IV
Regular
Brand Spanking New on Speedcubingstore.com
Thanks to the Hiayan Memory cube being an odd 20-25 bucks, Alpha finally released a cheaper version, and at around $12... you get your money's worth.
The Alpha VI is just what you think it would be... it's an Alpha V that's already been turned into a Haiyan Memory cube at the factory, thereby cutting cost and time. This is great for you because you basically get an updated Haiyan Memory cube but without the $25 price tag.
The cube, just like the previous two Alpha cubes is very enclosed and together. As soon as I got it, I disassembled it to tweak each side to the same tension when to my surpize.
The Orange face was stripped. It won't tighten but it will loosen so there isn't a major flaw. I went into my toolbox and put a small washer on the end of the screw to shim it so it would tighten up with the other faces, it's quite right now but I will be purchasing a new core to replace the stripped one ASAP.
Build quality is decent but a bit behind Sheng EN. The Edges feel a bit flimsy and the center peices are held together with small plastic tabs that I feel might be easily broken if handled roughly. Although... it does feel better knowing that if I drop it, the sides won't go flying every direction like my F-II.
In comparison to smoother cubes, it isn't quite as liable to overshoot as the sides sort of click together. One flick of the finger assures that each face hits its target and has more of a mechanical, tactical feel than Sheng EN cubes or smoother cubes.
Overall, It's a great cube that is as fast if not in an equal field as the F-II however it is in a completely different side of the spectrum as far as feel. This is why I feel that the latest Alpha series and the F series are rivals. They are similar in performance, yet nothing alike in feel so it may be easy to deduce that one might think one is better or easier to use than the other, where it just suits their play style better. So, pick one up, you'll like it. I like mine, even if I had to rig the core a bit. :fp
Thanks to the Hiayan Memory cube being an odd 20-25 bucks, Alpha finally released a cheaper version, and at around $12... you get your money's worth.
The Alpha VI is just what you think it would be... it's an Alpha V that's already been turned into a Haiyan Memory cube at the factory, thereby cutting cost and time. This is great for you because you basically get an updated Haiyan Memory cube but without the $25 price tag.
The cube, just like the previous two Alpha cubes is very enclosed and together. As soon as I got it, I disassembled it to tweak each side to the same tension when to my surpize.
The Orange face was stripped. It won't tighten but it will loosen so there isn't a major flaw. I went into my toolbox and put a small washer on the end of the screw to shim it so it would tighten up with the other faces, it's quite right now but I will be purchasing a new core to replace the stripped one ASAP.
Build quality is decent but a bit behind Sheng EN. The Edges feel a bit flimsy and the center peices are held together with small plastic tabs that I feel might be easily broken if handled roughly. Although... it does feel better knowing that if I drop it, the sides won't go flying every direction like my F-II.
In comparison to smoother cubes, it isn't quite as liable to overshoot as the sides sort of click together. One flick of the finger assures that each face hits its target and has more of a mechanical, tactical feel than Sheng EN cubes or smoother cubes.
Overall, It's a great cube that is as fast if not in an equal field as the F-II however it is in a completely different side of the spectrum as far as feel. This is why I feel that the latest Alpha series and the F series are rivals. They are similar in performance, yet nothing alike in feel so it may be easy to deduce that one might think one is better or easier to use than the other, where it just suits their play style better. So, pick one up, you'll like it. I like mine, even if I had to rig the core a bit. :fp