THIS IS IT !! Top of the main ,the search is finally over . I have found the cube that has fulfilled all criteria for what 'i' want in a cube so far. This cube is beautiful ,it is a pleasure to scramble.Stout nimble and fast, it has nice sharp sides and corners and each corner piece also typical of GAN has no rounded corners . This cube looks great, a work of art. I do not like pillowed or rounded edge cubes as they are not cubicle , the sharper the edges the better . This cube has the feel of a finely tuned precision instrument.The 54mm size is great and although my hands are not small , to hold and manipulate this cube fantastic , finger candy! My preference is a cube that is FAST and fast this one is. Out of the box it comes with the purple GES nuts . Some might find this setting uncontrollable but I like it with 0.8 on the GES setting.Actually I would like weaker springs but it is superb as it is. The magnets could be a little stronger but it is still OK as it is out of the box. Unfortunately this version has not much options for customization but as it is , its perfect for its price point and for me. GAN is doing a great job coming up with new ideas and I love the hardware reduction of the plastic core and the attention to detail on the components internal to the device and it looks beautiful when breaking down the cube for cleaning , that nice flawless crystal clear core , the honeycomb finish on the pieces ,the visible encapsulated magnets, beautiful , such a pleasure to look at. Also , this cube is quiet,no clacking on this cube. The secrets of the universe are locked up in a 3x3 and it is a pleasure to explore it with this cube , Highly highly recommended! 6 stars!
My negative thoughts on the GAN 354 V2 ,
1) Frosted finish
2) fixed magnets
3) lacking extra GES nuts
4) lacking weaker GES nuts (explorer version)
5) as with all GAN stickerless , hard to distinguish between white/yellow in low light conditions
A word about my 'main' cube. When I say my main , it is six 3X3 cubes not a single cube . my main is: GAN X numerical,GAN X ipgv5,GAN XS,GAN 354v2,MoYu Weilong GTS3M,Cyclone boys Feiwu. Cube = 6 sides,6 colors,6 cubes. I would love to have the perfect cube but I do not know of one yet. To rotate between the unique feel and personality of each cube is much more enjoyable. some moves can only be done on my Feiwu. The GAN 354v2 is currently on the top of this list , so much so , I ordered a 2nd one as a spare.
my wish list;
1) Stickerless without any rounding on any of the pieces and sharp outer edges.
2) GAN Robot stand alone with 4 buttons , Solve , scramble , F2L and power. No app or phone please.
3) cube bag or case to hold 6 56mm cubes
4) Cubicle proshop GAN 354v2 ripp'n fast (haven't explored this option yet..)
5) precision ball bearing center caps , stealth , transforms cube into greased lightning fast gyroscopic fidgety spinner
6) 7x7 robot with simple standalone interface.
7) a precision engineered cube using exotic materials for a perfect look , a functional piece of art
The difficulty of explaining feel.....
for example , the MoYu Weilong GT S3M , awesome cube and its feel cannot be duplicated by any other cube. the GT3SM has a solid feel as if the pieces are made out of glass . Solid Hard Snap feel again as if it were made of glass. The GTS3M has the most tangible feel of all the cubes I own , no GAN cube can come close to the GTS3M's unique feel.GAN on the other hand has its own unique feel , I guess 'spongey' would be a close approximation to describe the GAN feel, The quiet non 'clack' . GAN feel is like riding on Michelin tires , that 'spongey feel. I like the GAN feel along with GAN's precision build , I can see why GAN is so popular. So this awesome work of art , the GAN 354 V2 being physically smaller , reduces the GAN 'spongey effect and gives this cube it's own unique feel that none of my other GAN cubes come close. Yep , the GAN 354 V2 , a diamond in the rough ,get it !!
I am still looking for weaker springs for my GAN X numerical . if somebody at 'the Cubicle.us' could look out in the back room (parts dep't) , and possibly find me a set , I would be most appreciative. Speaking of the Cubicle , they have been the best! All orders have been flawless and fast as well as taking the time to help answer my questions. Keep up the good work !