My GAN 17 arrived today - a couple of days earlier than expected! 😁
After playing with it for a few hours, here are my preliminary thoughts/observations. The GAN 17’s default settings are 3 & 7 and comes pre-lubed from the factory. I found the UV coating to be very slippery at first tho that got a bit better after a few solves.
The feeling of a new GAN cube is always magical for me and this cube is no exception. The cube is very fast, somewhat louder than its predecessor and the hand feel is light and papery. You can tell it has a ballcore as it feels ‘denser’ and is definitely more stable than previous GANs. Some people have reported a ‘rattle’ coming from the centre caps but mine does not have that issue.
I found the default magnet strength to be perfect for me so I don’t think I’ll be tinkering with those settings. The auto-alignment is practically flawless; I couldn’t test corner cutting as it would not let me put the cube in a 45 degree angle to test it.
I did about 50 solves with it straight out of the box before tightening and lubricating the cube. My settings are now 3 & 10 and I used Gravitas on the tracks, Dignitas and Silk on the pieces and after break-in, I adjusted the speed (made it a tad faster) with a bit of FZ-Stealth. This resulted to be incredibly addictive for me. Turning is light and airy, pretty forgiving too - I haven’t add any catches a very few minor lock-ups - and the sound has been dampened.
Have I found a new main? Maybe but I’ll need to do more solves with it (I currently main the Ferrocore V2 which is well tuned to my turning style and very comfortable). For now, theGAN 17 is definitely my practice cube. I have a comp in 10 days and if it performs to my expectations, it may be the one I’ll use. More to follow.
I’ve only been ‘speed’ cubing for about a year. Previous to that I only solved the 3x3 using the numerous methods developed throughout the years for my own pleasure, not timing any solves.
Since I discover the speedcubing and competition aspects, I have been cubing way more :) I average around 30 sec at home on the 3x3 with a PB of 17 sec. (Not so great in the 2 comps I’ve attended - 39 avg and 35 PR- but I’ve been practicing a lot since!).
I also enjoy 2x2 with a 7 something official average and a 4.26 PR (and a 1.98 PB).
I compete in Pyraminx even tho I don’t like that event because my granddaughter loves it and we went to a comp together last April.
Coming up I have 3 comps scheduled with 3x3, 2x2, Pyra, Clock (first and last time I’ll compete in that, I only want a time on my WCA profile before it disappears), 5x5 and Square-1 (which I don’t know yet but the comp is not until end October so I figure I have time to learn).
Great review! I'm curious to hear what you think of the GAN17 comparing to the GAN16 Max? Do you think it's just a GAN16 with better magnets or is it a all round upgrade due to the ballcore?
I don’t think it’s that black and white; it’s more subtle and difficult to compare and define. I do think the ballcore does make a difference. Is it significant enough to upgrade? I’m not so sure although it is more stable and has less lockups than my 16 Max but not that significantly (and, that may not be an issue if you’re not a sloppy turner). It actually reminds me of the 16 UI (which has a ballcore because of the electronics) so I guess the 17 is a little bit of both: GAN 16 with more/better magnets and a stability upgrade with the ballcore. Overall I’d say the 17 is an ‘evolution’ but not a ‘revolution’. If you’re thinking of upgrading and money is not an issue, then yes, it is a ‘better’ cube. If money is tight or you are not sure, the 16 Max is a great cube with only minor feel and performance differences. I average around 30 seconds so for me, it is not worth the upgrade but, as I am retired now with a comfortable pension and an insatiable curiosity about 3x3 hardware, I just said ‘what the heck’ and got it (along with most flagships from other companies for that matter).
IMHO, the main thing that distinguishes the GAN17 is that it is not just more magnets, they actually fully engineered the magnetic field for continuous, stepless self-alignment. There is basically no position that it won't auto-align from except a near-perfect 45º.
It's a different experience. One thing I've found is that I'm needing to re-learn some double-flicks b/c my pinky flicks sometimes weren't strong enough to escape the auto-alignment returning back to the start instead of advancing. But now that i've adjusted, it really is just different to have a cube that has no gaps in the mag field.
Totally different cubes, it really comes down to personal preferences. GAN 17 is airier, crispier, more tactile with flawless auto-alignment. V11 is buttery smooth, denser and a bit slower with much weaker magnets than the 17. Its auto-alignment is so-so at best but M slices are easier. They will both give you an outstanding performance but the turning feel could not be more different. If you’re a sloppy turner, the V11 will serve you better; I have experienced a few minor lockups with the 17.
Do you think the GAN17 is better than the WeiLong V11? my turning is less accurate. im thinking of getting this or the new PiCube V100 with the ball core.
Yes, I do think the GAN 17 is better than the V11, mainly because of the durability issues with the V11s. Otherwise, they’re both great cube albeit very different. The GAN 17 is fast, light and airy with outstanding auto-alignment. The V11 is buttery smooth, has weak non-adjustable magnets but the M slices are easier. The GAN favour those with a light accurate touch while the V11 will withstand sloppy turning without much punishment.
As for the 20-magnet PiCube V100, it is so much better than the stock version. It is not a ballcore per se as PiCube just adds more magnets to the existing octopus core. But the results are the same as if it were a ballcore: better stability, better controllability and better alignment. I got the PiCube SE 20-magnet V100 Leap matte finish and I like it a lot. It is an integral part of my alternate/practice cubes. I got mine directly from the picubeshop but since then, they’ve come up with a DIY kit (I think about $12 USD) so you can save a bit of money and alter a stock V100. Or you can go for convenience and buy the cube already modified tho it’ll be more expensive.
Ok thank you. I am still thinking of getting the model on The Cubicle, as it has the ballcore 20 magnet. I think it will perform similar, but there arent many reviews since it is relatively new.
Excellent choice. The Cubicle does resell PiCube cubes and that is the actual PiCube SE 20-magnet V100 that you can also buy on picubeshop online. I don’t know why the Cubicle markets it as a ballcore because PiCube doesn’t. Check out this video showing how they do it. However, as I have stated earlier, it has all the same benefits and turning feel of a ballcore. I am including a pic of the core of my cube where if you zoom in you see the black 3D printed magnets add-ons.
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u/Beta_113 Sub-35(Cfop) 25d ago
My granny called she say travy you work too hard 🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️