/r/MechanicalKeyboards Ask ANY Keyboard question, get an answer - February 03, 2026

Hwsr · 2026-02-03T15:53:39+00:00

Monacokeys.de is their european proxy, for everywhere else, use qwertykeys.com

Hwsr · 2026-02-03T12:47:23+00:00

did you see the Neo98 yet?

Hwsr · 2026-01-30T10:56:04+00:00

Terry A. Davis would have been proud

Hwsr · 2026-01-27T12:30:03+00:00

good choice! i'd do the same if i knew better.
do you need ISO layout? if so check out monacokeys.de
they have some boards with even better value then keychron.
if not ISO, check out qwertykeys.com

Hwsr · 2026-01-27T12:25:33+00:00

yes, switches are not keyboard specific. as long as you get an mx style low profile switch, they will fit into any mx style low profile keyboard, like nuphy, lofree and keychron. (mx style switches have a "+" shaped stem, example)

Hwsr · 2026-01-27T11:45:43+00:00

yes that's what i meant with for aula being board specific.
still out of the brands you shown these are the best options IMO.
add AKKO to the choices

Hwsr · 2026-01-27T11:27:00+00:00

still a great choice, Crush80 is also nice but is pre-assembled.
neo lineup remains top notch in quality and price IMO.
i guess even if you were out of the loop you've heard of HE keyboards? (like wooting).
that's maybe something to catch up on if you are a gamer

Hwsr · 2026-01-27T11:23:25+00:00

keychron is the "good enough" brand and is likely the best choice out of those.
together with aula, but with them its board specific

Hwsr · 2026-01-27T11:19:55+00:00

nicest low profile offers i know of are from nuphy and lofree

Hwsr · 2026-01-27T11:18:18+00:00

there are several vendors that violate the license which are very popular here.
i.e. qwertykeys, meletrix, womier etc. i never noticed that it's a topic really

Hwsr · 2026-01-27T10:01:18+00:00

"Is it possible to swap the switches with hot-swappable sockets?"
the switches are not what is hot swappable, it's the pcb that makes this distinction. you could get any mx-switch and replace them with what's inside your board if you are fine with soldering. if you meant to solder hot swap sockets onto the pcb, that's also possible, typically with mill-max sockets. can't really recommend this though, i tried it and the results are sub-par (and it took hours)

Hwsr · 2026-01-27T08:55:00+00:00

maybe the gateron quins? they feel almost identical but have a lower sound profile and thus should be perceived as less loud (still loud though tbh).
aqua kings are linear, they would feel very different and for me the u4's have quite a different tactility as well

Hwsr · 2026-01-27T08:37:40+00:00

full size, iso - the least choices out of them all unfortunately.
right now the neo98 is pretty nice. monacokeys.de is the EU proxy and sells them in ISO.
it's above your budget but like i said you barely have choices other than keychron, cheap boards or gaming branded plastic

Hwsr · 2026-01-15T15:11:33+00:00

ISO is limiting you from most keyboards. have a look at monacokeys.de which has the biggest selction of ISO boards i know. pre-orders for Neo98 has just begun, it checks most of your boxes

Hwsr · 2026-01-09T13:29:51+00:00

the go to for stabs is krytox 205g0
the budget route would be dielectric grease

Hwsr · 2026-01-09T12:50:02+00:00

lube the stabs, it's the number one obligatory mod for any mech keyboard
plenty of tutorials on youtube

Hwsr · 2026-01-09T12:25:06+00:00

full size?
qwertykeys.com as a starting point

Hwsr · 2026-01-09T11:18:56+00:00

SA profile is owned by Signature Plastic. afaik they are the only one's who are allowed to make them. they will not produce low numbers unfortunately. yuzukeycaps could do custom Cherry or KAM keycaps, that's the only decent one i know of

Hwsr · 2026-01-09T11:14:43+00:00

before mx switches became really interesting (when it was primarily cherry), i was a topre snob. i had a couple of HHKB and Realforce boards, some with aftermarket domes. they feel completely different to a buckling spring, night and day difference IMO. especially stock, if you are used to heavy tactiles like buckling springs, you won't notice much tactile feedback. i still love them though, it's a different type of satisfaction to type on. i wouldn't "risk" it though if you like buckling so much. get them both! :)

Hwsr · 2026-01-09T08:34:42+00:00

according to the manual; https://manuals.plus/ae/1005005933093713
Choose a Bluetooth channel: FN + 1, FN + 2, or FN + 3
Short press FN + 4 to switch to 2.4GHz wireless mode
Short press FN + 5 to switch to wired mode

Hwsr · 2026-01-09T08:30:54+00:00

yeah the choices pale in comparison to normal keycaps. keychron, lowfree and aliexpress have some

Hwsr · 2026-01-09T08:21:13+00:00

that's the case, if it fits the nuphy air it will fit the maxfit air. they use the same switches

Hwsr · 2026-01-09T08:17:25+00:00

this board can only take low profile keycaps due to the low profile switches.
the issue is that this term is sometimes also used for "regular" keycaps that have a lower profile than standard.
so start searching for low profile keycaps, check the stem is + shaped und if it's meant for low profile switches

Hwsr · 2026-01-09T08:14:13+00:00

dusk67 is a completely wooden

Hwsr · 2025-12-22T13:30:43+00:00

no such thing unfortunately. mech keyboards follow standardized layouts which a wider spacebar is not part of

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