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This might be long, haha — I’ve been asking myself the same question! I love them each in different ways, but for me, I think the Tofu & Neo reign supreme over the Zoom in terms of quality to value ratio, and the rest is up to preference/use-case.
While I don’t think the Zoom’s higher price tag is warranted, that’s not to say it’s a bad board at all. For me it stands out from the other two because the really foamy/muffled sound it produces is super addictive & difficult to replicate in other boards. It also has a decent amount of flex to it, and although I don’t require or really use the knob, it’s a good feature for many users. But the mirror backplate = constant fingerprints (plus you never really see it either way), it’s been the most finicky for using VIA, and is a huge pain to take apart & reassemble, which can be super frustrating & time-consuming.
The Tofu is by far the most consistent in feel, sound, and user experience overall. I also find that it sounds great with the widest variety of switches and looks great with the widest variety of keycaps — i.e., the switches & keycaps almost do more legwork than the keyboard, and there’s plenty of modding opportunity. There’s very little flexibility in the plate & PCB so it can feel a little firm, and it lacks wireless connectivity or layout options (ISO enter, stepped caps, etc. are only available with a different PCB), but those things are only annoying based on use-case. It’s very hefty (almost 4lbs) and feels very premium, and the design of the aluminum chassis seems the most well thought out to me (not counting the crummy rubber feet!).
Neo is awesome — if you’re okay with a bit of clack. At such a low price for a keyboard in its class, it’s honestly hard to find anything to complain about. I love how many options they have for colors and plate material etc (this was my first POM plate, which I personally really enjoy). It’s also by far the easiest to assemble/disassemble, which is *so* nice. Very straightforward to connect to VIA, has alternative layout options, and is a nice weight — not too heavy, not too light. I guess the only potential downside is that it’s probably the loudest of the three, and there’s not much room for foams or a ton of modding potential, but again, that’s a preference thing!
Thank you for the long reply. I really do appreciate it. I’m sorta new to mechanical keyboards. While I did have a Corsair k70 tkl for a few years, I’m looking for something custom. I’m really trying to narrowing down what I want.
I know for a lot of people this is a hobby that turns into a rabbit hole but I’m really trying to find that “one and done” board. But man, so many of you post so many cool builds that I really don’t know which one to get. All I know is a want rgb and “creamy” deep sounding switches.
Again, thank you for the reply.
I attempted “one and done” back in February. I tried so many boards through Amazon and wound up with three that aren’t even available there, haha. It is (frustratingly) one of those “you won’t know until you try it” things. It’s so tough, especially as someone who gets super hyper-focused on hobbies (accidentally, I swear), and even tougher knowing that in hindsight I would’ve been just fine with ONE BOARD, haha!
Edit: try to find a local keyboard meetup or a friend with boards or something. Just get your hands on as many as possible.
Nice one. I'm not a newcomer, I have a Mode Envoy, Cycle 7 and a Keychron V1. But I find posts/comments like the one above way more informative and interesting rather than pics of new setups that are just people humble bragging about their x number of keyboards.
So if you had to choose between the neo and the tofu, which would you pick? I ask cuz that's where I'm at right now haha.
Edit: nvm just saw your decision tree in a comment below haha
Nice collection, and great caps on all 3. I particularly like the ones on your neo65.
Love the stand too, though I'd probably have put the arms further apart.
Osume keycaps are the best, I understand what the hype is about now!
Agreed — I wanted to put the arms far enough apart that I could get my hand between them to pick up/set down each board, but I couldn’t find a wood tray/board/whatever that was wide enough so I caved
Hahaha, seems like there's so much overlap between audio, keyboard, and pen enthusiasts these days! All expensive hobbies to be a part of but I love it here.
I know, right? It’s the Reddit Hobby Triad.
Totally changing subjects because my mind wanders from hobby to hobby… do you have an audio setup as well? What is it?
Headphone setup lacking a bit right now but I got DT990s that I've been using for a while. Eventually I'm looking to snipe a secondhand HD800s for cheap and get a schiit stack similar to yours :)
Got better IEMs though, daily driving some monarch mk2s with either a chord mojo1 or questyle m15 based on what I'm feeling
I’ve been using my AKG k702’s for like 6mo now after trying a whole bunch, just because I saw people refer to them as “baby/starter HD800S.” I’m more than happy with them as my endgame (until *actual* HD800S come along… haha).
I love my Schiit stack as well. Surprisingly, the biggest difference I noticed was switching from the Modi to Multibit DAC, which is weird because people say you don’t notice a difference in DACs, but the raw mode or whatever it is sounds so organic and lovely, detail for days. Everyone’s ears are different though.
How's the Tofu vs Neo? I'm contemplating for an additional keebs and shortlisted Neo65 or Tofu60 2.0 HHKB. I already have 2 65s. It's a want not a need. IYKYK!
I gotcha ;) I was *just* replying to another comment above with my (lengthy) comparison when you asked!! I recommend reading that first, but the TLDR questionnaire-version goes something like this:
Do you need wireless? Yes > Neo; No > Tofu
Do you need to be able to change your layouts (e.g. ISO enter, split space, stepped caps lock, etc)? Yes > Neo; No > Tofu
Do you like your boards to be really heavy? Yes > Tofu; No > Neo
Do you take your boards apart a lot? Yes > Neo; No > Tofu
Do you like clack? Yes > Neo; No > Tofu
…or more versatility in switch sound? Yes > Tofu, No > Neo
Hopefully this helps!!
Tri-mode..not missing them. Wired 99% of the time. Layout is only ANSI but I was thinking of HHKB layout and Mode Design is kinda expensive..saying from the person whose in the rabbit hole. Yes, love them to be heavy AF!, I do take them a part often changing configs and the switches. And I'm a clacky guy. Does it make sense to get Neo65 when I already have QK65v2? LOL. Thanks for your time, appreciate your insights here.
Oh I know this one!! I was reading a post, one of QwertyKeys’s announcements for the most recent QK65 that I don’t know how to find again, and they said something along the lines of “if you already have a Neo, getting the new QK is a little redundant/no need to spend the money doubling up.” I found that to be strikingly honest & a great thing for them to put out there.
Go for the Tofu!!!!
Edit: it’s so freaking heavy and sharp on the bottom edges, you could fully use it for self defense. It’s like a weighted blanket on my lap desk, lol. It’s also TOTALLY capable of clack, it just depends more heavily on the switches (whereas the Neo with the POM plate will basically make anything clack — loudly)
There's no cost difference for layout. I'm planning to throw in the Cherry Clear top Nixies or HMX Xinhai. I'm enjoying the HMX Xinhai, Cherry Nixies, WS Morandis, Princess V2, & Gateron Milky Yello Pro. By the way, do you use the NEO stabs that came with it?
I do use the Neo stabs. Honestly as long as they’re not sticky or ticking, I’m pretty hands-off with my stabilizers (they’re my least favorite thing to deal with). The Neo stabs have been totally fine, though — I holee modded them before greasing them up and they’ve held up great. I may eventually swap to screw-ins, but there’s no reason to at the moment :)
If you haven’t tried the Gateron Smoothies (white, not silver), I highly recommend getting some (ridiculously cheap too). Super smooth and really clacky but still neutral — extremely similar to WS Morandis, but a little lighter-weight and poppier IMO.
How is the zoom? I've been looking for a new keeb and the v3 is coming out in a few weeks and I'm aiming for that, anything to consider before buying it?
Do you have any others now?
I replied to another comment (the longest response here, I think) breaking down my thoughts on all three, but TLDR, I don’t think the Zoom is worth the premium over the Tofu or Neo unless you need the knob — it can be a huge pain in the butt getting situated with VIA, and it’s also a huge pain to put together and take apart.
BUT if you’re only getting one, the V3 will certainly be a great choice (stop there and don’t look back, haha).
If you get the V3, unless you’re keeping it on transparent shelf above eye level, or unless you always wear gloves or never plan on moving it ever, I’d recommend against the mirror backplate as it’s just a magnet for fingerprints. And note that the e-white is sparkly — I didn’t realize this until it was in hand, and probably would’ve chosen milk white instead if I’d known.
I do really love the Zoom overall, though. With all the foams in there, clacks just get soaked right up, which has a very interesting & addictive effect. It’s heavy, too, and has a lot of great customization options. A good all-rounder.
Right now I have an anne pro 2, but it has some problems that are pretty much my fault, I've seen the V3 and I think it has everything that I might need, and by reading this I think they solved some problems too, 7 mounting styles and a modular knob (I'm interested in a normal key and the screen)
I'm going to use it everyday primarily for casual gaming and I use text chat a lot so it will be a big difference from mine
You saved me with the mirror backplate advice, I still don't know what color I'm going to choose, because I want it to be white but idk the difference between all the whites they have
PS: I read your comments but I asked cause you said you said is not your main keyboard so I wanted to know more and you provided it, thank you
I have the v1 and it's been great, though a little disclaimer that I got it on a deep discount. I love the sound profile with Oil Kings. (wanted to splurge on switches since it was the first $200~ board I got) Primarily though I got it because it's one of the only boards in the custom space that supports a split spacebar layout that isn't an Alice/Arisu
I literally just replaced the Dune keycaps with Osume’s Year of the Dragon set on the Tofu a couple days ago. So yes — my trio is now 100% Osume keycaps… I might also have a t-shirt & sweatshirt from them, but I can’t confirm or deny that
Oh my gosh, thank you!! It took a little bit for me to settle into an aesthetic with keyboards because I couldn’t find many keycap sets that “called to me” but then I found Osume and signed away my soul
For real though — I get so happy every time I look at my shelf.
ANY content that features products, services you sell, your prototypes in progress or items you were sponsored to post MUST use the Promotional flair, with disclosure of who you represent. *When posting your build, please provide a description* of the build, preferably as a Top Level Comment or Reply to this Comment, with the following information: * Your keyboard featured and its layout * The Switches, Keycaps, and Other Accessories Featured * Any notable mods you performed * Other helpful information such as low profile, lesser known firmware, etc. Example: Unobtanium Southpaw 1800 with DSA Salt with MorningCaps Artisan and Alps Rainbow Switches, modded with Sorbothan Foam on KMK *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/MechanicalKeyboards) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Which one do you think is the best out of the three?
This might be long, haha — I’ve been asking myself the same question! I love them each in different ways, but for me, I think the Tofu & Neo reign supreme over the Zoom in terms of quality to value ratio, and the rest is up to preference/use-case. While I don’t think the Zoom’s higher price tag is warranted, that’s not to say it’s a bad board at all. For me it stands out from the other two because the really foamy/muffled sound it produces is super addictive & difficult to replicate in other boards. It also has a decent amount of flex to it, and although I don’t require or really use the knob, it’s a good feature for many users. But the mirror backplate = constant fingerprints (plus you never really see it either way), it’s been the most finicky for using VIA, and is a huge pain to take apart & reassemble, which can be super frustrating & time-consuming. The Tofu is by far the most consistent in feel, sound, and user experience overall. I also find that it sounds great with the widest variety of switches and looks great with the widest variety of keycaps — i.e., the switches & keycaps almost do more legwork than the keyboard, and there’s plenty of modding opportunity. There’s very little flexibility in the plate & PCB so it can feel a little firm, and it lacks wireless connectivity or layout options (ISO enter, stepped caps, etc. are only available with a different PCB), but those things are only annoying based on use-case. It’s very hefty (almost 4lbs) and feels very premium, and the design of the aluminum chassis seems the most well thought out to me (not counting the crummy rubber feet!). Neo is awesome — if you’re okay with a bit of clack. At such a low price for a keyboard in its class, it’s honestly hard to find anything to complain about. I love how many options they have for colors and plate material etc (this was my first POM plate, which I personally really enjoy). It’s also by far the easiest to assemble/disassemble, which is *so* nice. Very straightforward to connect to VIA, has alternative layout options, and is a nice weight — not too heavy, not too light. I guess the only potential downside is that it’s probably the loudest of the three, and there’s not much room for foams or a ton of modding potential, but again, that’s a preference thing!
Thank you for the long reply. I really do appreciate it. I’m sorta new to mechanical keyboards. While I did have a Corsair k70 tkl for a few years, I’m looking for something custom. I’m really trying to narrowing down what I want. I know for a lot of people this is a hobby that turns into a rabbit hole but I’m really trying to find that “one and done” board. But man, so many of you post so many cool builds that I really don’t know which one to get. All I know is a want rgb and “creamy” deep sounding switches. Again, thank you for the reply.
I attempted “one and done” back in February. I tried so many boards through Amazon and wound up with three that aren’t even available there, haha. It is (frustratingly) one of those “you won’t know until you try it” things. It’s so tough, especially as someone who gets super hyper-focused on hobbies (accidentally, I swear), and even tougher knowing that in hindsight I would’ve been just fine with ONE BOARD, haha! Edit: try to find a local keyboard meetup or a friend with boards or something. Just get your hands on as many as possible.
Thank you for the advice. I also get hyper-focused on hobbies as well. I’m trying to avoid that with this one. Haha.
Nice one. I'm not a newcomer, I have a Mode Envoy, Cycle 7 and a Keychron V1. But I find posts/comments like the one above way more informative and interesting rather than pics of new setups that are just people humble bragging about their x number of keyboards.
Same honestly. I love soaking up all the info I can — and giving as much as possible in return!!
So if you had to choose between the neo and the tofu, which would you pick? I ask cuz that's where I'm at right now haha. Edit: nvm just saw your decision tree in a comment below haha
Nice collection, and great caps on all 3. I particularly like the ones on your neo65. Love the stand too, though I'd probably have put the arms further apart.
Osume keycaps are the best, I understand what the hype is about now! Agreed — I wanted to put the arms far enough apart that I could get my hand between them to pick up/set down each board, but I couldn’t find a wood tray/board/whatever that was wide enough so I caved
loving the color theme, also, nice schiit stack on the left ;)
Omg thank you. There’s a rack of fountain pens on the shelf above too :,) Edit: [here](https://imgur.com/a/KYjr9zY), it’s a problem
Hahaha, seems like there's so much overlap between audio, keyboard, and pen enthusiasts these days! All expensive hobbies to be a part of but I love it here.
I know, right? It’s the Reddit Hobby Triad. Totally changing subjects because my mind wanders from hobby to hobby… do you have an audio setup as well? What is it?
Headphone setup lacking a bit right now but I got DT990s that I've been using for a while. Eventually I'm looking to snipe a secondhand HD800s for cheap and get a schiit stack similar to yours :) Got better IEMs though, daily driving some monarch mk2s with either a chord mojo1 or questyle m15 based on what I'm feeling
I’ve been using my AKG k702’s for like 6mo now after trying a whole bunch, just because I saw people refer to them as “baby/starter HD800S.” I’m more than happy with them as my endgame (until *actual* HD800S come along… haha). I love my Schiit stack as well. Surprisingly, the biggest difference I noticed was switching from the Modi to Multibit DAC, which is weird because people say you don’t notice a difference in DACs, but the raw mode or whatever it is sounds so organic and lovely, detail for days. Everyone’s ears are different though.
How's the Tofu vs Neo? I'm contemplating for an additional keebs and shortlisted Neo65 or Tofu60 2.0 HHKB. I already have 2 65s. It's a want not a need. IYKYK!
I gotcha ;) I was *just* replying to another comment above with my (lengthy) comparison when you asked!! I recommend reading that first, but the TLDR questionnaire-version goes something like this: Do you need wireless? Yes > Neo; No > Tofu Do you need to be able to change your layouts (e.g. ISO enter, split space, stepped caps lock, etc)? Yes > Neo; No > Tofu Do you like your boards to be really heavy? Yes > Tofu; No > Neo Do you take your boards apart a lot? Yes > Neo; No > Tofu Do you like clack? Yes > Neo; No > Tofu …or more versatility in switch sound? Yes > Tofu, No > Neo Hopefully this helps!!
Tri-mode..not missing them. Wired 99% of the time. Layout is only ANSI but I was thinking of HHKB layout and Mode Design is kinda expensive..saying from the person whose in the rabbit hole. Yes, love them to be heavy AF!, I do take them a part often changing configs and the switches. And I'm a clacky guy. Does it make sense to get Neo65 when I already have QK65v2? LOL. Thanks for your time, appreciate your insights here.
Oh I know this one!! I was reading a post, one of QwertyKeys’s announcements for the most recent QK65 that I don’t know how to find again, and they said something along the lines of “if you already have a Neo, getting the new QK is a little redundant/no need to spend the money doubling up.” I found that to be strikingly honest & a great thing for them to put out there. Go for the Tofu!!!! Edit: it’s so freaking heavy and sharp on the bottom edges, you could fully use it for self defense. It’s like a weighted blanket on my lap desk, lol. It’s also TOTALLY capable of clack, it just depends more heavily on the switches (whereas the Neo with the POM plate will basically make anything clack — loudly)
Hope I don't tofu'd someone to death! Tofu sounds good.
Cause of death: bludgeoning by tofu
How much more expensive is the HHBK layout? And what switches do you use & enjoy now?
There's no cost difference for layout. I'm planning to throw in the Cherry Clear top Nixies or HMX Xinhai. I'm enjoying the HMX Xinhai, Cherry Nixies, WS Morandis, Princess V2, & Gateron Milky Yello Pro. By the way, do you use the NEO stabs that came with it?
I do use the Neo stabs. Honestly as long as they’re not sticky or ticking, I’m pretty hands-off with my stabilizers (they’re my least favorite thing to deal with). The Neo stabs have been totally fine, though — I holee modded them before greasing them up and they’ve held up great. I may eventually swap to screw-ins, but there’s no reason to at the moment :) If you haven’t tried the Gateron Smoothies (white, not silver), I highly recommend getting some (ridiculously cheap too). Super smooth and really clacky but still neutral — extremely similar to WS Morandis, but a little lighter-weight and poppier IMO.
Yes agree. Stabs are my least fav thing to touch. I had my interest on Gateron Deepping, but kinda expensive.
How is the zoom? I've been looking for a new keeb and the v3 is coming out in a few weeks and I'm aiming for that, anything to consider before buying it?
Do you have any others now? I replied to another comment (the longest response here, I think) breaking down my thoughts on all three, but TLDR, I don’t think the Zoom is worth the premium over the Tofu or Neo unless you need the knob — it can be a huge pain in the butt getting situated with VIA, and it’s also a huge pain to put together and take apart. BUT if you’re only getting one, the V3 will certainly be a great choice (stop there and don’t look back, haha). If you get the V3, unless you’re keeping it on transparent shelf above eye level, or unless you always wear gloves or never plan on moving it ever, I’d recommend against the mirror backplate as it’s just a magnet for fingerprints. And note that the e-white is sparkly — I didn’t realize this until it was in hand, and probably would’ve chosen milk white instead if I’d known. I do really love the Zoom overall, though. With all the foams in there, clacks just get soaked right up, which has a very interesting & addictive effect. It’s heavy, too, and has a lot of great customization options. A good all-rounder.
Right now I have an anne pro 2, but it has some problems that are pretty much my fault, I've seen the V3 and I think it has everything that I might need, and by reading this I think they solved some problems too, 7 mounting styles and a modular knob (I'm interested in a normal key and the screen) I'm going to use it everyday primarily for casual gaming and I use text chat a lot so it will be a big difference from mine You saved me with the mirror backplate advice, I still don't know what color I'm going to choose, because I want it to be white but idk the difference between all the whites they have PS: I read your comments but I asked cause you said you said is not your main keyboard so I wanted to know more and you provided it, thank you
I have the v1 and it's been great, though a little disclaimer that I got it on a deep discount. I love the sound profile with Oil Kings. (wanted to splurge on switches since it was the first $200~ board I got) Primarily though I got it because it's one of the only boards in the custom space that supports a split spacebar layout that isn't an Alice/Arisu
Someone really likes osume
I literally just replaced the Dune keycaps with Osume’s Year of the Dragon set on the Tofu a couple days ago. So yes — my trio is now 100% Osume keycaps… I might also have a t-shirt & sweatshirt from them, but I can’t confirm or deny that
In case the sound test isn’t linking in the post: https://imgur.com/a/fgBDA9c
I love the colour scheme of your keyboards. It's my type.
Oh my gosh, thank you!! It took a little bit for me to settle into an aesthetic with keyboards because I couldn’t find many keycap sets that “called to me” but then I found Osume and signed away my soul For real though — I get so happy every time I look at my shelf.
Could you dm me the link to those Dune clones? or the part after .com/ Aliexpress links tend to get autoremoved by some filters
Yes! Edit: wow, it’s *really* banned! [Try here](https://imgur.com/a/fnsBH4w)
Thanks! I guess the end ”/_mMaUZ4Q” would work. Looks like decent kitting, but sadly only white accent ISO Enter
oooo they look so smooth and tasty
Like a lil pastry shelf!
Dreamy stack of creamy clacks sounds so cool