[Review] Moyu Aosu WR M Review - vs Aosu GTS2M?

[Zain_A24]

Moyu Aosu WR M Review - Cubezz​

Introduction
This is now my second review of a 4x4 puzzle, this and the Meilong 4x4M. This will be my completely unbiased opinion of the cube and the store, and I will not be looking at the cube differently just because of its price-point. This cube is the first flagship cube in my collection, which features budget/semi budget puzzles. It is also the first stickered cube in my collection, since I wanted to feel the difference between stickered and stickerless.

How does this cube perform? How does this cube compare? I will be hoping to answer these questions within this review, as well as hoping someone could provide some answers and opinions to the questions I have below.

Sections:

• Review of Store – Cubezz.com
• Review of Cube – Moyu Aosu WR M
• Unboxing
• OOTB
• Completely Dry
• Lube + Tension
• Break-in
• Final Thoughts

Review of Store​

General Info
Name: Cubezz
Link: https://cubezz.com/

As always, Cubezz’s service has proven to be consistent, with the product arriving within their set timeframe. The customer service team provided me with a tracking number and were kindly keeping me updated on the status of the package during the process of the delivery. Customer service are continuing to be as responsive as before, handling my sales queries promptly and accurately. I will be continuing to purchase from this store in the future.

Review of Cube​

General Info
Name – Moyu Aosu WR M - Black
Price - $33.99 Magnetic ($23.99 Non-Magnetic)
Availability – Black and Stickerless, Magnetic and Non-Magnetic
Link - https://cubezz.com/Buy-6065-MoYu+AoSu+WR+M+4x4x4+Magnetic+Speed+Cube+Black.html
Size - 59mm
Weight – 120g

Brief Overview
The Moyu WR M series has seemed to have emerged from Moyu through the GTS3M, which featured ridges. Many people are uncertain to whether the WR stands for “Without Ridges” or “World Record”, both of which would not make complete sense. Despite that, the WR M series has proven to be very popular with cubers of all levels of experience. The series includes the Weipo WR M 2x2, the Weilong WR M 3x3, and now the Aosu WR M 4x4. I am not sure as to if the Aosu s considered part of the Weilong line of cubes, or if it is associated with the original Aolong set of puzzles, feel free to let me know below.

Unboxing
I usually don’t do this section of the review, but since this cube had a very pleasant unboxing experience, I thought I would add it in.

The box was carefully packaged by cubezz, and this ensured the cube arrived in perfect condition. The cube box was wrapped in plastic. Opening the box, it contains the cube in plastic wrap as well as an accessory box. For those of you who have not had a Moyu cube, their flagships include team Moyu cards as well as spare magnets and a screwdriver.

I then went on to taking the cube out of the box.

Out of the Box​

First Impressions – Before Turning

Appearance
The cube features nice dark, vivid shades, especially the red and blue on this cube, Moyu going towards the darker shades for their newer puzzles. I like the “fluorescent” orange as it contrasts well with the dark red. The outer layers have larger “florian” style holes compare to the inner layers. Moyu have done well in ensuring sticker quality and placement are perfect, with little to no visible imperfections on the outside of the cube.

Pieces
The pieces feature shallow ridges on the inside of both the inner and outer layer pieces. Compared to the Meilong 4x4, the tracks are narrower. Opening an edge piece up, there are magnet slots for what are 4x1mm magnets on the inner layers and 4x1.5mm on the outer layers (not sure on what grade/strength).

Feel
In the hand, this cube is a good size. At 59mm, this cube is very compact and perfect for people with smaller hands or those who like smaller puzzles, Moyu moving away from the standard size, with the popular 59mm Meilong 4x4. The cube feels more rounded off then other puzzles, perhaps more noticeable on a stickered cube. This cube is a good weight, not too heavy to get tired during solves and not too light to have a cheap feeling, which is expected from a premium puzzle like this one.

First Turns

Outer Layers
The outer layers of this puzzle are very fast. As expected there is a small amount of sandiness but is not as noticeable on the outer layers and will go away after some break-in. I could immediately tell that solving this cube will involve an effortless 3x3 stage since little effort is required in turning.

Inner Layers
The inner layers are only just slower than the outer layers, something that is not the case for some other puzzles but expected at its price-point. There is a more noticeable sandiness on the inner layers which I am aware Moyu cubes tend to have, but will go after break-in. They are a lot faster than my Meilong 4x4M, which is a characteristic I will be taking advantage of during solves.

Magnets
The magnets are very effective in this cube’s stability and aggressive turning will not hinder the performance on this cube as much as some others. This cube has more noticeable inner layer magnets, with a bump and “click” sound following turns. At this point, I feel as though the magnet choice is perfect, but I will have to do a few solves to accurately gauge the choice the magnets.

Cornercutting
The cornercutting on this cube out of the box is as follows:
Forward – 1 piece
Reverse – ½ piece

The cube may be slightly too tight out of the box, and I prefer to have my cubes a bit loose. Since this cube is already so stable, I would probably be able to loosen it without hindering its performance. At this stage, the cornercutting is not as good as the Meilong, but has not yet been set up so a suitable comparison cannot yet be done. This cube has a lot of potential and will probably be replacing my Meilong 4x4M.

Solves
During solves, I experience minimal lockups, and the catching that does occur is due to my inaccurate turning and are very minor. Pops are non-existent on these tensions which should be expected for a cube at this price-point. 3x3 stage is effortless, with light and fast outer layers. This cube definitely has a suitable choice of magnets as the cube is very stable, a good choice for aggressive turners. Parity algorithms are also effortless on this cube, with the middle layers holding together well during M slices. I would recommend a lighter turning style to maximise the performance of the cube, but harsher turning works fine as well. Reverse cuts are barely necessary with the magnets, providing smooth, flowing turns which help increase your TPS.

Setup​

Completely Dry
As always, I would disassemble the cube and wipe the pieces down, before reassembling. The assembly process was not as bad as when I did it with the Meilong, perhaps due to the shape of the pieces or my own experience with assembling even-layered puzzles.

As expected, the performance completely dry was very similar, the cube still as fast, but with a more prominent sandiness. This cube is perfect for those who don’t like setting up cubes since it is good to go right out of the box.

Lubrication + Tensioning
I loosened the cube ¼ of a turn out of the box. I used 50K Diff Oil on the pieces as well as lubricating under the screws. I then did a solve to allow the lubricant to spread. Using thicker lubricants would allow the cube to be more controllable whilst softening the turns. This cube is now a bit quieter and turning is even better than before. The lube is mainly for preserving the longevity of the cube since this cube is great without lubricant. The sandiness has now gone, and the inner layers are up to speed with the outer layers, creating a more uniform turning experience.

Break-in
During break-in, both the outer and inner layers continue to show a consistent speed, with no signs of the cube slowing down. Turning is just as effortless if not more than before, perhaps due to my more accurate turning or lighter turning style.

Testing

I will be performing various tests on this cube to check for signs of wear and tear. I would not recommend trying this out and I am doing this so that you don’t have to.

Dropping this cube several times, the magnets are well bonded to the pieces and the cube shows no signs of the magnets rattling or dislocated from the slots. Stickers are of a good quality, and minor scratches are easy wipeable, showing minimal signs of existence. Deliberately attempting large corner cuts, this cube refuses to show signs of misalignments. Feel free to let me know if there are other ways to test the cube’s durability by commenting below.

Final Thoughts
This cube is an excellent choice for cubers of any experience level. Despite its slightly misleading name, this cube is sure to cut down your PB’s. With the WR M series proving to be increasingly popular, this cube is great for a new main or just for the collection.

How does this compare to the Meilong 4x4M? This is obviously an unfair comparison since the cubes are of completely different price-points. The Meilong 4x4M is perfect for those on a budget, or those who like setting up puzzles. If you re interested in magnetising puzzles, go for the Meilong 4x4M and you won’t be disappointed. With the frosted plastic of the Meilong compared to the polished plastic of the WR M, the cubes have very different feelings. Since my Meilong is a lot more broken-in, I initially preferred this over the WR M out of the box, but this was not the most accurate of comparisons. The performance difference is not very large, but I would definitely recommend the Aosu WR M for all the reason above. The Aosu WR M is a cube you can definitely rely on for consistent results. This cube operates well even on looser tensions, making it very accessible for inaccurate/aggressive turners or beginners.



Thank you very much for reading all the way through my long review. Be sure to leave suggestions on how my reviews can be improved, as well as how this cube compares to the Aosu GTS2M and other major 4x4 flagships like the Valk 4M.



How does this cube compare to the Valk 4M/Aosu GTS2M?
Stickered cubes or stickerless for 4x4 and up?
What poll should I add to this post?


My previous reviews:
Mofang Jiaoshi Meilong 4x4 and 4x4M – https://www.speedsolving.com/threads/meilong-4x4-and-4x4m-review-vs-yuxin-little-magic-4x4m.75098/
YJ YuChuang V2M - https://www.speedsolving.com/thread...-review-vs-little-magic-5x5m-britcubes.75213/

 

[Zain_A24]

Edit:
Just added poll to thread. I am aware that similar polls have been done but I wanted it to be a fair comparison since the polls were done when certain cubes just arrived to the market and fewer people had the cubes.

I have heard from many people that have the WR M that they prefer the GTS2M. Is the GTS2M better than the WR M? Where does the Valk 4M and Meilong 4x4M come into this?

 

[jakelevine]

I think tensioning is a big factor in deciding between the wrm and gts2m. After properly tensioning my wrm (which was slightly looser than I originally thought it should be) I find it much better than the gts2m.

I can't speak for the meilong but I think the valk comes behind both aosus, due mostly to the amount of friction on the inner layers and relatively higher pop potential in my experience.

 

[Elf]

Wow, that was a very nice and thorough review! I liked the formatting a lot, It was very easy to find the things I was looking for.
Well done

 

[Zain_A24]

Wow, that was a very nice and thorough review! I liked the formatting a lot, It was very easy to find the things I was looking for.
Well done

Thanks for the kind words. If there is anything else I can do to improve the review, any aspects of the cube I didn't mention or test, feel free to let me know.

I think tensioning is a big factor in deciding between the wrm and gts2m. After properly tensioning my wrm (which was slightly looser than I originally thought it should be) I find it much better than the gts2m.

I can't speak for the meilong but I think the valk comes behind both aosus, due mostly to the amount of friction on the inner layers and relatively higher pop potential in my experience.

The Meilong is great without magnets for beginners, and even better with magnets for higher level solvers.

I have some questions, feel free to answer as little or as many as you like.

What do you think of the WR M shades?
Do you think 59mm 4x4's are better for solving compared to 60 or 62mm puzzles?
Would people be willing to switch their broken-in GTS2M for a WR M as an "upgrade"?
How do stickered and stickerless cubes vary in performance if at all?

This is the first stickered cube I have in my collection, and I initially found my solves being slower than compared to my stickerless Meilong. Is this normal? How much do stickerless cubes improve recognition and lookahead?

Thanks

 

[jakelevine]

Thanks for the kind words. If there is anything else I can do to improve the review, any aspects of the cube I didn't mention or test, feel free to let me know.



The Meilong is great without magnets for beginners, and even better with magnets for higher level solvers.

I have some questions, feel free to answer as little or as many as you like.

What do you think of the WR M shades?
Do you think 59mm 4x4's are better for solving compared to 60 or 62mm puzzles?
Would people be willing to switch their broken-in GTS2M for a WR M as an "upgrade"?
How do stickered and stickerless cubes vary in performance if at all?

This is the first stickered cube I have in my collection, and I initially found my solves being slower than compared to my stickerless Meilong. Is this normal? How much do stickerless cubes improve recognition and lookahead?

Thanks

The WRM shades aren't my favorite but don't really negatively affect my solves.

I prefer the smaller cube since my hands are on the smaller side

Yesterday at comp I had someone try my WRM and liked it so much compared to their gts2m that they decided to borrow it for their official solves, where they set PB's, so I would say yes but only for those where the additional cost of buying a new cube isn't that big a deal.

I don't think performance is affected much if at all, I just prefer stickerless due to hating applying stickers. Also when switching to any new cube I think solves will temporarily be slower as you get used to the new feel and look, but you get used to it rather quickly

 

[Zain_A24]

The WRM shades aren't my favorite but don't really negatively affect my solves.

I prefer the smaller cube since my hands are on the smaller side

Yesterday at comp I had someone try my WRM and liked it so much compared to their gts2m that they decided to borrow it for their official solves, where they set PB's, so I would say yes but only for those where the additional cost of buying a new cube isn't that big a deal.

I don't think performance is affected much if at all, I just prefer stickerless due to hating applying stickers. Also when switching to any new cube I think solves will temporarily be slower as you get used to the new feel and look, but you get used to it rather quickly

I'd be curious to know how you set up your WR M.

 

[GAN 356 X]

I received my gts2m from dailypuzzles yesterday and it is amazing, although the corer cutting is about the same as on the YLM, it feels much more stable and fast

 

[Iwannaganx]

I received my gts2m from dailypuzzles yesterday and it is amazing, although the corer cutting is about the same as on the YLM, it feels much more stable and fast

I want to try it!! How's the stackmat? And the huanglong

 

[GAN 356 X]

I want to try it!! How's the stackmat? And the huanglong

The timer is great, although it came not working. I took it apart and realised I had to attach 2 things that kind of look like paper to the thing with the wires coming out of it. (sorry, I don't know any technological words), and it then worked. Daily puzzles actually sent me the wrong mat, but it should get sorted out soon. The Hunaglong is pretty good, but then again it is the only r5x5 I have ever used. It corner cuts about a piece wherever you go and even though it takes me a good 15 minutes to solve mostly intuitively and with one of the parity algorithms it is still pretty fun to do

 

[jakelevine]

I'd be curious to know how you set up your WR M.

Tightened it a bit to break it in, after a week of solving loosened it up again and put a few drops of silk. That's pretty much it.

 

[GAN 356 X]

is it about the same speed as the GTS2M?

Edit: I know you said the outers were fast and the inners fast, but how is it comparatively?

 

[Zain_A24]

is it about the same speed as the GTS2M?

Edit: I know you said the outers were fast and the inners fast, but how is it comparatively?

Sorry that no one was able to answer your question for you. A few people have done comparisons of both the GTS2M and the WR M. Feel free to have a look at some of the videos below, which will hopefully address your question on the speeds of both puzzles. Credit to Cube Master and Lights Camera Cubing for the videos:

Anyone not like the WR M that prefers the GTS2M? I'd be interested in your thoughts.
Has anyone tried the non-magnetic version - the Aosu WR? Again, I would be interested in your opinions.

 

[KM the cuber]

I think i would prefer the WRM over the GTS2M because of its smaller size

 

[Zain_A24]

I think i would prefer the WRM over the GTS2M because of its smaller size

Indeed.
Smaller cubes are definitely becoming a popular trend, and I hope to see other brands making smaller cubes for 4x4 and up, not just Moyu/Mofrang Jiaoshi. It definitely helps with speed for me at least, but many others really like how compact this cube and the Meilong is.

It could be the deciding factor between the GTS2M and the WR M.

 

[Skittleskp]

The Aosu WRm has absolutely AMAZING cornercutting, and I don't think people appreciate that enough.
Don't mean to plug... but watch my vid from 1:30 to see a full review; watch from 1:36 to see how good the cornercutting is.

Also, its only setup with weight 5 and I adjusted the tensions.