This the second keyboard video in a row that comes out after the purchase window is closed. If I was Plouffe I would at least bring it up to whoever schedules the vids that there is a dedicated window of time before the board can no longer be purchased.
I agree, but I also don't envy the timeframe that they would need to push these enthusiast keeb videos out in to leave a reasonable amount of time before group buys end, to speak nothing of fitting that cleanly into their work pipeline. Not impossible, but I could see it being a fair bit of effort to prioritize these things over other videos.
I agree, there's a enough people in the comments here who don't realize/don't get that it's a hobby with enthusiast tiers, that a clarification of what the reference point for "budget" is would be helpful.
Agreed, I clicked because I just got a steam deck, a dock and thought "oh great maybe I will find my couch wireless cheap keyboard"...then I hear 160$ wrote this comment and went on another video xD
I think this whole "custom" thing is a misnomer though. What exactly is "custom" about these keyboards? They are manufactured in the 1000/10,000s. A custom keyboard would be a one off you either make or have made for yourself.
@@user-lv6rn9cf8mYou are right it is a misnomer to a degree, but the reason this kit exists is because actual custom keyboards exist, and are much much much more expensive and can be far complex to assure compatibility and to assemble. It's not unlike RC cars, RC kits exists because people want a more involved experience than off the shelf less work than true custom enthusiast stuff. It's born out of the bespoke custom space and inspired by it. I do agree it's deserving of its own term.
This is fascinating. As a lifetime strictly utilitarian user of keyboards, until the previous video I have lived under a rock when it comes to this whole artisanal mechanical keyboard enthusiast realm. The sheer expanse of quality levels, standards, materials, component classifications, and product scarcity brings this whole industry to an alluring boil. To say nothing of the amount of money you can spend on one of these things, but I mean why the hell not? I will very likely NEVER dip a toe into this world but I love seeing things go to the Nth degree like this!
If I may, I recommend checking out Alexotos here on TH-cam or when he streams. He’s a keyboard content creator. VERY friendly to newcomers who would like to know more about the hobby, even if you don’t have your own custom board! It’s a great community to be a a part of!
I recommend the Epomaker th80 or th66. Closest to enthusiast level acoustics out if the box. Recommend the gateron yellows for the stock switches but for 90 bucks you cant beat it either way.
The perspective is that of custom keyboards and fancy aesthetics. It's like saying a $100 watch is not budget because you don't like analog automatic watches and your $20 quartz watch works the same. It's just luxury items of different categories and perspectives
@@_ExTitus I know that, but the word “budget” with no context, to a public this big is just misleading and clickbaity. You can say “good price”, but budget is a different thing, and that’s not objective, not when you are talking about 200$ for a keyboard. I just don’t like these smarteries to get easy views
Hey Nick, I programmed my 65% with QMK to make single-press number keys be the number and double-tap number keys be the correspdonding "F" key. It's pretty easy, look up "tap dancing qmk" and you should find something relevant. That means you don't have to hit 3 separate keys
@@austindoestuff by pressing the number key twice. for it to count as a function key the key must be tapped twice within 100ms, afterwards it counts as a separate keystroke
As someone with this board Bruh, it's been like... 2 months? Since the first EE came out? Weird to say this to LTT... But .... I dunno, you guys gotta start making those connections to get sample versions of these boards to give some critiques and to bring actual marketing to the boards, lol.
I love Plouffe's excitement for keyboards. However, one thing these videos have missed is any kind of explanation as to why these expensive, enthusiast keyboards are objectively better than a sub $100 keyboard. GPUs have FPS, even headphones/earbuds have objective measures as to why they are "better" than another. However, these super expensive keybaords are SO subjective. Would love an in-depth review of what objectively sets high end keybaords apart from a $70 Corsair.
I don't think there is anything objectively better, if you don't count that they feel and sound better and thus makes the user happier to use it. I like to compare it to musical instruments, sure you can make "music" with a cheap plasticky whatever from a toy store. But if you're going to use it everyday, you want something that looks good, is pleasant to use and so on. Perhaps reliability? Perhaps it feeling better makes you type faster/more productive. But again, subjective.
Well, I'm not the biggest keyboard nerd in the world - I own a paltry three customs - but I can try to give some kind of summary as to what sets a custom keyboard apart from a prebuilt. As you say, they are, objectively speaking, mostly the same. A prebuilt $50 keyboard from amazon will input characters just fine. However, the build quality can differ pretty broadly depending on what you buy. This difference isn't necessarily exclusive to the divide between custom and prebuilt keyboards but rather between cheap and flimsy keyboards and more premium and expensive keyboards, custom or prebuilt. Build quality is something enthusiasts often point to, as extremely cheap plastic cases are more prone to damage, cracking, yellowing, etc. over time. This is something that can happen to custom plastic cases, obviously, but the custom plastic cases are usually sturdier. To some extent the materials used can also matter. Many prebuilt keyboards use a steel plate as well as a tray mounting design which involves screwing the pcb directly into the bottom of the case. This might seem rather insignificant - as "feel" is also something that's classified as subjective in the keyboard world - but IMHO it's more important than some might think as fatigue from typing can be a real factor in productivity scenarios. Pounding away on a rock-solid assembly can be rather tiring. Custom keyboards usually address this by using plastic plates, having thinner or more flexible PCBs, and even different ways of assembling the keyboard altogether. Comfort for the typing feel is a big talking point when it comes to custom keyboards as well; the word "flex" is used very often in that kind of discourse.
it is not though, someone is binning parts for you to achieve a certain level of quality and feel for the whole board and sells you a package deal. Also they have features to adapt them after the fact. As someone who bought many "normal" boards to try them i can see the appeal. Don't like MX Brown, get a a set of Reds or non Cherry ones altogether. Sneakers on the other hand are just expensive, because someone artificially decides they are. The you buy them and put the away and probably never wear them because they don't gain value or loose it. These keyboards on the other hand get used. So it is a bit oldschool in that sense, you buy premium but you buy once and i will last a good amount of time because of that.
@@DxCBuG Logitech K120 lasts 10years or so and does the same job. It just sounds like you're the perfect customer in this case, perhaps you should get some sneakers too ;)
@@Allexz listen, i provided some arguments why its not a comparison and you give a stupid snarky comment and throw in the cheapest keyboard that might be not shit. ... common... get real dude, you just dont value quality of feel for anything. You are cheap. That's okay. Still not comparable to buying sneakers. PS: the K120 does not do the same job for people interested in a hot swap board.. You can't change it, except throwing it in the bin.
GMK keycaps are like sneakers. The keyboards themselves actually cost a lot of money to produce and you can use them everyday for years and they'll keep the value (unlike worn sneakers and GMK keycaps)
Enjoying your keyboard vids. It is good to get impressions from someone who isn't all of the way down the rabbit hole, but still really like mechanical keyboards. Keep up the good work!
@@WayStedYou lol trillions of dollars is low when were talking about an entire country. If you budget you limit yourself, you limit your purchases, the issue isnt thinking budget means low, its people not knowing how to budget anything, complaining about not getting paid enough, and thinking 100+ on a keyboard is reasonable in any way.
@@randomyoutube21 then they should specify it in the title. “The King of Budget Artisanal Keyboards” or something This thing isn’t a budget keyboard at all lol
while i do love plouffe, genuinely one of my favorite faces on the channel, it often feels like keyboard reviews are more like christmas for him, especially when he's already well versed with the manufacturers and their products and would likely happily take any of the enthusiast-tier keyboards he reviews; i think it would be nice to have sort of an outsider's perspective as well, someone who is more into the corsairs and logitechs of the world rather than these, especially since the video isn't terribly long as is! i feel like we would only benefit from having the additional perspective of someone who maybe only has a passing interest in the higher end or is looking to get involved but doesn't know where to start
Keyboards of this caliber are basically for enthusiasts only, take a random guy and they'll barely feel the difference with a custom 150$ keyboard or a good comercial one
@@thunderarch5951 .. wouldn't that be something worth discussing though? That secondary perspective would make boards like this appeal to a wider demographic
Don't corsair and logitech keyboards also go for around $100 or more? Once you go up to the 200-300 range of corsair or logitech I would say that a comparable custom is better in almost every regard. I usually just buy kits and stuff that are under $200, but I buy almost all of my stuff on clearance or on sale. So that might effect my perspective
imo, title should include budget *custom* keyboard. a good budget keyboard, period, is $100, tops. and this is coming from someone who owns a mode80(iykyk)
$165? Jebus Christ. The same people who cry about how everything is so expensive, are the same people who drop their entire barista paycheck on this crap.
I own the keyboard and I love it but a few warnings. If you get the Bluetooth model make sure you have a pc to change the key mappings. Otherwise you won’t be able to do it from a Mac. The backspace for some reason always sounds terrible and feels terrible so make sure you watch a video on how to fix it. There was a round 2 of this keyboard recently. It really is unfortunate that they barely got it (or posted a video about it)
the weight is in fact included with the barebones kit and matches with the knob is inside the box where the zoom 65 logo was explained. i know cuz i just built it and i spent 5 mins looking for it KEK.
I mean, it is budget for "custom" keyboards, it's a good video but I wished they had made that clarification. They aren't mainstream products. It's the same sense that $800 is "budget" for a new gaming pc build these days. If you don't care about gaming and just want something that works, why would spend $800 on a "budget" build when you can get a used Optiplex on facebook marketplace for less than $200 or a new desktop for $500 at Best Buy? It's just different standards, neither is wrong because they aren't talking about the same thing.
Custom really needs to be in the title. For big name brand keyboards, not only are there a fair few options well below $160 but at $160 the keyboards can get are far from bad, if bad at all. Sky starts to be the limit at that price.
Big name brand keyboards are usually garbage for the price though. Glorious is the biggest brand that makes a good keyboard. Also they're usually ugly but again, Glorious has managed to avoid following in the bad steps of Logitech, Corsair and Razer.
@@coughfee_beans Keychron is also great, I have the aluminium chassis K2 and not only does it look smart, has bluetooth, a MAC/PC toggle, it also is built solid enough that you could beat a horse to death with it. It's $90 right now, no other company can match that value.
When I hear the word "budget" I don't think of something over $100....not when there are mechanical keyboards, with hot swappable switches for a lot less these days. I understand that mechanical ones can be more $, but still, to me at least, if you are calling it "budget" it should be maxing out around $60 and preferably less than that, and while you can't get a full custom one at that price, you can get ones you can customize for under $50 these days.
$160 with no keycaps and trying to charge an extra $60 for Bluetooth is such a rip off. They know their target audience have more money than sense and take full advantage of it.
How to get a positive short circuit video: 1. have a product that gets reviewed by Plouffe 2. add random knick knacks into the box (but only for the video, not for the consumer!) bonus: add features that are somehow highly valued but not important (e.g. toolless monitor stand, a highly reflective plate on the backside of your heavy keyboard that you will never lift) 3. ??? 4. profit
$165 is NOT a budget keyboard. My $50 Havit low profile keyboard (HV-KB390L) has been perfect over the years. I type for living. I stopped buying Logitec and Corsair keyboards and never looked back. Stop paying these outrageous prices.
It's not that LTT has a definition for budget that's different. It's that in the custom machined keyboard market, this is a budget keyboard with a good value.
For people with smaller form factor keyboards. In windows, there is a program called powertoys by Microsoft. Among other things, it allows to remap keys, so you can remap alt+f4 to something like alt+4. You're welcome 😁
People really need to figure out that the point of smaller keyboards isn't that you go without keys, it is that you bring the keys closer to your fingers by having them accessed by layers. Like even now when I type at a keyboard with arrow keys, I prefer Spacebar+IJKL (SpaceFN rules). Not having to move your hand at all is the end goal here.
You have not seen the mechanical keyboard community. 200 and below is budget. Literally not so long ago 200 was not enough to buy enough zealios switches for a 60%. Of course looking in it seems wild to spend that much on a keyboard, but context changes a lit of stuff.
Plouffe... could you please make a video on how to find /build the perfect wireless mechanical SILENT keyboard? A detailed LTT video would be nice!I Preferably in 2 or 3 price tiers like best bang for buck, high end, and no compromises tiers. I would love to get a mechanical keyboard but I can't stand the noise! Even membrane keyboards drive me nuts! And yes I have psychological problems and most people don't care about noises or even like them, I understand that, please don't hate! Thank you!
I'd recommend channels like Switch and Click, Glarses, Hipyo Tech, Keybored, and Taeha Types for more focused content like that. I'm sure you'll find what you're looking for among one of those channels.
Plouffe. Keycult next? TGR? Singa? lets go balls to the walls. Frankenswitches, VIA, QMK toolbox, stab modding, GMK keycaps, matching artisan colorways, custom exotic material plate cutting, ALPS, TOPRE. Commit to the dark side.
@@G3rain1 I feel like putting custom in the title would've made the video better. Omitting that is like saying the best "budget" alternative to gas cars is a car worth $110,000 just because it isn't gas
I think the approach of builing your own keyboard is good, although I don't like that DIY (in this case) ist more expensive than just buying a regular keyboard.
A prebuilt custom keyboard is upwards of $600, if you outsource your build. A mass produced "regular" keyboard isn't a fair or realistic comparison. A large reason to build your own is to tune it yourself and build it to your own personal liking, not to save cost. It's a hobby in that regard as no one really needs a $200+ keyboard. It's PC jewelry.
He briefly addresses that, a flagship keyboard from Corsair, Logitech, or Razer can be $200 or more, whereas this has much better quality for three quarters of the money. The labor savings of not preassembling it is a big part of that. That being said, $160 is budget if you're comparing it to a $400 keyboard. It's premium if you're comparing it to a $50 keyboard.
@@Churchgrimm Very true. But budget always refers to whatever universe the product belongs to. The money comparison can't encompass everything. A Honda Civic is budget unless you compare it to a Yugo.
@@das-nyc Budget is a relative word, I agree, and yeah what counts as budget is normally defined by a majority of normal people. I think context is important in that the reviewer (I feel bad for forgetting his name) is very much a keyboard enthusiast, so his definition of a "budget" keyboard is almost certainly much more expensive than the average LTT employee. It probably would have been helpful for him to clarify what budget meant in this context.
After building and modding my keyboards for the past year. I will never ever look forward to using these mainstream gamer keyboards like from razer, corsair etc. The thocky sounds is just so satisfying plus the smooth linear travel, oh yes.
@@BlackTearsYT I see you fell for the false advertising that is "gaming" products. The simple answer is no, gaming keyboards is in no way better for gaming than a custom mech is, if anything they are worse. Remove the silly gaming marketing and all that is left is a lower-class keyboard with worse quality internals and far fewer switch options, not to mention logitech has some of the worst switches out there. VIA/QMK is open source and better than the software Logitech has to offer anyways.
@@JHN322 This really is not true. Yes, it can game, but QMK really is not optimized for performance in terms of pollrate or latency, especially when compared to some keyboards like the Apex Pro, the HyperX Ally Origins lineup of keyboards, and, dare I say, Corsair OPX keyboards. Even some older gaming keyboards before RGB epic gamer time actually hold up really well because of not having to have a beefier than necessary chip for to accommodate for all the random implementations like RGB and macros. There is a tangible difference even when you tweak the firmware to 1000hz on a QMK board and that just doesn't settle for a lot of people. To this day I still swap out to an Apex Pro TKL on my desk when I need to play frame-tight or precise games instead of my Tofu65 or my Q3, and I plan to exchange that for a Wooting 60HE once I can justify buying yet another board; probably the first and only "customizable" keyboard I would say is 100% safe for gaming and it's still something of a prebuilt. I like custom sounds and feel and I really do like QMK/VIA, but you can't completely delude yourself with some moral high ground above advertising (which admittedly is true of *most* "gaming" keyboards) and being FOSS.
2 different markets, corsair, razer, logitech cater to gamers that dont give af about sound etc and just want pure peformance. These customs cater to hardcore typist
@@CheeseManFuu That's a lot of words just to come to the same conclusion I did, gaming keyboards are not any better for gaming, it's just marketing and that's a fact. Most customs PCBs nowadays come standard with 1000Hz. Turns out better quality products are better.
Man, you guys should really put “Customs” in your tittle to better inform the audience. Don’t get me wrong, $160 is still quite a lot but the hobby is really expensive as they usually sits in the $400-$600 price range
I really like the sound of this keyboard, too bad it's too late to get one though. What other keyboards have a similar sound that are actually available?
In the world of premium custom keyboards this is entry level. Try searching for Mammoth 75 or Satisfaction 75. The barebones kits start at $300 and go all the way to $800
This the second keyboard video in a row that comes out after the purchase window is closed. If I was Plouffe I would at least bring it up to whoever schedules the vids that there is a dedicated window of time before the board can no longer be purchased.
There’s a round 2 open
I agree, but I also don't envy the timeframe that they would need to push these enthusiast keeb videos out in to leave a reasonable amount of time before group buys end, to speak nothing of fitting that cleanly into their work pipeline. Not impossible, but I could see it being a fair bit of effort to prioritize these things over other videos.
He did mention in the video that it was sold out at 10:40
@@temp2421 pretty sure round 2 is also over? At least here in the UK it stopped at 1st OCT
I believe it’s more about the vendors getting their name out there with these showcases. All of these videos are sponsored.
They probably should change the title to have “custom” in it. I will agree that it is a great custom board through.
I agree, there's a enough people in the comments here who don't realize/don't get that it's a hobby with enthusiast tiers, that a clarification of what the reference point for "budget" is would be helpful.
Agreed, I clicked because I just got a steam deck, a dock and thought "oh great maybe I will find my couch wireless cheap keyboard"...then I hear 160$ wrote this comment and went on another video xD
I think this whole "custom" thing is a misnomer though.
What exactly is "custom" about these keyboards? They are manufactured in the 1000/10,000s. A custom keyboard would be a one off you either make or have made for yourself.
OK let me SEO the fk out of it: "The King of Budget Custom Mechanical 60% Keyboards"
@@user-lv6rn9cf8mYou are right it is a misnomer to a degree, but the reason this kit exists is because actual custom keyboards exist, and are much much much more expensive and can be far complex to assure compatibility and to assemble. It's not unlike RC cars, RC kits exists because people want a more involved experience than off the shelf less work than true custom enthusiast stuff. It's born out of the bespoke custom space and inspired by it. I do agree it's deserving of its own term.
This is fascinating. As a lifetime strictly utilitarian user of keyboards, until the previous video I have lived under a rock when it comes to this whole artisanal mechanical keyboard enthusiast realm. The sheer expanse of quality levels, standards, materials, component classifications, and product scarcity brings this whole industry to an alluring boil. To say nothing of the amount of money you can spend on one of these things, but I mean why the hell not? I will very likely NEVER dip a toe into this world but I love seeing things go to the Nth degree like this!
If I may, I recommend checking out Alexotos here on TH-cam or when he streams. He’s a keyboard content creator. VERY friendly to newcomers who would like to know more about the hobby, even if you don’t have your own custom board! It’s a great community to be a a part of!
Well said!
I recommend the Epomaker th80 or th66. Closest to enthusiast level acoustics out if the box. Recommend the gateron yellows for the stock switches but for 90 bucks you cant beat it either way.
Friendly reminder that 160 bucks before taxes is not budget by any means. It could be a compelling tag, but not budget. 60 is budget, 200 is not
The perspective is that of custom keyboards and fancy aesthetics. It's like saying a $100 watch is not budget because you don't like analog automatic watches and your $20 quartz watch works the same.
It's just luxury items of different categories and perspectives
@@_ExTitus I know that, but the word “budget” with no context, to a public this big is just misleading and clickbaity. You can say “good price”, but budget is a different thing, and that’s not objective, not when you are talking about 200$ for a keyboard. I just don’t like these smarteries to get easy views
How is $160 a "budget" keyboard?
$180, gotta pay for shipping :))
These keyboard weirdos be spending up to 1000$ for one keyboard so yes 180 is budget
Considering the average for custom keyboards are 300-400 this is Def budget lol
@@pr33tu_ don't forget about taxes
average for a good keyboard is $250-500 in the enthusiast keyboard space
I love how excited plouffe is when he gets to unbox a custom keyboard kit.
A better description would be:
the king of "budget" custom keyboards.
Video: Only 165 dollars
Video Title: 'Budget'
Me: Closes video
Since when 165 dollars is budget for a keyboard.I suggest changing the tittle to: The king of budget custom keyboards.
Can we discuss the word budget!?????
Hey Nick, I programmed my 65% with QMK to make single-press number keys be the number and double-tap number keys be the correspdonding "F" key. It's pretty easy, look up "tap dancing qmk" and you should find something relevant. That means you don't have to hit 3 separate keys
How do you type double numbers then?
@@austindoestuff by pressing the number key twice. for it to count as a function key the key must be tapped twice within 100ms, afterwards it counts as a separate keystroke
As someone with this board
Bruh, it's been like... 2 months? Since the first EE came out?
Weird to say this to LTT...
But .... I dunno, you guys gotta start making those connections to get sample versions of these boards to give some critiques and to bring actual marketing to the boards, lol.
Variable space bars are so important for split keebs, glad to see them
I love Plouffe's excitement for keyboards. However, one thing these videos have missed is any kind of explanation as to why these expensive, enthusiast keyboards are objectively better than a sub $100 keyboard. GPUs have FPS, even headphones/earbuds have objective measures as to why they are "better" than another. However, these super expensive keybaords are SO subjective.
Would love an in-depth review of what objectively sets high end keybaords apart from a $70 Corsair.
I don't think there is anything objectively better, if you don't count that they feel and sound better and thus makes the user happier to use it. I like to compare it to musical instruments, sure you can make "music" with a cheap plasticky whatever from a toy store. But if you're going to use it everyday, you want something that looks good, is pleasant to use and so on.
Perhaps reliability? Perhaps it feeling better makes you type faster/more productive. But again, subjective.
Well, I'm not the biggest keyboard nerd in the world - I own a paltry three customs - but I can try to give some kind of summary as to what sets a custom keyboard apart from a prebuilt.
As you say, they are, objectively speaking, mostly the same. A prebuilt $50 keyboard from amazon will input characters just fine. However, the build quality can differ pretty broadly depending on what you buy. This difference isn't necessarily exclusive to the divide between custom and prebuilt keyboards but rather between cheap and flimsy keyboards and more premium and expensive keyboards, custom or prebuilt.
Build quality is something enthusiasts often point to, as extremely cheap plastic cases are more prone to damage, cracking, yellowing, etc. over time. This is something that can happen to custom plastic cases, obviously, but the custom plastic cases are usually sturdier.
To some extent the materials used can also matter. Many prebuilt keyboards use a steel plate as well as a tray mounting design which involves screwing the pcb directly into the bottom of the case. This might seem rather insignificant - as "feel" is also something that's classified as subjective in the keyboard world - but IMHO it's more important than some might think as fatigue from typing can be a real factor in productivity scenarios. Pounding away on a rock-solid assembly can be rather tiring.
Custom keyboards usually address this by using plastic plates, having thinner or more flexible PCBs, and even different ways of assembling the keyboard altogether. Comfort for the typing feel is a big talking point when it comes to custom keyboards as well; the word "flex" is used very often in that kind of discourse.
They are better at cleaning your bank account
They are working on labs content exactly to answer these types of questions, ShortCircuit is supposed to be first impressions of stuff they like
@@lande.r1 yes, but this is really the only place they cover keyboards much at all.
$165 is not budget, how about giving some love to the tm680, the royal kludge line or literally anything else that isn't 165 dollars??
This is not a budget keyboard. I hate misleading titles, as I feel duped for clicking on them.
The custom keyboard obsession is literally just sneaker collecting for people that don't leave the house.
Accurate statement
it is not though, someone is binning parts for you to achieve a certain level of quality and feel for the whole board and sells you a package deal.
Also they have features to adapt them after the fact. As someone who bought many "normal" boards to try them i can see the appeal. Don't like MX Brown, get a a set of Reds or non Cherry ones altogether.
Sneakers on the other hand are just expensive, because someone artificially decides they are.
The you buy them and put the away and probably never wear them because they don't gain value or loose it.
These keyboards on the other hand get used. So it is a bit oldschool in that sense, you buy premium but you buy once and i will last a good amount of time because of that.
@@DxCBuG Logitech K120 lasts 10years or so and does the same job. It just sounds like you're the perfect customer in this case, perhaps you should get some sneakers too ;)
@@Allexz listen, i provided some arguments why its not a comparison and you give a stupid snarky comment and throw in the cheapest keyboard that might be not shit. ... common... get real dude, you just dont value quality of feel for anything. You are cheap. That's okay. Still not comparable to buying sneakers. PS: the K120 does not do the same job for people interested in a hot swap board.. You can't change it, except throwing it in the bin.
GMK keycaps are like sneakers. The keyboards themselves actually cost a lot of money to produce and you can use them everyday for years and they'll keep the value (unlike worn sneakers and GMK keycaps)
Enjoying your keyboard vids. It is good to get impressions from someone who isn't all of the way down the rabbit hole, but still really like mechanical keyboards. Keep up the good work!
what part of budget don't you understand? £137. not exactly budget, when I buy keyboards for like £10 - 20.
Do you notice the "I" in your comment? Budget is SUBJECTIVE.
$165 is not budget. It's not even within sight of budget.
3:14
That switch opener sound was eargasmic, wow
Anyone else feel like the word Budget has started being redefined?
The US budget is trillions of dollars.
People assuming budget means low budget is the issue.
@@WayStedYou lol trillions of dollars is low when were talking about an entire country.
If you budget you limit yourself, you limit your purchases, the issue isnt thinking budget means low, its people not knowing how to budget anything, complaining about not getting paid enough, and thinking 100+ on a keyboard is reasonable in any way.
Don't think an LMG channel has ever used the term "budget" right before
For a custom mechanical keyboard, this is actually a budget one, the premium boards cost 2-3x more than this board
@@randomyoutube21 then they should specify it in the title. “The King of Budget Artisanal Keyboards” or something
This thing isn’t a budget keyboard at all lol
@@LeftJoystick yeah i agree, the term budget is used poorly in the mech keyb hobby
I couldn't agree more.
Cheapest for its feature set does not equal budget.
Its budget considering new oem boards can cost over 300usd
"Budget" and $160 starting price is funny. You could say "value" or "reasonably-priced" but budget is not even half that price.
>king of the budget keyboards
>160 dollars
LOL
Bro, I love it when whats his name reviews keyboards. I would love to see a cheap keyboard review. Keep up the work!
while i do love plouffe, genuinely one of my favorite faces on the channel, it often feels like keyboard reviews are more like christmas for him, especially when he's already well versed with the manufacturers and their products and would likely happily take any of the enthusiast-tier keyboards he reviews; i think it would be nice to have sort of an outsider's perspective as well, someone who is more into the corsairs and logitechs of the world rather than these, especially since the video isn't terribly long as is! i feel like we would only benefit from having the additional perspective of someone who maybe only has a passing interest in the higher end or is looking to get involved but doesn't know where to start
Keyboards of this caliber are basically for enthusiasts only, take a random guy and they'll barely feel the difference with a custom 150$ keyboard or a good comercial one
@@thunderarch5951 .. wouldn't that be something worth discussing though? That secondary perspective would make boards like this appeal to a wider demographic
Don't corsair and logitech keyboards also go for around $100 or more?
Once you go up to the 200-300 range of corsair or logitech I would say that a comparable custom is better in almost every regard.
I usually just buy kits and stuff that are under $200, but I buy almost all of my stuff on clearance or on sale. So that might effect my perspective
when $159 is cheap I know i'm in the matrix or a really crap sitcom
Coming from the same people that said the 3080 ti was good value I'm not surprised
$159 is nothing for a machined aluminum keyboard. You can get plastic boards for more than that.
@@heath3778 its not cheap for the uneducated
if you really just wanted a 65 board the LTC Nimbleback is $60
@@heath3778 Got an aluminum one for 30 bucks
In the world of custom keyboards 100 dollars is basically the entry point with prices easily soaring into the thousands.
i dont know about you but 200 bucks is definitely not considered "budget keyboard" . its a good price but not budget for sure
imo, title should include budget *custom* keyboard. a good budget keyboard, period, is $100, tops. and this is coming from someone who owns a mode80(iykyk)
It’s not a knob with tactile, it’s called “Rotary Encoder”
What is it's purpose?
Quite a few people on TH-cam might want to consult the actual definition of the word "budget".
WHOSE BUDGET ?
In what way is $160 for a keyboard considered budget?
Most custom keyboard kits that have full aluminum frames typically start at $200+ USD.
The real budget keyboard is and will always be the Logitech K120.😅🤣
Using mine since 2005.
the most budget keyboard is the membrane you find at a garage sale for 0.25
@@_ExTitus I stole mine from school works like a charm till date.
Legend
Absolutely true, cheap and reliable. I prefer mechanical keyboards for the feel, but certainly I could live with a K120
A budget board is $165 now?
In the custom keyboard world, this is a steal
$300 used to be a budget keyboard
And even it is not full keyboard. It is a joke.
@@redheadsg1 just because you somehow find use out of a numpad doesn't mean not having one is a "joke"
"Only 165$!" XD Lmao
$165? Jebus Christ. The same people who cry about how everything is so expensive, are the same people who drop their entire barista paycheck on this crap.
I own the keyboard and I love it but a few warnings. If you get the Bluetooth model make sure you have a pc to change the key mappings. Otherwise you won’t be able to do it from a Mac. The backspace for some reason always sounds terrible and feels terrible so make sure you watch a video on how to fix it. There was a round 2 of this keyboard recently. It really is unfortunate that they barely got it (or posted a video about it)
Absolutely love mine too! But yeah the backspace is so weird and takes a lot of work (have a different switch in mine to help even more with it)
We have a very different idea of what a budget keyboard is
the weight is in fact included with the barebones kit and matches with the knob is inside the box where the zoom 65 logo was explained. i know cuz i just built it and i spent 5 mins looking for it KEK.
there is no way he just said $165 is budget.
In the custom market this is very cheap and you get a lot of quality stuff for the price.
I mean, it is budget for "custom" keyboards, it's a good video but I wished they had made that clarification. They aren't mainstream products. It's the same sense that $800 is "budget" for a new gaming pc build these days. If you don't care about gaming and just want something that works, why would spend $800 on a "budget" build when you can get a used Optiplex on facebook marketplace for less than $200 or a new desktop for $500 at Best Buy? It's just different standards, neither is wrong because they aren't talking about the same thing.
No, he compared it to the ridiculous prices of mainstream keyboards. Like Logitech keyboard with keys that break off in a year for $250.
Custom really needs to be in the title. For big name brand keyboards, not only are there a fair few options well below $160 but at $160 the keyboards can get are far from bad, if bad at all. Sky starts to be the limit at that price.
Big name brand keyboards are usually garbage for the price though. Glorious is the biggest brand that makes a good keyboard. Also they're usually ugly but again, Glorious has managed to avoid following in the bad steps of Logitech, Corsair and Razer.
@@coughfee_beans Keychron is also great, I have the aluminium chassis K2 and not only does it look smart, has bluetooth, a MAC/PC toggle, it also is built solid enough that you could beat a horse to death with it.
It's $90 right now, no other company can match that value.
@@Eagle3302PL Of course but I consider Glorious bigger which is why I said that they were the biggest brand making good keyboards.
Why release the video after the pre-order window? This makes no sense at all..
When I hear the word "budget" I don't think of something over $100....not when there are mechanical keyboards, with hot swappable switches for a lot less these days. I understand that mechanical ones can be more $, but still, to me at least, if you are calling it "budget" it should be maxing out around $60 and preferably less than that, and while you can't get a full custom one at that price, you can get ones you can customize for under $50 these days.
And this video is out after they are already done taking pre-orders....so not very helpful even if it were truly a "budget" option...
It's "budget" for the elite only.
This is budget in the world of customs.
You will not find many CNC aluminum keyboards within this price bracket.
Well it's a budget custom keyboard
You buy your keyboard for £160 dolla and then have to build it yourself. Some people have far to much time and money!
$160 with no keycaps and trying to charge an extra $60 for Bluetooth is such a rip off. They know their target audience have more money than sense and take full advantage of it.
Not great timing for the video -- the group buy closed yesterday.
"Its only $165 which is pretty cheap..."
me sitting here typing on my £15 ($17) keyboard
These people are so out of touch with normal people when it comes to calling something a “budget” option
So thats why budget is in quotes
I see why the title says "budget" in quote. It's budget for people with some $$$
99% of LTT's videos are people with $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$, not the poor plebs sadly.
Another keyboard without a numpad how innovative
How to get a positive short circuit video:
1. have a product that gets reviewed by Plouffe
2. add random knick knacks into the box (but only for the video, not for the consumer!)
bonus: add features that are somehow highly valued but not important (e.g. toolless monitor stand, a highly reflective plate on the backside of your heavy keyboard that you will never lift)
3. ???
4. profit
Funny thing is, the group buy for this ended last night lol.
$165 is NOT a budget keyboard. My $50 Havit low profile keyboard (HV-KB390L) has been perfect over the years. I type for living. I stopped buying Logitec and Corsair keyboards and never looked back. Stop paying these outrageous prices.
"Linus Tech Tips" and I have different definitions for the word: "Budget". I paid $35 for my keyboard & mouse combo from Amazon.
More like, "Linus Rich Tips".
It's not that LTT has a definition for budget that's different. It's that in the custom machined keyboard market, this is a budget keyboard with a good value.
LTT really needs to hire a keyboard guy who isn't so utterly clueless.
Agreed. It’s nice to see custom keyboard content on the channel but the information is off or just wrong.
This! 100% this.
Very misleading title. I was hoping for a video on a real budget keyboard king.
For people with smaller form factor keyboards.
In windows, there is a program called powertoys by Microsoft. Among other things, it allows to remap keys, so you can remap alt+f4 to something like alt+4.
You're welcome 😁
no need for that. All custom keyboards can be completely reprogrammed with QMK / VIA.
All wired ("good")custom keyboards use qmk/via.
The wireless ones should use zmk, but qmk is working on wireless stuff
People really need to figure out that the point of smaller keyboards isn't that you go without keys, it is that you bring the keys closer to your fingers by having them accessed by layers. Like even now when I type at a keyboard with arrow keys, I prefer Spacebar+IJKL (SpaceFN rules). Not having to move your hand at all is the end goal here.
"King of budget keyboards"
"Its ONLY $160"
Those dont go together 💀
Say you've never heard of custom mechanical keyboards without saying you've never heard of custom mechanical keyboards
My Microsoft keyboard designed for Windows Xp is still doing well lol.
It actually has features.
you REALLY NEED to learn what "budget" means, because if its over a fucking hundred dollars, ITS NOT BUDGET.
You have not seen the mechanical keyboard community. 200 and below is budget. Literally not so long ago 200 was not enough to buy enough zealios switches for a 60%. Of course looking in it seems wild to spend that much on a keyboard, but context changes a lit of stuff.
These are budget comparatively to other keyboards in the custom keyboard space. Many custom keyboards exceed $300-$500.
get ur money up
8:32 NOOO NOT THE OILY HANDS ON THE MIRROR FINISHING
what are the names of the switches that came in the pre built board? I love the sound.
Since when is a $159 keyboard "budget" ?!
Your idea and my idea of budget seem to be very different..
how is $160 "budget"? have you gone to keychron's website one time in your entire life?
Budget keyboard is a shitty Logitech for 20$, not 180
Budget?
Plouffe... could you please make a video on how to find /build the perfect wireless mechanical SILENT keyboard?
A detailed LTT video would be nice!I
Preferably in 2 or 3 price tiers like best bang for buck, high end, and no compromises tiers.
I would love to get a mechanical keyboard but I can't stand the noise! Even membrane keyboards drive me nuts!
And yes I have psychological problems and most people don't care about noises or even like them, I understand that, please don't hate!
Thank you!
I'd recommend channels like Switch and Click, Glarses, Hipyo Tech, Keybored, and Taeha Types for more focused content like that. I'm sure you'll find what you're looking for among one of those channels.
@@BlackTearsYT Thanks!
Plouffe. Keycult next? TGR? Singa? lets go balls to the walls. Frankenswitches, VIA, QMK toolbox, stab modding, GMK keycaps, matching artisan colorways, custom exotic material plate cutting, ALPS, TOPRE. Commit to the dark side.
"budget" > $165
seriously?
$159 for a bare bone is NOT budget at all. Have you not seen MK870? It's only $60 and it's pretty damn good as a mechanical keyboard bare bone.
Pretty sure that Keychron is the king of "budget" keyboards.
In what universe is a starting price of $160 "budget" for a keyboard, even with the quotations in the title?
The universe of custom keyboards where $400 is pretty middle of the road.
@@G3rain1 I feel like putting custom in the title would've made the video better. Omitting that is like saying the best "budget" alternative to gas cars is a car worth $110,000 just because it isn't gas
165 dollars a budget keyboard ???
160 budget???????????
"Textured" is probably bead blasted. Love using that finish on products myself.
I really cant understand why people spend so much money on keyboards. And that plate on the base... Why? Just why? If nobody can see it..
I really love the energy of this video, Plouffe is like a kid in a candy shop! Great stuff!
when u said budget my mind thought the price of 50 euros,this is too much ,most people find this price too expensive
I think the approach of builing your own keyboard is good, although I don't like that DIY (in this case) ist more expensive than just buying a regular keyboard.
A prebuilt custom keyboard is upwards of $600, if you outsource your build. A mass produced "regular" keyboard isn't a fair or realistic comparison. A large reason to build your own is to tune it yourself and build it to your own personal liking, not to save cost. It's a hobby in that regard as no one really needs a $200+ keyboard. It's PC jewelry.
He briefly addresses that, a flagship keyboard from Corsair, Logitech, or Razer can be $200 or more, whereas this has much better quality for three quarters of the money. The labor savings of not preassembling it is a big part of that.
That being said, $160 is budget if you're comparing it to a $400 keyboard. It's premium if you're comparing it to a $50 keyboard.
@@Churchgrimm Very true. But budget always refers to whatever universe the product belongs to. The money comparison can't encompass everything. A Honda Civic is budget unless you compare it to a Yugo.
@@das-nyc Budget is a relative word, I agree, and yeah what counts as budget is normally defined by a majority of normal people. I think context is important in that the reviewer (I feel bad for forgetting his name) is very much a keyboard enthusiast, so his definition of a "budget" keyboard is almost certainly much more expensive than the average LTT employee. It probably would have been helpful for him to clarify what budget meant in this context.
After building and modding my keyboards for the past year. I will never ever look forward to using these mainstream gamer keyboards like from razer, corsair etc. The thocky sounds is just so satisfying plus the smooth linear travel, oh yes.
@@BlackTearsYT I see you fell for the false advertising that is "gaming" products. The simple answer is no, gaming keyboards is in no way better for gaming than a custom mech is, if anything they are worse. Remove the silly gaming marketing and all that is left is a lower-class keyboard with worse quality internals and far fewer switch options, not to mention logitech has some of the worst switches out there. VIA/QMK is open source and better than the software Logitech has to offer anyways.
@@JHN322 This really is not true. Yes, it can game, but QMK really is not optimized for performance in terms of pollrate or latency, especially when compared to some keyboards like the Apex Pro, the HyperX Ally Origins lineup of keyboards, and, dare I say, Corsair OPX keyboards. Even some older gaming keyboards before RGB epic gamer time actually hold up really well because of not having to have a beefier than necessary chip for to accommodate for all the random implementations like RGB and macros. There is a tangible difference even when you tweak the firmware to 1000hz on a QMK board and that just doesn't settle for a lot of people. To this day I still swap out to an Apex Pro TKL on my desk when I need to play frame-tight or precise games instead of my Tofu65 or my Q3, and I plan to exchange that for a Wooting 60HE once I can justify buying yet another board; probably the first and only "customizable" keyboard I would say is 100% safe for gaming and it's still something of a prebuilt.
I like custom sounds and feel and I really do like QMK/VIA, but you can't completely delude yourself with some moral high ground above advertising (which admittedly is true of *most* "gaming" keyboards) and being FOSS.
2 different markets, corsair, razer, logitech cater to gamers that dont give af about sound etc and just want pure peformance.
These customs cater to hardcore typist
@@CheeseManFuu That's a lot of words just to come to the same conclusion I did, gaming keyboards are not any better for gaming, it's just marketing and that's a fact.
Most customs PCBs nowadays come standard with 1000Hz. Turns out better quality products are better.
LMG doesn’t know the definition of “budget” anymore. For that much, just go build a Tofu board.
$165 is considered "budget" for a keyboard?
Bruh
Sees budget as title
Me: Is it like $30 budget?
SC: $160
Oh...
how is a budget keyboard 160 usd, i see the quotes but come on
Using the words budget keyboard and $165 in the same sentence is quite strong.....
Man, you guys should really put “Customs” in your tittle to better inform the audience. Don’t get me wrong, $160 is still quite a lot but the hobby is really expensive as they usually sits in the $400-$600 price range
I really like the sound of this keyboard, too bad it's too late to get one though. What other keyboards have a similar sound that are actually available?
late?? why?
Everything above 100 dollars are not budget keyboard
I applaud people who like linear switches. I keep making unintended presses while resting my fingers on the keys.
Get something heavier then
I love watching a video and then seeing that the window to purchase was closed the day before the video went live
160 bucks and "budget" just don't go together.
Did I miss the budget keyboard? All I was was a $160 keyboard with like half the keys missing
In the world of premium custom keyboards this is entry level. Try searching for Mammoth 75 or Satisfaction 75. The barebones kits start at $300 and go all the way to $800
165$ is in no way a budget keyboard.
$200 is budget? Last keyboard I bought and I am still using it, cost 13 dollars.
In the custom keyboard space 100 dollars is basically the entry point with prices that can easily reach into the thousands.
@@spencerallen323 WELL, the Logitech k120 DELUXE keyboard is good enough for me. Sometimes I'll put stickers on my keyboard from other manufacturers!
Plouffe and his keyboards lol
I can relate as i love building them as well but dude geeks out over em. I love it
Why do you consider 165 U$ a budget keyboard?