Mechanical Keyboard Sound Isn't That Simple
Figure 1: I couldn't think of a more literal way to represent this article if I tried... Looking back just a few years ago, there’s no doubt that the huge influx of people that joined the hobby at the peak of the COVID pandemic were drawn to keyboards by way of YouTube, TikTok, and other audio-visual content platforms. Even as the output from these content creators has waned in recent months, their collective impact and legacy on the keyboard hobby is rather firmly etched in the history books. As a result of all of their sound tests, build logs, and opinion videos, the message is clear to any new person joining the hobby: mechanical keyboards are all about the sound. Thock this, clack that. Whether it’s keyboards, keycaps, or even singular switches, seemingly everyone new to the hobby meticulously pores over each component of their keyboard not in an attempt to figure out how it will feel in hand, but how it will sound as they’re furiously grinding their way out from...
Mar 27, 2024
* Micro-switch for the insert key was soldered about a quarter cm higher than every other key - it sticks out, literally. * The stabilizers for the long keys (shift, enter, space, etc) really suck. If you press near the edge of the right shift or enter key, they won't work. * Some keys that normally lack stabilizers are also difficult to push when hit near the edge. Tab on my board seems particularly prone to this issue. * The switches are very inconsistent. I ordered a board with blue switches, and some of the switches don't even click. * The LEDs flicker quite distractingly on the highest and lowest settings.
I've got a Quickfire rapid that cost me 1/3 the price of this board, and it is much more pleasant to type on, due to just how inconsistent the switches in this board are. It appears MKC doesn't really have very high QC standards.
On a positive note, the chassis itself seems to be quite nice on a cursory inspection, and that is the main selling point for this board.
Some additional notes now that I've had a chance to use it:
* After pulling off some of the caps, I realized that the stabilizer bars are completely missing from everything other than the space bar. * The "v", left arrow, and scroll-lock keys are non-functional. * The spacebar easily gets stuck. * No way to turn off the LEDs. * Printing on the PBT caps is low quality. * The PBT keycaps themselves seems to be pretty good quality. * Appears to have full NKRO, which is a good thing. * The orange LEDs with the white PBT keycaps are quite attractive.
The board is unusable with the broken keys and missing stabilizers. Even without these issues, it would be an awful board to actually use due to the low quality of the switches. I'm not sure where they managed to find such low quality cherry switches, but I suspect they may be fakes or rejects.
I honestly would have probably just been happier if this had just been a drop for the chassis. The chassis is nice, but the board is completely useless garbage.