HOT Seller
The MoYu YS3 M is MoYu's new flagship 3x3 and since its release, it's been gaining popularity among cubers of all skill levels. But with so many modern 3x3 releases having such similar performance to each other, is the YS3 M something you should buy?
Pricing
Although the MoYu YS3M is undoubtedly a great cube, the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) for the cube seemed too expensive for what it was: the standard version was supposed to be $19.38, the maglev version $33.23, and the ball-core version $47.08. Fortunately, MoYu isn't enforcing these prices and SpeedCubeShop instead sells them for much cheaper, at $14.95, $19.95, and $25.95 for the three versions respectively.
Out of the Box vs. Set Up
Out of the box, the YS3 M is very different than it is after break-in and proper setup. For example, the ball-core version changed from having a clacky turning sound and feel, like an RS3 M 2020, to having a completely different feel with a lower pitch unlike any other cube in the RS series.
Cube Design
The MoYu YS3 M seems to have bits and pieces taken from other cubes in MoYu's RS and WR series. The pieces of the YS3 M closely resemble the pieces of the RS3 M 2020, but they also have the dragon-scale inner texture of the Super RS3 M as well as a corner stalk design reminiscent of a WR M 2021. The dual adjustment system of the YS3 M is also exactly like the one found in the Super RS3 M, even down to the color.
This isn't necessarily a bad thing - speedcubes have evolved so much in the past few years that it's surprising that people still find ways to improve them. Manufacturers reuse the same piece designs from other cubes because they're proven to work well, and changing the design won't necessarily make the cube any better.
"At the end of the day, the cube works and it feels great, which I think is really what matters the most."
Cameron Brown
One cool thing that is upcoming is a "Magic Clothes" version, which is MoYu's version of GAN's UV coating. Although this isn't released yet, from MoYu's promotional material it seems that the cube will have a high-gloss coating with extra grip, and it'll likely be scratch resistant. SpeedCubeShop does offer their own version of a cube coating as well - A "PVC coating" can be applied to almost all speedcubes (even a GAN 330!) which provides extra grip as well as makes the cube extremely hard to damage.
Performance
"When it comes to the performance, I don't really feel like I have too much to say. I mean, the cubes work really well and they're very enjoyable to solve - I don't really have too many gripes when I'm solving them."
Cameron Brown
As expected from a flagship 3x3, the MoYu YS3 M has great performance that rivals the top 3x3s on the current market. In addition, it has exceptional lockup resistance and is an improvement over previous MoYu cubes in that regard.
Setup
"I applied some Martian and Galaxy lubricant to this ball-core and it's just such a pleasure to turn and solve. I really enjoy this - it just feels right, and other people in the office were very surprised at how different this cube felt with setup."
Cameron Brown
Adding lubricant to the YS3 M and taking the time to properly set it up is crucial to making it good, especially since the YS3 M changes significantly after setup. It's recommended to use some of SpeedCubeShop's premium cube lubricants, which can increase the performance of the cube as well as extend its lifespan.
Magnets
Although the YS3 M doesn't feature adjustable magnets, the factory-installed ones are of a moderate-to-strong strength that suit the cube very well. The magnets in the YS3 M are an improvement over those in MoYu's RS series, which many cubers found too weak.
Cameron's Final Thoughts
"The standard version is my second-favorite, right behind the ball-core. I don't really know why, I just really enjoy the overall feel of it. The MagLev one, for some reason, isn't my favorite. There's something I really dislike about it. I did blind tests, and every single time, it was my least favorite out of the three."
"The ball-core version is one of my favorite speedcubes to turn... with setup, it's so buttery - it glides and just has a really nice feel to it."
"For this presumably new series that MoYu is going to be launching, I think [the YS3M] is a very promising start."
Cameron Brown
