Good review! HHKBs are certainly expensive compared to mx keyboards, but $200 is pretty standard for a topre keyboard. Considering how much better the cheap mechs and custom keyboard scene has gotten these days, the price is certainly getting harder to justify. For me it will always be MX for gaming, Topre for work/typing.
I'm thinking on buying a mechanical keyboard, and I've been on a marathon of your videos the past couple of days, your reviews are the best, well planned and trough, and I really appreciate the timestamps in each video. Thanks!
I have no idea why I watch these videos. I know nothing about keyboards and have never used a mechanical keyboard. But for some reason i cannot stop watching
Thank you for this detailed review. these things are built like tanks. mine is 2009/1 and still work like day one. If you hesisate to buy one, just got for it.it takes time to get used to their particular layout, but after some practice, you cannot go back to anything else. I I have the old usb-b version and was wondering if upgrading was worth it but mine will likely outlast me.
I wish this keyboard had a red nipple mouse. so I dont' ever have to take my hands off the keyboard. If anyone knows one please let me know. BTW I love this keyboard, its great if you use alot of short cuts, everything is very close together, so your hands will not ever over stretch or feel tired. its really made for programmers, that spend half of their time, doing short cut combos inbetween writing a couple of lines of code. Sound and feel is really just an after thought.
Like you, I need dedicated arrow keys. The Leopold FC660C fits the bill nicely. Mine is a two tone gray/blue with 45g Topre switches. I recommend you check it out.
Hi!! could you please review the Ajazz K680T? it's within a budget mechanical keyboard price range, and i wanna be sure before buying it! thank you for the reviews, and i love the videos!
I must be in the minority here but I found this keyboard to be extremely overpriced and overrated. The keyboard felt cheap to the touch and the typing was very unsatisfying compared with my Filco brown cherry switches. I think you are paying a colossal premium because it's made in Japan. My Filco is also Japanese design and made in Taiwan, and I think the Taiwanese did a perfect job putting it together too, so I don't need to pay extra 100 dollars for someone in Japan to assemble it.
Betty, what switch would you recommend? I’m planning to get a mizar mz60 so I can swap the switches with some better switches. I’m not very good when it comes to keyboards, thank you :)
Topre is about the feels. People with Topre boards are like "yeah I put on the rings and put case foam and all that in there but it messed up the way the keys felt so I took it all out and now it's perfect again" also you can get them in black and there are color keysets. But they are kinda old school yeah. They did have an RGB line a couple of years ago but those things sucked.
What are “g keys?” If you meant something like making macros and remapping keys, i use autohotkey. Its a computer program (free) so you can use it with whatever keyboard you have.
you should review a "navless" keyboard, it is the only keyboard bigger than 75% and smaller than 100% that i would use since the numpad is useful in games and you can put the navigation keys in a layer on the numpad itself making the num lock key great again
In which games is the numepad useful? I never used it in any games before going to TKL. Apart from that, I didn't know navless keyboard existed. I'm not interested in the slightest since I almost never use the numpad but I use Home and End a lot, and Pg up, Pg Down and Del also, but less, but it's still nice to know they exist.
@@Thagor95 it is still rare and the only company i saw making a navless keyboard is corsair and it will be expensive when i buy one. I like because of the layers and the games that is useful for me is CSGO to buy weapons, Arma 3 and Squad because it have too many buttons since they try to be a military simulator and with only PC in mind. But the other games that also have a console version doesn't have that many keys so for modern games with less commands in general you can even use a 60% keyboard or something like the Razer Tartarus Pro (compare the first Deux Ex to half-life 2 and try to play Deus Ex on a 60% smoothly with no problem)
"Anyone that if a fanboy' is either an idiot or a paid shill," (Linus Sebastian - LTT.) And I agree with him. You're reviews are your honest opinion and if the product doesn't stack up. You call it out. Like you I see Topre as over priced and lacking when compared to other offerings. I've never tried one. And when buying in Aussie $$ I'm not paying +$350 for any full sized board that doesn't have blue ALPS in it. Keep up the honest reviews and don't worry about the shills and fanboys.
It looks so bulky and would probably feel that way as well due to being used to low(er) profile mechanical keyboards. I had one of those years ago and didn't like the layout at all. Constantly having to use the FN key gets old real quick.
Great video! I have and use the HHKB Professional 2 and absolutely love it. I also have several of the original ALPS keyboards AEK original and AEK II and very much like them too, but the HHKB is my mainstay. You can access so many special characters like the Integrate and Sum signs in calculus along with many European language characters very quickly using the ALT and SHIFT combinations etc. Personally, I would NEVER, ever again order or use a bluetooth keyboard.
I have really tried hard to love the HHKB. I can't. Sorry. I have the silent version with a programmable controller. No arrow keys => no joy. On the other hand, the FC660C is almost perfect (and costs as much, unfortunately).
That was a nice review, I enjoyed that. Small note though, the wide keys aren't stabilized but the stems underneath are. I was disappointed too by Topre when I first used it so I totally understand that. I also really don't like the HHKB layout which I have on a few MX type custom boards but have moved away from. Topre is a bit of a niche within our niche. My opinion changed though when using BKE Domes so I would recommend giving that a try. When it comes to modding Topre, yes, you have a lot of loose parts that make it a hustle but it isn't inherently difficult. Maybe put a silent BKE conversion on the agenda for next year? ;-)
why would there be an aluminum plate in there? when and why did they start doing that in mechanical keyboards? you're acting like its a board that was made in 2020. the HHKB Pro came out in 2006 and the BT upgrade added in 2016. when did mech keyboard compainies start lubing and silencing their stabs? You're talking about a keybaord that came out before all this mech keyboard frenzy started. it was already established, when the only switch everyone bought were blue or red because that's what the market demanded. it was all about the clickly clicky. Now people want thocc. where you think the original sound profile came from? this is called teenage reviews (clicky clicky) vs mature reviews (fuck all that extra noise, i want class) as well as the 60% layout? Maybe you guys don't have to deal with it now, but there was a point when all you heard when you gamed were fat people breathing and loud as clicky clicky clicky. EVERYONE did that shit on purpose because they wanted you to hear their blues. Hence, shit died becasue it was annoying. In terms of mech keyboards, blues are training wheels so one should naturally move from the bump to switches having no bump, because you don't need the training bump to tell you where the key press gets registered. I just got back into keyboards and all the things you say this board is missing are things that didn't even exist in the beginning. plastic case, yes, thats literally all there were, plastic cases. maybe take this board and look at all the boards that were out when this board came out instead of comparing it to one of the boards you custom build and stop comparing it $400 plus builds that you guys dont even include the cost of labor on. HHKB is a keyboard, not a novelty item.
I’m actually a rubber dome membrane guy because it feels nice. I watch a lot of keyboard creators due to stuff like pcb building, mechanisms of the switches and everything besides feel. I’ve actually considered getting a razer ornate or cynosa (gamer keyboards ik) but I’d get flamed for that.
Im gonna be honest I think those "mem-chanical" boards that gaming brands try to produce are significantly worse than a normal rubber dome. They have inconsistent weighting and sound every time I've used one, especially in the case with the clicky version of it.
Good point. My biggest issue with trying to force myself to use this layout was that I commonly have to use my laptops internal keyboard, so there’s no way for me to force myself to adapt to this. It’s why I ended up going with an fc660c
Hi Betty, A wonderful video! I have to agree with you on this keyboard; for a keyboard that costs over $200 I would expect a perfect keyboard without so many foibles. Hopefully this company will sort out the design of this keyboard when or if you buy the silent switched keyboard.
Just FYI, the HHKB has been around for a while so it’s unlikely there will be any drastic changes. The issues mentioned in the video have been mentioned since the first HHKB launched around 25 years ago in a nearly identical form to the current one.
They definitely dropped the ball on making it better. Especially that there are better options with way cheaper price. Cox Endeaver is a better option at this point.
"200$ is expensive". No, you need spend 200$ for HHKB, then get Realforce keeb to harvest purple silent sliders, then get two Sony audio remotes to harvest more tactile domes, then find old keeb with HIPRO caps to harvest them. And now you cool.
the fact people had to move the goalposts to justify buying overpriced rubber domes and then say "you didn't get the right one" is absolutely hilarious. I feel bad you spent money on that. :((((
Several things: first, this was a great video. Outstanding writing and the editing is great. I love everything about it. My wife and I shuddered at that sound test. Great points all around.. I think this is a really bad product.. Good night!
Appreciate your honesty! Being in Japan, I am in the floods of voices that praises HHKB. I am currently trying normal mechanical MX switches, quite happily stuck in the "Keyboard Bog" as we say in Japanese (like literally), meaning being obsessed with mechanical keyboards and cannot get out of it. I am glad that I watched your review and do not have to spend too much money on this and just continue my journey with the normal mechanical keyboards. Subscribed!
I bought the same keyboard earlier this year. I wasn't 100% happy with it in its stock setup so installed some silence-x rings, lubed the sliders and stabs with tribosys 3204 and fitted some Domikey caps. Massive improvement in sound and feel. Disassembling for the first time is a bit daunting as there are approximately 437857857348753 screws but it's definitely worth it.
still have my HHK that I bought in 2006! they do actually loosen up and get a bit quieter as you type on them every day. if you type really quickly like I do then the key travel actually works great because you never hit the bottom of the key travel, and after a while you memorize all the function combos. control, esc, and tilde are all “in the right place” for programming. its a very specific keyboard to be sure.
Hi, I know it's been a while from this video but do you still planning on doing the silence version of hhkb type-s? I am actually really excited to see you comparing the three and also could you comparing three hhkb with Niz and real force as well? That will be absolutely amazing for a topre guide thing! I am just starting my journey on keyboard, and with a mechanical, I am really interested in Topre as well. Thank you for your honest and amazing reviews! Subscribed!
The placement of the Ctrl key is one of the most important aspects of a Happy Hacking keyboard and anyone who doesn't need that placement there is likely to find this to be the wrong keyboard for their needs. I feel that it needs to be mentioned that this historic location of the Ctrl key is a huge advantage for Emacs users and programmers. The target audience is likely to be spending most of their time in a shell and using either Emacs or Vim/Vi. If this does not describe you, it's likely you are wasting your time here. 🤓
@Alex Sustavov I recently got the HHKB Professional 2/PD-KB400B as I wanted to experience the Topre keys without gambling at the high-end of the range. Vim is my primary editor but I would not recommend moving the arrow keys to HJKL as the Fn key would be further away as compared to where the arrow keys are currently situated. I agree with online reviews that Fn access to arrow keys is a non-issue which was something I worried about due to the importance of arrow keys in Microsoft products. I would highly recommend that new HHKB users should not get the blank type versions as I refer to the print a lot for the special keys despite being a touch typist. Currently I've setup a Windows 10 US language mode to access the US keyboard instead of adding a US keyboard layout to the UK language mode because the key combination of Ctrl-Shift switches keyboard modes but also clashes with Ctrl-Shift-c and Ctrl-Shift-v needed to copy and paste out of Terminus/tmux terminals. Edit: quick mention keyboard picked up open-box on Ebay for GBP100 with a promotion so only slightly more than one stick of DDR4 16 GB ECC RDIMM at current prices.
For those absolutely needing it, one presses "Fn" in the lower right using the right pinkie and "Tab" in the upper left using the left pinkie so hopefully people who like shouting on the internet are not put off. 😁
@@andrew1983 lmao what? Ducky has and always will be a reputable brand. Varmilo makes extremely high quality board as well, along with leopold. I don’t think anyone has ever said that ducky is too mainstream (what?) all of these brands have been well known in the community for a while, so no sheep are flocking to anything. the keyboard hobby has been around for ages, you’re acting like new people coming to it is a bad thing. Stop finger wagging at a crowd who has nothing to do with your hairbrained complaints and suck it up that other people are getting to experience your hobby for the first time.
Yeah it's expensive, but I can't return to the other mechanical keyboards (I tried several times). I like the sound of this version more than type-s version. It's matter of taste. In general I love them, but they are very expensive. I guess they don't sell a lot of them so they have to sell them that way. It's a Keyboard for a very specific type of user. Good review.
HHKB - where less is (not) more and if you don't like it then you are dumb. I guess that makes me dumb. HHKB to me takes a sort of Apple approach to design...that is, "we know best; you don't need things like a normal arrows layout on the secondary layer, or choices with your modifiers layout; just use what we give you". Annoying. I wanted a Topre board so I bought an FC660c because it has a more normal layout - and dedicated arrows. 65% > 60% > HHKB IMO. Keep up the good work, Betty! Also, your ring is gorgeous. I'm glad you wear it in all your videos; it's classy.
Wait you spent your own money for this review? Respect! I don't think I've ever seen a 22k sub youtuber spent over $200 on a product just to be able to review it as fairly as possible. I really don't understand people who say you need an HHKB for the proper topre experience. It's a very specialized board with a unique layout and it's built for being light and portable over being sturdy. Realforce or Leopold I think for the average person are the better topre boards, and you already had one. If sound is your biggest issue with them I think a silenced topre board might be the way to go, I don't know. I really like how Niz silenced their switches out of the box.
I've been on the fence about getting a Topre keyboard. The cost for one these boards is about the same as a finished entry-level custom. Your reviews and insight are very helpful in the decision making process. I'm sitting on the fence -- maybe if they're on sale around the holidays, I may consider getting one. For now, pass.
I use a full size real force keyboars with lubed silent topre switches, but I swapped out the domes for Heavy Redux domes and I love it. Been using it for about a year at work.
I like light weights keebs, my plateless PC case 60% cust is 400 gram (100 less then HHKB). Its flex and more soft to bottomout, it enaf durable when lay at deskmath.
I bought a BTC 5123 keyboard (completely new, still in the box) for 5 euros on a local marketplace. I loved the keyboard so much I started researching and found out people compared it to a Topre keyboard. I have never tried a Topre nor am I ever going to spend that amount of money on a keyboard, but just from your demonstration alone I can safely say that my BTC sounds far better than that thing. However that might be subjective and maybe it sounds different in real life. But my "ghetto" Topre also has all the keys, and it doesn't feel flimsy at all. it has a metal plate I believe.
I really appreciate the honest review. It's kinda talked me out of buying this keyboard (at least at this price). I still want to try the HHKB format, but I'll probably just go for a Keychron Q60 for the same price.
Thanks for another great video! I picked up a Japanese layout HHKB hybrid type s black from Amazon JP and the person I got it from added the foam at the bottom to help a little more. I really like it and agree with you that the black is hard to read in dim light but I think it looks cool and forces me to learn to touch type. I use the keyboard cabled with windows pc, Bluetooth with a MacBook Pro and iPad Pro and they work fine. The Japanese one has arrow keys and ISO enter key. I was worried about comparability when I got it but haven’t had any issues for me. Thanks look forward to more videos!
@@piccolo6916 Then how is it possible that my K8 Pro sounds better than Topre switches? Can you explain? You must be living in the 1980s or something 😂
@@piccolo6916 And Hall Effect switches are the *true endgame* keyboards. Better functionality, sounds, enjoyment at fraction of Topre's price. Can't beat that. But anyway, my custom K8 Pro beats any topre keyboards.
Bandwagon. Not really and it's overrated. It's made of plastic, keycaps are bad, noisy, sounds bad and the worst, Sorry to say any modern linears beat these overpriced rubber domes in sounds and feel.
I would like to own a keyboard with the same layout as a hhkb, not a 200 USD hhkb itself since i only got interested by this because for me it is the only 60% usable and with some smart changes like the backspace placement and with that a discrete tilde/grave keys, also after seeing the keyboard i changed "crouch" from control to capslock in every game i could and it is really nice to use it.
I have the HHKB BT and the HHKB Hybrid Type-S. The silent one has much lesser tactility which makes it lose it's appeal. I ended up selling it and am now using Niz Atom68.
How do you find the bluetooth on the Niz Atom68? I am really interested in buying it but I am scared it might not switch seamlessly between multiple devices.
@@giuseppejoeramundo1452 The bluetooth on Niz68 is surprisingly awesome. I allows me to connect to 3 bluetooth device and 1 wired device. They switch seemlessly using the keyboard short cut. My only gripe is that there is no RGB on the 45g domes option.
![State of Play | September 24, 2024 [ENGLISH]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/fVs0suPHAX8/mqdefault.jpg)
I've used one for 6 years now at home and a s-type one in the office for 4. Best keyboard I've ever used, especially the s-type.
Good review! HHKBs are certainly expensive compared to mx keyboards, but $200 is pretty standard for a topre keyboard. Considering how much better the cheap mechs and custom keyboard scene has gotten these days, the price is certainly getting harder to justify. For me it will always be MX for gaming, Topre for work/typing.
I'm thinking on buying a mechanical keyboard, and I've been on a marathon of your videos the past couple of days, your reviews are the best, well planned and trough, and I really appreciate the timestamps in each video. Thanks!
Glad you like them!
Honest review despite popular opinion. Don’t lose this quality in your videos.
I love my hhkb type-s but it’s not for everyone. Will keep watching!
I have no idea why I watch these videos. I know nothing about keyboards and have never used a mechanical keyboard. But for some reason i cannot stop watching
Thanks for watching man! You da real MVP
Makes you wanna get one though, right?
Tingles.
Your videos never get old! Keep up the amazing work!
Thanks! Will do!
sound of un-silenced topre is something that is addictive, if you fit it. lolll
Thank you for this detailed review. these things are built like tanks. mine is 2009/1 and still work like day one. If you hesisate to buy one, just got for it.it takes time to get used to their particular layout, but after some practice, you cannot go back to anything else. I
I have the old usb-b version and was wondering if upgrading was worth it but mine will likely outlast me.
Thanks for the info!
Nice review! Can't wait for the silenced version review.
Someday haha
Holy crap I just commented asking for this review yesterday!!
Hope you enjoyed it!
Yes. But what keyboard does the cat prefer to sleep om?
Fav keyboard reviews on RUclips
An HHKB really shines after you lube the rails. Still the thockiest stock keyboard you can get.
I wish this keyboard had a red nipple mouse. so I dont' ever have to take my hands off the keyboard. If anyone knows one please let me know. BTW I love this keyboard, its great if you use alot of short cuts, everything is very close together, so your hands will not ever over stretch or feel tired. its really made for programmers, that spend half of their time, doing short cut combos inbetween writing a couple of lines of code. Sound and feel is really just an after thought.
yo Betty, I need that hoodie in my life.
Keeb Nerd
Like you, I need dedicated arrow keys. The Leopold FC660C fits the bill nicely. Mine is a two tone gray/blue with 45g Topre switches. I recommend you check it out.
Hi!! could you please review the Ajazz K680T? it's within a budget mechanical keyboard price range, and i wanna be sure before buying it! thank you for the reviews, and i love the videos!
hey a year ago you talked normally
topre stabilizers are on the back side of the metal plate ...
I must be in the minority here but I found this keyboard to be extremely overpriced and overrated. The keyboard felt cheap to the touch and the typing was very unsatisfying compared with my Filco brown cherry switches.
I think you are paying a colossal premium because it's made in Japan. My Filco is also Japanese design and made in Taiwan, and I think the Taiwanese did a perfect job putting it together too, so I don't need to pay extra 100 dollars for someone in Japan to assemble it.
Would love your thoughts on the FC660C.
Betty, what switch would you recommend? I’m planning to get a mizar mz60 so I can swap the switches with some better switches. I’m not very good when it comes to keyboards, thank you :)
I like Gat Ink Blacks for linear, Holy Pandas for tactile, Boba U4 for silent tactile, Box Jade for clicky
You should have gone for Leopold FC660, it is silenced topre and not as expensive as HHKB.
Topre is about the feels. People with Topre boards are like "yeah I put on the rings and put case foam and all that in there but it messed up the way the keys felt so I took it all out and now it's perfect again" also you can get them in black and there are color keysets. But they are kinda old school yeah. They did have an RGB line a couple of years ago but those things sucked.
Please make video on how to program G keys on redragon.
What are “g keys?” If you meant something like making macros and remapping keys, i use autohotkey. Its a computer program (free) so you can use it with whatever keyboard you have.
@@popenieafantome9527 Thanks jeff
you should review a "navless" keyboard, it is the only keyboard bigger than 75% and smaller than 100% that i would use since the numpad is useful in games and you can put the navigation keys in a layer on the numpad itself making the num lock key great again
In which games is the numepad useful? I never used it in any games before going to TKL.
Apart from that, I didn't know navless keyboard existed. I'm not interested in the slightest since I almost never use the numpad but I use Home and End a lot, and Pg up, Pg Down and Del also, but less, but it's still nice to know they exist.
@@Thagor95 it is still rare and the only company i saw making a navless keyboard is corsair and it will be expensive when i buy one. I like because of the layers and the games that is useful for me is CSGO to buy weapons, Arma 3 and Squad because it have too many buttons since they try to be a military simulator and with only PC in mind. But the other games that also have a console version doesn't have that many keys so for modern games with less commands in general you can even use a 60% keyboard or something like the Razer Tartarus Pro (compare the first Deux Ex to half-life 2 and try to play Deus Ex on a 60% smoothly with no problem)
do you still like the NIZ keyboard ? love your ending to the vids lol
Yes, Jake still uses it EVERYDAY
Why didn’t you get type s?
"Anyone that if a fanboy' is either an idiot or a paid shill," (Linus Sebastian - LTT.) And I agree with him. You're reviews are your honest opinion and if the product doesn't stack up. You call it out.
Like you I see Topre as over priced and lacking when compared to other offerings. I've never tried one. And when buying in Aussie $$ I'm not paying +$350 for any full sized board that doesn't have blue ALPS in it.
Keep up the honest reviews and don't worry about the shills and fanboys.
Thanks dude! Don't worry, I don't really get hurt by anything people say haha
> I've never tried one.
I bit rich of you to dismiss an entire group of people then.
“You’ve never tried one”. = Irrelevant opinion.
27 comments. 23 hearts received.
Top commenter. Public Subscriber.
Fanboy or paid shill. Which are you?
It looks so bulky and would probably feel that way as well due to being used to low(er) profile mechanical keyboards. I had one of those years ago and didn't like the layout at all. Constantly having to use the FN key gets old real quick.
Thought you're not supposed to bottom out?
suena glorioso :3
I don't understand why people like the layout of these boards. Whey have blank space in the bottom row?
Its weird but maybe its the same phone remove the headphone jack lol
thank U
Welcome
Which feels better? Aqua or Red Hyperx switches?
Red
@@chxlled1029 Red but hyperx keyboards are scam. They usually break after a year.
Wonder how many people here would change their minds after actually having ther hands on a modded topre board... 🤔
I really doubt it, but I'll be open-minded
Typing on an earthquake, awesome.
0:21 Who said that
*WHO SAID THAT* . And first hehe
Haha, I don't even remember
Don't let the haters affect you emotionally :)
The lite version has 2 fn keys and an arrow cluster and is cheaper so I went with that.
Great video! I have and use the HHKB Professional 2 and absolutely love it. I also have several of the original ALPS keyboards AEK original and AEK II and very much like them too, but the HHKB is my mainstay. You can access so many special characters like the Integrate and Sum signs in calculus along with many European language characters very quickly using the ALT and SHIFT combinations etc. Personally, I would NEVER, ever again order or use a bluetooth keyboard.
I have really tried hard to love the HHKB. I can't. Sorry. I have the silent version with a programmable controller. No arrow keys => no joy. On the other hand, the FC660C is almost perfect (and costs as much, unfortunately).
awesome job with the video
Glad you enjoyed it
Underrated channel wtf
Thanks man!
That was a nice review, I enjoyed that. Small note though, the wide keys aren't stabilized but the stems underneath are.
I was disappointed too by Topre when I first used it so I totally understand that. I also really don't like the HHKB layout which I have on a few MX type custom boards but have moved away from. Topre is a bit of a niche within our niche. My opinion changed though when using BKE Domes so I would recommend giving that a try.
When it comes to modding Topre, yes, you have a lot of loose parts that make it a hustle but it isn't inherently difficult. Maybe put a silent BKE conversion on the agenda for next year? ;-)
why would there be an aluminum plate in there? when and why did they start doing that in mechanical keyboards? you're acting like its a board that was made in 2020. the HHKB Pro came out in 2006 and the BT upgrade added in 2016. when did mech keyboard compainies start lubing and silencing their stabs? You're talking about a keybaord that came out before all this mech keyboard frenzy started. it was already established, when the only switch everyone bought were blue or red because that's what the market demanded. it was all about the clickly clicky. Now people want thocc. where you think the original sound profile came from? this is called teenage reviews (clicky clicky) vs mature reviews (fuck all that extra noise, i want class) as well as the 60% layout? Maybe you guys don't have to deal with it now, but there was a point when all you heard when you gamed were fat people breathing and loud as clicky clicky clicky. EVERYONE did that shit on purpose because they wanted you to hear their blues. Hence, shit died becasue it was annoying. In terms of mech keyboards, blues are training wheels so one should naturally move from the bump to switches having no bump, because you don't need the training bump to tell you where the key press gets registered. I just got back into keyboards and all the things you say this board is missing are things that didn't even exist in the beginning. plastic case, yes, thats literally all there were, plastic cases. maybe take this board and look at all the boards that were out when this board came out instead of comparing it to one of the boards you custom build and stop comparing it $400 plus builds that you guys dont even include the cost of labor on. HHKB is a keyboard, not a novelty item.
I’m actually a rubber dome membrane guy because it feels nice. I watch a lot of keyboard creators due to stuff like pcb building, mechanisms of the switches and everything besides feel. I’ve actually considered getting a razer ornate or cynosa (gamer keyboards ik) but I’d get flamed for that.
Im gonna be honest I think those "mem-chanical" boards that gaming brands try to produce are significantly worse than a normal rubber dome. They have inconsistent weighting and sound every time I've used one, especially in the case with the clicky version of it.
I don't look like the sound 😢 my modded K8 pro is light years better
Bonus post credits Bye. These esoteric layouts are not for people that have to move between a variety of machines on a regular basis.
Good point. My biggest issue with trying to force myself to use this layout was that I commonly have to use my laptops internal keyboard, so there’s no way for me to force myself to adapt to this. It’s why I ended up going with an fc660c
Hi Betty,
A wonderful video!
I have to agree with you on this keyboard; for a keyboard that costs over $200 I would expect a perfect keyboard without so many foibles.
Hopefully this company will sort out the design of this keyboard when or if you buy the silent switched keyboard.
Thanks for sharing!
@@SwitchandClickOfficial I wish you & Jake a very Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year.
Take care & stay safe.
@@countduckula9977 You as well!
Just FYI, the HHKB has been around for a while so it’s unlikely there will be any drastic changes. The issues mentioned in the video have been mentioned since the first HHKB launched around 25 years ago in a nearly identical form to the current one.
I don't get this keyboard....
Overpriced rubber domes that sound the worst.
I am totally with you, Niz is way better than HHKB or stock Topre.
They definitely dropped the ball on making it better. Especially that there are better options with way cheaper price. Cox Endeaver is a better option at this point.
"200$ is expensive". No, you need spend 200$ for HHKB, then get Realforce keeb to harvest purple silent sliders, then get two Sony audio remotes to harvest more tactile domes, then find old keeb with HIPRO caps to harvest them. And now you cool.
LOL now you cool
You forgot to add the $1350 Norbauer Heavy Grail steel case for it.
@@NewDivineWind haha, exactly))
the fact people had to move the goalposts to justify buying overpriced rubber domes and then say "you didn't get the right one" is absolutely hilarious. I feel bad you spent money on that. :((((
Haha it's no problem. For the sake of making sure people know what they're paying for :)
Several things: first, this was a great video. Outstanding writing and the editing is great. I love everything about it.
My wife and I shuddered at that sound test.
Great points all around.. I think this is a really bad product..
Good night!
Wow, thank you! And good night!
sound test made me bust
This happy hacking keyboard is so idiotic. I would tear it apart if I reviewed it. Thank god I'm poor and I can't buy garbage.
that sounds exactly like my membrane logitech keyboard. what...
I personally think that silenced topre is better, still a good review
Someday, someday
I agree, the silenced topres are so much nicer. Still overpriced though
@@ryanvacation7319 yeah, I want to try the keyboard tho
The hhkb silenced
And lubed
Appreciate your honesty! Being in Japan, I am in the floods of voices that praises HHKB. I am currently trying normal mechanical MX switches, quite happily stuck in the "Keyboard Bog" as we say in Japanese (like literally), meaning being obsessed with mechanical keyboards and cannot get out of it. I am glad that I watched your review and do not have to spend too much money on this and just continue my journey with the normal mechanical keyboards. Subscribed!
I bought the same keyboard earlier this year. I wasn't 100% happy with it in its stock setup so installed some silence-x rings, lubed the sliders and stabs with tribosys 3204 and fitted some Domikey caps. Massive improvement in sound and feel. Disassembling for the first time is a bit daunting as there are approximately 437857857348753 screws but it's definitely worth it.
I wonder, did you continue with the HHKB?
I sold it eventually but have stuck with the HHKB layout for most of my mechanical keyboards (typing this on a RAMA Works Thermal).@@lawbinson
still have my HHK that I bought in 2006! they do actually loosen up and get a bit quieter as you type on them every day. if you type really quickly like I do then the key travel actually works great because you never hit the bottom of the key travel, and after a while you memorize all the function combos. control, esc, and tilde are all “in the right place” for programming. its a very specific keyboard to be sure.
Hi, I know it's been a while from this video but do you still planning on doing the silence version of hhkb type-s? I am actually really excited to see you comparing the three and also could you comparing three hhkb with Niz and real force as well? That will be absolutely amazing for a topre guide thing! I am just starting my journey on keyboard, and with a mechanical, I am really interested in Topre as well. Thank you for your honest and amazing reviews! Subscribed!
"I really should try the silent ones but guess what I like cant afford it" made me chuckle lol
Haha thanks 👌
The better hhkb is the leopold, and has been for about twenty years.
Disgusting
The placement of the Ctrl key is one of the most important aspects of a Happy Hacking keyboard and anyone who doesn't need that placement there is likely to find this to be the wrong keyboard for their needs.
I feel that it needs to be mentioned that this historic location of the Ctrl key is a huge advantage for Emacs users and programmers.
The target audience is likely to be spending most of their time in a shell and using either Emacs or Vim/Vi. If this does not describe you, it's likely you are wasting your time here. 🤓
@Alex Sustavov I recently got the HHKB Professional 2/PD-KB400B as I wanted to experience the Topre keys without gambling at the high-end of the range. Vim is my primary editor but I would not recommend moving the arrow keys to HJKL as the Fn key would be further away as compared to where the arrow keys are currently situated. I agree with online reviews that Fn access to arrow keys is a non-issue which was something I worried about due to the importance of arrow keys in Microsoft products.
I would highly recommend that new HHKB users should not get the blank type versions as I refer to the print a lot for the special keys despite being a touch typist. Currently I've setup a Windows 10 US language mode to access the US keyboard instead of adding a US keyboard layout to the UK language mode because the key combination of Ctrl-Shift switches keyboard modes but also clashes with Ctrl-Shift-c and Ctrl-Shift-v needed to copy and paste out of Terminus/tmux terminals.
Edit: quick mention keyboard picked up open-box on Ebay for GBP100 with a promotion so only slightly more than one stick of DDR4 16 GB ECC RDIMM at current prices.
You can just reprogram any keyboard to swap the Caps and CTRL keys without buying an overpriced HHKB lol
@@CosmicApe overpriced. Ha
This! The caps lock is a waste of space.
For those absolutely needing it, one presses "Fn" in the lower right using the right pinkie and "Tab" in the upper left using the left pinkie so hopefully people who like shouting on the internet are not put off. 😁
I'm with you on this one. Varmilo boards seem like the 5* stock keeb pick for me.
@@andrew1983 lol
@@andrew1983 ?
@@andrew1983 lmao what? Ducky has and always will be a reputable brand. Varmilo makes extremely high quality board as well, along with leopold. I don’t think anyone has ever said that ducky is too mainstream (what?) all of these brands have been well known in the community for a while, so no sheep are flocking to anything. the keyboard hobby has been around for ages, you’re acting like new people coming to it is a bad thing. Stop finger wagging at a crowd who has nothing to do with your hairbrained complaints and suck it up that other people are getting to experience your hobby for the first time.
Yeah it's expensive, but I can't return to the other mechanical keyboards (I tried several times). I like the sound of this version more than type-s version. It's matter of taste. In general I love them, but they are very expensive. I guess they don't sell a lot of them so they have to sell them that way. It's a Keyboard for a very specific type of user. Good review.
HHKB - where less is (not) more and if you don't like it then you are dumb. I guess that makes me dumb. HHKB to me takes a sort of Apple approach to design...that is, "we know best; you don't need things like a normal arrows layout on the secondary layer, or choices with your modifiers layout; just use what we give you". Annoying. I wanted a Topre board so I bought an FC660c because it has a more normal layout - and dedicated arrows. 65% > 60% > HHKB IMO.
Keep up the good work, Betty! Also, your ring is gorgeous. I'm glad you wear it in all your videos; it's classy.
the approach of, "we know what's best for you," is very japanese as a whole. Nintendo follows this to the t.
the approach of, "we know what's best for you," is very japanese as a whole. Nintendo follows this to the t.
Wait you spent your own money for this review? Respect! I don't think I've ever seen a 22k sub youtuber spent over $200 on a product just to be able to review it as fairly as possible.
I really don't understand people who say you need an HHKB for the proper topre experience. It's a very specialized board with a unique layout and it's built for being light and portable over being sturdy. Realforce or Leopold I think for the average person are the better topre boards, and you already had one. If sound is your biggest issue with them I think a silenced topre board might be the way to go, I don't know. I really like how Niz silenced their switches out of the box.
Hahaha, the money that has gone into this channel is pretty crazy
light and portable for 200 dollars sounds more like an excuse for it being cheap and flimsy.
Your voice is so relaxing and I love your videos, keep up the amazing work!
Thank you! Will do!
I've been on the fence about getting a Topre keyboard. The cost for one these boards is about the same as a finished entry-level custom. Your reviews and insight are very helpful in the decision making process. I'm sitting on the fence -- maybe if they're on sale around the holidays, I may consider getting one. For now, pass.
Well, Topre isn’t for everyone. It’s all personal preference in the end. The comments here are being quite disrespectful to Topre users though lmao
I agree! Not for everyone
I really appreciate the honest review! It's nice to see a mixture of opinions instead of an echo chamber
I appreciate that!
I use a full size real force keyboars with lubed silent topre switches, but I swapped out the domes for Heavy Redux domes and I love it. Been using it for about a year at work.
Sounds great!
I like light weights keebs, my plateless PC case 60% cust is 400 gram (100 less then HHKB). Its flex and more soft to bottomout, it enaf durable when lay at deskmath.
I bought a BTC 5123 keyboard (completely new, still in the box) for 5 euros on a local marketplace. I loved the keyboard so much I started researching and found out people compared it to a Topre keyboard. I have never tried a Topre nor am I ever going to spend that amount of money on a keyboard, but just from your demonstration alone I can safely say that my BTC sounds far better than that thing. However that might be subjective and maybe it sounds different in real life. But my "ghetto" Topre also has all the keys, and it doesn't feel flimsy at all. it has a metal plate I believe.
What people fail to understand is, the HHKB isn't a keyboard, it's purgatory.
I can't let go of the feeling of oneness with cup rubber.
I really appreciate the honest review. It's kinda talked me out of buying this keyboard (at least at this price). I still want to try the HHKB format, but I'll probably just go for a Keychron Q60 for the same price.
Plastic makes sense with rubber domes. The rubber will degrade first.
Thanks for another great video! I picked up a Japanese layout HHKB hybrid type s black from Amazon JP and the person I got it from added the foam at the bottom to help a little more. I really like it and agree with you that the black is hard to read in dim light but I think it looks cool and forces me to learn to touch type. I use the keyboard cabled with windows pc, Bluetooth with a MacBook Pro and iPad Pro and they work fine. The Japanese one has arrow keys and ISO enter key. I was worried about comparability when I got it but haven’t had any issues for me.
Thanks look forward to more videos!
You must not know about keyboards . This is as top tier as keyboards get tbh
No my K8 pro is actually better than this
@NTR-Impact doubt it. In terms of ingenuity , and longevity and typing enjoyment, topre still reins king.
@@piccolo6916 Then how is it possible that my K8 Pro sounds better than Topre switches? Can you explain? You must be living in the 1980s or something 😂
@@piccolo6916 And Hall Effect switches are the *true endgame* keyboards. Better functionality, sounds, enjoyment at fraction of Topre's price. Can't beat that.
But anyway, my custom K8 Pro beats any topre keyboards.
Bandwagon. Not really and it's overrated. It's made of plastic, keycaps are bad, noisy, sounds bad and the worst, Sorry to say any modern linears beat these overpriced rubber domes in sounds and feel.
I feel like the included cable is specifically designed to use on a laptop, since normal cable won’t allow the keyboard to sit closer to the screen.
The new HHKB Studio is a total redesign with MX style switches.
maybe it is because people put keyboard directly over macbook's keyboard?
Please try HHKB type-s and come back for another review - you will change your mind.
I would like to own a keyboard with the same layout as a hhkb, not a 200 USD hhkb itself since i only got interested by this because for me it is the only 60% usable and with some smart changes like the backspace placement and with that a discrete tilde/grave keys, also after seeing the keyboard i changed "crouch" from control to capslock in every game i could and it is really nice to use it.
You can do this with any keyboard though and remap the keys, except for the tilde/grave keys. But with many custom keyboards, you can split backspace
605 Predovic Inlet
It's okay, not that clicking type of loud.
The old membrane HHKB2 had arrow keys.
3rd comment I think :D
Edit: nice vid
I have a Realforce keyboard and it is so silent.
Charcoal Hybrid type S is my daily keeb
Fully agree with you. I enjoyed mine a lot more after modding to remove rattle.
I got the left angle cable.
I have the HHKB BT and the HHKB Hybrid Type-S. The silent one has much lesser tactility which makes it lose it's appeal. I ended up selling it and am now using Niz Atom68.
How do you find the bluetooth on the Niz Atom68? I am really interested in buying it but I am scared it might not switch seamlessly between multiple devices.
@@giuseppejoeramundo1452 The bluetooth on Niz68 is surprisingly awesome. I allows me to connect to 3 bluetooth device and 1 wired device. They switch seemlessly using the keyboard short cut. My only gripe is that there is no RGB on the 45g domes option.
yall should review a Leopold, they're Varmilo tier
Next video
"byeeeeelelleee"
Most of you actually want fc660c not hhkb
Overpriced rubber dome, no thanks.
Agreed.