Mechanical Keyboard Sound Isn't That Simple
Figure 1: I couldn't think of a more literal way to represent this article if I tried... Looking back just a few years ago, there’s no doubt that the huge influx of people that joined the hobby at the peak of the COVID pandemic were drawn to keyboards by way of YouTube, TikTok, and other audio-visual content platforms. Even as the output from these content creators has waned in recent months, their collective impact and legacy on the keyboard hobby is rather firmly etched in the history books. As a result of all of their sound tests, build logs, and opinion videos, the message is clear to any new person joining the hobby: mechanical keyboards are all about the sound. Thock this, clack that. Whether it’s keyboards, keycaps, or even singular switches, seemingly everyone new to the hobby meticulously pores over each component of their keyboard not in an attempt to figure out how it will feel in hand, but how it will sound as they’re furiously grinding their way out from...
Mar 27, 2024
Also: has anyone compared Halo and Hako iterations of True and Clear? There's a bit of conversation here: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=94255.0
I've tried Hako True and Clear, but I really didn't like them vs. Halo Trues. I haven't tried a tactile box switch that I've liked though; they all tend to have really subtle and extremely high up in the press tactile points which just get completely lost with any kind of spring weight. With Halo Trues I know exactly when the switch has activated and I can type up to 95-100 WPM with minimal errors, but the Hako switches slowed me down to around 60 WPM with way more non-registering and double-registering key presses. I personally hate linear switches though, so someone who likes them may actually find the Hakos pretty nice, since they do still have that cushioning effect from the Halo switches just with less feedback.