3x3 QiYi M Pro Maglev Ball Core UV (plus repelling Edge Magnets) - Impressions - WOW!!

[Dan the Beginner]

Compared to my fantastic 54mm Dayan Guhong Pro M Maglev cubes, this cube is better because it has

- a UV coating
- a Moyu like tension system, i.e. screw for adjusting axis distance plus 11 settings for elasticity
- quality finish, i.e. smooth rounded edges and also less blemish on the surface of the pieces
- repelling edge magnets
- a lower price ($18 vs $20).

It is worse than the Guhong IMO because it has
- a larger size of 55.5mm (which should be fine for most others)
- a weight of 85g, which is about 8g more than an equivalent sized Guhong Pro M Maglev,
mainly due to all those edge magnets. This weight is probably fine for many others.
- a louder sound.

It is closer in look, feel, features and performance to the Picube Special Edition of Moyu's WRM V9. So it really should be compared to this WRM v9, and it is better because it has
- 11 elasticity setting (vs 9), and no special tools are needed for that adjustment
- a better quality UV coating
- crisper (due to the repelling magnets, I think)
- and a price that is less than half that of the SE WRM ($44)

It is worse because it is
- a tiny bit bigger (55.5 v 55mm), negligible actually
- significantly heaver (85g vs 74g)
- slightly less smooth but the difference may be due to the fact that the SE WRM V9 has been fully broken in and adjusted
- and louder.

In short, at this time, I feel that if someone is not bothered by the weight, this QiYi M Pro Maglev Ball Core UV is overall as good as the Picube SE WRM V9, and it may even be better depending on how much they like those repelling edge magnets.

More time is needed to see how the cube performs and how reliable it is. So far, after just half a day, I have no reason to doubt that there will be issues. I expect the performance to improve with more use and familiarity. It is safe to say for now that this is the best value cube out there in terms of features and quality. For me, due to my preference for smaller and lighter cubes, I think the Guhong Pro M Maglev is still what I like best.

What is interesting is that again we have a low cost cube that performs like a much pricier one (similar to the Guhong Pro M Maglev performing like a Tornado V3 Flagship). How can you explain this strange phenomenon with product pricing apparently bearing little relation to actual product manufacturing costs and functionality, and even to quality as it seems in this case? Are speedcubes now marketed and sold like handbags or watches?

 

[SpeakCuba]

Compared to my fantastic 54mm Dayan Guhong Pro M Maglev cubes, this cube is better because it has

- a UV coating
- a Moyu like tension system, i.e. screw for adjusting axis distance plus 11 settings for elasticity
- quality finish, i.e. smooth rounded edges and also less blemish on the surface of the pieces
- repelling edge magnets
- a lower price ($18 vs $20).

It is worse than the Guhong IMO because it has
- a larger size of 55.5mm (which should be fine for most others)
- a weight of 85g, which is about 8g more than an equivalent sized Guhong Pro M Maglev,
mainly due to all those edge magnets. This weight is probably fine for many others.
- a slightly louder sound.

It is closer in look, feel, features and performance to the Picube Special Edition of Moyu's WRM V9. So it really should be compared to this WRM v9, and it is better because it has
- 11 elasticity setting (vs 9), and no special tools are needed for that adjustment
- a better quality UV coating
- crisper (due to the repelling magnets, I think)
- and a price that is less than half that of the SE WRM ($44)

It is worse because it is
- a tiny bit bigger (55.5 v 55mm), negligible actually
- significantly heaver (85g vs 74g)
- slightly less smooth but the difference may be due to the fact that the SE WRM V9 has been fully broken in and adjusted
- and louder.

In short, at this time, I feel that if someone is not bothered by the weight, this QiYi M Pro Maglev Ball Core UV is overall as good as the Picube SE WRM V9, and it may even be better depending on how much they like those repelling edge magnets. For example, for those who do not like the quicker turning (due to repelling force helping to turn the layer once it has past the midpoint), removing those magnets should correct that effect while also reducing the weight to a more comfortable level (perhaps down to 78g?) That would then make this QiYi even more like the highly regarded SE WRM V9.

More time is needed to see how the cube performs and how reliable it is. So far, after just half a day, I have no reason to doubt that there will be issues. I expect the performance to improve with more use and familiarity. It is safe to say for now that this is the best value cube out there in terms of features and quality. For me, due to my preference for smaller and lighter cubes, I think the Guhong Pro M Maglev is still what I like best.

What is interesting is that again we have a low cost cube that performs like a much pricier one (similar to the Guhong Pro M Maglev performing like a Tornado V3 Flagship). How can you explain this strange phenomenon with product pricing apparently bearing little relation to actual product manufacturing costs and functionality, and even to quality as it seems in this case? Are speedcubes now marketed and sold like handbags or watches?




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That ball core looks very similar to the GuHong one.

 

[Dan the Beginner]

That ball core looks very similar to the GuHong one.

It's has a more reddish colour and there are little hollow dents in between the magnets on the ball.

 

[Dan the Beginner]

Good news! This cube gets better and better. Make sure you continue to use and break it in properly. It is now as smooth as the Picube SE WRM, or slightly smoother, and crisper, but just slightly worse in stability.

I have Ioosened the cube by turning the screw about ¼ turn. I also set the elasticity from the factory setting of 6 to 4, and added 4 drops of Martian, and done a few hundred solves. The magnets are weaker. There's not that much auto aligning effect, but that means there is less of the bump when turning, a good thing for those who prefer a more natural turning feel. The weak edge magnets merely provide a more even turning feel by keeping the layer turning, rather than speed up the turn and snap in place like some other such designs. This is good but there's a penalty in weight.

My fingers definitely feel tired more easily however, thanks to the added weight and the larger size. My ears get tired too, because it's a loud cube. I guess it's made for those who can handle larger and heavier cubes, and not young children or very old ones. It is also good as a gift, a first cube for someone, as it looks and feels great, like glass or ceramic, and it looks expensive.

I think this augurs well for QiYi's Tornado V4, since they can make such a cheap cube so good.

In summary, IMO weight and loudness are the only issues that may be holding this $18 cube back as the best featured budget cube.

 

[Dan the Beginner]

I have put away this nice and fully featured cube and I will only use it for comparisons, not for solves, in future. The reason is simply that it is too big, and in this case also too heavy, to be something I will continue to use. It's a personal reason and nothing against the cube, which is in fact very good. Anything over 55mm won't be the best 3x3 cube for me, even the excellent Tornado V3 Flagship. Neither will most of the Gan cubes.

 

[Dan the Beginner]

QiYi did not release a black version this time. Just for fun, I took the pieces of the black version of the basic QiYi M Pro , including the centre caps, and put them on this newer version. Now I have a black QiYiM Pro with Maglev and ball core, but without the UV coating and edge magnets. I had to reuse the white parts that hold the corner magnets and put them in the black corner pieces.

The new black QiYI Ball Core Maglev cube turns very well. It is very similar to the original UV version, but unfortunately the weight is still the same as before - 85g. So, the only gain is the black look.