Michael Wimberly
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- Sep 18, 2025
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Vin3 Nova
This cube came in a very unique case, which reminds me of some sort of a power tool case. Also, it comes with 2 adjustment tools, a big white tool for adjusting tension/compression and a smaller red one for adjusting the magnets and... also the dual adjustment system. I don't know why they included 2 tools for the same thing but whatever. The white one is easier to use because it doesn't like to slide off the notches in the adjustment system, which is a problem with the red one.
I'll stop reviewing the adjustment tools because that's probably not why you're here. Out of the box, the cube had a unique feel, kinda scratchy, the best word I can use to describe it is "zippy". It makes me think of how a zipper would feel if it were a cube. With lube, however, it becomes very smooth.The cube is also very fast and flexible, but also very stable. This allows for more aggressive and inaccurate turning without lockups or pops.
Let's talk about adjustment. The dual adjustment system doesn't have numbers which is annoying but I can still feel the large click when the adjustment system resets to 0. The magnet adjustment is where things get interesting. First of all, it's supposed to be some sort of centrifugal force adjustment because when you adjust the magnets it moves them in or out which increases or decreases momentum, but I really don't feel that at all. When the arrow is pointing out, the magnets are stronger, and when it is pointing in, the magnets are weaker. Note that the weaker magnet setting is closer to a moderate feel, and the stronger setting is considerably strong. The core magnets are also the perfect strength - not overpoweringly strong, not unnoticeably weak, but at the point where they guide my turns into alignment without taking over and aligning themselves for me.
Here are the settings I use. For the dual adjustment system, if the lowest setting is 0 for both center travel and maglev compression, I use setting 3 for center travel and 5 for maglev compression. This allows for a slightly more controlled feel while having what I think is a perfect balance between stability and flexibility. I also used a combo of XMT 10 and FZ-Calm to dampen the loud, tactile, and zippy sound, and make it smoother and slow it down slightly, because this cube is fast. This setup allows me to make basically no lockups at all when I'm turning fast, which is huge because my times on this cube are significantly lower (I'm popping off 13 and 14 second ao5's) and my turn speed is significantly higher than on any other cube, even the Tornado V5.
I legitimately think I've found the perfect cube for me. It checks off all my boxes: perfect speed, no lockups (which I thought wasn't possible), amazing corner cutting, a perfect blend of speed/control and of stability/flexibility, magnet adjustments, a wide range of tension/compression settings, perfect core magnets strength, and what I think is a perfect feel and sound.
My rating: 10/10
MoYu RS3 M V5 (Ball-core UV)
I know that this is an older cube, and there are probably better options in the price range by now, but I've always heard that this cube is amazing so I just wanted to know what all the hype is.
Out of the box (or should I say robot lol), this cube had a very slow, tight, and scratchy feel, which was very disappointing, but I figured it would get better with setup. I ended up loosening the screws by 3/4 of a turn each, turning up the compression by 3 ticks from stock, and adding XMT 10 lube. This made it faster and more flexible, which I really like. I can feel a slight bit of magnetic pull from the ball core when turning slowly, but the ball core mostly provides stability. The piece magnets are also weak, too weak for my turning style. I don't get very many lockups on this cube, and it may be a good competitive option for me because it is more controlled.
When I turn this cube more slowly, each turn feels kind of inconsistent in a way. I can feel that each part of the turn, specifically between the beginning, middle, and end of each turn, has a slight bump and a different feel. I can specifically notice that the middle of each turn feels significantly slower and drier than the rest of the turn, even when the cube is lubed, and that, in my opinion, is something that's keeping this cube from reaching its full potential, though it's not too big of a problem, just something that I wanted to point out.
I am able to turn fast on this cube without getting very many lockups, which is pretty good.
Overall, this is a nice budget/mid-range option, and I can see why some people main it, but for me, I think that there are better options. Still a very solid cube though.
My rating: 8/10
YJ MGC Square-1 V2
So I know that this is a pretty unpopular choice, but I wanted it because I saw a good review from a good square-1 solver and he said that he mains it despite the bad reviews. And because the only squan I had before was the YLM, I decided to get this as an upgrade, and all my thoughts on this cube will be compared to the YLM.
Immediately, I noticed that it is very fast and it has very good corner cutting. The equator magnets, which some people think are too strong, are perfect for me. The equator magnets on the YLM were too weak, so I was constantly having to think about aligning it, but not on this cube. Because this cube is too fast for me, I used FZ-Calm to lube it. I also had to tighten the screw a lot because it was very loose and I kept getting major lockups and pops. Fortunately tightening the screw fixed this issue.
I also want to mention that I love the tactile and buttery feel of this cube and its sound. I am overall very pleased with this cube.
My rating: 9/10
This cube came in a very unique case, which reminds me of some sort of a power tool case. Also, it comes with 2 adjustment tools, a big white tool for adjusting tension/compression and a smaller red one for adjusting the magnets and... also the dual adjustment system. I don't know why they included 2 tools for the same thing but whatever. The white one is easier to use because it doesn't like to slide off the notches in the adjustment system, which is a problem with the red one.
I'll stop reviewing the adjustment tools because that's probably not why you're here. Out of the box, the cube had a unique feel, kinda scratchy, the best word I can use to describe it is "zippy". It makes me think of how a zipper would feel if it were a cube. With lube, however, it becomes very smooth.The cube is also very fast and flexible, but also very stable. This allows for more aggressive and inaccurate turning without lockups or pops.
Let's talk about adjustment. The dual adjustment system doesn't have numbers which is annoying but I can still feel the large click when the adjustment system resets to 0. The magnet adjustment is where things get interesting. First of all, it's supposed to be some sort of centrifugal force adjustment because when you adjust the magnets it moves them in or out which increases or decreases momentum, but I really don't feel that at all. When the arrow is pointing out, the magnets are stronger, and when it is pointing in, the magnets are weaker. Note that the weaker magnet setting is closer to a moderate feel, and the stronger setting is considerably strong. The core magnets are also the perfect strength - not overpoweringly strong, not unnoticeably weak, but at the point where they guide my turns into alignment without taking over and aligning themselves for me.
Here are the settings I use. For the dual adjustment system, if the lowest setting is 0 for both center travel and maglev compression, I use setting 3 for center travel and 5 for maglev compression. This allows for a slightly more controlled feel while having what I think is a perfect balance between stability and flexibility. I also used a combo of XMT 10 and FZ-Calm to dampen the loud, tactile, and zippy sound, and make it smoother and slow it down slightly, because this cube is fast. This setup allows me to make basically no lockups at all when I'm turning fast, which is huge because my times on this cube are significantly lower (I'm popping off 13 and 14 second ao5's) and my turn speed is significantly higher than on any other cube, even the Tornado V5.
I legitimately think I've found the perfect cube for me. It checks off all my boxes: perfect speed, no lockups (which I thought wasn't possible), amazing corner cutting, a perfect blend of speed/control and of stability/flexibility, magnet adjustments, a wide range of tension/compression settings, perfect core magnets strength, and what I think is a perfect feel and sound.
My rating: 10/10
MoYu RS3 M V5 (Ball-core UV)
I know that this is an older cube, and there are probably better options in the price range by now, but I've always heard that this cube is amazing so I just wanted to know what all the hype is.
Out of the box (or should I say robot lol), this cube had a very slow, tight, and scratchy feel, which was very disappointing, but I figured it would get better with setup. I ended up loosening the screws by 3/4 of a turn each, turning up the compression by 3 ticks from stock, and adding XMT 10 lube. This made it faster and more flexible, which I really like. I can feel a slight bit of magnetic pull from the ball core when turning slowly, but the ball core mostly provides stability. The piece magnets are also weak, too weak for my turning style. I don't get very many lockups on this cube, and it may be a good competitive option for me because it is more controlled.
When I turn this cube more slowly, each turn feels kind of inconsistent in a way. I can feel that each part of the turn, specifically between the beginning, middle, and end of each turn, has a slight bump and a different feel. I can specifically notice that the middle of each turn feels significantly slower and drier than the rest of the turn, even when the cube is lubed, and that, in my opinion, is something that's keeping this cube from reaching its full potential, though it's not too big of a problem, just something that I wanted to point out.
I am able to turn fast on this cube without getting very many lockups, which is pretty good.
Overall, this is a nice budget/mid-range option, and I can see why some people main it, but for me, I think that there are better options. Still a very solid cube though.
My rating: 8/10
YJ MGC Square-1 V2
So I know that this is a pretty unpopular choice, but I wanted it because I saw a good review from a good square-1 solver and he said that he mains it despite the bad reviews. And because the only squan I had before was the YLM, I decided to get this as an upgrade, and all my thoughts on this cube will be compared to the YLM.
Immediately, I noticed that it is very fast and it has very good corner cutting. The equator magnets, which some people think are too strong, are perfect for me. The equator magnets on the YLM were too weak, so I was constantly having to think about aligning it, but not on this cube. Because this cube is too fast for me, I used FZ-Calm to lube it. I also had to tighten the screw a lot because it was very loose and I kept getting major lockups and pops. Fortunately tightening the screw fixed this issue.
I also want to mention that I love the tactile and buttery feel of this cube and its sound. I am overall very pleased with this cube.
My rating: 9/10
