GAN 12 3x3 (Magnetic, MagLev, Core Magnets, UV Coated)

Oh my gosh best cube ever i got my first sub 10 ao5 with this amazing thing. oh gosh

Man, it's been a lot of history with this cube. 5.01, 4.86, 4.75, 4.69, 4.48. This thing has been through the world and back. But, despite its hype and the release of GAN cubes after this, the GAN 12 stays strong.

The performance is incredible as always. Out of the box, I guarantee you that IT WILL POP. It does not perform well without lube, just like your mo-

Adjustment is easy. My blue thing is set to 2, my clear thing is set to 3, and I use hexagonal magnets on the strongest setting, which still provides a smooth guiding feel without the CLUNK of the WRM V9.

Incidentally, I picked this cube over the V9 for that very reason. The beautiful quality of this cube is that regardless of how strong you set the magnets, it's never clicky. It flows incredibly well, and when turning fast, the magnets are not noticeable in feel but always helping stability.

Since this cube is too similar to the 11 and 13 onward, I'll be comparing it to my XS.

It's crunchier and not as quiet, but with my preferred lube setup (Compound X, DNM, and Mystic) it becomes nearly as quiet as my XS when they are setup identically.

They both cut very well, but the 12 feels more stable in small corner cuts than the XS, mostly due to the light weight and the loooooong core magnets. Notably, the XS suffers more than the 12 at very high angles, but who's cutting over 45 in a regular solve?

The 12 feels similar to the XS in the fact that it feels like you are turning absolutely nothing. They are both light, fast, and smooth, with no hint of resistance or sandiness. Of course, lube will change this, but it's worth noting.

The color shades are of course perfect, and the UV coating is VERY helpful with my hands being perpetually dry (I swear, my hands eat more Vaseline than a 2007-era Rubik's brand.) My only gripe is the lack of a stickered version still available, but hey, I own an SM, so that's cool. (I'm not selling it. EVER.)

The only downsides are the fact that it's pretty hard to get the setup right and that it's more prone to pops than the XS. For the setup, just follow my instructions and you should be okay, and the pops should be negligible. Honestly, I felt as if I just needed to say something at least a little negative so I don't feel like I'm blowing hot air.

Bottom line? Better than the 11. Better than the 13. Better than the 14. Better than the V9. I still love it.

at first when I saw it I was like well that's a lot of money for an old cube then I saw it on sale I read the reviews and I knew I had to get it I've loved every solve I've done on this cube its light and airy speedy but controllable this in my opinion is better than the X-man v3 for me the X-man is too fragile if you drop from even a low height it will break this though is perfect keep on making cubes Gan!!!

I bought the Gan 12 Maglev with UV coating as a potential main. Regular price for the Gan 12 is $59, but SCS had a fantastic sale so I got this cube for $40. I performed 500 solves on this cube before posting this review. I purchased SuperNova service from SCS and have added Lunar lube once. I have the cube set up on travel adjustment "6", tension adjustment "5", magnet setting "3" (strongest), and the triangle magnet rods (weaker).

PROS
Smooth and quiet during metronome exercises, getting progressively more clacky as the TPS increases. Corner cutting is really good at speed, and the cube really rewards fast turns. It will forward corner cut a little more 45 and backward cut up to about 22 degrees at my settings. Corner cutting will improve with looser settings, but isn't necessary. I prefer UV coating on stickerless cubes, and Gan has one of the best coatings out there. Removing the center caps is easy to do without tools, though adjusting center travel and tensions does require the provided tool. Magnets are adjustable, and at the setting I'm using provides a satisfying click and 'bump' during turns, with auto alignment working from over 22 degrees with a slight nudge. The plastic feels nice and twisting is very forgiving. The price I paid for this cube represents a great value, with the regular price being about right.

CONS
If I'm being picky, the magnets make an audible click that is louder than I prefer, although that can be mitigated by using the lower magnet strength settings.

VERDICT
This is a great cube, and if you can pick it up on sale, at a great price. It has been the class of the cubing world for a few years. I typically set my cubes up looser, and deal with the instability in order to get better turning. There is no reason for me to deal with loose settings on the Gan 12 since it turns great even at tighter tensions than I normally use. Although, even at slightly looser tensions, the cube remains fairly stable, though it does get harder to control. I highly recommend this cube, it is enjoyable to twist.

Amazing auto aligning, and an overall solid cube.