TGR x Monokei TOMO Typing Test with SP-STAR Meteor Purples

I did not seat the enter and L_Shift key properly so the stabs sounded off. woops. I fixed them after the sound test recording. Updated sound-test: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubGtEApV0jE

00:00 - Intro
00:05 - Weight Showcase
00:19 - Typing Test (Condenser Mic)
01:30 - Typing Test (Phone Mic)
02:03 - Mods & Spacebar (Condenser Mic)
02:27 - Drumming fingers on all rows (Condenser Mic)
02:45 - End

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Keyboard specs and mini review below
Keyboard: TGR X Monokei Tomo
Mount: Top Mount (TGR Jane-esque mounting points)
Plate: Polycarbonate Plate
Switches: SP-STAR Meteor Purples (Lubed)
Stabs: TX Clip-in stabilizers (Lubed, no mods)
Keycaps: DMK Astronaut Doubleshot ABS
Insulation: None
Mods: None

Small Little Review of this keyboard:
W.I.P This is going to take a while.
I know my banner says budget content, but I think I really cannot hide the desire to try out something higher end than the ID80 Bestype. So that's why I've bought the Tomo from Monokei. I locked eyes on it right around september when I found out that lightingxi posted his previous build stream on the TOMO online. And immediately I was smitten by the clean lines and overall design language of the board by Yuktsi (TGR). However the group buy was already ended right at when I joined the hobby so I thought there was no chance in getting it.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago in 2022, I found out that monokei is selling the TOMO as an instock extras from early september onwards. So that was when I decided to just send it, and get myself a tomo. I have been curious to find out what sets apart a real high end board like this, and a "low" end board like the ID80 Bestype and Q1.

Build Quality:
Speechless. I've heard about how great Monokei's QC is on their own boards (along with TGR's QC) but this is just beyond my expectations. The suave blue colorway that I bought, was impeccable in finishing. No uneveness, no ano banding, no streaking and no reflectivity mismatch. The finishing was satin-like smooth, making the finish on my Q1 feel like sandpaper in comparison. There weren't any exterior marks or scratches too. And the brass weight sandblasted finishing too was very even and no streaking or whatsoever. Super impressive stuff.

The only "scuff" i could find were one hook mark from the CNC machining process near the top case screw hole, but that is in the interior, so no biggie.

Ease of Building:
It's a top mount board. It's very straightforward in construction. the brass weight and the alu backplate has been pre-installed for you, which makes things simple. The only tricky part is connecting the JST cable to the PCB side of the connector, which require some finessing as the cable is rather short.

Typing Feel:
Top mount results in a pretty stiff, yet slightly cushioned typing experience. You will not feel that some spots are stiffer than the others like a tray mount, and you won't feel some parts are softer than the other like a gasket mount. The stiffness is evenly distributed throughout the board, and that is make this board unique. The Jane mounting points also results in a slightly cushioned spacebar bottom out feel without having unexpected or uneven harshness when bottoming out.

Sound:
This is still the main reason why I got the tomo. The sound. What you hear online of the tomo, is as real as it gets. Without any insulation or mods, It is THAT deep sounding, and it is THAT full sounding. each of the bottom out is strong and solid. There is not even a hint of "thinness" of each bottomout. The spacebar has that classic top-mount thunk to it too! The only gripe would be that the backspace has a bit of a ping to it and so does the arrow keys.

PCB:
It's a hotswap/ solderable South facing 1.6mm no flex(meme) cuts PCB designed by Yiancar. The pcb is preflashed with a VIA enabled firmware. Simple, no frills PCB that is very capable too.

Test Notes:
During my time testing the tomo I do notice that the USB C port is pretty hard to connect without lifting the board up to see.

Conclusion:
Extremely solid board thanks to Monokei's high level of QC, and the design work by Yuktsi, especially for the internals. Well there are flaws to it such as the pingy backspace, but other than that, I think the price is warranted for especially for this incredible level of quality and attention to details. And of course, the TGR Tax.

Видео TGR x Monokei TOMO Typing Test with SP-STAR Meteor Purples канала Ray .F