MoYu RS3 M V5 3x3 (PiCube Matte Special Edition)

Review is for the matte version

Setup:
Screw(center travel): 180⁰ looser (half-turn counterclockwise)
Spring compression: (0 is most loose setting, as well as the stock setting) 1

Lube(applied in order listed to 1 edge piece at a time between break-in solves) About 200 solves were done over the course of 2 days for break-in
Track: Angstrom Gravitas
Track: Angstrom Dignitas
Piece: Angstrom Dignitas
Track: 2 drops Mystic
Piece: 2 drops Mystic
Piece: Fz-Stealth for additional speed until A-Perms felt good and aligned with my natural turning speed.
No lube was applied to the core, and I have experienced 0 spring noise after 11 days of ownership. YMMV

Review:
Cube arrived safely with the box in great condition, with all expected MoYu RS3M V5 accessories, and no blank center cap (comes in clear 2-piece MoYu storage box, and no robot).

Out of the box, the turning was slightly fast, sandy, and blocky-feeling during algorithms. I found it to feel too tight at stock screw tension, so I loosened the screws by 45⁰ (¼ turn). The magnetic snap upon alignment is noticeably stronger compared to my standard RS3M V5 ball core.

I thought it did not turn well initially, as the small corner-cuts felt too forced while I was mid-algorithm. I enjoyed its tactility however, and wanted to set it up. I wanted to give my Yoo lube bundle II a try, and decided to try it on this cube, as I was not immediately warm and receptive toward it. I already had prior experience with doing my own Angstrom(Gravitas/Dignitas/DNM-37) setups in the past, and thought it would transform my opinion on this cube, as it has in the past with other cubes I felt lukewarm toward.

Thankfully the setup (and most likely, the break-in) transformed this cube into a main-worthy contender for me. I further loosened the yellow side as it did not do the big >45⁰ forward cuts(I don't do these cuts in solves, but it is a great test to set screw tensions in a uniform way across multiple cubes). Since this set the yellow side much looser than the white side when doing the double opposite edge pull test, I further loosened the rest of the sides to match the adjustment I did to the yellow side. The big corner cuts are able to be done, both forward and reverse, and I have experienced 0 pops so far.

The magnetic alignment feels nicely locked in at this point; A-perms and other RUD 3-gen algorithms (Ra Perm R U' R' U' R U R D... most 😡 alg ever)tend to be my weakest algorithms, and the relative strength allows the cube to stay together in these instances, and I feel very confident with this cube, surprisingly. It gives a nice tactile snap during fidgety turning/hand scrambling, and the laggy overcorrection snapback sensation that happens when the magnets correct an overturn does not appear to be a problem at all. I'd say the new magnetic sensation is an upgrade compared to the default RS3M V5 ballcore.

Having said that, I don't consider this a better puzzle than the default RS3M V5, as the default version is still a world-class puzzle. In an objective review, I'd consider this adjacent in quality to the default RS3M V5.

M-slices:
I only have CFOP H and Z perm to go off of, but the m slice does not snapback, nor does it feel like I need to overexert to move it.

Matte plastic:
I enjoy both worn down smooth matte plastic and UV(oops MoYu cube, I mean Magic Clothes). I'm about 700 - 1000 solves in, and it still feels like there's more breaking in to do. It started feeling good just when I started warming up to it after setting it up, and it is not a problem at all.

Features:
The tried-and-true classic 9-click MoYu dual-adjustment from 2019 is still a 5/5⭐️ system. Magnet strength stopped feeling bad after slowing the cube down, and I don't feel that adjustable magnets would make the cube better, especially not at the risk of increasing the price of this line of cubes. Primary internals do make this feel different than the regular V5, but I attribute the slight softness to the lube I used, and not the plastic in the puzzle.

What do I dislike?:
The RS3M V5 is notorious at this point in its life for having very fragile corners, and it becomes apparent when you drop it. I feel slight anxiety when taking this cube with me on the go, as I'm scared of dropping it, but highly enjoy the turning sensation and love to have it alongside me. Thankfully I haven't dropped it yet, but I only need to drop it once to feel the heartbreak (RIP my first V5).

It's pretty loud and clacky at full speed, something to note for cubers living with parents, significant others, or infants.

I do NOT need another pamphlet of the stackable cube box that MoYu no longer includes with their puzzles since the WRM 2021..

So, who can benefit from buying this?:
Cubers who are somewhat dissatisfied with their [possibly broken corner piece /s] RS3M V5, and may want something similar.

Cubers with prior knowledge of cube setup.

Anyone that may want ...

Similar to the original v5 but softer and a little smoother. I really like the springs over the maglev for this cube. It's super fast out of the box but it's easy to slow down.

Great cube. Magnet strength just right.

Better than the normal rs3v5 in my opinion, however there are some notable differences.
This might just be me, but the plastic feels a bit cheaper. But, it’s extremely stable, doesnt deform, and has excellent performance. Love it