The Meletrix Zoom65 V3 isn’t your average keyboard. It’s a full-blown customization beast, letting you tailor your typing experience to an incredible degree. With a price tag of around $180, it falls in the mid-range for custom keyboards, but it offers way more than many pricier options. Here’s a breakdown of my experience with this keyboard.

Crazy Customization Options

This keyboard is all about choice. You can pick from a variety of colors, case styles, and even backplates with unique designs. The real kicker is the mounting style. Here, you’re not limited to just a few options. The Zoom65 V3 offers a whopping eight different mounting styles, each subtly changing how the keyboard feels when you type.

I tried them all, and let me tell you, it was a fun journey! Some, like the top mount, felt very firm, while others, like the split o-ring mount, were bouncy and soft. The magnetic levitation mount was a cool idea, but it ended up being a bit too wobbly for my taste.

In the end, I settled on the split o-ring mount. It offered a nice balance of bounce and control, and it even changed the sound profile a bit. Speaking of sound, the Zoom65 V3 is generally on the quieter side, which is perfect for late-night typing sessions.

Building it

Putting together the Zoom65 V3 is fairly straightforward. The new ball-catch system makes snapping the top and bottom case together a breeze. However, there are a few ribbon cables you need to connect, and some of them can be a bit fiddly.

The keyboard also comes with a magnetic daughterboard, which is a nice touch. It makes swapping between wired and wireless modes a snap.

Aesthetics and Performance

The black version with gold chamfers I received looks fantastic. Meletrix also sent over a matching keycap set that complements the design beautifully. The real star of the show, though, is the intricate RAW aluminum backplate. It’s a hidden gem, but it definitely adds a touch of coolness.

When it comes to performance, the Zoom65 V3 delivers. The typing experience can vary depending on your switch choice and mounting style, but overall, it’s smooth, comfortable, and surprisingly quiet. The sound profile is a bit inconsistent across the keyboard, with the edges sounding thinner than the center keys. However, it’s not a dealbreaker, and there’s no annoying ping or reverberation.

Final Thoughts

The Zoom65 V3 isn’t perfect, but it’s undeniably impressive. It’s the most customizable keyboard Meletrix has released yet, and its performance is top-notch. If you’re looking for a keyboard that lets you truly personalize your typing experience, the Zoom65 V3 is the one to beat.