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After adding a Gan 562 M to my collection, I also nabbed an Aofu WRM M 7×7 used alongside several other high-quality puzzles. I knew my 5×5 record was in reach but my times were really nothing particularly good. The expensive Gan cube just wasn’t giving me the edge I needed. So, with my wife out of town and my shoulder slowly recovering from surgery, I did a few 7×7 solves. My first one was 16:16.92 – literally one second slower than my record! After a few botched efforts with edge pairing going repeatedly awry, I busted out a 14:21 – breaking my record by two full minutes!

So, naturally, the question was: could I break two records in one day? The 5×5 record has stood for three-and-a-half years after all and a sub-four-minute time always seemed out of reach. Well, after a record-setting 4:03.70, I shattered the record with a 3:48.81! Sub-four and two records in one day. These new puzzles are just unreal compared to what things were like when I started. I’m quite satisfied with both and while that 7×7 could probably get better, I’m never in a rush on puzzles that take so long. Now to edit and update my cubing-records page!

My history with cubing nears its 15th anniversary and that time has been spent on both the speedcubing side and the collecting side of the hobby. While most of my best times are likely behind me, I’ve also reached a point in my life where I don’t need to make quibbles over an extra few dollars per puzzle. In recent years, I’ve replaced many of my older collection with higher-quality puzzles, matching the hobby’s current state in the mid-2020s. Some of those additions have helped me break records, others just made the process of solving that much more fun. My Gan 356M got my times lower, but my Gan Megaminx didn’t break any new records. Nor did my now Moyu Aosu V7 4×4. A great puzzle, sure, but my times may have hit their peak in brevity, residing forever in yesteryear.

Today’s new purchase was the 562 M – and like the Aosu, I opted for the UV coating. This puzzle has a premium feel and is the most-impressive higher-order puzzle I own. While the Aosu feels like a half notch between quality and budget, the 562 looks and feels like my hard-earned dollars were spent wisely. My first timed solve was 4:19, just seven seconds off my record. And, I’m wearing a sling after shoulder surgery three days ago.

I feel confident this puzzle will help me break my record and perhaps the ever-elusize sub-four-minute solve may even be in sight. Regardless of time accomplishments, it’s safe to say I will never go back to any of my prior 5x5s: not my original YJ Mini, nor my original ShengShou or even the SS magnetic stickerless from a few years ago. All retired for this new one. And I’m sold: you get what you pay for and OMG, this Gan 562 is one of the best puzzles in my entire collection.