Meletrix is back with its latest custom mechanical keyboard, the Meletrix Zoom65 V3. But don’t let the name fool you. This keyboard kit is more than just an iteration. It’s a full-on sequel. It offers more options throughout every aspect of its design, making it one of the most customizable keyboard kits you can buy at any price point.
At a price point of $179 to $189 depending on if you prefer a rear lighting strip or not, the Zoom65 V3 is a mid-level custom keyboard: not low priced and entry level but also significantly less than many other custom keyboards that don’t offer nearly as much customization. At this point, it offers one of the best typing experiences you can find at this price and with more than a dozen ways to customize its sound and feel, it’s a safe bet that you’ll be able to tailor it exactly to your preferences.
Specifications
- Current Price:
- Size: 65%
- Material: National standard 6063 Aluminum
- PCB Type
- Tri-mode flex cut 1.2mm
- Tri-mode non-flex cut 1.6mm
- Typing Angle: 6.5°
- Forehead Height: 22.33mm
- VIA & QMK Support: Yes
- Static Protection: Yes
Meletrix Zoom65 V3 - Design and Highlights
The Meletrix Zoom65 V3 is the third version of Meletrix’s 65-percent keyboard. While it features a similar layout to prior models, each release has seen more customization options added, allowing you to make it more completely your own than most other mechanical keyboards around this price. With this release, there are four different case types and 16 different colors to choose from. Around the back, you can select from 17 different backplate types, and nine different magnetic weight styles. It’s a huge array of possible combinations, so every person should be able to design something uniquely their own.
The cases are all made from high quality CNC-milled aluminum. Depending on which you choose, your case will either be anodized or coated for a durable finish. You’re also able to select chamfered edges with some colors. I was sent the black version with gold chamfers and it looks excellent.
This model also comes with a new backplate design called RAW. This raw aluminum plate is intricately milled with a circular, diamond cut pattern that’s immediately impressive. I haven’t seen anything like it on a keyboard before and I honestly love it. Meletrix also has three other limited edition backplates that each feature a special design, pictured below.
This version of the case features per-key RGB like always but also a brand new “tail light” that adorns the rear edge of the case. This is a long RGB LED strip that extends the full length and wraps around the sides. It’s available in red or clear frosted colors. I was sent the red, which I was unsure about but now really like. I don’t keep it illuminated most of the time because the basic red makes such a good accent on its own.
tail light
In keeping with Meletrix’s recent practice of modularity, the keyboard features a series of modules that can be installed in the upper right. A small, single key unit (1u) LCD screen is installed by default and displays the Meletrix logo. As luck would have it, the color of the logo works exceptionally well with gold chamfers, so I left it as it was. You can customize this in online configurator, including uploading your own GIFs. The other modules include a knob, a backlit telescope logo, a gold magnetic badge, an additional key, or an RGB dot array that uses a diffuser.
The options continue on the inside of the keyboard as well. You can choose from six different plates, including polycarbonate, brass, aluminum, POM, carbon fiber, or FR4. You can also choose between a 1.2mm PCB with flex cuts or a 1.6mm PCB without them and both offer RGB and hotswap sockets, so you’re not sacrificing any features if you choose one over the other.
As is usual, you also receive a full foam kit that consists of plate foam, switch IXPE foam, and PCB foam. You can use all of it, none of it, or pick and choose depending on your preferences. Its inclusion is important, however, because it’s yet another way you can tailor the keyboard’s sound and feel to your unique preferences.
The most interesting aspect of the keyboard is definitely its mounting styles. There are simply a tremendous amount. You can see pictures of each and a brief description of each in the gallery above, but in total we have: Non-load bearing spring mount, silica gel mount, spring mount, short-arm spring mount, magnetic levitation mount, split o-ring mount, floating POGO pin mount, and top mount. The important thing to know here is that these offer subtle differences in sound but much bigger differences in feel.
This is simply a massive number of options for any keyboard to offer. I’m not aware of any other custom keyboard that has offered so many. It makes the Zoom65 V3 exciting all by itself, but taken with everything else this keyboard offers, it really makes it something unique and, in my opinion, special.
With all of these options, you’re likely to want to build and rebuild the keyboard many times. It’s easy to do so thanks to its quick disassembly system. Instead of having hidden screws, the top and bottom case are held together with a ball-catch system that snaps together and apart with a simple push or pull. It’s not completely tool-less because you’ll need a hex bit and a philips driver to install the modules and mounting hardware but it’s certainly easy access. Once the keyboard is built, you can swap mounting styles as quick as you can secure its pieces in places (usually less than 10 minutes).
Another ease-of-use feature is the new magnetic attachment for the USB daughterboard. Instead of being tethered with a JST cable, the PCB connects to the daughterboard through its own magnetic matching piece. Oddly, this isn’t built into the PCB and is instead a separate piece attached with a ribbon cable. This makes initially building similar to those with JST cables (you’re still plugging in at least one cable for that daughterboard) but rebuilds and mods much faster. The magnets in each half draw together if you’re close, so as long as the PCB’s piece isn’t far out of place, it will usually just snap together and make the connection.
It’s not all perfect. It’s important to note here that I was sent a prototype, not a final version of the keyboard (as is common with these kits), so some of its pain points are likely to be addressed by the time production models begin to ship.
The keyboard loves its ribbon cables and every one is annoying to install. There’s a cable for the magnetic daughterboard connection. There’s another for the LCD screen. A third attaches the LED strip for the tail light to the PCB. These latter two are particularly problematic. For the screen, the cable is short enough that positioning it and getting it locked into place is downright difficult. The LED strip has the opposite problem: it’s too long. It’s easy to get portions of it caught between the case and PCB while closing. Over time, the adhesive holding the LED strip pulled free and put the connection at risk of being crushed when snapping the case together. None of these are deal breakers, but they’re definitely areas where some small adjustments could be made to improve the overall build process.
Finally, the keyboard supports tri-mode wireless connectivity. You can connect to up to three devices over Bluetooth, one device over 2.4GHz wireless for wired-like connection speeds (perfect for gaming), and USB. It comes with two batteries that are installed below an internal plate, hiding them from sight. Meletrix doesn’t provide battery life estimates, but with a total capacity of 4,500mAh, you can expect them to last for several hundred hours over Bluetooth with no RGB or around a week with 2.4GHz and RGB turned on.
The keyboard also supports QMK and VIA, though Meletrix is also supplying its own online configurator for easy changes. You can remap keys, adjust the lighting, customize the screen, and map a selection of shortcuts and mouse controls. There is no macro recording support at this point, however, so it’s not quite a 1:1 with VIA yet.
Meletrix Zoom65 V3 - Assembly
For the most part, the assembly process is simple. The company provides everything you’ll need except for lube, switches, and keycaps. It even comes with Wuque Studio’s new Stupid Stabilizers which have silicone everywhere the wire would usually touch plastic. Simply add a bit of lube and you’ll be completely rattle free. Note that my sample came with all of the different modules except for the knob to try. You’ll need to purchase additional modules separately at retail.
As always, you need to lube the stabilizers and install them. That’s easier here because they’re clip-in, so you won’t need to worry about small screws and washers for this step. You then add your standoffs if you’re using them, PE and plate foam, and then add the plate and press switches into place. I would recommend using the standoffs if you have a softer plate as I found the switches had a tendency to come slightly loose with PC and no standoffs.
Depending on which mounting style you choose, you’ll need to add the required parts around the case and onto the plate or PCB. The split o-ring mount, for example, has small plastic platforms that need to be screwed into the bottom case and rubber o-rings that stretch over hooks on the PCB. The spring and leaf spring mounts have parts that go on the bottom case only while magnetic levitation and floating POGO pin mount require parts added to the plate and case and plate only respectively.
Assembly 1-6
From there, you can flip things over and connect your ribbon cables. Tweezers make this an easier job, but you’ll need to lift the lock for both sides of the connectors (case and module/LED strip). You can then slide the cable into position and press the lock back down. With this done, you add the PCB foam if you’re using it.
Finally, you flip everything over, position it on the bottom case, and press the top case down so it snaps securely. All that’s left is to add keycaps and you’re done.
Meletrix Zoom65 V3 - Performance and Daily Use Impressions
I have to give Meletrix kudos for thinking outside of the box with this release. There are tons of combinations you can choose, though, ultimately, you’re likely to decide based on feel rather than major differences in sound. No matter what you choose, if you have the flex cut plate and a plastic PCB, you’ll have a soft typing experience with flex.
I tried all of the mounting styles and here are my impressions of each:
- Top Mount: The firmest mounting style but since I had the 1.2mm flex cut PCB, there was still a bit of movement under the fingers to cushion keystrokes. The sound was the most consistent across the keyboard with this mounting style.
- Split O-Ring: The second most time consuming to install but soft, bouncy, and well worth the time to try. Typing sounds are slightly deeper.
- Silica Gel Particle: Firmer than I expected. There is less movement with this option that the others save only top mount.
- Non-load Bearing and Short-Arm Spring: I found these two to be very similar. The coil spring was more bouncy while the short-arm springs had a bit more resistance. Both offer soft keystrokes with a lot of movement potential.
- Magnetic Levitation: This was the mounting style I was most excited about since it was completely new and something I had been waiting for someone to try. Sadly, it wasn’t for me. It works. The magnets are powerful. It simply offered too much movement and felt the least stable when typing quickly. I would love to see this attempted again with that addressed.
In the end, I settled on the Split O-Ring mount. For my tastes, it offered the best balance of bounce and control and it was one of the only options that had a noticeable impact on sound.
When dialed in for your tastes, typing on the keyboard is great. How it feels will vary depending on your choice of switches, but with IQUNIX Moonstone switches, it was smooth, cushioned, and clacky. With Akko Cream Blue Pro V3 switches, it was deeper and tactile.
I was surprised to find that no matter which mounting option or linear or tactile switches I went with, the overall volume of the keyboard was restrained. I always use plate foam to refine the sound of keyboards I test, but using one, both, or none of the additional foams changed the timbre of keystrokes but not the actual volume. It’s just a quieter keyboard overall, which is great if you plan to use it at work or late at night. These clicks really shouldn’t bother anyone around with a little bit of care.
One area for refinement is that the sound of the keys gets thinner around the side edges of the keyboard. There’s plenty of body under the alphas and mods, but the arrow keys in particular sound thin in comparison. No matter how I configured the keyboard, this remained, so I assumed that it’s related to the internal case structure. Still, there’s no ping, no reverberation, and the other keys are far more consistent with one another.
I love the overall design of the keyboard. The black with gold chamfers looks great. Meletrix also sent over a matching keycaps set called Creamy Charcoal that mixes, well, cream and charcoal colors. It matches very well. I’m also enamored with the bottom plate. Yes, you never see it, but when I swap it out and put it on the “standby stand” (what, you don’t have one of those?), it constantly catches my eye. It’s just so cool.
Meletrix Zoom65 V3 - Typing Demos in Different Configurations
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Video Credit: LettersEF
Video Credit: Keyboard
Video Credit: MCZ Studio
Video Credit: Ty Cottle
Final Thoughts
So while the keyboard isn’t perfect, it is very impressive and, in my opinion, the best keyboard that Meletrix has released to date. If you’re looking for a custom keyboard kit that can do it all, you’ve found it.
The product described in this article was provided by the manufacturer for evaluation purposes.
