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
I'm here in the Philippines and I just got into mechanical keyboards late last year. I have a Ducky Shine 3 with Cherry MX Browns and white PBT keycaps as well as a CM Storm Quickfire Rapid-i with Cherry MX Blues, and I wanted to get into Topre switches. I decided that the Realforce 87U with 55g switches was the one, since I didn't like the 60% HHKB lay-out.
My best friend just transferred to New York last year. He's coming home to the Philippines on the 26th of August, so if I had ordered and made it to the first batch, the estimated shipping date of August 14 would have been perfect for him to bring it home with him. He's bringing my Ducky 108 PBT keycap set in green/cream from Massdrop so that's a consolation prize, I guess.
I still decided to pull the trigger and take the drop. Shipping straight to the Philippines wasn't as expensive as I thought it'd be. It comes up to a total of $215.00 for the keyboard and $10.35 for shipping, so $225.35 total. Which is more than reasonable. The only reservations that I have is that my country has shitty and questionable customs tax practices. I've heard horror stories of people paying up to 300% of what the product was worth ($90 tax for a $30 item) because that was what the customs officer declared.
Had I made it to the first batch, I would have had my keyboard shipped to my best friend in NY and he would have brought it home with 0% chance of getting taxed.
So I'm taking a major risk here by having it shipped straight to my house. Fingers crossed they don't charge me a ludicrous amount for it.