Keyboard Central

DISCLAIMER: Well first of all, I'm still a noob at this. At this point I'm really just changing keycaps and switches, and haven't gotten to the point of modding (though I hope to soon with my next board!). Any links I link here are just regular old links. I don't do affiliate bullshit. Anyway, I will be updating these with what my board currently is set up with now, and not what the original board came with.

My keyboards

Kono Kira
Aula F99
Wobkey Rainy75
Epomaker Tide5
Build Plans
Diary

Kono Kira

Link: Kono Kira
Price: $260 (but I got it for free)
Layout: Compact 99 key
Keycaps: Rainbow Candy | PBT, MOA
Switches: Akko Penguin | Silent tactile
Mods: None
Thoughts: My coworker gave me this keyboard, and it was my first one (not counting a razer one I had before lol. This one feels like my first "real" mechanical keyboard). It came with original everything, and so far I just replaced the keycaps. Overall I enjoy the feel of it. I love how compact everything is. It's the first time in gaming that I can actually somewhat comfortably use the number keys. With every other keyboard I've tried, I have to rely on shift and control modifiers for the letters instead lol. Even though it has a numpad, the fact that it's compact makes it smaller than my Aula F99, which also has a numpad.

My main gripe with this keyboard is the software - it fucking sucks. It's hard for a noob like me to use, and it stressed me out trying to figure it out so I just gave up lol. Sometimes the num pad indicator doesn't work, or it'll randomly switch from on or off without me doing anything between sessions. Sometimes the board randomly disconnects too, so I have to unplug/plug it back in. Which is fine usually, but it sucks when gaming for sure. As of 2/14/2025 I looked and I saw there were driver updates, and I reflashed my board. Things seem okay so far, but I'll have to wait and see if I get the same issues.

This keyboard is really clacky and high pitched. I tried putting in Akko Silvers, which sounded really good in videos I watched, but they still sounded very high pitched in the Kono Kira. I put in Akko Penguin switches in it which are silent tactile switches, and ooooh does the keyboard just feel way better now.

Anyway, all in all I'm glad that I got this keyboard for free because I really don't think it's worth the price tag.

(note - the pics are not updated with the new keycaps)

Aula F99

Link: Amazon
Price: $75
Layout: 99 key
Keycaps: Womier Japanese Style | PBT, MOA
Switches: LEOBOG Reaper | Linear
Mods: None
Thoughts: This keyboard sounds sooooo good without any changes done to it! It really inspired me to type more because I loved hearing the sound of the keys lol. I think perhaps the key type + the keyboard size makes this keyboard a bit harder to type on for me just because the keys seem further apart, but overall I'm obsessed with it. I think I might try either a DSA or XDA keycap profile on this board and see if the feeling improves. The only thing I don't like about it is the bar that indicates if it's charged or not. I'm sure that's great for people who don't have it plugged in, but my keyboards are always plugged in. I followed the directions and still can't see to turn it off, but I've slowly gotten used to it. The first couple of days I had it, I just govered the light bar with some washi tape lol. Anyway, it's a lovely sounding keyboard for the price and I was so pleasantly surprised when I got it.

Wobkey Rainy75

Link: Mechanical Keyboards
Price: $114
Layout: 75%
Keycaps: Milk & Honey | PBT, XDA
Switches: Kailh Cocoa | Linear
Mods: None
Thoughts: Okay so this keyboard just feels high quality. It's heavy as fuck, so that's fun. Definitely not a very portable board with its weight lol. I also think the RGB is insanely pretty. And! It was my first time using VIA and I got it working and so that process was almost painless, which is super nice (I did struggle a tiny bit at the beginning but that's bc I didn't know how to use VIA lmao). The keyboard also just sounds insanely good right out of the box. I'm not planning to change the switches at all because they are just soooo lovely. Anyway, the keycaps that it comes with are nice but I switched them out as soon as I got it and I am even more obsessed with my board. This board is allegedly gasket mounted but it doesn't feel very squishy at all - I feel way more squish on my Aula than I do on this board. In fact, this one feels maybe TOO solid sometimes? lol.

This is my first keyboard that doesn't have a numpad and it's definitely a learning curve. I keep wanting to use the enter key that's on the num pad (basically I want an enter key that's at the very edge of my board) so that's going to take some getting used to. I think I'm going to learn how to do macros and add macros to four buttons on the corner of my board. lol maybe I'll even add an enter key! I've personally never used the page up/down, home, or end keys on a keyboard (except on accident) so it feels fitting that I should just replace those keys with something I'll actually use. Those keys are luckily on the end of this board, so they seem good to replace. That would be the honey pot, cow, egg, and milk on the pictures lol.

Link: Amazon
Price: $60 (it was on sale)
Layout: 75%
Keycaps: Mio Yogurt | PBT, Cherry
Switches: Akko Silver | Linear
Mods: None
Thoughts: I reaaaally like this keyboard. First of all, it has a knob!!! Even though I have 3 knobs on my macropad, it's still soooo fun to use lol. Second of all, idk. It's aluminum so it just feels better than a plastic keyboard. I really like the layout and the size too. Also! Out of all the stuff I've gotten recently, it worked the fastest with VIA and required the least amount of fucking around, so that was very welcome (I was about to lose it with my fucking macropad). It came with epomaker lemon switches, and while I actually thought they sounded decent, I replaced them with my Akko Silvers and I'm pretty happy with the feel and sound of it now. I'm using this keyboard as my gaming keyboard, but it also just feels really nice to type on.

I got the pink one because it was on sale, and I don't regret it one bit. It's such a pretty color of pink, and I like the mono-chromatic look they were going for because the keycaps are pink too. I guess the only real downside is that I don't like the font on the keycaps, but I was planning to replace them anyways. In concept I like the idea of having the text on the side of the caps instead of on top, and they are shine-through so it's very pretty when the RGB is on. But I think the font is just weird and some of the text is hard to decipher.

Grand Plans & Ideas

Buy a barebones keyboard and use with Akko x Monsgeek Green Fog switches
Buy the Osume lilac dreams marshmallow keycaps (🥲 so expensive but they are going to look sooooo good)
Build a keyboard for my best friend

Diary

2025.02.24: Welp! Over the weekend I got my new MOA keycaps and Akko Penguin switches, so I got to work on my Kono Kira and now it's perfect! I ended up bringing it to work because I was sad typing on the shitty mac keyboard they gave me. Now I have something to look forward to at work! I also got an Epomaker Tide75 last week and I love it so much. It feels great and the akko silvers are perfect in there. They have a low actuation force so my hands don't get tired typing on it for long periods of time. I think I might be a convert to tactile switches though??? The feeling is sooo nice. I'm really curious if there's a thocky tactile switch out there.

2025.02.19: So yesterday I decided to swap the switches out on my Kono Kira from gateron red to akko silver, and my god. First of all, getting the gaterons out was a huge bitch lmao. But other than that, ugh. I am just super not pleased with the sound, and I can only assume that the board itself is just extremely clacky, because akko silvers sound great on literally every video I've seen. So my new plan is to use akko penguin switches (tactile silent) and use this keyboard at work. Also... I may have ended up buying yet another keyboard? The Epomaker Tide75. It was super on sale, though tbh I'm not sure what I want to do with it. I'm thinking of making it my gaming keyboard? So I'd put the akko silver switches in there. Umm in other news, I also received my macropad (though I still need to grab it from downstairs) and I also also got my rainy75 keyboard! UGH it's so luxurious! I guess I'll write about my thoughts up top, but yeah. Exciting! And way too much money spending T_T also man I really need to get better at taking keyboard pictures LOL.

2025.02.16: Man is it hard to resist the siren call of a new keyboard. There are so many things I want to do! So far this morning I've been looking up how to lube switches and whether or not it's worth it, even if the switches come factory lubed. It does seem really interesting to do? Though a bit tedious. I'm not sure if I want to do it yet... maybe I'll try it out for the barebones board that I end up building? I could try it on my akko green fog switches? I'm not sure. I guess I'm going to have to do more research though on what kind of lube I'd need to buy. There are.. way too many choices, and I kind of hate that I have to go searching on a million different websites. But anyway, idk. I really do need to slow down and take my time choosing things and not rush into it. It's hard because I think keyboard manufacturers have really cultivated a scarcity mindset. I keep feeling like the stuff I want is going to be gone at any moment, and then I'll either have to wait forever or it'll be gone for good. I think the fact that websites regularly show out of stock or discontinued items really drives that feeling home. Or showing the amount of stock they have left, and then not knowing if they're going to restock it? Ugh. So stressful lol. Anyway! I think so far I have my heart set on getting a Monsgeek M1 V5 barebones in white. I'm not sure on the Q0 numpad though? I wish that more companies made numpads! I keep seeing cute ones that have sold out/discontinued and the only ones left are ugly as fuck. WHY!?!??! Just keep the cute ones my god!!!!!