 

[JustinTimeCuber]

Your best options are to add foam into the pieces, get quieter springs, fix your turning style, add magnets to prevent corner cutting which is loud, and lube it.

*tells Erik Akkersdijk to fix his turning style*
lmao

I think stickerless cubes are way quieter and I'm surprised that hasn't been brought up.

 

[gavinz]

*tells Erik Akkersdijk to fix his turning style*
lmao

I think stickerless cubes are way quieter and I'm surprised that hasn't been brought up.

Lol idk Erik so sorry. He could get a boron treated gans356 air um instead of stickerless cubes

 

[JustinTimeCuber]

Lol idk Erik so sorry. He could get a boron treated gans356 air um instead of stickerless cubes

haha Erik's a speedcubing legend, he broke the 3x3 single WR by almost two seconds in 2008
e: see his signature

 

[gavinz]

haha Erik's a speedcubing legend, he broke the 3x3 single WR by almost two seconds in 2008
e: see his signature

I don't pay attention to previous WR holders lol

 

[Michael919]

I magnetized my Valk today and it made a huge difference in sound. I'd say it cut the clackiness down by half and it's now a much quieter cube.

When I get my hands on suitable foam, I'm going to add that too. It just might get as quiet as my Air.

 

[Gold Cuber]

I find my 1x1 to be my quitest cube

lol

 

[Abare Killer]

Just got my new Gan 356 Air Master edition and can say it is quieter than my DIY Magnetic Valk 3 and foam modded but not quiet by alot.

 

[Competition Cuber]

The quietest cube of all time.
A GANS AIR
COTTON MOD
OVER LUBED.

Maybe magnetized as well?

 

[Dash Lambda]

Maybe magnetized as well?

Magnets actually make the Air louder.
Well, at least in the case of the UM.

 

[Competition Cuber]

Magnets actually make the Air louder.
Well, at least in the case of the UM.

Does that have something to do with the slightly more hollow pieces of the UM?

 

[Perfectionist]

The quietest cube of all time.
A GANS AIR
COTTON MOD
OVER LUBED.

Hi, how do you lube yours and which lube do you use?
Thanks!

Actually, magnetizing your cube makes it more quiet seriously. I used to have a Valk and I made it magnetic and stuffed foam in the edge piece turning out really quiet.

Great work bro! What size magnets did you use and what kind of foam?
Thanks!

Quiet cubes are critical to me because I don't want to drive my wife too crazy. I only buy cubes with a smooth, quiet reputation.

Same here brother haha!

Here's the main part of my collection in order of quietest to loudest.
Air - quietest by far
356 v2
Tanglong
GTS 2
Valk 3 - too clacky to be considered quiet. It's considerably louder than the others, but still quiet compared to many others.

Interesting. I've read other people say the 356v2 is quieter than the Air - have you set your Air up in a special way?

I have an Aurora that's really quiet, but it isn't in the same class as the others for turning, etc.

Is the Aurora quieter than your Air, or about the same?

Thanks!

Lol idk Erik so sorry. He could get a boron treated gans356 air um instead of stickerless cubes

What is Boron Treatment and how do you get it done?
Thanks!

Just got my new Gan 356 Air Master edition and can say it is quieter than my DIY Magnetic Valk 3 and foam modded but not quiet by alot.

Would adding foam and magnets to the Air make it even quieter?
Are you thinking of doing that?
Thanks

 

[Dash Lambda]

Does that have something to do with the slightly more hollow pieces of the UM?

Sorry for not replying earlier, just noticed.
I believe it does, especially since the sound is slightly more airy and hollow (though not in a bad way, just in a different, louder way).

What is Boron Treatment and how do you get it done?
Thanks!

One of the Cubicle Labs projects right now is hydroboration with cubes. I believe they're going to launch a Cubicle Labs boron-treated Air UM sometimes soon.

 

[Perfectionist]

One of the Cubicle Labs projects right now is hydroboration with cubes. I believe they're going to launch a Cubicle Labs boron-treated Air UM sometimes soon.

I can't find any info on this on their website = https://thecubicle.us/cubicle-labs-c-228.html

Is the Boron treatment something like a coating of Teflon which will keep the cube permanently lubricated?

 

[Competition Cuber]

I can't find any info on this on their website = https://thecubicle.us/cubicle-labs-c-228.html

I don't think that anyone can. I asked Chris at EZcubes, and he said that he didn't know when they would be released.

 

[Perfectionist]

I don't think that anyone can. I asked Chris at EZcubes, and he said that he didn't know when they would be released.

Do you know what the treatment is exactly, and what benefits it would bring to the cube?

 

[Competition Cuber]

Do you know what the treatment is exactly, and what benefits it would bring to the cube?

It changes the feel of a plastic. Think of how the plastic OP Dayan 2x2 feels compared to the plastic of an NP version.

 

[Perfectionist]

It changes the feel of a plastic. Think of how the plastic OP Dayan 2x2 feels compared to the plastic of an NP version.

Is that all? I was hoping it might be something radical and ground-breaking!