Mode Eighty Gasket Stack Mount TKL Keyboard with Alpacas Typing Sounds
I review the switches/keyboards in the description. EXPAND THIS BOX!
Keyboard: Founder's Edition Mode Eighty in Silver. PVD Aluminum bottom.
Plate: PVD Brass plate in Rose Gold
Sound Dampening: Gasket stack. Case foam, NO plate foam, and foam above the plate.
Switches: Alpaca switches lubed with 205g0. Deskey films. Springs lubed with Krytox 105.
Stabilizers: Durock Stabs lubed with 205g0. - https://amzn.to/3b08wcf
Keycaps: GMK Olivia++ with spacebar kit.
Deskmat: Randomfrankp x Novelkeys deskmat.
Cable: Black Flemo Cable
This board has started quite a big discussion in the community. It's intended to be an instock board and it's priced a bit higher than what the community is used to seeing. Is it worth it? First off, I paid for this board. Let's get that out of way and move into the text review. Long term review will come later. I am currently using the board as a daily driver.
Well, this is a variation of gasket mount TKL that we have not seen before. The mounting system is designed from the ground up and is different from "standard" mounting styles. Also, it has a custom PCB designed by Gondolindrim so that the PCB can be fully flush with the bottom foam and case.
Does it matter to the end user? Well, the sound is quite nice coming out of this board. Despite being a brass plate, the sound isn't TOO sharp. That's what I want out of a gasket mount. I've even DIY gummy worm mounted my own TKL (the UTD) so that I could pull back the sharpness. The feel of the board is good. The design intent is so that the keys feel consistent across the board. I'm going to be honest with you though - once I stepped away from tray mount boards, most boards felt pretty damn consistent to me already. This board sounds good. It's hard to argue with that.
There are design elements in this board that are new. There is a reset button on the TOP of the pcb, and there is a cutout on the plate so that you can press it without desoldering. Also, the plate has full cutouts for all of the stab keys, so that you can actually fix/replace your stabs without desoldering. I definitely utilized this design feature on my build stream.
The case is also kept together by 3 screws. That's it. 3. So swaps are extremely quick. Unfortunately for me, I had to do this SO many times on my build stream as we were troubleshooting the issues.
Oh, the issues. Well, the tolerances on this board are very tight. Because of that, it wasn't immediately apparent how to make sure the plate sat flush on the top case in the first step. I ended up having an air gap, causing a lot of issues, one of which being a backspace key that sounded like it was colliding with something. After readjusting and committing to FULLY screwing in the bottom (I mean really cranking it), the case sat flush and everything looked good. According to the guys at Mode, it's really difficult to actually strip the screw no matter how tight you screw it. But DO make sure that you adjust it so that it's not "hinging" like it was on my stream. There is proper placement and assembly, and that really starts with making sure that the plate is sitting flush with the top case. After all that, the backspace no longer made a weird noise, as you can see in this sound test.
Now, should you buy this? The FE sitting at $690 is a hard pill to swallow. The other editions are a bit cheaper, but you are definitely paying a premium for the aesthetics of the board, premium packaging, unboxing experience, and most of all.. a (mostly) IN STOCK ITEM. In stock means a lot here. It means you're not waiting 3-4 months just to find out there there is some form of delay, and seeing a board in closer to 6. It means getting to your board and getting to use it right away. It doesn't mean this to everyone. Some people would rather wait longer and save money, and that's OK.
I'm not one of those people.
Anti-Groupbuy-Groupbuy-Club.
If you want the board, buy it. If you don't, don't. I'll admit it's not cheap. I'm just happy other players are entering the game.
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