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
Q: What do you do at Massdrop? A: I have worn many hats in my time at Massdrop but the one I currently wear is that of our affiliate marketing manager. I also used to be a buyer for our hobby shop community and I built Massdrop’s first mailroom.
Q: What do you like most about working at Massdrop?
A: Products, products, and more products. I have a few interests including Mech Keys, EDC, and I would call myself the most amateur audiophile out there (woo hoo monks!) and I love that my interests have become my career and I love that I can continue to learn and participate in these communities that most people have never heard of.
Q: How did you get into mech keys?
A: Reddit was where it all began, I think I was on r/battlestations one day and someone did an x-post from r/mechanicalkeyboards. As soon as I found the sub I went face first down the rabbit hole. I ended up weighing pros and cons for my first keyboard for what must have been a month. Towards the end I realized that I had to go with a Pok3r or a Leopold FC660M. A few weeks later my first Massdrop purchase and my first mechanical keyboard hit my doorstep, and I have not looked back since.
Q: What are some of your favorite products in that community?
A: GMK keycap sets, as a lover of all things sneaker I see a lot of parallels between a shoe like the Air Jordan 1, my favorite sneaker, and a Cherry profiled GMK keycap set, my favorite manufacturer and profile. I collect them for the same reason that I collect sneakers, if in 20 years I want to break out the Triumph Adler, or Carbon, I can.
Q: What are some of your other hobbies/interests?
A: Too many to list. I’m a collector of many things, whether it be clothes, sneakers, toys, or keyboards, I have a weird carefully curated collection of whatever it is. Super Smash Bros. Melee for the Nintendo Gamecube is the best game ever made, followed closely by Hearthstone. I also love to make and consume all forms of art and design.
Check out Henry’s picks: ▶ Hammer Jello Resin Artisan Keycap
https://www.massdrop.com/buy/hammer-jello-resin-artisan-keycap
▶ Revo One Aluminum 60% Mechanical Keyboard Case
https://www.massdrop.com/buy/revo-design-one-aluminum-6063-60-mechanical-keyboard-case
▶ Mechcables Godspeed Custom-Sleeved USB Cable
https://www.massdrop.com/buy/mechcables-godspeed-custom-sleeved-usb-cable
▶ Varmilo VA68M V2 Aluminum Mechanical Keyboard
https://www.massdrop.com/buy/varmilo-va68m--v2aluminum-alloy-mechanical-keyboard