WeIsPrius
Regular
This is my review of the Alpha V, which I just received in the mail today. I was in the F II camp for a long time, so I'll be making a few comparisons to that cube too;
I bought the Alpha V (white) from eBay for $11. It was the best price I could find. I usually buy from lightake but they didnt offer a preassembled A V. The package came extremely fast - I ordered it on Thursday August 26 and it arrived that next Tuesday, that's 5 days (including weekends), making it the fastest delivery from China I've ever had. The cube came in a small ziplock bag (I guess they don't come with a box...?). First thing I always do is check for authenticity and that I received the correct item. The cubies were a Type V design. The core was yellow and rounded. The corner pieces were noticeably smaller than the edges and centers. And in my hand the A V felt very small and compact. Indeed, I had an Alpha V. I couldn't tell if it was pre-lubed or not. It felt OK, and as such I have not changed the tension, or lubed it, since I received it.
Quality; The first thing I noticed is that this cube is LOUD. You can hear it a mile away. It's very "clicky" and it sounds like it's going to fall apart - but amazingly it doesn't! In fact it hasn't popped on me yet. That's what I love about this cube. Whereas other cubes actually pop when they sound and feel like they're about to pop, the A V holds shape and keeps on turning. That might not be the case if I loosened the tension. But for now, it's a very solid cube.
Stickers; The glossy stickers are very vivid and easy to recognize, exactly as a cube should look. The large stickers on this small cube also give the cube a very squarish look, showing little plastic in between. In this regard it's the opposite of the F II.
Smoothness; The cube seems to have a lot of resistance at slow speeds (again I still have not lubricated it) but once you get going with your solve or finger tricks, you are smooth sailing. The Alpha V isn't nearly as smooth as the F II, but it makes up with its tight, compact profile, making the rotational mass of your turns fractionally less. Now, my F II just feels clunky.
Speed; I was afraid to go fast with the cube at first because it's so loud and sounds ready to pop. But once I realized it's actually very solid the cube picks up speed pretty quickly. I feel confident it's as fast as the F II.
Corner cutting; Corner cutting is average. Not one of its strengths. Reverse corner cutting, no way.
If you're looking for a cube to add your Rubiks collection, I highly recommend the Alpha V. It is what I call the anti-F II. It feels smaller and moves differently. Yet strangely, it is still a great, high quality cube. If the F II was a marshmallow, the Alpha V would be a M&M.
I think I'm about to use the Alpha V more than my F II now, at least a while. So I'm packing up my tent, and leaving the F II camp.
The next cube I'm getting is a Guhong...
I bought the Alpha V (white) from eBay for $11. It was the best price I could find. I usually buy from lightake but they didnt offer a preassembled A V. The package came extremely fast - I ordered it on Thursday August 26 and it arrived that next Tuesday, that's 5 days (including weekends), making it the fastest delivery from China I've ever had. The cube came in a small ziplock bag (I guess they don't come with a box...?). First thing I always do is check for authenticity and that I received the correct item. The cubies were a Type V design. The core was yellow and rounded. The corner pieces were noticeably smaller than the edges and centers. And in my hand the A V felt very small and compact. Indeed, I had an Alpha V. I couldn't tell if it was pre-lubed or not. It felt OK, and as such I have not changed the tension, or lubed it, since I received it.
Quality; The first thing I noticed is that this cube is LOUD. You can hear it a mile away. It's very "clicky" and it sounds like it's going to fall apart - but amazingly it doesn't! In fact it hasn't popped on me yet. That's what I love about this cube. Whereas other cubes actually pop when they sound and feel like they're about to pop, the A V holds shape and keeps on turning. That might not be the case if I loosened the tension. But for now, it's a very solid cube.
Stickers; The glossy stickers are very vivid and easy to recognize, exactly as a cube should look. The large stickers on this small cube also give the cube a very squarish look, showing little plastic in between. In this regard it's the opposite of the F II.
Smoothness; The cube seems to have a lot of resistance at slow speeds (again I still have not lubricated it) but once you get going with your solve or finger tricks, you are smooth sailing. The Alpha V isn't nearly as smooth as the F II, but it makes up with its tight, compact profile, making the rotational mass of your turns fractionally less. Now, my F II just feels clunky.
Speed; I was afraid to go fast with the cube at first because it's so loud and sounds ready to pop. But once I realized it's actually very solid the cube picks up speed pretty quickly. I feel confident it's as fast as the F II.
Corner cutting; Corner cutting is average. Not one of its strengths. Reverse corner cutting, no way.
If you're looking for a cube to add your Rubiks collection, I highly recommend the Alpha V. It is what I call the anti-F II. It feels smaller and moves differently. Yet strangely, it is still a great, high quality cube. If the F II was a marshmallow, the Alpha V would be a M&M.
I think I'm about to use the Alpha V more than my F II now, at least a while. So I'm packing up my tent, and leaving the F II camp.
The next cube I'm getting is a Guhong...
