My kid said my new keyboard sounded like a robot farting

I was really proud of my latest build, a 75% with some new linear switches I got on sale. I thought it felt smooth and sounded deep. I was typing away at the kitchen table when my eight-year-old walked by, stopped, and just said, 'Dad, that sounds like a robot farting.' I laughed, but it stuck with me. I realized I'd been so focused on the feel for me that I hadn't thought about the sound for anyone else in the room. I went back and tried a bunch of different things: adding more case foam, swapping the keycaps from ABS to a thicker PBT set, and even putting a small silicone dampener in the spacebar. The sound went from a hollow, plasticky 'thock' to something much more muted and solid. It was a good lesson to think about the whole experience, not just my own. Has a piece of feedback from someone outside the hobby ever made you change a build?

3 comments

3 Comments

knight.xena23d ago

Ever think a keyboard could sound too good? My wife said my first build sounded like angry bees, so I get it.

spencer1993d ago

Man, I was totally in the "it just needs to type" camp for years. Then I heard a board with those foam mods and some heavy switches. It wasn't just quiet, it had this deep, almost muffled thud with each press. My old keyboard suddenly felt like typing on loose plastic, all rattly and sharp. Completely changed what I listen for now.

danieltaylor23d ago

Used to believe a keyboard just had to work. Then I tried some lubed linear switches on a friend's board. The sound was so deep and smooth, not clacky at all. It made my old clicky board sound cheap and tinny by comparison. Now I get why people chase that perfect thocky sound.