the budget qk65 keyboard broke the hobby
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- Опубліковано 13 гру 2022
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Keyboard: QK65
Board insulation: Silicone Only
Plate: Aluminum
Keycaps: GMK DMG
Switches: Gateron Inks L+F, Alpacas L+F
Stabilizers: Durock stabilizers
Desk: Desk Haus desk with Apex Pro Max Legs and a 1.75" Walnut top. desk.haus/ code "WEENG" at checkout for 5% off!
Mat: I only use this randomfrankp x novelkeys mat because I can't afford another one.
Let me know what you think of the review in the comment section below!
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I really like this video. I love your outlook on how this keyboard has shaped the hobby so far, spoken from someone with experience and has worked with the more "enthusiast" and niche keyboards.
Finally, after 6 months Andy has made a review for the QK65
Am I late? Lmaooo
@@AndyVNguyen politics
Group buys and reviews take time 😂
The QK65 may be an entry level board, but it’s such a great value for the sound, feel, & quality it offers that it’s a no brained for anyone getting into the hobby.
I'll never forget that one reddit post titled "Here's how to make your budget keyboard sound like a Jelly Epoch" that detailed the type of foam you need to buy and where to get it. Feel like that was really one of the incidents that changed the hobby forever lol.
This is so true on the fact QK65 being now the standard for everyone to compare to. It's slowly stifling the innovation for future keyboards or peoples perspectives on them. I own a QK65 and I'm already kind of sick of that sound signature but it's always raved and compared. I guess I'm glad the hobby is picking up traction a lot more this year.
Hey man, new to the hobby. Kind of broke and I’m willing to spend around $300 or less for everything. What boards should I be looking at?
@@wificannibal9704 tiger 80 lite ;D
I think the QK65 just reality-checked the hobby. Keyboards don't need to be expensive to be good, or even great. The QK65 was just like hot hatch. Spend money where it matters, save money where it doesn't. The mount contributes to the feel of the board, so spend on a gasket mount. The top case is frequently touched, so make it feel nice. The bottom weight should be presentable and heavy, but doesn't need to be fancy, so just use steel instead of brass. The bottom case is only visible and touchable when it's disassembled so it's ok to make it out a cheaper cast aluminium. I actually like this sort of choice engineering. If the best keyboard costs $5000 and another keyboard looks, feels and sounds 99% as good at $500, then I'm more impressed with the latter.
I noticed the QK60 was about the same money as the 65, but came with more foams, multiple top case options, a more versatile hotswap PCB, and with a daughterboard to help further isolate the PCB. And they did that without cutting corners on the inside too. So right there, QwertyKeys is already outdoing the 65 with the 60. So now I say to the other companies... 'Cmon, catch up!'
Hi im about to buy used qk65 r1. Whats r1 and r2 means?
What keycaps are you running on your QK65? I'd really like to get my hands on them
Gmk dmg
A bit of correction: the bottom weight is made out of stamped stainless steel instead of aluminum, and the cast aluminum piece is only for the inner structure
However, I do agree on QK65 being a bit hollow without the silicone sheet
Thanks! I wrote that and I was thinking "this is a bit heavier than alu.."
I found it still a wee bit hollow with the silicone bottom for me
8:23 now that mode went balls to the wall and made the sonnet in stock. I think it shows people are willing to get those top mount or experimental styles of boards to the space.
Mode definitely is stocking a lot of boards for the hobby that's for sure
With the Zoom65v2 coming up I am debating on selling my QK65 because of the v2's split spacebar and RGB support.
Researching the differences it seems like many consider the QK65 to be _the_ budget board to contest, just like you claim in this video.
What exactly is better about the QK65 vs. Zoom65v1 for you to not recommend the Zoom65 but call the QK65 "the board to break the hobby"?
I think they’re both fine, both need a little foam. So if you have a specific need for zoom65, go for that one. I primarily mention qk65 over the zoom65 because more people mention the qk65. The other hotswap options on zoom65 can possibly create small sound inconsistencies if that’s something that may bother you.
I had the chance to get into the GB for the QK75 but i squandered it and i am full of so much regret now T.T
QK65 R2 when tho??
Great review video! Hopefully the competitiveness of the QK65 will bring in even better and cheaper boards in the future!
Which of the three do you think is the best? Thanks in advance!
QK65
Zoom65
Odin gaming Aurora65?
I have video of two of the three so just watch them
SBD gainz and quality video gainz LFG
do you get a casse when you buy the r1 pcb on the site?
No, if you’re buying a pcb you’re just getting a pcb
Really great points. I didn't even realize it but I've been recommending anyone and everyone the QK boards nowadays when they ask me for help on getting their first custom keeb. You really can't beat it when it comes to the bang for your buck, but it does get far too boring when it sets the standard like you said. Ngl every now and then I'd get jealous that newcomers can pay less for a QK/Meletrix board than I did for a fully kitted NK65 EE back at the start of covid, but I do believe that I gained a lot on the journey it took me to get the NK65 to sound good. I tried various combinations of parts and mods along the way, and as a result was able to discover my personal preferences in the hobby as well as how to make a board sound better. Unfortunately I feel that this is something the newer generations of enthusiats might miss out on because their first boards already sound and feel great in the single identical config and it's very easy to be satisfied with it without tinkering on a deeper level.
I've always wanted a Vega after seeing your typing tests on them. I finally got one once the groupbuy shipped (had to pay resale) and built them with Inks on FR4 and it was too muted. Finally bought an aluminum plate and it now sounds a lot like what I want it to!
But yeah, the QK65 is amazing value, same with the QK60, and the QK75 (whose groupbuy just ended a few days ago!). What a time to be in keyboards now. But eventually, people would be tired of that PE foam marbly sound and would gravitate towards something clacky again.
yeah inks on fr4 just do not slap. i'm definitely at that point where i like clacky again also. i have mx blacks on alu and jwk on fr4 lol
During the dark times of the past few years I got into the hobby with a Keychron prebuilt and wanted a more "custom" board but the price was always higher than what i could justify and then the first group buy came out for the QK65 right after the Spring was released and I saw the Black chroma of that board and thought "i can get something similar to the color scheme for half the price with the QK65.
qk65 banger value and it's really hard to beat
I joined the QK75 GB and it will be my first custom mech keeb. I really like the QK boards and the fact that they are always experimenting with their products is really cool. Pretty excited to try out the new gasket mount design with those little dumbbell shaped thingies.
I’m in the GB too! Also first custom board :D
Qk75 gang
@@obsidianquill7949 @Davide Magli Lesssgoo!! Which switches are you guys getting for the board? I am thinking of getting the Gateron CJs.
@@techsav black inks
@@obsidianquill7949 Oh man. now I am confused again. You see I initially thought of box black inks v2, but then Keybored's video on the Gat CJs swayed me. So i currently have those added to my cart. Also, it is cheaper than the Box Black Inks 🥲😋
Bulk season we go jim
Can you make a review on the Monsgeek M1 whenever you can get your hands on it? I absolutely love to see your take on this keyboard
I was able to get a really nice sound out of the QK65 without using any foam. I just used painters tape on the flexcuts of the solder pcb and the aluminum plate which I cut into a halfplate of sorts. I taped the flexcuts because it sounded quite muted which I attributed to flexcuts on the pcb combined with halfplating.
To make the alu plate into a halfplate, I used a $20 dremel with the crappy cutoff discs. It was easier than I thought it would be tbh. I guess that's one bonus of having flexcuts on a plate.
Anyone have any recs for some good value tactiles?
Ambers at Cannonkeys or Corsas at Bolsa Supply.
@@FitLabb Thanks!
one of the thing i like about the qk65 is that whilst having foam included, the board doesnt require you to use them. If you want a different sound you can mix and match combinations and results a unique sound
I was def surprised I didn’t need the pcb foam.
@@AndyVNguyen i feel the same, in fact i like more without it
Plate Foam only is best, trust
love it!
glad you enjoyed it!
isn’t the nue r2 happening early next year?
Last I heard it was dropped. I just checked and still no confirmed r2. Last was the maker thinking about making r2 different..
@@AndyVNguyen sadge, I only saw on the discord that they wanted to change the engraving, nothing else
If that were the case I’d feel like that second run would have happened already. It’s been a while
Got an acrylic Sofle board. Non RGB version. It is like the Lily58 except it has rotary encoder knobs which is amazing and all-the-rage these days. Having 2 knobs is kinda of a flex.
In my opinion this board for some reason feels less hollow without the silicone damper
that's a shame if it needs the silicone dampener
@@AndyVNguyen sorry I typed wrong the message. I meant less hollow
when i started, the KBD67 Lite was like the only decent option for a budget 65%, now there is so much option that it's pretty overwhelming if you're not keeping up with the keyboards scene for a few months
Everything is advancing quickly so if a buy gets delayed like the fbtkl.. the group buy buyers end up getting a super outdated keyboard when it finally ships
QK65 is BEAST and sounds amazing! FOAM 4 LYFE!
don't worry, andy. i still go back to that ink v1 jelly epoch soundtest sometimes. you can bump that number up to at least 2 people, because i'm out here putting PE foam in everything.
as long as youre happy lmao
i have ADD I change my boards around every few weeks
The snobbery around using foam ("eww it all sounds the same") has become very annoying honestly. People think it sounds good, leave them alone.
Sounding good to some people and also sounding the same can both be true
You can also point this out without being a snob, or you can be a snob about it
If you’re happy with your keyboard, that’s all that matters
Yeah, like I get people have sound preferences...but it's getting really tiring having to skip whenever people start talking about foam...literally just say I built it without foam and move on.
Yep that’s what I do. That’s why they’re all lost lol
Guy just looks like mickey mice the entire video with that back accessory
lmao my wife said that to me too
i owned myself
bruh my front page at some point was just PE foam boards it was crazy to say the least for someone whos cup of tea isnt around that PE foam sound.
bro i felt that. every video i made was 'my [keyboard] with pe foam sounds better'
Stuffing a keyboard with foam to make it sound good is like drowning your food in condiments to make it taste good tbh
To be honest, QK65 is satisfactory for most people and any "better" features of another board provides hair splitting differences.
So it's just not a sound financial decision to get a keycult, for instance, if all you're looking for is nice keyboard that feels good to type on. It's good enough.
I agree with you, but there’s a few steps between qk65 and keycult lol. Top mount 65%’s are an example - merisi sessantacinque. Or there’s nicer gasket 65s like space65 and think65 or others. keycult is always named but they lost their lead in terms of quality a while ago
I had the same overall thoughts! Didn't like the sound of the alu plate, and even with the PC plate it sounded like there was a certain plastick-y sound to it sometimes. Felt stiffer than what I was expecting based off what other content creators were saying. Ended up selling it. But its really cool that they've always improved on something with the qk60 and qk75! They're definitely pushing the market to be affordable, and I'm really excited to see how kbdfans steps up with their upcoming tofu jr, the successor to the OG board that got everyone into the hobby 2 years ago lol
definitely wasn't as mindblowing as people hyped it up to be, but it was pretty solid.
budget is where it's atttt
On your Vega, what';s the keycaps? I'm struggling to find a white GMK set to match my Vega, minimal and hennessey seem too creamy.
It’s gmk minimal. Hennessy is the cool white option so it wouldn’t be too creamy. Minimal is the creamy one
@@AndyVNguyen is there difference between minimal r1 and r2 colorise?
Colorwise*
No
thoccy woggy
YEZIR
I would still rather get the tiger 80 lite just cause I'm a TLK guy. But... when that QK80 comes out, I'm sure as hell getting it. And I think that will be my holy trinity: clacky linear Keychron Q3 with gateron CJs stock w/ abs switches, Tiger 80 lite w/lubed boba u4t switches & PBT Keycaps, and then the QK80 which I think I'll put gateron ink v2s in there with ceramic keycaps from Cerakey whenever the hell I get those lol.
I’m leaning back into 65% these days I might have a trinity of 65 lmao. And the main piece korn ofc
8:10
From what I hear, meletrix is going to start moving away from pe foam focused designs. They tried designing the interior of the zoom tkl with sound in mind and I think they are debating on having flex cuts on the zoom 75 pcb. Most likely, zoom boards after the 75 will have full pcbs.
And I don't see qk keeping flex cuts for that much longer. In general, hobby preference seems to be shifting more to less/no flex cuts.
flex cuts is another thing that i think we need to eradicate lol. i'm on the arc60 right now. no flex cuts in plate or pcb and the sound is still trending deeper and full.
@@AndyVNguyen absolutely. I don't even think they offer that much more flex than normal pcbs. I'm hoping the zoom tkl R2 pcb can have a no flex cut design. Tsangan and full pcb would really make it endgame.
Do I really have to bulk tho?
bulk more stronga
The QK65 looks great, but I really can't get behind any gasket-mount (or otherwise flexible) keyboard that has the USB port on the main PCB instead of a daughterboard. It just doesn't sit right with me, and I worry that the flex will, over time, cause damage to the USB port and reduce its longevity.
Valid point! I haven’t used a gasket w non jst long term enough to see if there’s any possible damage
Dogege approves!
may the algorithm bless this video. you need to step up the kitchen knife game also.
nice video!
ty!
And now we wait 6 more months for qk75 review
I’d have to buy one lol
@@AndyVNguyen I got you, I'll send you mine to build and review
I expect a package from SuperWeeb69 soon:tm:
Hahah love the clickbait title! You got me! I'm not even mad about it.
Every subsequent QK board has been an improvement on the last aesthetically so I'm really hoping QK refreshes the 65 with a cleaner look (hopefully with an engraved logo on the weight like the 75s)
they've definitely been making some big jumps on the qk stuff. the owlab stuff has been odd because the qk series options undercut them
@@AndyVNguyen imo the qk75 kinda killed the chance for a jelly epoch v2 given that it's kind of an upgrade while being cheaper.
@@user-kz9rz8ui1c the jelly epoch LEDs were kind of useless.. so maybe good riddance? lol
I mean bakeneko is still going pretty strong as a gummy oring mount. Mode is a bit more pricy but it has top mount and still seems pretty popular with people.
Bakeneko is an easy recommendation
@@AndyVNguyen Bakeneko or QK65? Or it depends on whether I’m looking for clack vs thock?
Seems all high end board is clacky, what do you think on getting a QK65 for thock as the beginning and aim for clacky when I move onto more premium board? Then I will have the best of both world.
JRIS65 is also an incredible deal!
How is the keychron Q2 barebone not mentioned, that's what this board directly competes again (with admittedly a nicer finish on the case)
I have a video on that one too
QK65 just has more of a cult following. They're pretty much 1v1 tho
I thought the construction of the QK65 was a milled aluminum top piece, cast aluminum bottom case, and a stainless steel plate on the bottom. Cuz that bottom piece is too dense to be aluminum??
Yeah I was informed the bottom is ss. Mod piece is the cast alu
Chef Weeng
I'M COOKIN
I actually prefer the overall sound of PE foam than any keyboard I’ve heard without it, including high end models such as the Singa and TGR. So while it may ‘normalize’ the sound, that’s not a flaw if you actually enjoy it like some of us.
The secondhand market is kind of dumb, GMK sets for 400+, TGR and Sings for >1500, etc.
Qk65 is so 1965
I get it
tbh the qk65 just feels like a weaker foamy vega
I agree. If I had to choose I’d pick Vega for sure
Andy looking like polygon mickey mouse with those black hexagons in the back
sequence better
Which is why I'll wait a year to buy my next keyboard.
But you’ll want to wait a year… next year also
@@AndyVNguyen lol trueeee.... no end in sight
I personally don't own a QK65, proud owner of GAS67.
But, the basic logic is... If I get something that's similar to a $400-$500 keyboard, why not save the money and buy a QK65?
saving money is always better. Unless, you are a filthy rich person who doesn't know where to spend your money 😀
andy clean your glasses
Yes sir
@@AndyVNguyen thank you andy
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