Hi all, thanks for watching. Just want to say, if you already have this board, please don't let my comments about value affect your enjoyment of it. That would be the most wasteful move.
Great review, even as a simp, I think the price for the Kara is a little ridiculous though I imagine a decent amount of the money went to packaging. Could probably cut off like 30 bucks if they just stuck it in a carboard box with their logo.
@@GrandSekiza maybe have two options then. One option is to place it in a piece of shit cardboard box and the other option is for them to use their artistic organized packaging and up the price. That way both morons can buy either one.
Hit the nail right on the head. I'm glad the community has someone who isn't afraid to be critical. Some things have to be said, and as our community grows, it's important to keep standards high.
I recently tried a Kara at a small meetup, and it definitely didn't meet my expectations. While I do enjoy nice packaging and art, I do agree with your points made on that end for sure. I loved this review, straight to the point and valid reasons. Nicely done
Man... is the "damper" vs. "dampener" argument a lost cause already? I'm about to give up explaining the difference to people... I can assure you most folks unfortunately won't even get the joke of your comment! XD
Zack_szh Take note and pay attention. APPLE is a CORPORATION Apple is a fruit They sound the same, however, they are not the same CORPORATE names are always written in the ALL CAPS iteration. You are essentially a zombie. You have eyes and cannot see - Ears and cannot hear.
Even as a Kara owner, I'm inclined to agree with you. It's my first and probably only Rama board, so there's that, but I really do appreciate your honesty and I can't argue with your closing thoughts on RAMAWORKS tbh. Good work.
The beautiful packaging won't go away. Many love the "premium unboxing" experience, citing the need for tools, smells and otherworldly feeling when revealing the product. Sadly not everyone is like you, they want the novelty of opening a fancy box, which creates the illusion of elevating the status of the product and ultimately contributes to more waste.
I like having like sturdy packaging that's nice so I can put it back in the box for storage. Having everything be sealed individually in color coded baggies and shipped in a corpo-art box that looks at home in silicon valley is a hard pass from me.
A great and honest review. Watched multiple streams and other youtubers but none were as real and genuine as you. It's disappointing how everyone simps for rama but in reality, they are putting out products that are not proportionate to its prices.
Was looking through the comments during the with/without dampener comparison and literally couldn't tell the difference between the two so... I guess buying it is a huge waste of money.
Dodged a bullet with this one. Thanks for the awesome review and I share many of your opinions about RAMA too. They have been progressively getting worse and worse to the point where you are now just paying the RAMA tax.
I bought the brass plate ,its a improved version that can be fit with 3rd party stabs Newer gmmk pro are shipped with new plates able to accommodate durock v2 stabs
Imagine dedicating so much on packaging but couldn't even hide a simple wire from a translucent base.. I can't unsee that just as much as I can't unsubscribe from this channel now. Gotta love your plain brutal honest reviews, it is a quick fact check to bring nerds out from the keebs fantasy world.
The deal breaker for me not wanting this keyboard is the sound, It just sounds so cheap, and so sad. It doesn't sound like something worth $120, and definitely not worth $160. I'm so glad I dodged such an expensive bullet
As much as I like rama his fame (deserved) is getting to him, his items are usually aesthetically nice but paying a premium price because it's his brand is something hopefully he won't do like Kara in the future.
Well said at the end. I frankly think they’re trying the break out of the r/mk niche and be more of an industrial design shop. I don’t know how I feel about that. That said, all the offerings in this price range is garbage. And pretty much waste of money. I much rather just buy an HHKB.
Agree that the price is steep, especially considering the competition. The board itself is great HHKB though, it just needs to be $60 cheaper, and yeah accesories are way overpriced.
Been trying HHKB for FPS games like CSGO and Valorant. Took a lot to get used to but am now enjoying the closer control key for crouching and the less awkward acement for left Shift. For Coding and Typing it's just the best, 2U control is revolutionary.
Weird. It almost sounds like you have a pre-production Kara. No such issues with my Haze version. With the PC plate, the Kara is indeed a very different typing experience than the M-60A. I didn't care for the Kara with Glorious Panda switches, but the Kara really came alive for me with linear Banana Splits. The typing experience is good enough that I'll keep the Kara in rotation with my M60-A, TFV2 and PFU HHKBs. Regardless, if you're cross-shopping the Kara with a 65% or 75% board, then you're probably not going to be happy with the HHKB layout and lack of dedicated arrow keys under any circumstance.
I agree: cardbox is most premium boxing for me. I would be more happy if keyboard case would be added. I don't agree with beautiful box philosophy thus not a big fan of apple
Being a u80 owner and recently getting my hands on the kara, I'm gonna say I was disappointed. I had much higher expectations coming from the u80, not comparing metal to plastic, but quality control wise I expected much more as my u80 experience has been nothing but flawless. I also have a portico and can say without a doubt the portico is a much better deal in everyway unless you WANT the hhkb retro aesthetic the kara offers.
I think all your observations about the product itself match my own experience, but having tried all the other board you mentioned in this review, it’s hard to judge what you consider to be a good or bad value. The Portico, NK65EE, and GMMK Pro are all pretty bad to me while still exceeding the cost of a good prebuilt when switches and keycaps are factored in, so I don’t think they help your argument that much in comparison. The Kara is at least, as you said, decent. Given that they’re definitely going to keep making this keyboard for a while, it would be very interesting to check back in in a year or so when we can compare against the next wave of entry level keyboards like the Q1, Ikki 68 and Bauer Lite that could end up being better keyboards than the Kara and not just cheaper ones.
RAMA is a niche HIGHEND FASHION TECH BRAND, no different than other high-end brands. I WANT fancy packaging sorry. Maybe they could offer bare-bones boxes plain stuff and just your device but honestly we have enough of that all ready. Can't we have any nice things that are well thought out call me a snob but I'm tired on no frillz
Thank you! I was also about to make a video about this. I´ve been sending messages back and forth to RAMA for the past few weeks about this issue. I am hugely disappointed on my RAMA KARA (moon). The injection mould case is just horrible, the surface quality is just dreadful for the price! I don´t want to know what the quality will be for the new keycaps if this is the "normal standard". I own the Portico as well and even though it´s cheap feeling as well, at least the surface on it is pretty consistent. Oh, yeah, even my "cheap" Ducky One 2 Mini has a consistent surface quality.
I'm usually OK with most of their pricing since they provide interesting and unique products, but this doesn't seem like it's it. Those recent keycap case you pointed out are a perfect example, more so than this board.
That's what he said... They offer the rare hhkb layout and daughter board. But they fall short in other functional design avenues. Hope you like your overpriced nerd product.
I like my M60A, or at least I thought it was the greatest thing ever against the HHKB design in 2019, but switches not registering with the PCB really bothers me. I cannot tell you how many times I've had to remove switches and realign the PCB of my board just to make sure everything works properly, and I know for sure my HHKB Type-S wouldn't have given me any of these issues if I had just... not sold it back then.
Your comments about excessive packaging echo my sentiments! I feel as though this hobby already is so heavily enveloped into the ethos of consumerism that the least we can do is to reduce the number of plastics, and look for recyclable or biodegradable alternatives to packaging. Inks on boxes take up a lot of energy and water to print as well. Really hoping more people in the hobby start thinking about the impacts of their purchases.
@@kyrian7600 Indeed but arguably this hobby has more things to buy because of the parts needed to build a keyboard. Other hobbies like Japanese knives are really only the knives themselves. There's also just a wealth of GBs happening that assist in the facilitation of greater purchases.
It's hard to find many HHKB options - it's what drew me to rama, i prefer it over any other keyboard layout which is why the KARA is very appealing to me. Overall, while it is a bit on the pricey side, it's not much cheaper than the actual HHKB but with mechanical switches over the capacitive style switches (and thus all the customization choices). That is worth the price for me. Great video and and editing.
I have thoroughly enjoyed this. Quick question - you mentioned the bezel is quite tall on this board. Do you know which boards have the least tall front bezel? Everything I see is super chonky, and I hate using a wristpad.
Well... Portico is run by TKC, a company that is infamous for shipping broken shit. Maybe compare with to the ikki68 aurora and kbd67lite for a better comparison.
They are charging $64 for kate keycap case...for plastic. Just because it has the name Rama. It's undeniable they overprice their items. To be fair though, not much more expensive than GMK, and it comes with the case.
Bought it second hand for 150, completely modded, lubed switches and replaced/lubed springs. New + lubed + modded stabs. And the board/kit was modded too. For that it really wasn't a bad deal - but from the box for 160...myeah there are better options
Great video, love people express their true feeling rather than crow about whatever they got. But I have 3 Kara😂, and just pre-ordered the RW x KAIJU KINGZ. I didn't find those issue with my Karas, and I don't use internal accessories at all. The only thin I should probably mention is use a proper switcher is more critical to a keyboard.
I respect the video. Not a bad review. I disagree about the finish. At $160 I find the finish to be acceptable. I don't expect anything more at the price point and anything better would just be additional quality imo at that price range. However i do agree in general that with the kara you are paying for injected mold for looks and not typing experience. This is still a low to mid budget build and i do not expect a whole lot when it comes to overall quality but i do expect... Maybe a few more good surprises than this as far as design of functional plate placement that would make the typing experience a bit better...
I would agree with some of this stuff, but I was under the impression I was paying a premium, not because there was a better value, but because that was the cost of getting it from rama, and not for the name recognition but for the cost to pay people well and pay for materials, although now that I think about it I might be making it up in my head. I guess my thought is that keybaords can either be cheap or they are a hobby. If you want to participate in the hobby then its about experimentation in materials and design, and not about cost point. I am not critisizing you or this video but actually a self reflection in this comment. I am left wondering If I made that narrative up in my head. Like I don't mind buying a rama baord as long as the designers and people around the company are getting paid well and the suppliers are getting paid well and the product is made somewhat ethically. I guess I need to do some more research into the matter. I will say that I did just get a U80 and I am in love with it. I have spent a bunch of money on keyboard stuff, a number I am too emberrased to mention, specifically at rama in the last few months, but if the cost is going to ethicallly paying people for creating something cool I dont necessarilly mind it. I think specifically about Rama that is what I am looking for. Although I think after my rama panic I will be looking into other group buys from other companies. Thanks for the great and honest review. Hopefully I can do some research into the matter to either confirm or correct my assumption about this.
My Varmilo VB87M, which I bought for 80$ (MSRP was 150$) has exactly the same sound signature as this this board, except it's a TKL and only Bluetooth.
I got SEQ1 and yeah it's pricey but there aren't many HHKB layout customs available. The sound and feel is good enough for me. I do feel a bit robbed by the dampener. I also got a Portico to gift to my partner and I'm impressed by the sound and feel of it, but the stabilizers are junk. Also either the Portico PCB sockets are off center or the DSA magic girl keycaps are shit. It looks pretty jank.
I also have an issue with the screws on the back. For me that already makes it not worth the price tag. It does lack alot. It looks alright but, I honestly regret this one. since i got it off of aftermarket i got it for $300. RIP
One thing about this hobby is that it’s never been about value for money. It’s about stuff that would otherwise not be made. That being said RAMA has good value boards (U80, Thermal) and stuff that is there to support them whilst being not so much value per monies - chess set, pens, film canisters aaand the Kara. If you already have a U80 with the dampener and the weight the fact that those fit the Kara is a bonus. So in conclusion the Kara is nice but not for everybody. And that’s ok. Also I’d rather get Kara than support TKC in any way shape or form and the GMMK Pro is pretty terrible (I have one) starting with the high profile which isn’t really high profile, the gasket mount which isn’t really gasket and the QMK and VIA support which are terrible.
While it's true that the mk hobby considered as a *whole* isn't about value for money, the Kara is clearly a budget-oriented/entry-level board. The entire rationale behind budget boards is that they offer good performance for their price point.
I always appreciate objective review you do, keep doing what you do Community tend to put blind favoritism on particular vendors/designers, basically hivemind mentality
Hi all, thanks for watching.
Just want to say, if you already have this board, please don't let my comments about value affect your enjoyment of it. That would be the most wasteful move.
Great review, even as a simp, I think the price for the Kara is a little ridiculous though I imagine a decent amount of the money went to packaging. Could probably cut off like 30 bucks if they just stuck it in a carboard box with their logo.
Even though I also have this board, I love this review, it's honest, critical and thorough about what it is and what it's about. Thanks for this
@@GrandSekiza maybe have two options then. One option is to place it in a piece of shit cardboard box and the other option is for them to use their artistic organized packaging and up the price. That way both morons can buy either one.
@@GrandSekiza they may cut off more if not include decent cable and switch puller. But then it will be a total ripoff.
@@GrandSekiza It a highend device I want nice packaging and not some sh*tty box.
Hit the nail right on the head. I'm glad the community has someone who isn't afraid to be critical. Some things have to be said, and as our community grows, it's important to keep standards high.
I recently tried a Kara at a small meetup, and it definitely didn't meet my expectations. While I do enjoy nice packaging and art, I do agree with your points made on that end for sure. I loved this review, straight to the point and valid reasons. Nicely done
hi sviz
Have you heard it with pe foam?
Oof. The straight burn at the end. Appreciate that you kept it real for us consumers.
New internal dampener: pour water in case for optimal damp.
optimal drip, make sure you show your friends
@@bakeraus water king who? :thocc:
Man... is the "damper" vs. "dampener" argument a lost cause already? I'm about to give up explaining the difference to people...
I can assure you most folks unfortunately won't even get the joke of your comment! XD
I’ve actually been wondering how well this would work lol
@@keagan5379 results will be "shocking"
Rama is slowly turning into Apple
yep. i always feel that rama is like Apple in the mkb scene lol
Apple has the look and the function as well at least. Rama really only has the look and price.
Zack_szh
Take note and pay attention.
APPLE is a CORPORATION
Apple is a fruit
They sound the same, however, they are not the same
CORPORATE names are always written in the ALL CAPS iteration.
You are essentially a zombie. You have eyes and cannot see - Ears and cannot hear.
JYMV is the most based keyboard youtuber in the game
based where?
@@gillsejusbates6938 I assume he doesnt have a Rama Kara. I bought Kara Soya, its not worth the money. With that price range get KBD67 lite.
@@gillsejusbates6938 He's based in the US.
Based on fact and logic
Simon?
“trailblazers in finding new boundaries of nerd consumer stupidity” LMAO
Even as a Kara owner, I'm inclined to agree with you. It's my first and probably only Rama board, so there's that, but I really do appreciate your honesty and I can't argue with your closing thoughts on RAMAWORKS tbh. Good work.
The beautiful packaging won't go away. Many love the "premium unboxing" experience, citing the need for tools, smells and otherworldly feeling when revealing the product. Sadly not everyone is like you, they want the novelty of opening a fancy box, which creates the illusion of elevating the status of the product and ultimately contributes to more waste.
I like having like sturdy packaging that's nice so I can put it back in the box for storage. Having everything be sealed individually in color coded baggies and shipped in a corpo-art box that looks at home in silicon valley is a hard pass from me.
@@thejusmar looks like you don't mind to add $60 for box when buy keycaps.
@@urabus986 a plain black cardboard box isn't $60. This dude was acting like the UPS box works fine
@@thejusmar but you like sturdy packaging that nice.
@@urabus986 not like the pompous facebook garbage the Rama came in.
A great and honest review. Watched multiple streams and other youtubers but none were as real and genuine as you. It's disappointing how everyone simps for rama but in reality, they are putting out products that are not proportionate to its prices.
i believe they didn't pay their own money for it
@@aleks3954 yeah. Most of them received free review units.
@@aleks3954 getting free products does not omit a reviewer from being honest and true.
rama was peak a long time ago
Rama gotta chill on the prices with things like the portico and kbd67 lite out there.
I guess there was no purpose to compete with them.
Great video, sir! Great commentary. Speaking your truths and being grounded in your critique is refreshing compared to other content creators.
There’s literally no difference in sound with the dampener vs without lmao
I'm glad that there are people who can see past the Rama tax :)
Well thats the thing, if you buy a Rama product it's because you want the Rama experience, overpriced or not
@@xanira6367 yeah. Buy overpriced "dampener" that anyway leaves board hollow. 😒
@@urabus986 did you even read what I said...
@@xanira6367 experience could be better.
@@urabus986 sure but its still a budget board, even if its overpriced lol
Was looking through the comments during the with/without dampener comparison and literally couldn't tell the difference between the two so... I guess buying it is a huge waste of money.
"new boundary of nerd consumer stupidity" got me. Great vid!
Love the review and title. Was deciding on the Kara Seq 2 but am really on the fence. This video definitely does help with my decision.
Dodged a bullet with this one. Thanks for the awesome review and I share many of your opinions about RAMA too. They have been progressively getting worse and worse to the point where you are now just paying the RAMA tax.
maybe they will release an updated version called the 'A̶p̶p̶l̶e̶ Ramaworks iKara Pro XS'
They could make seq2 cheaper. But no. Seems it's not their goal to compete with cheaper boards.
3:54
FYI: glorious acknowledged their plate mistakes and are producing “improved ones” (source; their twitter)
Also heard that they already fix their plate in new batch
I bought the brass plate ,its a improved version that can be fit with 3rd party stabs
Newer gmmk pro are shipped with new plates able to accommodate durock v2 stabs
Thanks! That's great to hear
Oooooooof but subscribed because of the genuinely and justifiably critical review. I slightly regret my purchase now 🥲
Imagine dedicating so much on packaging but couldn't even hide a simple wire from a translucent base.. I can't unsee that just as much as I can't unsubscribe from this channel now. Gotta love your plain brutal honest reviews, it is a quick fact check to bring nerds out from the keebs fantasy world.
it also doesnt get shipped....
The deal breaker for me not wanting this keyboard is the sound, It just sounds so cheap, and so sad. It doesn't sound like something worth $120, and definitely not worth $160. I'm so glad I dodged such an expensive bullet
As much as I like rama his fame (deserved) is getting to him, his items are usually aesthetically nice but paying a premium price because it's his brand is something hopefully he won't do like Kara in the future.
Well said at the end. I frankly think they’re trying the break out of the r/mk niche and be more of an industrial design shop. I don’t know how I feel about that.
That said, all the offerings in this price range is garbage. And pretty much waste of money. I much rather just buy an HHKB.
i have a small tip for RAMA KARA, apply permatex into all contactpoints between (plate+mute+pcb) and the case. it became smooth and soft like charm.
I’ll have to try this out!
Can you elaborate on exactly what this does?
@@isastarmoon reduce the sound of creaking, because it's plastic.
Thanks for the review glad I passed on the KARA and went with Sangeo60 for the HHKB layout.
Agree that the price is steep, especially considering the competition. The board itself is great HHKB though, it just needs to be $60 cheaper, and yeah accesories are way overpriced.
Title: "Total Ripoff"
Description: "Yeah, it's pretty alright."
Me: :|
Imo it's one of the best looking keyboards out there, but damn do they charge up the ass. Plus idk if I can truly get used to HKKB layout tbh.
Been trying HHKB for FPS games like CSGO and Valorant. Took a lot to get used to but am now enjoying the closer control key for crouching and the less awkward acement for left Shift.
For Coding and Typing it's just the best, 2U control is revolutionary.
Fantastic review, makes me glad I didn't go for the Kara.
Get the Tokyo60 as your canvas (plastic is not worth it IMO) and go from there. Great value.
Weird. It almost sounds like you have a pre-production Kara. No such issues with my Haze version. With the PC plate, the Kara is indeed a very different typing experience than the M-60A. I didn't care for the Kara with Glorious Panda switches, but the Kara really came alive for me with linear Banana Splits. The typing experience is good enough that I'll keep the Kara in rotation with my M60-A, TFV2 and PFU HHKBs. Regardless, if you're cross-shopping the Kara with a 65% or 75% board, then you're probably not going to be happy with the HHKB layout and lack of dedicated arrow keys under any circumstance.
Agreed here. Novelkey Creams on mine, good enough for a daily driver I can sorta beat up throughout the years.
I agree: cardbox is most premium boxing for me. I would be more happy if keyboard case would be added. I don't agree with beautiful box philosophy thus not a big fan of apple
I was a Ramaworks fan but its reputation is a joke now.
Being a u80 owner and recently getting my hands on the kara, I'm gonna say I was disappointed. I had much higher expectations coming from the u80, not comparing metal to plastic, but quality control wise I expected much more as my u80 experience has been nothing but flawless. I also have a portico and can say without a doubt the portico is a much better deal in everyway unless you WANT the hhkb retro aesthetic the kara offers.
the D60 Lite would probably be the most comparable keyboard
Tokyo60?
A critique on ramaworks? how dare you 1! ! !1!1!!
Ouch!
I think most people forget about the Drop Tokyo 60 $160 plus it includes some stabs
The RAMA "KASHGRAB"
Oof
I think all your observations about the product itself match my own experience, but having tried all the other board you mentioned in this review, it’s hard to judge what you consider to be a good or bad value. The Portico, NK65EE, and GMMK Pro are all pretty bad to me while still exceeding the cost of a good prebuilt when switches and keycaps are factored in, so I don’t think they help your argument that much in comparison. The Kara is at least, as you said, decent. Given that they’re definitely going to keep making this keyboard for a while, it would be very interesting to check back in in a year or so when we can compare against the next wave of entry level keyboards like the Q1, Ikki 68 and Bauer Lite that could end up being better keyboards than the Kara and not just cheaper ones.
RAMA is a niche HIGHEND FASHION TECH BRAND, no different than other high-end brands. I WANT fancy packaging sorry. Maybe they could offer bare-bones boxes plain stuff and just your device but honestly we have enough of that all ready. Can't we have any nice things that are well thought out call me a snob but I'm tired on no frillz
Amazing review! Is that a deskmat at the very end or an art piece? I have aquariums and a Shiba Inu so it's very much like me!
That's actually the box art that came with the Kara
Oh cool, RAMA figured out how to make a board even uglier than the original M60.
Thank you! I was also about to make a video about this. I´ve been sending messages back and forth to RAMA for the past few weeks about this issue. I am hugely disappointed on my RAMA KARA (moon). The injection mould case is just horrible, the surface quality is just dreadful for the price! I don´t want to know what the quality will be for the new keycaps if this is the "normal standard". I own the Portico as well and even though it´s cheap feeling as well, at least the surface on it is pretty consistent. Oh, yeah, even my "cheap" Ducky One 2 Mini has a consistent surface quality.
I got a great unit myself with zero discernible kinks or issues. Must be bad luck in the mix too.
Thank you. I was actually considering the Kara but I've been putting off because of the 1 year wait (likely).
I was waiting for 7 months for my kara.
Recently ordered the SEQ2; way I see it, is that Rama is like Apple, except for keyboards.
Agree with that. Kara is iPhone SE. 😁
@@urabus986 Yep. Not the best performant, not the best parts, not good value, but a unique experience and product that will leave you satisfied.
Honest review!!! Rare to see these days
Waiting on my u80a Seq-2. Hopefully the quality is value worthy.
haha $45 dollar for a piece of silicon!!😂
So sad, Rama used to be a great high-end brand, may the current really high-end ones not repeat this.
God bless.
I'm usually OK with most of their pricing since they provide interesting and unique products, but this doesn't seem like it's it. Those recent keycap case you pointed out are a perfect example, more so than this board.
That's what he said... They offer the rare hhkb layout and daughter board. But they fall short in other functional design avenues. Hope you like your overpriced nerd product.
After my first and last purchase experience from Rama, I never go back to them
I find the idea of JYMV paying for an okay keyboard just to be so unhappy hilarious. Thanks for keeping the review game honest
totally copping those $60 case to put my $20 aliexpress keycaps in them
hey rama is not the villain here, they saw an opportunity and they took it. The one at fault here is us the stoopid customer xD
you probably get this a lot, but you sound like taeha
Ngl he had us in the first half half 💀
I like my M60A, or at least I thought it was the greatest thing ever against the HHKB design in 2019, but switches not registering with the PCB really bothers me. I cannot tell you how many times I've had to remove switches and realign the PCB of my board just to make sure everything works properly, and I know for sure my HHKB Type-S wouldn't have given me any of these issues if I had just... not sold it back then.
i didnt get those dope stickers w/ mine :(
Your comments about excessive packaging echo my sentiments! I feel as though this hobby already is so heavily enveloped into the ethos of consumerism that the least we can do is to reduce the number of plastics, and look for recyclable or biodegradable alternatives to packaging. Inks on boxes take up a lot of energy and water to print as well. Really hoping more people in the hobby start thinking about the impacts of their purchases.
“Heavily enveloped into the ethos of consumerism” kinda the point when it comes to any hobby
@@kyrian7600 Indeed but arguably this hobby has more things to buy because of the parts needed to build a keyboard. Other hobbies like Japanese knives are really only the knives themselves. There's also just a wealth of GBs happening that assist in the facilitation of greater purchases.
100%
Mines going on the shelf :P
Welp, I'm not buying a Rama keyboard now lol
It's hard to find many HHKB options - it's what drew me to rama, i prefer it over any other keyboard layout which is why the KARA is very appealing to me. Overall, while it is a bit on the pricey side, it's not much cheaper than the actual HHKB but with mechanical switches over the capacitive style switches (and thus all the customization choices). That is worth the price for me.
Great video and and editing.
Can’t hear any difference with or without the dampener.
This was well worth waiting for! Great video! Excited to get my SEQ2 and try it myself.
I have thoroughly enjoyed this. Quick question - you mentioned the bezel is quite tall on this board. Do you know which boards have the least tall front bezel? Everything I see is super chonky, and I hate using a wristpad.
You should compare the pcb quality of kara to its competitors. Portico has serious pcb issues while Kara doesn't.
Well... Portico is run by TKC, a company that is infamous for shipping broken shit. Maybe compare with to the ikki68 aurora and kbd67lite for a better comparison.
@@jordangoh4775 I mentioned portigo because it was used for comparison in the video
cherry mx browns are bad your in denial
They are charging $64 for kate keycap case...for plastic. Just because it has the name Rama.
It's undeniable they overprice their items. To be fair though, not much more expensive than GMK, and it comes with the case.
Bought it second hand for 150, completely modded, lubed switches and replaced/lubed springs. New + lubed + modded stabs. And the board/kit was modded too.
For that it really wasn't a bad deal - but from the box for 160...myeah there are better options
Great video, love people express their true feeling rather than crow about whatever they got. But I have 3 Kara😂, and just pre-ordered the RW x KAIJU KINGZ. I didn't find those issue with my Karas, and I don't use internal accessories at all. The only thin I should probably mention is use a proper switcher is more critical to a keyboard.
Totally have watched this alr
I commented this was not worth it for a plastic board on their video and my comment got removed lol
I respect the video. Not a bad review. I disagree about the finish. At $160 I find the finish to be acceptable. I don't expect anything more at the price point and anything better would just be additional quality imo at that price range. However i do agree in general that with the kara you are paying for injected mold for looks and not typing experience. This is still a low to mid budget build and i do not expect a whole lot when it comes to overall quality but i do expect... Maybe a few more good surprises than this as far as design of functional plate placement that would make the typing experience a bit better...
kinda regretting preordering the req 2 now damn why is RUclips recommending this to me
I would agree with some of this stuff, but I was under the impression I was paying a premium, not because there was a better value, but because that was the cost of getting it from rama, and not for the name recognition but for the cost to pay people well and pay for materials, although now that I think about it I might be making it up in my head. I guess my thought is that keybaords can either be cheap or they are a hobby. If you want to participate in the hobby then its about experimentation in materials and design, and not about cost point.
I am not critisizing you or this video but actually a self reflection in this comment. I am left wondering If I made that narrative up in my head. Like I don't mind buying a rama baord as long as the designers and people around the company are getting paid well and the suppliers are getting paid well and the product is made somewhat ethically. I guess I need to do some more research into the matter.
I will say that I did just get a U80 and I am in love with it. I have spent a bunch of money on keyboard stuff, a number I am too emberrased to mention, specifically at rama in the last few months, but if the cost is going to ethicallly paying people for creating something cool I dont necessarilly mind it. I think specifically about Rama that is what I am looking for. Although I think after my rama panic I will be looking into other group buys from other companies.
Thanks for the great and honest review. Hopefully I can do some research into the matter to either confirm or correct my assumption about this.
I actually really like it after modding it. Its a softer bottom out than my M60A and a good mobile option.
The acoustics are also good.
These camera shots are great
My dream keyboard is the Rama U80-A, do you think that one is worth its price when it comes back as group-buy?
What are those keycaps :O
My Varmilo VB87M, which I bought for 80$ (MSRP was 150$) has exactly the same sound signature as this this board, except it's a TKL and only Bluetooth.
the screws holding pcb and the plate keep falling out,
i will stop buying rama products until they are improved
I got SEQ1 and yeah it's pricey but there aren't many HHKB layout customs available. The sound and feel is good enough for me. I do feel a bit robbed by the dampener. I also got a Portico to gift to my partner and I'm impressed by the sound and feel of it, but the stabilizers are junk. Also either the Portico PCB sockets are off center or the DSA magic girl keycaps are shit. It looks pretty jank.
If i can get it $200 CAD shipped, should i👀
No more than 100usd
I also have an issue with the screws on the back. For me that already makes it not worth the price tag. It does lack alot. It looks alright but, I honestly regret this one. since i got it off of aftermarket i got it for $300. RIP
Keyboard is fat.
Prefectly criticized
One thing about this hobby is that it’s never been about value for money. It’s about stuff that would otherwise not be made. That being said RAMA has good value boards (U80, Thermal) and stuff that is there to support them whilst being not so much value per monies - chess set, pens, film canisters aaand the Kara. If you already have a U80 with the dampener and the weight the fact that those fit the Kara is a bonus.
So in conclusion the Kara is nice but not for everybody. And that’s ok. Also I’d rather get Kara than support TKC in any way shape or form and the GMMK Pro is pretty terrible (I have one) starting with the high profile which isn’t really high profile, the gasket mount which isn’t really gasket and the QMK and VIA support which are terrible.
While it's true that the mk hobby considered as a *whole* isn't about value for money, the Kara is clearly a budget-oriented/entry-level board. The entire rationale behind budget boards is that they offer good performance for their price point.
d60 lite clears
Why you sounds like jaded PR-13 version of Teaha types? (your content is great btw)
I opened the box and sauce how cheap it was and sold it for double. Ill be waiting for the next rama m60
Which will never stop cause I'm a RAMA simp.....
I own the Kara and yes, it's a ripoff for sure... but at least it looks nice ;_;
The trays are straight up a rip off. I just want the damn keycaps.
I always appreciate objective review you do, keep doing what you do
Community tend to put blind favoritism on particular vendors/designers, basically hivemind mentality