CuberSpeed GAN 356 Air Speed Cube GAN 11 M 3X3 Magnetic stickerless Speed cucbe

The Gans Air 356 SM is an amazing cube with very little to possibly no flaws. The cube has a blocky and stable feel while retaining enough speed for most people straight out of the box. The cube can be highly customized to personal preference because of the GES spring system accompanied with your choice of lubricant. I'd go as far as to say that the Air SM is probably the best functioning cube on the market, although preference will vary. People who like 3x3 cubes such as the Valk or Yuexiao Pro will enjoy this cube. People who use the original GTS and Valk Power may not because of the sturdy feel that the SM retains when solving. Overall, the Air SM is probably my favorite 3x3 cube and would recommend it to anyone of any solving times. The price is well paid for this cube.

Update (June 20th, 2020)Another note on my “skill level”, I currently average around 0.7 seconds per move (per GoCube) solving with simplified CFOP (that is, with 2-look CLL and PLL), so I’m no speed cuber (yet). I suspect that the faster I get, the more I’ll like this cube. Note that other than my GoCube, the 2019 GAN 356 SM is my only premium cube.After a couple of more days using various cubes, I’m liking this GAN SM more and more. I’ve convinced myself that the soft sporadic clicks (mentioned in my original review) are NOT loose magnets. I’m running with the cube pretty loose, so what may be happening is that with some twists/flicks a corner piece is held back from its leading edge piece briefly and when it pulls away from the piece it was magnetically held to it slaps the edge piece when it snaps back in place. Just a guess, but reasonable given the strong magnets, low spring setting and the light pieces.All CONs’ aside, this is the cube I currently find the easiest and least annoying to use, compared with my other cubes (generic INTEGEAR, SpeedRipper, YJ Yulong 2M, YuXin Kylin V2 M and most recently a GoCube), though I still switch around between them. I do not know if I’m faster on the SM than the others (frankly, I think not) just that it is the easiest on my fingers (and ears) when practicing for long periods. I may be adding a couple of drops of GAN Magic Lube soon, hopefully it doesn’t wash away any of the magic already in the cube.I still think the magnets are a little too strong, but I may change that opinion as my TPS improves.(slightly edited) Original post:I’m an old (60ish) newb (more or less) and have only in the last month or so taken up the cube seriously. I’ve never used a cube with magnets and this is the first high-end cube I’ve ever played with.This GAN 356 SM seems to be the 2019 model with the GES V3 springs.PRO:Super light. Very quick. The magnets keep it from running away from me. Mostly (but see the CONs) very quiet (NO SPRING NOISE (so far)). Colors are bright enough that I can see them well, even in low warm lights; in some lighting, I have had trouble telling white from yellow in other cubes, but NOT this GAN. Came either well-lubed or not needing an immediate lube. After playing with it a few days, I replaced the installed springs with the weakest (purple) of the included replacement/tuning springs and balanced the tension and it plays well in my hands. Piece of cake after watching some youtube videos on the subject; didn’t even need a screwdriver, just my finger-nail (or the card that was provided) and the included (wrench) tool.CON:The edges of the stickers are noticeable at first (more so than on any of the other cubes I’ve used lately) and at first really put me off, though after using it for a few minutes they stopped being a bother.The magnets may be a little too strong, and I think one or two of them occasionally (can rarely make it happen when trying to) makes a small distinct click sound (like flicking the edge of a piece of notebook paper with your finger nail) when rapidly going out of close proximity with a peer. I suspect the magnets are not all locked down firmly (though they don’t rattle when I shake the cube) and this might be fixed by opening up the correct piece and soaking the ill behaved magnet with a drop or two of Gorilla glue — though I’m not likely to attempt that with a cube this expensive.Speaking of cost, yes the cube is expensive at nearly $40. I think I’m not good enough to make use of the qualities of this cube that set it ahead of some of the really good budget magnetic cubes. This isn’t a knock on the cube, more just a comment that simply having a world-class cube will not turn you into a speed cubing expert.Bottom Line:Having used my GAN SM for a week, I definitely feel good about the purchase, though I probably should have studied more and and gotten all I could squeeze out of a few budget magnetic cubes, first. I may should have skipped the SM and gone straight to a more advanced cube, like the GAN 356 XS that lets you change the “strength” of the magnets and has some other great ease-of customization options. (though it is over $20 more than the SM), or maybe the GoCube, which has some rather advanced teaching/coaching capabilities (though I find the curved sides off-putting), I’ll be trying one out, soon, since the GoCube Edge is currently on sale (though $30 off, it is still $10 more than even the XS, ugh!)

sticker shades are very good, they are very bright, very fast and smooth, Conor cuts and twist very good recommended for both beginners and advanced.

No problem with cube at all but pretty fast for beginners. I’m not a beginner by no means and it took some getting used to coming from slower cubes but by far best cube I’ve ever owned and would recommend for anyone beginner included. If your starting with this you get used to a good cube right out of the gate. 10/10 would recommend.

Note: My other speedcube is the MoYu WeiLong GTS2M, so that is my basis for comparison.It came lubed and mostly ready to use. It was a bit hard to turn at first and had a grainy feel to the twisting action. I found the installed (green) tension nuts to make the cube a bit stiff so I immediately installed the blue tension nuts, which made the cube's tension closer to what I'm accustomed to. After setting the tension and using it for a whole weekend, it smoothed out quite a bit, but still doesn't turn quite as easily as my GTS2M. Based upon other reviews that I've read I might expect it to need regular lubrication to maintain its performce.What I like: Fast, fluid turning. The tension nuts allow you to objectively set the tension on your cube - this has been an issue with me for other cubes. When tearing the cube down for cleaning or maintenance, reassembly to your preferred tension is a snap. Accessories received are commensurate to what one might expect at this price point - the cube includes a bag, a display case, three extra sets of tension nuts, a tool, and a nice little manual. Cubelet pieces are one-piece and this makes disassembly of the internal mechanism easy, whereas with the GTS2M the cubelets are are composed of plastic fragments.What I didn't like: Functionally, I am apprehensive about how sensitive the cube seems to be to being properly lubed. Needed a longer break-in time than my GTS2M. The stickers aren't quite as well-fitted as I would expect from a cube at this price point. Every color is nice and bold except red - the red color is more of an orange-red, which is a bit confusing in some lighting situations.

This is the best there is. It's expensive, but if you can afford it, this is the best cube money can buy at the moment. Turns are smooth as butter, magnets are subtle but help keep the edges aligned, tension options are great. It comes with the purples installed which are amazingly light, but you've got 6 other options if you want a stronger tension. Colors are also nice and bright. I've used several other speed cubes but this thing is on a whole different level!

Incredibly smooth, perfect weight and super configurable. The only thing I would change as some reviews have noted is that the red side is kind of an orangish red not a deep red. It's different enough from the orange side to not be confusing, unless you're solving in low lighting, like riding in the back seat of a car at night or something like that. Still, it is worth every penny in my opinion. Happy Cubing!