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
Mechanical keyboards used to just be called ‘keyboards’. They are the original keyboard category, replaced by membrane keyboards as described above. Of course, over the years the variety of what is called a ‘mechanical keyboard’ has grown, so there are a few different types. From the old IBM buckling spring keyboards to modern Cherry MX keyboards, you’ll find all sorts of niches in between to satiate your every fantasy. We’re not going to dive into the deep end today though. Instead we’ll focus on the main reasons to go mechanical - broadly speaking. Spoiler alert: most of them revolve around customization. Benefits of mechanical keyboards
Repairability