It great to see Leopold getting some more attention. They have always been sitting in the background amongst a lot of other more mainstream brands like ducky.
Warning: long post I have experience with Ducky, Varmilo and Leopold. Honestly, Ducky has had a fall from grace. Their build quality has gone down, notably in the chassis, which has had a negative effect on the sound of typing on one of their boards. For the price their products can definitely compete with gaming brands, but I think gaming brands have superior software if RGB is your priority and you don't care about software. Ducky has superior stock RGB options if you don't want to use software but also want to customize your lighting. Ducky stabilizers also rattle more than Leopold and Varmilo (not nearly as much as every gaming brand though) so if sound is part of the experience of typing on a mechanical keyboard for you, Ducky isn't the best option. Though if you like Cherry MX Blues, those switches are relatively rattly compared to other clicky switches that have come up in the past few years and the ratting spacebar isn't as noticeable when typing on MX Blues. Varmilo and Leopold have superior build quality and overall typing experience to Ducky imo. A while ago, on the mechanicalkeyboards subreddit there was a popular thread that had pictures of starcraft players and what keyboards they were using. Pretty much every player that wasn't using a keyboard made by one of their sponsors was using a Leopold FC700R. The FC750R, and their other models, the 65% FC600M, the 90% FC980M, and the fullsize FC900R, are all just as quality. Leopold boards, even at Ducky's peak, had superior build, however they were much harder to find back when the Ducky Shine, Shine 2 and Shine 3 were some of the most popular mechanical keyboards in the west. Leopold has also updated their line with PBT caps, which you can distinguish on the packaging with a "PD" at the end of the model name. The PBT keycaps are an extremely nice addition, and with this inclusion I think Leopold has cemented themselves as the manufacturers of the best built stock or "out-of-the-box" keyboards. Period. If build is the most important thing to you, Leopold wins. Varmilo has been using PBT caps in their boards longer than Leopold has, but Varmilo has an advantage in proximity to manufacturing, which enables them to have the customization features they have now, and their floating keycap design. I would say out of every stock keyboard that offers floating keys, Varmilo's boards are the highest quality. It's also extremely easy to contact Varmilo and make custom orders, ask questions, etc. One time I asked them what the RGB effects were on their Double Rainbow 2 VA87M, and they proceeded to make a video, send it to me and post it on the product page on their website as well, though it has since been removed with the website being updated visually. So their customer service is communicative and accessible. Their chassis is nice, but not as good as Leopold, and their Varmilo Sword models with aluminum cases are nice, though not as good as building your own keyboard with an aluminum case. The aluminum models cost 300 dollars, and at that price you could get a better typing experience building your own, but that requires good knowledge and understanding of how different materials, switches and other components can affect the sound or feel of a board. Ultimately, I couldn't disrespect a purchase of a Varmilo or Leopold board under any circumstances. If you want RGB customization greater than some stock effects, static colors and RGB cycling, then there really isn't a high build quality option outside the VA87M Double Rainbow unless you build your own keyboard and familiarize yourself with QMK on a coding level.
I agree with every word in this post. I think Ducky has gone down in quality due to their surge in popularity. It seems like they're attempting to minimize production cost so they can pump out as many boards as possible to all TFUE viewers, lol. Ducky seems to be one small step above Razer for me personally. But, if you like RGB and small little 60% boards and don't want to spend time learning QMK, then Ducky and POK3R are really your only options, unless you decide to build your own board with a Zeal60 or a Dz60, which has another whole range of complications for the crowd that usually likes RGB, being beginners.
Wow, you have some extensive keyboard experience. Thanks for the post. I am currently on my second mechanical keyboard - a Ducky One 2 (black, white backlit, PBT caps and MX Silver switches) after my first which was a Logitech G610 Orion with MX Browns also black with white back-lit keys.. The Logitech was OK but the key caps were so prone to getting glossy / greasy looking no matter how clean you tried to keep it and your hands which drove me nuts. I did like the rubber scroll wheel for volume though and gaming shortcut key to lock the Windows key and other keys you can select in their software. I'm not really into RGB. But overall the Ducky seems like a better quality. The PBT caps alone were worth the switch. You can just tell they will last a long time, and the MX Silver switches are awesome IMO. Love the linear short travel and shorter actuation for gaming and typing. I thought I would miss the tactile bump in the browns but I prefer to just bottom out a short travel key then to rely on a tactile bump for feedback. And I appreciate that you don't have to install software to control your lighting. But they keyboards in the video did catch my interest. I think the Leopold looks the most interesting to me as I'm not into the ultra customization Varmilo offers and build quality is more my priority. That felt option looked like something experience.
Yeah, I mean Ducky is allright. But Leopold and Varmilo are the absolute best. Plus Duckys aesthetic is too gamery for me. The only downside to Leopold and Varmilo is that they only use Cherry MX switches. But why is the description of this video talking about them as "gamer keyboards" lol? More like typist/programming keyboards.
As a keyboard enthusiast who has built several keyboards, I'm quite glad that some great brands like Leopold are getting recognition. I think once people discover places like r/mechanicalkeyboards it will be hard to go back to a regular/gaming keyboards since the customization is endless :)
Glad to see you guys giving Varmillo and Leopold some exposure! They're famous in the enthusiast mech community for incredibly high build quality boards for good prices. Plus, they both make great 65% boards!
Hall Effect Sensors have been used in console controllers as far back as the PS1 as far as I can confirm... And the hall effect itself has been used in stuff such as recording consoles, radio/television station control decks and other control systems for sliders and similar form factor inputs for at least 50 years now. Steelseries pretending as if it was new was a bit annoying to me.
FINALLY! Being a mechanical keyboard enthusiast for years, constantly convincing people that "gaming" boards are overpriced low quality products, this video is so nice to see! Thank you!
I mean, Varmilo, Leopold, and Ducky have been putting 'gaming' keyboards to shame for years. This isn't a new thing... Wooting is relatively new to the game though.
Are ducky keyboard good? I saw it was sold in my local computer shop and im wondering if it is any good. Or should i just stick to razer, logitech, corsair, etc
@@sebastianprimus3804 Ducky is considered very good. Just below Varmilo, Leopold and Filco if I were to do a ranking. Razer, Logitech and Corsair wouldn't even be on the list. Compared to Varmilo/Ducky/Filco etc I hesitate to even call them keyboards lol. Like a completely different world. There is no reason to buy a keyboard from like Razer/Logitech/Corsair. Kind of the same as how it's pointless to buy a non-Logitech mouse.
So glad to see enthusiast brands reaching the mainstream, keyboards are one of the most useful tools and should always be able to be customized to your liking.
They are :) "Who are we? We’re a group of young guys from the Netherlands, that know each other from a long history of gaming. We got fed up with the gaming stereotype and terrible customer communication by major "gaming" companies and decided to start for ourselves. "
Hey, Dmitry, glad to see that you are starting to learn more about good keyboards now. Maybe you should do a video on custom keyboards (but make sure you don't buy cherry switches, because they are probably the worst you can get in comparison to the rest on the market)
I just got a Varmilo va88m today. The same one as in the video actually, just with regular font. Going from my old Corsair K65 rapidfire, I'm never looking back. The feel and finish is just insane quality.
@@MdRifat-pq2pp The one with the runes? I have never seen them apart from this video. All I know is that they're called "Varmilo PBT caps Nordic Runes" or something.
I wanna see a combination of that super silent keyboard with that low profile keyboard, that would be the perfect keyboard for me. Those 2 features in 75% form factor would just be amazing.
Hey man, nice coverage! I'm a big fan of Topre keyboards, having owned 5 Realforce myself. I'm really looking forward to see what the Leopold -PT suffix keyboards bring to the table. The gripe is always about the Topre keycaps, but hey, that MX style stem could be a game changer! Before I delved into Topre, I had great experience with Ducky Shine 4 and Varmilo VA108M, not forgetting the evergreen Filco Majestouch. They are the rare few who are still sporting a great Cherry MX variety, classic ANSI layouts with standard spacing (particularly in the last row). Each of these brands are excellent in their typing feedback and designs (maybe not so much for the price point). It sure looks interesting that Leopold is now sticking its neck out of the woods and joining the competition for typists or any keyboard enthusiasts/purist.
I pre-ordered my Ducky YOTP earlier this week. Glad to see you guys covering this! There is so much more to keyboards than traditional gaming brands put out
Naah.. I mean.. Varmilo started out as a manufacturer for Leopold, decided that they could do it better themselves (Chinese "night shift" style) and well... kind of did. That's debatable. I prefer Varmilo over Leopold but they are both top notch. Filco is still around.
Rocking a FC900R here. The only other keyboard which I think is on par, or maybe slightly better than that was my old UNICOMP with buckling spring/membrane. All black everything, no markings on keycaps either. Was a literal tank, but a small spill of water from a water bottle destroyed it :(
I use a keyboard with electro capacitive (topre clones) by a company called NiZ (I think owned by plum) and I love how they're so quiet even when bottoming out and even water proof from the top! I've had cherry mx red and clear keyboards but the electro capacitive keys feels so much more luxurious and on a different level of quiet.
I havent used the actual topres but love that the niz came with o-rings and lubed from the factory. Also love how all the keys feel good unlike some of my cherry mx which have scratchy space and backspace keys
@@harisonpunian3689 In what way? Leopold stock keycaps are just better than iKBC's and Majestouch's stock keycaps. The stabs on Leopold boards come factory lubed too, while the MF108 and Majestouch 2 have pretty rattly stabs. Not to mention Leopold comes in ~40USD cheaper than both iKBC and Majestouch.
Leopold, Varmilo, and Ducky are all great keyboard makers. Leopold especially deserves some recognition as the other two have slowly but surely gaining some sort of recognition. Leopold always seemed to be the kid in the back that got no attention until now. Great to see!
So I found it. You have to go to the varmilo site and start customizing your keyboard. When you get to the customization page there's an option called legend and in there you can select rune
Yeah, man! I got mine for work (front-end web dev) about a month ago and I just love it! The quality is astonishing! I don't like the mini-USB port though.. considering the price.. Oh come on, we want USB-C!
Ducky is god damn amazing. All their keyboards feel high quality for a decently fair price. The only thing they need IMO is a seperate version of the One 2 Lineup with hot swappable switches
This is the only reason I didn't buy their keyboard. Everything about the one 2 mini is what I want but I wanna try different switches like the purple zealios.
Only issue I've had with ducky is the shine 7 stock caps, which aren't well designed at all. Not much of an issue though since I just bought some pudding caps
I own a Leopold FC660M with blue cherry and blue case since 2015, it's my main keyboard at home, super solid and I love the layout, but I wasn't seeing them available online for a while.
I received my Ducky Shine 7 today and it's incredible. There are some minor gripes to do with software (and razer connect) but other than that it's a stellar product. Would like to see more reviews on keyboards like this in the future.
Nice to see a more "mainstream" coverage of mechanical keyboards. This has been an open secret in the pcmr crowd, even Kyle bitwit has a varmilo kb video from 4-5 years ago.
Thanks for taking the trip and showing all of this to us. At one time, I would not have cared or even understood this. But, I got myself a really nice mechanical keyboard, and ... and ... and ... this video is LIKE PORN to me, now ... Loved your review.
Dye Sublimation isn't throughout the key, it is simply a coating and the ink is bonded to the coating through a transfer process. It can fade in UV light if not coated, but it takes a long time.
For anyone who really wants to try niche premium keyboards beyond your standard Cherry MX and other mainstream switches, I highly recommend Kailh Speed or Kailh Box switches. I'm currently using Kailh Box Whites on a cheap chinese hot swappable keyboard called the GK61 that's bought on Ali Express or Banggood. The typing experience on these Kailh Box Whites are unlike any Cherry MX Blues or clicky switches out there. Its all smooth without the high pitch key mashing sound you get from the Cherry MX Blues, but retains its sharp tactility and improved smoothness. More premium keyboards would be the GMMK keyboard, or if you have the money, the Massdrop CTRL, ALT or SHIFT would be a great choice too.
As a brand new PC owner I'd really love to just try out all these different keyboards cause no matter how much you try a video will never be able show how it feels. The closest I can do to trying them out is going to the local best buy and try the ones out on display but they're all just like Corsairs but these seem more unique and nuanced than those.
Definitely have heard and try all of the keyboard brand mention in the video. As an osu! player,people have recommend me alot of keyboard brand, but mostly not the main stream brand like corsair, logitec etc. Most of the people I know or I'm friends with use ducky or varmilo bcuz they ship with pbt keycaps. That will be useful for us that literally press/tap on keycaps 2000+ a day. And most of the people I know didn't recommend me buying razer keyboard,don't get me wrong they are an amazing brand, it just they equipped their keyboard with thin lazer printed abs keycaps that mostly break after 2-3 weeks of usage, although it might be different depends on what game u play or what u use it for, I mean not everyone bottom out and alternate 222 bpm on their keycaps.
Leopold's FC980M is a great board with a bit more compact of a layout, PBT caps, and a good price point. Excited to see other offerings and that year of the pig board is out of this world
I've got a Leopold FC750R and it's awesome. There are (were) two shops in the EU where you can buy this; both shops are owned and operated by keyboard enthusiasts. The PBT keycaps are awesome, the dampening foam is great overall I'm very satisfied. The only gripe I have is that all the large(r) keys (Shift, spacebar etc.) are too easy to press. I frequently, even after having this keyboard for two years, put a space in a sentence where I don't want it.
Really nice video guys, I really love those brands. Ducky, Leopold, Vermillio, Filco, Vortex, those are enthusiast brands. And I really prefer to spend 150usd on one of those keyboards than in other mainstream brands, I still want a Leopold FC660 with topres. Just as reminder all those brands uses PBT keycaps, one full set of PBT caps cost from 50 to 80 usd. My main keyboard is a CM Novatouch (Topre) with custom PBT caps, and a Vortex Pok3r with MX blues, also I have a WASD keyboard with MX browns, Razer Overwatch edition (NEW), two DasKeyboards 3 (one Professional & one Ultimate) with browns, Logitech MX keys and a Steelseries 6gV2 with MX reds.
i think personally a lot of people need to understand that gaming keyboards are not the only mechanical keyboards. It's a whole hobby with a large community.
Yeah, Varmilo is killing it, I own a Varmilo Beijing Opera TKL board with Cherry MX Red switches and it has been serving me well. I've been loving everything that it has to offer, apart from the mini USB cable instead of an USB C. I'm a full time novel translator, so a lot of typing, which made me shift from my Razer Huntsman TE, I still game with my Razer though, the Huntsman TE is too good to be kept in a box.
I think the market for them would be really small is why - could be nice for gaming in the living room or something. But most enthusiasts probably do not need a wireless keyboard.
Going from a Ducky Skyline One 2 to the Leopold Fc750R was such a noticeable difference in overall quality. I still love my Ducky for office work (not like I've been in the office in 12 months), but that will likely be my last Ducky. If I don't go full enthusiast and build or commission a custom keyboard, I will be going to Leopold or Varmillo for my keyboards from now on.
Did my research on mechs and Varmilio have actually a really good reputation in the community and are generally more expensive than Ducky. It is just that mainstream gaming brands overprice their keyboards by quite a bit.
I just got my Varmilo MA87 Beijing Opera keyboard with Varmilo EC Sakura V2 yesterday and the quality of it is really good to say the least there’s like no flex when you try to bend it.
I have a varmilo rainbow 2 and its absolutely brilliant. I have it in reds, the switches came pre lubed and its just a great typing expierience. Build quality is sublime too.
Thanks for this, the general public need to know about the other options they have besides the big brands like corsair, razer, and hyperx. People need to know about switches like kailh, gateron, and zealpc which in my opinion are far nicer than Cherry MX.
I'm typing this on a Vortex Vibe and love it. It has a unique layout (60% but with a num pad). PBT key caps in SA format with an aluminum frame that allows for exposed stems. Typing on it is as satisfying as any keyboard I've ever used.
Depends on what you're looking for guess but I typed on a Ducky Legend for a couple of years. Great switches (Cherry MX) but the frame of the keyboard scratched easily even though I am not wearing a watch or anything and it was just sitting at my desk I never moved it or took it with me. Also the lighting effects were really poor. If you'd choose the breathing effect the keyboard would miss some of your key presses making it unusable and unreliable in that lighting mode. The USB cord was really stiff and way to short (a pet peeve of mine with many peripherals I must say). My current keyboard is a Drevo Tryfyng v2 and I am very pleased with it. I enjoy it far more than I did that Ducky.
@@cypherpls You know, a keyboard that has a PCB that allows for hot swapping mechanical switches. All of Massdrop's keyboards (the ctrl, alt, and upcoming shift) have hot swappable functionality, input club's Kira (which I own) has it, there are several DIY kits that have the option for a hot swappable PCB, they are getting quite popular in the non gaming enthusiast market.
@@cinnabarsonar2072 Well, I can see this happening. But I generally use mine for just trying out new switches that I buy now, I usually purchase 10 switches of each switch that I haven't tried. Also noticing that some sockets don't really hold up anymore and it's noticeably loose. To each their own, I guess :)
@@cypherpls Hot swap sockets are generally only rated for about 100 insertions, so they will get loose after multiple insertions. Out of curiosity, is your keyboard plate mount or PCB mount?
Wow thats the same concept of a trigger on a gun !!! After you fire a round you dont have to let the trigger go all the way fully just until the trigger gets that reset click then you pull the trigger right back again and it will fire again !!! This is genius!!!
RIP Eber, he was sent to the shadow realm by a click of a switch
I loved the laugh he made, HA nice!
mimi he got clicked
shadows die twice ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Eber's arm at 7:45
Real definition of "Click bait"
All I see is Star-Lord talking about keyboards....
honestly though
Lol
Atleast he is way smarter than the real starlord
@@swoopk wdym lol
yiepie cause star lord hit thanos when they almost got the gauntlet off in Avengers: Infinity War i guess that’s what he is referencing
I can see how half of the comments are from r/Mechanical Keyboards members
r/ihavereddit
Irony
How do I buy the ducky keyboard from the website duckychannel
Because I want speed switched and that's the only place I could find them
@@hugedrewz1903 I don't think you can
It great to see Leopold getting some more attention. They have always been sitting in the background amongst a lot of other more mainstream brands like ducky.
Agreed! I'm rocking the legendary FC660C!
They've been around and popular in the geekhack and other forums for ages now.
Sarcasm? They a super popular amongst keyboard enthusiasts
@@NOSfusion not the mainstream tho, like Ducky and even Vortex have stared to become more mainstream
@@NOSfusion Do you know what mainstream means my man? Keyboard enthusiasts are not mainstream lol.
Warning: long post
I have experience with Ducky, Varmilo and Leopold.
Honestly, Ducky has had a fall from grace. Their build quality has gone down, notably in the chassis, which has had a negative effect on the sound of typing on one of their boards. For the price their products can definitely compete with gaming brands, but I think gaming brands have superior software if RGB is your priority and you don't care about software. Ducky has superior stock RGB options if you don't want to use software but also want to customize your lighting. Ducky stabilizers also rattle more than Leopold and Varmilo (not nearly as much as every gaming brand though) so if sound is part of the experience of typing on a mechanical keyboard for you, Ducky isn't the best option. Though if you like Cherry MX Blues, those switches are relatively rattly compared to other clicky switches that have come up in the past few years and the ratting spacebar isn't as noticeable when typing on MX Blues.
Varmilo and Leopold have superior build quality and overall typing experience to Ducky imo.
A while ago, on the mechanicalkeyboards subreddit there was a popular thread that had pictures of starcraft players and what keyboards they were using. Pretty much every player that wasn't using a keyboard made by one of their sponsors was using a Leopold FC700R. The FC750R, and their other models, the 65% FC600M, the 90% FC980M, and the fullsize FC900R, are all just as quality. Leopold boards, even at Ducky's peak, had superior build, however they were much harder to find back when the Ducky Shine, Shine 2 and Shine 3 were some of the most popular mechanical keyboards in the west. Leopold has also updated their line with PBT caps, which you can distinguish on the packaging with a "PD" at the end of the model name. The PBT keycaps are an extremely nice addition, and with this inclusion I think Leopold has cemented themselves as the manufacturers of the best built stock or "out-of-the-box" keyboards. Period.
If build is the most important thing to you, Leopold wins.
Varmilo has been using PBT caps in their boards longer than Leopold has, but Varmilo has an advantage in proximity to manufacturing, which enables them to have the customization features they have now, and their floating keycap design. I would say out of every stock keyboard that offers floating keys, Varmilo's boards are the highest quality. It's also extremely easy to contact Varmilo and make custom orders, ask questions, etc. One time I asked them what the RGB effects were on their Double Rainbow 2 VA87M, and they proceeded to make a video, send it to me and post it on the product page on their website as well, though it has since been removed with the website being updated visually. So their customer service is communicative and accessible. Their chassis is nice, but not as good as Leopold, and their Varmilo Sword models with aluminum cases are nice, though not as good as building your own keyboard with an aluminum case. The aluminum models cost 300 dollars, and at that price you could get a better typing experience building your own, but that requires good knowledge and understanding of how different materials, switches and other components can affect the sound or feel of a board.
Ultimately, I couldn't disrespect a purchase of a Varmilo or Leopold board under any circumstances. If you want RGB customization greater than some stock effects, static colors and RGB cycling, then there really isn't a high build quality option outside the VA87M Double Rainbow unless you build your own keyboard and familiarize yourself with QMK on a coding level.
I agree with every word in this post. I think Ducky has gone down in quality due to their surge in popularity. It seems like they're attempting to minimize production cost so they can pump out as many boards as possible to all TFUE viewers, lol. Ducky seems to be one small step above Razer for me personally. But, if you like RGB and small little 60% boards and don't want to spend time learning QMK, then Ducky and POK3R are really your only options, unless you decide to build your own board with a Zeal60 or a Dz60, which has another whole range of complications for the crowd that usually likes RGB, being beginners.
Wow, you have some extensive keyboard experience. Thanks for the post. I am currently on my second mechanical keyboard - a Ducky One 2 (black, white backlit, PBT caps and MX Silver switches) after my first which was a Logitech G610 Orion with MX Browns also black with white back-lit keys.. The Logitech was OK but the key caps were so prone to getting glossy / greasy looking no matter how clean you tried to keep it and your hands which drove me nuts. I did like the rubber scroll wheel for volume though and gaming shortcut key to lock the Windows key and other keys you can select in their software. I'm not really into RGB. But overall the Ducky seems like a better quality. The PBT caps alone were worth the switch. You can just tell they will last a long time, and the MX Silver switches are awesome IMO. Love the linear short travel and shorter actuation for gaming and typing. I thought I would miss the tactile bump in the browns but I prefer to just bottom out a short travel key then to rely on a tactile bump for feedback. And I appreciate that you don't have to install software to control your lighting.
But they keyboards in the video did catch my interest. I think the Leopold looks the most interesting to me as I'm not into the ultra customization Varmilo offers and build quality is more my priority. That felt option looked like something experience.
Yeah, I mean Ducky is allright. But Leopold and Varmilo are the absolute best. Plus Duckys aesthetic is too gamery for me. The only downside to Leopold and Varmilo is that they only use Cherry MX switches.
But why is the description of this video talking about them as "gamer keyboards" lol? More like typist/programming keyboards.
Its same point with me. Ducky have made great board in the past, but their build go downtoday.
Guys stop typing so much, Ive already lost 20% of my braincells
As a keyboard enthusiast who has built several keyboards, I'm quite glad that some great brands like Leopold are getting recognition. I think once people discover places like r/mechanicalkeyboards it will be hard to go back to a regular/gaming keyboards since the customization is endless :)
I'm a recent convert, I'm not going back. Although my Laser ALT needs to be fixed.
@@Deac0n_Blues assdrop alt is just the tip of the iceberg. Glad you're enjoying it!
I am willing to give up customization for analog.
Glad to see you guys giving Varmillo and Leopold some exposure! They're famous in the enthusiast mech community for incredibly high build quality boards for good prices. Plus, they both make great 65% boards!
The word "lekker" means nice, tasty, delicious in Dutch so the name is basically "tasty switch" :D having in mind that Wooting are a Dutch company.
Joroz sounds yummy
It's the same in Afrikaans
Ik ben wel lekker
And "Lecker" in German means thats something tasts great
@@KopfdesRiesen that's where the Dutch word comes from.
Thank you fit acknowledging that hall effect switches are not brand new. I havent seen anyone say that yet
Yea it's like the simplest thing ever lol. Now, if they can figure out an adjustable tactile bump, then I'm interested...
Hall Effect Sensors have been used in console controllers as far back as the PS1 as far as I can confirm... And the hall effect itself has been used in stuff such as recording consoles, radio/television station control decks and other control systems for sliders and similar form factor inputs for at least 50 years now. Steelseries pretending as if it was new was a bit annoying to me.
@@xmlthegreat I mean hall effect keyboard switches have existed since the 1970s, they were just binary
@@xmlthegreat i don't think psone uses hall effect, the buttons are deformable conductive rubber that changes resistance, _i think_
FINALLY! Being a mechanical keyboard enthusiast for years, constantly convincing people that "gaming" boards are overpriced low quality products, this video is so nice to see! Thank you!
Give me your immediate keyboard recommendation. GO.
@@EvanA. RAMA M65A!!!
Tyler Beining what about for gaming? best keyboard for gaming?
I mean, Varmilo, Leopold, and Ducky have been putting 'gaming' keyboards to shame for years. This isn't a new thing...
Wooting is relatively new to the game though.
Are ducky keyboard good? I saw it was sold in my local computer shop and im wondering if it is any good. Or should i just stick to razer, logitech, corsair, etc
@@sebastianprimus3804 Ducky is considered very good. Just below Varmilo, Leopold and Filco if I were to do a ranking.
Razer, Logitech and Corsair wouldn't even be on the list. Compared to Varmilo/Ducky/Filco etc I hesitate to even call them keyboards lol. Like a completely different world. There is no reason to buy a keyboard from like Razer/Logitech/Corsair. Kind of the same as how it's pointless to buy a non-Logitech mouse.
@@sebastianprimus3804 Ducky is wayy better
@j4ck I know. The tier below Varmilo and the other brands I mentioned. Still way better than most.
@j4ck yeah, it would be better if you made your own keyboard
Logitech: Invents new switch type, makes damn sure it's not Cherry MX compatible because "MUH RGB LIGHTS"
Wooting: Introduces entirely new switch technology, it's Cherry MX compatible.
Hall effect is nothing new...
RGB tho
Happy with the leopold shoutout, really underappreciated. They ship some of the highest quality boards and their stock PBT caps are fantastic.
I use a Ducky keyboard with Leopold keycaps. Best keycaps I've found.
So glad to see enthusiast brands reaching the mainstream, keyboards are one of the most useful tools and should always be able to be customized to your liking.
Ooh a wild rarity!
Build your own keyboard on this channel it’s as fun as build a computer
"This video was sponsored by Solder Master Supply dot com." :)
More fun to me
Is it cheaper than buying ?
nope defiantly not lol but it better because it is customized for you
@@TheDuffman86 damn
Ducky, Varmillo, Leopold > Corsair, Razer, Steelseries, Logitech
Can't agree anymore
It is easy to be betrer when comparing to shit.
I'd say Leopold>Varmilo>>Ducky>CM>Corsair>iOne crap
where does hyperx belong
@@6kbps right side along with 'gaming' keyboards like Corsair, razer, etc..
Is Wooting a dutch company ? Because "'Lekker" means something "Delicious", I'd like to taste these switches for sure !
They are :)
"Who are we?
We’re a group of young guys from the Netherlands, that know each other from a long history of gaming. We got fed up with the gaming stereotype and terrible customer communication by major "gaming" companies and decided to start for ourselves.
"
@@basbeestKT So they are from Dutch.When i first heard wooting i thought they were a chinese company lol
Also an Afrikaans word
Yes and pretty much Lekker was an joke at first 😄
Shouldn't you be killing the high table or something
"Can't wait until the next computex" - Little did he know. Little did WE know.
wonder if a laptop manufacturer could try to implement those low profile omron switches into a laptop
Hey, Dmitry, glad to see that you are starting to learn more about good keyboards now. Maybe you should do a video on custom keyboards (but make sure you don't buy cherry switches, because they are probably the worst you can get in comparison to the rest on the market)
I just got a Varmilo va88m today. The same one as in the video actually, just with regular font. Going from my old Corsair K65 rapidfire, I'm never looking back. The feel and finish is just insane quality.
How do i get the VA88 with same font as shown in the video? I need the keycaps only
@@MdRifat-pq2pp The one with the runes? I have never seen them apart from this video. All I know is that they're called "Varmilo PBT caps Nordic Runes" or something.
3:20 OMFG!!! Im falling in love with this keyboard!!!
do you know where I can get one? I can't find the 65% white RGB Ducky one 2 mini anywhere to buy
I wanna see a combination of that super silent keyboard with that low profile keyboard, that would be the perfect keyboard for me. Those 2 features in 75% form factor would just be amazing.
Hey man, nice coverage! I'm a big fan of Topre keyboards, having owned 5 Realforce myself. I'm really looking forward to see what the Leopold -PT suffix keyboards bring to the table. The gripe is always about the Topre keycaps, but hey, that MX style stem could be a game changer! Before I delved into Topre, I had great experience with Ducky Shine 4 and Varmilo VA108M, not forgetting the evergreen Filco Majestouch. They are the rare few who are still sporting a great Cherry MX variety, classic ANSI layouts with standard spacing (particularly in the last row). Each of these brands are excellent in their typing feedback and designs (maybe not so much for the price point). It sure looks interesting that Leopold is now sticking its neck out of the woods and joining the competition for typists or any keyboard enthusiasts/purist.
Leopold topre and Varmillo are the best OEM keyboard manufacturers imo. But still the best is to go full on custom and build your own.
There is some TH-camr who makes custom keyboards but charges 1.7k i think mol
I pre-ordered my Ducky YOTP earlier this week. Glad to see you guys covering this! There is so much more to keyboards than traditional gaming brands put out
I have a Varmilo 100% size that I customized. I've had it probably over a year. Very nice keyboard :)
Leopold has been around for ages same with Varmilo. Too bad Filco isn't around anymore. Wasn't IKBC there? They are amazing budget brand.
Filco isn't dead ... They just aren't interesting any more, with there being other better options on the market.
Naah.. I mean.. Varmilo started out as a manufacturer for Leopold, decided that they could do it better themselves (Chinese "night shift" style) and well... kind of did. That's debatable. I prefer Varmilo over Leopold but they are both top notch.
Filco is still around.
I have a leopold... And damn it's the best keyboard I've ever touched
Rocking a FC900R here.
The only other keyboard which I think is on par, or maybe slightly better than that was my old UNICOMP with buckling spring/membrane. All black everything, no markings on keycaps either.
Was a literal tank, but a small spill of water from a water bottle destroyed it :(
I use a keyboard with electro capacitive (topre clones) by a company called NiZ (I think owned by plum) and I love how they're so quiet even when bottoming out and even water proof from the top!
I've had cherry mx red and clear keyboards but the electro capacitive keys feels so much more luxurious and on a different level of quiet.
How do you like the clones versus Topres?
I havent used the actual topres but love that the niz came with o-rings and lubed from the factory. Also love how all the keys feel good unlike some of my cherry mx which have scratchy space and backspace keys
Leopold makes the best prebuilt keyboards out there. Glad they are getting some more attention.
Wouldn't call them the best, but they're good.
I would personally say the MF108 or Majestouch 2 are better.
@@harisonpunian3689 In what way? Leopold stock keycaps are just better than iKBC's and Majestouch's stock keycaps. The stabs on Leopold boards come factory lubed too, while the MF108 and Majestouch 2 have pretty rattly stabs. Not to mention Leopold comes in ~40USD cheaper than both iKBC and Majestouch.
Leopold, Varmilo, and Ducky are all great keyboard makers. Leopold especially deserves some recognition as the other two have slowly but surely gaining some sort of recognition. Leopold always seemed to be the kid in the back that got no attention until now. Great to see!
What are the chances of us getting a link to the Runes keyboard. Or the files he used to make it because I would buy that in a heartbeat.
Was looking for those aswell. Have you found them?
Dying to get that one
So I found it. You have to go to the varmilo site and start customizing your keyboard. When you get to the customization page there's an option called legend and in there you can select rune
@@palmanzar13 I found them a while ago too! Forgot I had commented here though lol
Thank you Fabian and FallenAge, I wasn’t able to locate them myself. Glad we were able to figure that out cause it’s been eating at me lol.
Looooove the quality of Ducky boards. I feel for the hype of a Kira keyboard from inputclub and went back to my Ducky year of the goat asap.
if that slim cooler master keyboard has a low latency wireless I'll definitely add it to my productivity AND gaming setup. Great review guys!
I got my own Leopold FC660M Cherry Red switch and god damn, the feel on typing, keycap, keyboard build is worth every single penny!
Have been using a Leopold FC750R for years - they are literally the best.
Yeah, man! I got mine for work (front-end web dev) about a month ago and I just love it! The quality is astonishing! I don't like the mini-USB port though.. considering the price.. Oh come on, we want USB-C!
Ive been looking for a video like this all computex. so glad you guys made this
Ducky is god damn amazing. All their keyboards feel high quality for a decently fair price. The only thing they need IMO is a seperate version of the One 2 Lineup with hot swappable switches
This is the only reason I didn't buy their keyboard. Everything about the one 2 mini is what I want but I wanna try different switches like the purple zealios.
Only issue I've had with ducky is the shine 7 stock caps, which aren't well designed at all. Not much of an issue though since I just bought some pudding caps
I own a Leopold FC660M with blue cherry and blue case since 2015, it's my main keyboard at home, super solid and I love the layout, but I wasn't seeing them available online for a while.
0:13 when Dimitri gets his hands on the infinity switches
I received my Ducky Shine 7 today and it's incredible. There are some minor gripes to do with software (and razer connect) but other than that it's a stellar product. Would like to see more reviews on keyboards like this in the future.
Oh noes, the wooting discord is gonna become more active than usual....
Nice to see a more "mainstream" coverage of mechanical keyboards. This has been an open secret in the pcmr crowd, even Kyle bitwit has a varmilo kb video from 4-5 years ago.
Thanks for taking the trip and showing all of this to us. At one time, I would not have cared or even understood this. But, I got myself a really nice mechanical keyboard, and ... and ... and ... this video is LIKE PORN to me, now ... Loved your review.
Dye Sublimation isn't throughout the key, it is simply a coating and the ink is bonded to the coating through a transfer process. It can fade in UV light if not coated, but it takes a long time.
poker 3... anne pro 2... keep pushing out the entry keeb content.
Ikr 😂
Rama's newest edition is a banger! Review some quality :D
For anyone who really wants to try niche premium keyboards beyond your standard Cherry MX and other mainstream switches, I highly recommend Kailh Speed or Kailh Box switches. I'm currently using Kailh Box Whites on a cheap chinese hot swappable keyboard called the GK61 that's bought on Ali Express or Banggood. The typing experience on these Kailh Box Whites are unlike any Cherry MX Blues or clicky switches out there. Its all smooth without the high pitch key mashing sound you get from the Cherry MX Blues, but retains its sharp tactility and improved smoothness.
More premium keyboards would be the GMMK keyboard, or if you have the money, the Massdrop CTRL, ALT or SHIFT would be a great choice too.
Any news of the Ducky Freedom ?
No one seems to have covered that.....
There is no announcement on when it Will be released
@@Unikumhimself It was on display at computex though....
Great to see you guys get deeper into the more enthusiast level of keyboards!!
been a year for me using Vortex Pok3r LE. totally worth it for the quality
It is way too outdated imo.
@@Alekov_ yes for features. I'm looking forward to the new SS Apex TKL for replacement
I bought a Varmilo before they had a website had to email there sales people. Was a great purchase nice to see all the options they have now.
I knew about all these brands, but I didn't appreciate a lot until this video
As a brand new PC owner I'd really love to just try out all these different keyboards cause no matter how much you try a video will never be able show how it feels. The closest I can do to trying them out is going to the local best buy and try the ones out on display but they're all just like Corsairs but these seem more unique and nuanced than those.
Link for the keycaps in the thumbnail?
Definitely have heard and try all of the keyboard brand mention in the video. As an osu! player,people have recommend me alot of keyboard brand, but mostly not the main stream brand like corsair, logitec etc. Most of the people I know or I'm friends with use ducky or varmilo bcuz they ship with pbt keycaps. That will be useful for us that literally press/tap on keycaps 2000+ a day. And most of the people I know didn't recommend me buying razer keyboard,don't get me wrong they are an amazing brand, it just they equipped their keyboard with thin lazer printed abs keycaps that mostly break after 2-3 weeks of usage, although it might be different depends on what game u play or what u use it for, I mean not everyone bottom out and alternate 222 bpm on their keycaps.
What are those keycaps at 4:29? I want to buy them!
Me too I have been looking forever
@@dylanturner42 same
Leopold's FC980M is a great board with a bit more compact of a layout, PBT caps, and a good price point. Excited to see other offerings and that year of the pig board is out of this world
what were the keyswitches in the beginning and for what keyboard?
I would love to know too
Unpopular opinion: a basic gaming mechanical keyboard shouldn't cost 150$
That ducky one sf man, can't wait
Faishal Rijal also look out for the ducky mecha mini
I've got a Leopold FC750R and it's awesome.
There are (were) two shops in the EU where you can buy this; both shops are owned and operated by keyboard enthusiasts.
The PBT keycaps are awesome, the dampening foam is great overall I'm very satisfied.
The only gripe I have is that all the large(r) keys (Shift, spacebar etc.) are too easy to press. I frequently, even after having this keyboard for two years, put a space in a sentence where I don't want it.
Yooo the prices are just u beatable for the quality. We finally have entry level enthusiast keyboards that are unique for a good price.
Really nice video guys, I really love those brands. Ducky, Leopold, Vermillio, Filco, Vortex, those are enthusiast brands. And I really prefer to spend 150usd on one of those keyboards than in other mainstream brands, I still want a Leopold FC660 with topres. Just as reminder all those brands uses PBT keycaps, one full set of PBT caps cost from 50 to 80 usd.
My main keyboard is a CM Novatouch (Topre) with custom PBT caps, and a Vortex Pok3r with MX blues, also I have a WASD keyboard with MX browns, Razer Overwatch edition (NEW), two DasKeyboards 3 (one Professional & one Ultimate) with browns, Logitech MX keys and a Steelseries 6gV2 with MX reds.
if you had to chose wich keyword would u buy ? 🤔
If you have a decent amount of money get a custom, if not get a Leopold or a Varmilo
Glad to see someone covered these booths. Bit of a shame you didn't look at Vortex Gear who were in the same booth as Leopold
im so glad you guys are keyboard enthusiasts
I’ve got a Ducky x Varmillo MIYA Pro Panda and it’s suchhh a good keyboard. 100% worth it
What about your old favorite, Realforce RGB??
i think personally a lot of people need to understand that gaming keyboards are not the only mechanical keyboards. It's a whole hobby with a large community.
Come to KBDFANS 😝
stfu bitch
@@deluxesofa chill out man
come to brazil
@@SweepSwapInUrWalls no thanks
@@RathOX they know onlyfans 🤣
What are the keycaps shown at 4:27??
Is there a way to get a hold of the leopold keyboards in Germany?
CandyKeys is a pretty big store for Keyboards and is based in Germany. I think they have some Leopolds on their Website :)
@@madebymiguel I'll second this. I've made some purchases from them in the past and I can confirm this is a trustworthy store.
I actually just got the Panda keyboard from ducky and varmilo and I'm never going back to a gaming keyboard. I'm a duck/varmilo fan for life.
👌
one of these days, im gonna try an enthusiast keyboard like Leopald and HHKB
HHKB is very good, you can usually snag one up second hand on r/mechmarket for less than 180
Wow these are so cool. Love your coverage here and bring attention to these keyboards
Hey man you should definetly build a keyboard for a video would be sick seeing a beginner try to build one for the first time!
Yeah, Varmilo is killing it, I own a Varmilo Beijing Opera TKL board with Cherry MX Red switches and it has been serving me well. I've been loving everything that it has to offer, apart from the mini USB cable instead of an USB C.
I'm a full time novel translator, so a lot of typing, which made me shift from my Razer Huntsman TE, I still game with my Razer though, the Huntsman TE is too good to be kept in a box.
Varmillo's website is getting hammered right now lol. So slow to load.
Rick yup, can’t load but one or two or the top images lol
website is dead , can't even get the page to load.. get error message that server/connection time out
Thx Dmitry 4 the compilation... Clearly there are some excellent alternatives to consider... 😎👍
I'd like to see more wireless keyboards. With proper wireless that you can game on not Bluetooth. They did it with mice why not keyboards?
I think the market for them would be really small is why - could be nice for gaming in the living room or something. But most enthusiasts probably do not need a wireless keyboard.
Sadly that probably wont be happening for a while since the technology you need for small latency in a wireless keyboard is insane
Not gonna buy another "wireless" device that requires a dongle
Going from a Ducky Skyline One 2 to the Leopold Fc750R was such a noticeable difference in overall quality. I still love my Ducky for office work (not like I've been in the office in 12 months), but that will likely be my last Ducky. If I don't go full enthusiast and build or commission a custom keyboard, I will be going to Leopold or Varmillo for my keyboards from now on.
Her: I’m pregnant
My dad: 0:12
Jordan8848 xD
I just upgraded from a corsair k70 to a varmilo keyboard like 2 days ago and now this video pops up. What a coincidence :)
Lmao I also got my kb 2 days ago
Nice! What keyboard did you get?
@@sburdette9901 I got hyperx alloy rgb
How do I get my hands on the ducky one 2 mini sf?!?! Take my money!!
there is also a link in the description
Did my research on mechs and Varmilio have actually a really good reputation in the community and are generally more expensive than Ducky. It is just that mainstream gaming brands overprice their keyboards by quite a bit.
I've been looking for a good keyboard vid!
Try TaeKeyboards.
I just got my Varmilo MA87 Beijing Opera keyboard with Varmilo EC Sakura V2 yesterday and the quality of it is really good to say the least there’s like no flex when you try to bend it.
I got white pbt keycaps from varmilo and they are great, some of the best I've typed on
mybox *Varmillo
@@r8sk Varmilo*
I have a varmilo rainbow 2 and its absolutely brilliant. I have it in reds, the switches came pre lubed and its just a great typing expierience. Build quality is sublime too.
Thanks for this, the general public need to know about the other options they have besides the big brands like corsair, razer, and hyperx. People need to know about switches like kailh, gateron, and zealpc which in my opinion are far nicer than Cherry MX.
facts
I've been rocking a ducky shine year of the snake for 6 years, never had any problems with it, and its still going strong
I'm typing this on a Vortex Vibe and love it. It has a unique layout (60% but with a num pad). PBT key caps in SA format with an aluminum frame that allows for exposed stems. Typing on it is as satisfying as any keyboard I've ever used.
@@notsheram I totally screwed that up looking at the chair I had on my second screen. Meant Vortex Vibe. I've corrected the comment.
Farewell Eber! We'll miss you!
*Dimitri*
0:14 nooo! you should've done an animation where he turns to ash and blows away. It would've been perfect XD
The thanos 'click' at the beginning 😂
Depends on what you're looking for guess but I typed on a Ducky Legend for a couple of years. Great switches (Cherry MX) but the frame of the keyboard scratched easily even though I am not wearing a watch or anything and it was just sitting at my desk I never moved it or took it with me. Also the lighting effects were really poor. If you'd choose the breathing effect the keyboard would miss some of your key presses making it unusable and unreliable in that lighting mode. The USB cord was really stiff and way to short (a pet peeve of mine with many peripherals I must say). My current keyboard is a Drevo Tryfyng v2 and I am very pleased with it. I enjoy it far more than I did that Ducky.
Now for the real question.
Do any of these keyboards have hot swappable switches?
*vomits* ...... I'm sorry what
@@cypherpls You know, a keyboard that has a PCB that allows for hot swapping mechanical switches.
All of Massdrop's keyboards (the ctrl, alt, and upcoming shift) have hot swappable functionality, input club's Kira (which I own) has it, there are several DIY kits that have the option for a hot swappable PCB, they are getting quite popular in the non gaming enthusiast market.
Luckily - no. They go for durability and quality. You don't want something hot swappable as your permanent keyboard. Trust me.
@@cinnabarsonar2072 Well, I can see this happening. But I generally use mine for just trying out new switches that I buy now, I usually purchase 10 switches of each switch that I haven't tried. Also noticing that some sockets don't really hold up anymore and it's noticeably loose.
To each their own, I guess :)
@@cypherpls Hot swap sockets are generally only rated for about 100 insertions, so they will get loose after multiple insertions.
Out of curiosity, is your keyboard plate mount or PCB mount?
Wow thats the same concept of a trigger on a gun !!! After you fire a round you dont have to let the trigger go all the way fully just until the trigger gets that reset click then you pull the trigger right back again and it will fire again !!! This is genius!!!
I just want a good wireless 65% honestly
Seriously. Or a TKL. Don't care if it has RGB. Just want quality. Not a cheap Amazon knockoff.