Meletrix has made some of the best pre-built and affordable custom keyboards of the last two years, and it’s back with its first magnetic Hall Effect release with the BOOG75. Based on the outstanding Meletrix Zoom75, it’s the best magnetic switch mechanical keyboard so far this year and is poised to be the best overall. At $219.99, it’s a steal.
Specifications
- Current Price:
- Key Features
- Dual-rail structure for stability.
- Square magnet design, with freely adjustable magnetic pole orientation. Supports multi-directional Hall effect sensing.
- Extending the stem for better switch stability.
- Integrated spotlight lens design, enhancing light guidance.
- Every switch features a very tight housing and a very good coat of factory lube. No need to spend hours and hours lubing switches, they are good to go off the pack!
- Gasket Mount Design
- 75% Layout
- PCB: 1.6mm, with Ai03 DB
- 5° Typing angle
- 22.14 mm front height
- Dimension: 323.6 x 145.78 x 34.73 (mm)
- Default plate: Alu
- Case Material: 6063 Aluminum
- Case Finish: Anodized+Infill (No Sparkles, No Chamfer)
- Backplate and External Weight: Anodized+Infill
- Switches Type: Gateron KS37B
- The Orientation of the Switches: North Facing
- No SS Internal Weight
- Boog 75 Wired Polling Rate: 1000hz
- QMK or VIA Support: No, customization requires use of our independent driver.
- Total weight: About 3kg
- Keycap Specifications:
- Manufacturer: WS PBT
- Keycap Material: Doubleshot PBT
- Keycap Thickness: 1.6mm
- Keycap Profile: Cherry
- Keys QTY: 81 keys
- Switch Specifications:
- Product Name: GATERON KS-37B Magnetic Hall Sensor Keyboard Switch
- Initial Force:30±10gf.
- Total travel:4.0±0.2mm.
- Operation Lifetime:150,000,000 Cycles.
- Bottom Force: 50±10gf.
- Top Housing Material: Thermoplastic, Transparent
- Bottom Housing Material: Thermoplastic, Red
- Stem Material: Thermoplastic, Red
- Spring Material: Stainless steel
Meletrix BOOG75 - Meletrix’s First Analog Mechanical Keyboard, Still a Custom in Sound and Construction
Meletrix has made its name on developing high-quality yet accessibly-priced custom mechanical keyboards. Most of these have been DIY kits, requiring you to assemble them with switches and keycaps you bring yourself. The BOOG75 is its most unique product yet, but if you’ve seen the Meletrix Zoom75, then you already have an idea of the kind of quality it brings to the table: a high-quality, CNC-milled aluminum case, enthusiast-grade sound and feel, and aesthetics that refuse to be beat, all at a reasonable price for what you’re getting.
That’s especially true here as the BOOG75 comes completely assembled and ready to use out of the box. Doubleshot PBT keycaps, prelubed switches and stabilizers, and layers of sound dampening foam are all provided and tuned for optimal acoustics and build quality. But the BOOG75 isn’t even your average custom mechanical keyboard.
Rather than use traditional mechanical key switches, it utilizes magnetic switches and Hall Effect sensors. This means that the keyboard is able to offer unique functionality, like adjustable actuation and rapid key technology. It also means the switches are much more durable since there are no mechanical contacts to wear down over time.
So, put it in the same class as the Wooting-HE for functionality. If you’ve been following the peripheral world at all this year, you know how popular that keyboard has become for its exceptional responsiveness. The BOOG75 brings the same technology to the table, minus gamepad emulation. But what it lacks in controller mimicry, it makes up for in build quality.
The BOOG75 reminds me of nothing more than the Zoom75, The cases are nearly identical in shape and weight, both milled from heavy bricks of high-quality 6063 aluminum, and anodized to a smooth black finish. In fact, if you already own the Zoom75 and would just like to upgrade to analog switches, Meletrix is selling the Hall Effect module (plate, PCB, switches, and foams, pre-assembled) separately to install in the Zoom75 case.
The internal structure is also quite similar, which pays dividends in the sound of the BOOG75. One of the biggest drawbacks of Hall Effect keyboards, in my experience, has been their sound profile. Something about the switch design makes them sound a bit thinner and for the switches to have create more of a metallic tapping sound versus the deep, smooth or bright and clacky sound of the best mechanical keyboards. Here, Meletrix has devoted a lot of time to crafting a typing experience that doesn’t sacrifice acoustics in the name of magnetics.
It accomplishes this through the use of acoustic foams and pre-tuned switches and stabilizers. There’s a layer of plate foam, between the plate and PCB, switch foam beneath the switches, and case foam to remove any sense of hollowness from the typing experience. The switches, which are produced by Gateron, being pre-lubed deepens their sound signature and makes them smoother under the finger. The stabilizers have also been treated with grease to remove any rattle; it appears to be Krytox, a community favorite for this purpose, but I’m not positive.
The HE module (PCB assembly) is also mounted using a gasket mount structure. Rather than use Poron or silicone tabs like most custom keyboards, it adopts the custom foam strips found on the company’s Zoom keyboards and even super-premium options like the Promise87. This isolates your keystrokes from the rest of the case, deepening typing sounds further.
Sound Tests:
Video credit: Wabi Sabi. Click to view their channel.
Video credit: Jaeky. Click to view his channel.
The end result is the best sounding analog keyboard I’ve ever tested. With Hall Effect being the clear theme for mechanical keyboards kicking off 2024, I’ve tested around a half dozen so far. The BOOG75 isn’t just a little better in how it sounds, it’s in a different class entirely. This is still very much a custom mechanical keyboard with all of the insinuations on quality, sound, and feel that implies, except you don’t have to built it yourself.
One key difference is that you won’t find much flex at all here. The gaskets do a good job of cushioning your keystrokes but the per-key movement found on Meletrix’s other keyboards is absent here, but there’s a good reason for it: analog switches and movement don’t mix. Each sensor is calibrated to provide the exact right amount of travel, allowing your personal actuation and rapid trigger settings to be consistent across every key. Analog switches need stability to function.
Meletrix BOOG75 - The Benefits of Hall Effect Analog Switches
This limitation is worth it for the added functionality you receive, however. Without any software at all, the keyboard allows you to set a custom actuation point across 20 levels. You can do this for the whole keyboard or for individual keys, allowing you to tailor just how responsive your keyboard is even from within game. I tend to keep my actuation point low (level 3 out of 20) for normal use, so the switch needs to almost bottom out to send a key press. When gaming, however, I raise my WASD up to level 15 or 16 so only an extremely light press is all that’s needed to send an action.
Rapid Trigger is another feature Hall Effect sensors make possible. This functionality allows the keyboard to dynamically adjust the reset point of the switch based upon your preference. A traditional key switch has both an actuation point and a reset point. Actuation occurs on the downstroke at a set point. The reset point occurs on the upstroke and signals the keyboard’s processor that the key is able to be pressed again.
Dynamic reset points allow this reset point to happen simultaneously, so as soon as they switch starts to move back up again, you can press it down and send a second action. Fluttering the keys becomes possible and allows the BOOG75 to be physically faster than a traditional mechanical keyboard — if your response time can keep up with it.
Its depth-sensing qualities also allow you to tie multiple actions to a single key press. This wasn’t available for me to test but is planned to release later this month. It’s a common feature among analog keyboards, however, and allows you to be innovative with your keymaps. Pressing W halfway down could indicate normal movement while pressing it all the way could trigger a sprint, for example.
The keyboard is fully programmable using an online configurator, so you don’t need to install anything on your system to access its full functionality. Right now, you can remap keys, record macros, control the keyboard’s lighting, and program its actuation point settings, but Meletrix has a major feature update coming for launch that they say will add custom, multi-layer key remapping, dynamic key strokes (rapid trigger described above), multi-function key presses, and switch triggering.
Meletrix BOOG75 - Gorgeous Case Design
Another major difference comes in the finishing of the case. The BOOG75 is available in Shockwave (black and teal) and Induction Coil (white and copper) colors and both look absolutely fantastic. The cases are full of embellishments, like cybernetic etchings that creep along the back and sides. Flip it over and you’ll find that the bottom is a downright showpiece, etched, anodized, and in-filled to create a killer looking pattern. It’s so cool that it’s a downright shame it is hidden most of the time.
Each version also comes with matching keycaps. These keycaps are Wuque Studios doubleshot PBT and are excellent. They’re made from thick, durable plastic that will never shine or fade and enhance the keyboard’s deep sound quality. These legends are also crisp thanks to the doubleshot molding process.
The RGB is also exceptionally bright and vibrant. The keycaps aren’t backlit, so it creates a bed of light under the keys that flows and blends wonderfully. It looks great in the dark, even if it doesn’t illuminate the legends.
The final result is a gorgeous keyboard that weighs almost seven pounds and competes with full-on custom mechanical keyboards in every way. Theoretically, you can even swap switches with other analog options as they become available, giving you more options over time.
Final Thoughts
The Meletrix BOOG75 surprised me. I’ve learned to expect big things from Meletrix and its parent company Wuque Studios. What they’ve accomplished here is nothing short of a high water mark for Hall Effect mechanical keyboards. The construction, design, and sound profile are all leagues above the competition, and that it can be completely customized without downloading a single piece of software is fantastic. At $219 fully-built with switches and keycaps, , it’s an incredible value and well worth picking up for yourself.
The product described in this article was provided by the manufacturer for evaluation purposes.
