Disclaimer: Elaine sold me this keyboard because I’m a friend, and I misunderstood her. She didn’t even ask for video! Talked to Elaine and she explained the gap. Top down, it creates more wiggle room so that you can move the plate/pcb north/south to remove the top case. If you remember from the Vega, that was essentially glued in once soldered. You even had to use a temporary holding screw and that made the build process extremely finicky. That is not the case here. From the front, the height of keycaps was designed around not having any keycaps sit BELOW the case edge. It's a balancing act because CRP and GMK are different heights off of the stem. So this is not a fault in design but just a design choice to accommodate different builders and keycaps. She's considering swapping to a darker PCB to make it less distracting.

@xertval

Жыл бұрын

Hey Andy, how similar would you say hyperglides are compared to vintage blacks.

@BreathOfDust

Жыл бұрын

@@xertvalprobably relatively the same

@xertval

Жыл бұрын

@@BreathOfDust thank you :D

@BreathOfDust

Жыл бұрын

@@xertval id get ultra glides (broken in Hyperglides), then lube them with 205g0, spring swap them, and film them too.

@xertval

Жыл бұрын

@@BreathOfDust okay, thanks!

I watched this entire video with undivided attention. Simply one of - if not THE - best videos I’ve seen in the hobby. Awesome work, man.

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

That means so much coming from you! I’ve been brainstorming and workshopping this for MONTHS. And I circled back and forth on the edit for the last few weeks. Feels good when people enjoy the final product.

@badseedtech

Жыл бұрын

@@AndyVNguyen it really comes off as one of the realest and most relatable commentaries on the hobby. I know how much effort it takes to make something look effortless and *this* felt like effortless storytelling.

@FunkyHQYT

Жыл бұрын

Agreed Brian!

There are boards sitting on my display that I have rebuilt MULTIPLE times and can’t get the sound right. There is one board that I built once and it’s in my daily rotation. That’s the Sangeo65. I couldn’t believe the first enthusiast level board is actually my best one. I still keep going in the hobby though because this hobby is just too damn fun

Best sound test ever was that Kohaku with diamond-polished Blacks on carbon fibre with GMK Umbra....... so beautiful and sounds amazing

Your content has been hugely valuable to me. Just want to say thanks.

This video is fire! I ordered some vintage blacks as well haha, cant wait to slap them on the kohaku.

As always killing it with the Singa Vids! The comparasion between the Korn and Kohaku was bang on. Great job!

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

Thank you! I tried really hard for this video

Fantastic video Andy. Loved this deep dive into not only the keyboard, the switches and combos, your journey with the board, and even the old school switches that I honestly didn’t know anything about before this. Really enjoyed watching this. PS: I think you may have just added a new board to my VERY short list of “must buys” this next year. 💪

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

It's just a documentation of my descent into madness! lol. Good luck on your hunt to acquire one for yourself sir

7:30 Andy complaining about this being quiet and me thinking it sounds God tier 😂

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

lmao my ears are trained to only accept a very specific final sound these days

@melancholic213

2 ай бұрын

@@AndyVNguyen having a god tier ears VERY specific for final sound is damn OP! 😆

Kohaku is such an S tier keyboard. It's one I'll never get rid of. It's near perfection.

Happy Lunar New Year, Andy!

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

thank you happy new year to you too!

Great video. Thanks Andy 🎉

MX black and MX brown are my first switch to try before I even touch another switch. Man that sounds good.

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

I can’t get around to like mx browns other than on pc plates

@oTEMPE5To

Жыл бұрын

@@AndyVNguyen I only run PC with cherry. It's the combo that just works for me :D

Okay, but I'm still fine with my Odin R3. No FOMO issues yet. And yes, the brass weight is just great!

Dude is the coolest vietnamese in the keebs youtube community. Thanks for all the videos 🙏 peace !

You are making me more hyped for my lilac kohaku. Should be arriving in 2 months

@AndyVNguyen

10 ай бұрын

that's gonna be so nice

15:05 So glad you mentioned the front gap. I thought I was crazy and somehow built my Kohaku wrong since I have the gap as well.

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

Yeah you’re not crazy, I’m here with you

a very nice take on kohaku, love it!

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

glad you enjoyed it! it took me a while to formulate a story around it

I love how at 7:22 the chat is going off and saying they love it and Andy is just internally dying.

@x3LightNinG

8 ай бұрын

i personally would enjoy that sound profile as well lol not saying its the best because the alpha and space bar doesnt accommodate each other well but its not that bad imo

Gotta love story time with Andy, the people, the passion, and the endless tinkering are the highlights of this hobby to me, and this and the unikorn video highlight that really well! Looking forward to whatever’s next

60% with arrow keys and 1u shift is awesome, but it's just far easier to find 65% boards, and I cannot go without arrow keys.

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

i need my right shift!

How would you rate cherry vintage blacks compared to gateron black inks in terms of a) deep sound and b) smoothness?

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

inks are deeper and smoother

Question you mention keycult 1/65 with Alu mid plate/ weight wasn’t your jam, does it sound different when it’s brass weight?

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

I vaguely remember it sounding different. Aluminum bottoms are usually prob better tbh.

Which version of the SPRiT MX Slow Extreme Springs did you use in this build (I, II, III, IV or V)?

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

III or IV

I’m not up to using vint blacks in a singa. But I am breaking in hyperglides to use in a half plate Dropbear60.

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

lmao basically same thing tho

This may be the best review I’ve ever seen 😂🔥🔥🔥🔥

ive been working on picking up a kohaku soon. mx blacks are also my favorite switches. thanks for doing nothing but pressuring me to get this board sooner LOL

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

lmao you're gonna have a great time when you get the kohaku!

I was just rewatching your Korn video thinking how I don't need a Kohaku AND a Korn but it's over, you've officially convinced me to get one. I kept the Bakeneko60 in my daily and rotation for FAR too long to not get the OG and there's nothing like that Kohaku sound.

Hey Andy, do you lube the top housings of your switches? That spacebar got that pop to it.

@AndyVNguyen

8 ай бұрын

I don’t!

This video is a love letter to vint blacks! Still enjoy my batch with my Singa 75!!

Thoughts on the MX Black Clear Tops that released recently and how they compare to regular MX Blacks on alu?

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

hmm have not heard of these. are they just milky tops?

@DesolationPhoenix

Жыл бұрын

@@AndyVNguyen according to novelkeys: The MX Black Clear-Top is an unlubricated re-release of the community favorite "MX Nixie" which was manufactured for Nixdorf Computer AG in the '80s In addition to the milky top housing, the switch is characterized by a linear switching characteristic, a golden spring, and a slightly increased actuation force.

Nice tofu65

Have you considered tactile switches on the end game boards?

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

I’ve done corsas and mx browns and they’re ok. I just prefer linears

I love the take in the end of the video 👍🏻

I love these Story Time style videos!

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

I'm hoping to make more! I love making them, they just take a lot of time and planning

preference wise, do you prefer kohaku or unikorn and why? (with mx blacks or in ur favorite config)

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

i prefer alu half unikorn over the kohaku. it just sounds poppier

@CentroidYT

Жыл бұрын

@@AndyVNguyen i see, thanks for the reply!

Amazing build!

I force breake modded my Mode Sonnet. A LOT of points to tape. But it love it.

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

glad it worked out for you!!

i really want to see bcp on alu in this board

See you at the next endgame bud

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

so i have here this cloudline...

hey andy! does it matter if the switch parts are mixed? I'm picking up some vintage mx blacks and wanna know your process of modding em

@AndyVNguyen

10 ай бұрын

You do not want to mix them .. keep them together bc they’re broken in.. only in the stem and housing pairs. If you swap them you lose smoothness

@ethantang7558

10 ай бұрын

@@AndyVNguyen aw, mine came disassembled. Will this matter if I’m gonna break em in anyway?

@AndyVNguyen

10 ай бұрын

if you're going to break them in anyway it technically doesn't matter but why did you buy vints if you were gonna break them in anyway

@ethantang7558

10 ай бұрын

@@AndyVNguyen idk lol, but since they came cleaned and disassembled, I'm just gonna break em in a bit.

12:54 someone please tell me which keycap set that is

@AndyVNguyen

5 ай бұрын

gmk modern dolch

welcome back

Do you prefer more clack or thock?

@AndyVNguyen

2 ай бұрын

A less sharp clack is what I use the most. I like a lighter lubed gateron ink sound

1:52 Yo that is my Keycult 1/60 Picture 😂 👍👍

@AndyVNguyen

6 ай бұрын

sick pic!

This is, without question, the best video you've made. I enjoy your storytelling ability so much, I loved this. I say commit to this style, we need more long form stuff in the hobby. Awesome work man, i have maaaad Kohaku FOMO now

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

dude means a lot for sure! this is my style, kind of a casey neistat, chaotic, vlog method of storytelling. it's because i used to want to be a vlogger..

@MisfireKB

Жыл бұрын

@@AndyVNguyen you're definitely living the dream out then because then is pure gold. Love it man

DO you know what films are used in the gateron pinks?

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

deskeys

@oakerface95

Жыл бұрын

@@AndyVNguyen Thanks!

are you going to review the tofu 2.0?

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

yes

Hey Andy, who's the guy who hooked you up with vintage blacks? It's hard to find someone trustworthy to source

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

I lost his username when my discord got hacked

@siegekeebs

Жыл бұрын

@@AndyVNguyen big oof - thanks anyway!

Honestly, i think the Gateron Pinks sounded the best, but i like quieter keyboards.

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

Yeah I can definitely see how you would. Kohaku is overall pretty nice regardless of what you go with

Made me laugh at "Tried and True Boomer Combination" xD. Good video, and good breakdown of board/switch combinations.

Hey thats one fancy tofu

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

It’s a kbd67mkii

I need korn and fish board in my life

@1.0xY.m0r0n

8 ай бұрын

Finally got fish board. Gonna put browns in it.

This is an unexpected sequel

@jalexanderc

Жыл бұрын

BUT A BANGER

Loved hearing your journey with this board. I so badly want a singa keyboard, and I'm getting a Kohaku dang it. I was thinking about using MX blacks but also maybe tungstens or zakus for a switch up like you were going for. But yeah probably just gonna do MX blacks, was debating between vintage or maybe buying some diamond polished ones off someone lol. Might just go for diamond polished since I dont want to deal with potentially cleaning vintages since I also don't want to solder (pretty sure there's gonna be a hotswap option from what I gathered. If not, I'll learn to solder lol) thanks for coming to my TED.. er ramble basically

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

Kohaku is super nice. Diamond polished is nice! Just make sure there are no leaf issues. I just rebuilt and took out diamond polished blacks because the leafs sounded bad. I would NOT go for Vints because it's such a crapshoot. You can always send to me to build for you! www.andyvnguyen.com/commissions

@TheNEpatriotsrule1

Жыл бұрын

@@AndyVNguyen Thank you so much for the advice. I'll take your word on the vintage blacks for sure then, id want a nice reliable source. Thanks for the heads up on the leafs for diamond polished, ill look into it a bit more.

I kind of wanna put Gat Browns in mine am I crazy?

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

I would at least mx brown.. on pc

yo andy. u gotta use mizu minks on carbon fiber. it slaps

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

my minks are so overlubed it's hella quiet T_T

I already have a space65 r3 and a zoom65, why am I watching more of these videos lol

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

bc you're addicted like me

this is gonna be a certified classic

If u happen to use tx film on the vints they will sound sharp too. Deskey are love or hate because they tend to pitch down the switch a lot

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

that's a good point

@anonymousl5150

Жыл бұрын

are you saying they make it sound sharper?

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

deskey films make switches trend a little deeper

@Hahnck750i

Жыл бұрын

@@anonymousl5150 from my testing. TX film PC material is stiff it tend to retain the pitch of the switch. So it shouldn't sound too different compare to unfilmed switch pitch wise. Durock film which has PC one side and htv another side is generally a good middle ground and will pitch down the switch a little bit. Deskeys and swagkey v2 film of a softer squishy material pitches down the sound the most especially on looser switch housing because it reduce the transfer of vibration from the bottom and top housing. u get a better separation of the bottom out and top out sound at the cost of pitch and volume. So yeah depending on how much u want to alter the sound, choose accordingly.

@anonymousl5150

Жыл бұрын

@@Hahnck750i alright thanks for clarifying I thought you said TX films change the pitch. You're right deskey films do make it significantly lower pitched and it is too floppy to re-use when you modify a switch again.

looks like the case bezel is designed too low, you are already using recessed stem GMK keycaps, imagine CRP keycaps on the Kohaku there is gonna be like 2mm ugly gap. Hope they fix this on the next run. I remember for Iron165r2 they increase the case height for better coverage of keycaps

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

too bad iron165r2 they should have focused on fixing the sound lol

I've also avoided mx blacks the entire time I've been in the hobby! From all the sound tests I've seen they only sounded super good in high end boards, and didn't sound that great in the boards I've tried them on. I think I'll be 95% satisfied with the hobby once I get the arc60 and finish with the tofu60, coming full circle after starting with the tofu65 lol. I'll probably put mx blacks in one of those too

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

oh definitely the high end boards can handle having a bit of scratch and still sound good. the cheaper stuff is easier to get a nice thock than a clean clack

People will go to such great lengths to not settle for a budget board LOL.

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

lmao budget boards are fine. Nicer keyboards also fine. If I lost everything I’d buy a budget Bakeneko any day. Or I could use this Zoom75 here

Lovely video, lovely board, nice combos. But, we cant get that keyboard in Europe :/

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

don't worry most people can't buy it in US either. joking aside, does Singa (Malaysia) not ship to Europe?

@CapableShOOter

Жыл бұрын

@@AndyVNguyenIt ships through KLC, it’s a universal vendor but if I do, customs are really surreal here. Makes the total sum over 800euros.

I'm personally so used to 60s that even when using my tomo sometimes i press the up arrow thinking it's fn 😭

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

Ngl when I use a TKL I still want to use ijkl arrows lol. Moving my hand over for arrows feels so slow

Sound like a tray mount and don't even close to QK65 or the mode envoy, I don't feel anything

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

that's totally fine to have that opinion, you should go buy those then!

@emanueleapuzzo

Жыл бұрын

@@AndyVNguyen already done It, QK65 already arrived and envoy arrive in June. Then I'm waiting the zoom tkl (bought and waiting the shipment) and next buy Is the qk80

@IronCan88

10 ай бұрын

Seems like you prefer deeper sound. Nothing wrong with that. Kohaku is different level kind of beast. If you want the purest sound (not muffled by foams) then you will appreciate it. This hobby is a evolving process, so who knows. Your preference may shift later on.

More of these types of videos. This one is the best you've done in awhile.

ngl,,,, kohaku is pretty nice

Kohaku is still the king imo

What's your favorite config in the unikorn?

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

Jwk giant v3 on fr4 or gateron ink on cf.

Don't tune into streams much but your yt vids are always top tier and I watch every single one of them

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

Thank you for always watching the KZread videos!!

Yo your haus slaps!!

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

Haus just slaps in general. Sleeper of a keyboard

Just a random question are you wearing any makeup lol? Your eyeliners are so good 😂

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

Lol no that’s my eyes

Got a Mode65 with ceramic keycaps on brass plate or GMK toxic on FR4 plate. Love the customization for materials. Can only say the Mode Sonnet tempted me with the side profile but didn't like that it wasn't screwless. 65% all the way, would only ever go for a 75% if I had to change sizes. I think I can say I have my endgame. Its been almost 2 years with this and I have yet to find any other keyboard to tempt me. The ceramic keycaps was the only thing recently I thought I had to get and love them!

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

What switch do you like with the brass plate? I’m surprised that’s your favorite! Happy that you’re happy tho, the nonstop buying game is exhausting

@kbar11

Жыл бұрын

@@AndyVNguyen my bad forgot to mention. I use a custom switch tops are boba u4ts and so are the stems and springs. Bottoms are kiwis. Call them boba fetts since they have a similar colour pattern. Could never get into linears but they sure sound nice!

@kbar11

Жыл бұрын

@@AndyVNguyen sound is always something I can never quite get how I envision so I care more about material and build quality. I just toss in pe foam like everyone else lol

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

That makes a lot of sense - tactiles are GREAT on brass. As a linear lover I don’t touch brass anymore. Gazeww parts are the best switches in the game for sure. Unmatched quality and consistency. I can never get sound right either.. I have stories to tell about the manic late night rebuilds of the VKC and Cloudline I got in recently

@kbar11

Жыл бұрын

@@AndyVNguyen been debating getting the new semi silent switches from gazzew but didn't like the full silents, felt mushy still. If I liked linears I would probably be tempted by all the Flexi builds out now. I type fat fingers so I feel like stiffer is better for that. It's always the damn space bar stabilizers, they always have a little rattle I can't ever get rid of and I've tried all the mods I've found

I’m waiting on the haven 75

So weak lol I just tell myself to stop and I did it without problem. Now I am pursuing unrivaled audio fidelity in the world of audiophilia, see you NOT there haha. EDIT: oh no

this is it, chief?

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

This is it for me, chief

Nice video! Love the sound of the board but definitely not really into the look of it.. 910 ME looks nice although you mentioned soundwise the Kohaku is better.. Out of all the boards, I think that the Unikorn looks and sounds the best.. but too bad it’s a 60% instead of a 65%!

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

910 Me is a looker - if you run O ring the sound is better than top mount. Unikorn has a great sound! If you need the arrows you can map dedicated arrows in the bottom right on an "arrow" layer. That's what I do. So I toggle layer 2 which has the rshift, ralt, rwin, rctrl as arrows. And then I toggle back when I'm done.

@hide598

Жыл бұрын

@@AndyVNguyen Sounds like Unikorn will be my end game. 👍🏻

Nixies next 👀?

So an aluminum plate is the way to go now? I thought the thock champion was the PC plate.

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

Always depends on the mounting and the keyboard. Sometimes PC is louder and higher pitched.

In 1992 Germany was already reunited so I don't know how much sense it makes to talk about a product being from western Germany after 1989. Also, that line in the middle is not where the border was 😅

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

LMAO it was intentionally incorrect

Tl;dw? All of us in the hobby are weak-willed hypocrites Jkjk, beautiful storytelling, Andy! A wonderful piece

@Strider1Wilco

Жыл бұрын

This but for real...

The price of this board is like $550 usd right?

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

510 usd

@mrarmbar40

Жыл бұрын

@Andy V Nguyen Thank you Andy! Love your content btw!

Fish keyboard go brrrr

60% is the most symmetrical layout, it looks so good.

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

You are not wrong!

Kohaku or chimera65?

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

Kohaku

Bro had to order the ex-N*zi switches

Amazing video with a lot of coping and hypocrisy…. Absolutely amazing lol

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

LMAO IT'S THE ESSENCE OF A TRUE ENTHUSIAST

@sameerjg

Жыл бұрын

@@AndyVNguyen yeah lmao. “Oh why did you spend so much on … why spend so much time… oh like it’s not even practical(applicable to any ultra niche subject) and again like I just built a 900 dollar mode sonnet, and now I’m contemplating getting something crazier because it’s not as exclusive sigh

"this all can be make-believe"?

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

vintage mx blacks, wherever they come from, whatever year they come from, can end up being just another mx black. i'm referring to the ridiculousness of hunting for vintage mx blacks.

I told my GF I would stop, but I got the notification that I won the raffle 😅. Excited to get my first singa!

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

Damn huge W congrats!

Shut up and take my subscribe button! Love the content and appreciate the commentary!

I prefer the Zoom 65

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

It’s easier to buy for sure

Would get this but I'm on that 75% life now

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

What’s the 75 board that you main?

@ImOnMy116

Жыл бұрын

Yes, 75% gang represent! I need help, haha, been going back and forth between my Sonnet, Bubble 75, and plateless Thera 75 v2

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

thera75 v2 is funnnn

@ImOnMy116

Жыл бұрын

@@AndyVNguyen Sure is!!

The Kohaku is really special. At first I thought it was a just a regular old gasket mount and I didn't think it would be much different from other gasket 65s such as vega, gingko etc, but trying it after building for a client made me realise just how special it was. Unfortunately sold mine to fund a Ryujin from dnworks but I'm trying to buy one back now. Definitely try dnworksco boards, Darian is one of the most special designers I have met in the hobby and the boards he makes are truly special and gorgeous. Amazing video as always Andy, I really appreciate you :)

OTD 356.2 CL Andy ;o

@AndyVNguyen

11 ай бұрын

sounds expensive

Sequel time

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

Yessirrrr

Good job Andy u bought a kbd mk2

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

It’s MY kbd mk2 ok

Just design your own keyboard and have it be your end game, the fact that you designed it makes you infinitely more biased(preference) towards the keyboard and you will stick to it.

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

You can design your own and mess up your own too lol

@peanuts6327

Жыл бұрын

@@AndyVNguyen you can try making a hardwired first, once everything works you can copy the entire circuit into the pcb schematic and start drawing the pcb. Pcb production isn’t that expensive compared to CNCing metal. Case it’s pretty simple, copy the structure of whatever keyboard you like

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

Yeah I'm talking primarily about making a CNCed keyboard sound/feel good.

@peanuts6327

Жыл бұрын

@@AndyVNguyen True, but wouldn’t perfecting a single keyboard that is unique to yourself through a few iterations of the case, while having the pcb and other stuff unchanged, be better than keeping to spend money on finding a better endgame keyboard in an endless loop? At least that’s what I did. Quite a few KZreadrs get sponsors from manufacturers like PCBWay, maybe that’s another opportunity to jump start the designing? That would be good content well Just my opinion though :)

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

No, it’s just simply too expensive to continually proto until you get it right.

dep trai back at it again

The mindless consumerism in this hobby is off the charts.

@AndyVNguyen

Жыл бұрын

It's just a story lol