In this article I will be talking about the zhanchi v5 fancy version and some angstrom lubes I bought with it and at the end talk a bit of my current cubing hobby situation.
The review
The reason: First of all I bought this cube because I wanted an aesthetics cube(a cube that has unique design) and also I can enjoy doing casual solves on(also means I didn’t expect the cube to have the best performance). And since the zv5 fancy has green internals and people say it’s one of the most satisfying feels I of course bought it.
-First impressions: OOTB it was horrible. Just bad and I thought I made the wrong purchase again. It was very sandy and the plastic quality felt a lot worse than I expected the performance ootb was very mid and kind of what I expected. It was very loose and didn’t hold up cube shape as much but wasn’t bad.
-Set up: So I set the zanchi aside and tried the Angstrom lubes I bought with the zv5. And it was interesting. Gravitas was just some thick lube and didn't really understand why people praise it so much. It just feels like normal slow lube. I'm not saying it's bad or anything but like I feel like it's kinda overrated. And Dignitas is the more interesting one. It's less thick but still on the thicker side and it definitely slows the cube slightly but not much and after some breaking in the cube becomes normal speed again but more smoother and a slightly heavier feel(I have no idea how to describe this feeling but I think this is the best I can do). I used both of these on the zv5(Gravitas on tracks and Dignitas on pieces) And at first it didn't feel like the lubes were that great but after some break in and setting up the tensions right it felt so much better(you have to do a lot more break in compared to other lubes). It felt like the plastic sort of absorbed the lubes a bit(?) and somehow the cube feels less cheap. Setting up the cube basically solved everything probably the zv5 had. And now I really really enjoy it! It's very satisfying and although it’s definitely not the best performing cube but definitely one of the most satisfying cubes . I haven't really messed around with the lubes on other cubes but will probably try it soon. Also I have my setting on slowest speed(5) and second loosest(2) with strongest core mags and weakest piece mags if anyone’s wondering.
-Adjustment system: I separated this from the set up because there is too much to talk about here. The entire adjustment system in the cube is all TRASH! The DAS is very hard to read and not stable so it would some times just turn on its own! And the corner core adjustment is terrible too since you have to take out the corner to adjust it unlike moyu cubes. And imo the worst is the piece magnet adjustment because it just doesn’t work properly. When I turn it will get stuck and not move on to the next setting and this is very often. Also if I try and force it the whole magnet capsule will get pushed in side the cube and get stuck there(I barely managed to get it out). And don’t even talk about the tool they provided. The tool is so bad it can’t even change the piece mags and you don’t need the tool for the core mags. So what’s the point? This is a great tip but use a x man tornado piece mag adjustment screw driver and it works way better.
-Aesthetics: Obviously the first thing you can notice is the light green internals. And I think the shade of green is very decisive between people. Because the green is quite light some say it’s not much different than primary and some say it’s good because it’s still a different color than white but not as distracting. I personally love it because I prefer light green than just green and tbh it’s not even that light imo.
-Logo: This is kind of a funny one. I bought 2 types of logos from the taobao cubicle nd it is great. Probably the best thing in this whole review. Works as intended, easy to apply and very neat looking. I used thecubicle proshop logo on my v11 and the yo logo on the zv5. And I was planning on doing this in the first place so ordered s blank cap for the zhanchi but the one that arrived had a very yellow tint and I just couldn’t use it. So I just tried sanding the original logo with some sandpaper and it worked perfectly(don’t know why I bought the blank cap in the first place but still got the refund so👍). And tbh it looks SOOOOOOO GOOD. It’s literally one of my favorite cubes just because of it. And also if anyone is wondering the logos are all uv transfer.
-Conclusion: Very happy with all of my purchases and a huge success in my opinion(if nothing goes wrong in the future). The cube is exactly what I expected. Not the best performance but definitely the best looking and satisfying to turn. Also very happy with the Angstrom lubes too(especially dignitas). And Love the logos the most. Overall a 10/10 for everything. Although I definitely wouldn’t recommend the zv5 for someone looking for an aesthetic cube WITH good performance. The performance is very mid. But probably one of my favorite cubes now or maybe even THE most favorite cube out of my collection(there’s a photo of it if interested)
About my cubing hobby
I have started cubing in 2021 and stopped for a while since 2022 and started “speedcubing” since late 2025. And it has been almost exactly been a year since I have started speedcubing. And currently have 2 main events(3x3 & 4x4). Very recently finally reached sub 12 with 3x3 and currently average about 45~50 on 4x4. Also currently have about 23 cubes and 5 lubes + a timer and mat in my collection. So I wouldn’t say I’m the most insane collector but not a non collector either but you can be the judge on that.
Before I did all of this year of cubing I used to play video games like other kids in school. I think I played Brawl stars for like 6~7 years with all my friends until the game died and then played Fall guys for about half a year(about a 1000 crowns I think) on my own without any friends cuz nobody played the game. And then got inspired to do cubing again but this time with speed. And I think this transition was possible because I was already playing by myself. And up until this point I did have friends but never really had the chance to talk about the same hobby. Like how you would go to school and talk about the games you played yesterday with your friends(you know what I mean). And this also doesn’t mean I never talked but never got to do a hobby together like meeting in the weekends to beat a boss fight or smth. And since obviously nobody cubes that just never happened for over a year and a half(including my fall guys times). And also imo mobile games in general fell off a bit and nobody really meets friends to play mobile games anymore. But this all changed a few days ago! When my exam ended when my friends and I were out trying to play some badminton the indoor court near by was full and couldn’t do anything so one of my friends suggested playing a game he played a while back. So we did and had some fun and now we just play it quite regularly. And also if you’re wondering the game is Soul knight
So what happened is I do cubing a lot less now and just feel like cubing isn’t as fun as before. Maybe because it has been so long since I have played games like this. Some people in reddit or discord might already know(or not cuz nobody cares) but I haven’t been that much active in both platforms. I will probably never fully quite cubing but I will definitely be way less active. And also who really knows what might happen in the future. I might never do cubing again or come right back tomorrow who knows? And also really happy at this spot to end on a high note with the zv5. But in the end there is a few things I realized while cubing. First is that it is possible to get sub 12 on 3x3 in a year and the second most important thing is that Cubing is definitely possible(or at least have the potential) to beat video games.
