# My Alpha V Review



## WeIsPrius (Sep 1, 2010)

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...


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## MEn (Sep 1, 2010)

WeIsPrius said:


> Corner cutting; Corner cutting is average. Not one of its strengths. Reverse corner cutting, no way.


Corner cutting is definitely average before you round down the corners. Then it becomes amazing and reverse cutting can go up to 1/3 of a piece, for me at least.


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## skeevs (Sep 3, 2010)

@WeIsPrius 

Didn't realize that i read your review before this. Now I'm thinking about getting an AV, eventually.


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## skeevs (Sep 3, 2010)

Btw, whats the link to ebay ?


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## ElectricDoodie (Sep 3, 2010)

WeIsPrius said:


> The cube came in a small ziplock bag (I guess they don't come with a box...?).



I bought mine from speedcubeshop.com
It came pre-assembled, with the tensions perfectly set, and pre-lubed, and_ in a box_.

I think they are based in California, so you would've gotten it very quickly. I live in Florida, and got it in 3 days.

And I pretty much agree with everything in this review. Especially the part about it being very loud, and sounding like it's going to pop, but not actually popping. You have to get over the fear of popping or breaking it, and just go for it. Eventually you'll get used to how much rough-handling it can take, and still do fine.

I am a rough cuber, and it rarely pops on me.


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## WeIsPrius (Sep 3, 2010)

Here are the ebay links. They are all from the same "store" essentially, but different sellers I think. They are Buy It Now or Make an Offer. I suggest making an offer. I got my white for $4.99 down from $6.99 (after they declined my offer of $2, LOL.) White seems to be $1 more at starting price. So try making an offer, do some biznass with these guys.

White: http://cgi.ebay.com/White-New-Speed...975?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a5a2ad647

White: http://cgi.ebay.com/White-New-Speed...450?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item51934773e2

Black: http://cgi.ebay.com/Black-New-Speed...405?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cac73ca8d

Black: http://cgi.ebay.com/Black-New-Speed...234?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item53e1befeca


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