The product I’m going to introduce today is a special product that is a little fundamentally different from other keyboards. That’s why I’ve reviewed it a lot, and it’s actually a product that was loved by many people.
This product has been a hot topic since its launch because it has all the three factors of design, feel, and performance, and has merit in price. Cherry 3.0s is back as a tenkeyless model. Cherry, the company that started research and production of switches in 1953 and is loved by many people for both ready-made and custom products. Let’s take the time to review Cherry’s new 3.0s tkl.
I’ll make it a little lighter 🙂
# Familiar packaging, but one girl was added?
There is a detachable type-c cable in a black box, but there is one strange accessory. It’s a height-adjustable bumper. This time, from Cherry 3.0s tkl, aluminum height-adjustable bumpers are provided separately to solve the problem of inconvenient height adjustments that were previously impossible.
In the case of the cable, there was a lot of inconvenience every time I put on another cable because the mini 5-pin cable was provided in the past. In particular, it has been designed so that general Type-C cables can fit in enough, so you don’t have to worry about cables anymore.
Now, while looking at the appearance of the product, I will tell you about every nook and cranny 🙂
# Pretty design and detailed elements
The arrow keys and special keys are attached to the alpha and mod columns, so even though it is tenkeyless, you can see that it has an advantage in space utilization more than other keyboards. In addition, by adopting a high-level anodized aluminum body, I would like to give it a very good evaluation in terms of durability and aesthetics. It can be said that only the number pad disappeared as it was seen in 3.0s.
In particular, the anodizing color of the aluminum is smooth and really pretty, just like the iPhone 6s rose gold. Depending on the angle of the light, the bright pink color is very beautiful.
In the case of 3.0s tkl, along with this pretty appearance, it features the following points.
1. Non-reinforced structure – It is reliable as it is a keyboard made by Cherry, the originator of the non-reinforced structure. In addition, in the case of a non-reinforced keyboard, it is very convenient to separately tune (lubricate the spring) because it can be disassembled without desoldering the switch.
2. Material of housing – This is a high-quality housing that is more durable than plastic and has a solid feel. Of course, although aluminum is used, since it is not a thick aluminum housing, you cannot expect a heavy weight to hit, but it can be highly evaluated in terms of durability and aesthetics. In other words, it can be said that it has great strength in durability and aesthetics. It is because plastic cannot produce that shiny color that looks like a pearl luster with the unique feel of metal.
3. Simple design with thin bezels – Smaller than general tenkeyless keyboards, it can be a good option for those who are interested in space utilization.
4. Use of Cherry MX switches – Cherry switches, which have been verified in durability and are loved by many people, are used throughout all switches. There are many special shaft switches out recently, but it is safe to say that there is still no switch that has as little contact noise and a hollow sound as cherry on the basis of the same tuning. Therefore, enthusiasts can also see it as the fundamental itself, such as tuning the cherry black axis or using a Franken switch with only a different stem.
5. ABS keycaps not PBT, but at a decent level – Of course, compared to expensive keycaps such as GMK keycaps and Domino Keys, the quality is inconvenient, but for general use, it is a light keycap that takes advantage of the characteristics of ABS.
If you want to know more about the Cherry Keyboard, you may find it helpful to see what I reviewed earlier. Starting with the basic housing and exterior, we have included the tuning process, so please take a look if you need it 🙂
In fact, the following two reviews I did before dealt with the product in great detail, so if you want to see the in-depth elements such as tuning, refer to the review below, it will be very helpful.
The first is a review of Cherry 3.0s Pink, which differs only in the number pad, and the second video review is a review of the Cherry 3.0s White model, which is different in color.
Therefore, I will replace the in-depth elements with a well-made video review 🙂
Cherry 3.0s Pink Review: https://goddessseol.tistory.com/123
goddessseol.tistory.com
Cherry 3.0s tkl video review: https://youtu.be/bBkxP82OpzY
Now, shall we look at the bottom part?
At the bottom, you can see the height-adjustable bumper that we introduced earlier. It can be securely fastened by removing the existing bumper and turning it as if tightening a screw.
Let’s move straight to the switch and feel part.
# Feel, feel, and feel
This is the main reason for recommending this keyboard, but it has the advantage that the key feel in its genuine state is very good compared to other genuine keyboards. Therefore, I think it is a keyboard with great merit for those who do not know about tuning. Although the basic base is good, it is not in a pure state, so there are some keyboards with great potential for tuning, but it is rare to find a keyboard with this level of perfection in its pure state.
If there is one drawback, this Cherry 3.0s tkl is that both rgb and non-rgb products are reverse boards. You can see it in the photo above, but such a shape with the LED hole facing upward is called reverse. In the case of the reverse direction, when using a keycap with a low height such as a cherry profile, the keycap and the upper housing of the switch interfere with each other, so it makes a very unpleasant sound.
Therefore, when replacing the keycaps of the Cherry 3.0s tkl, we recommend that you purchase keycaps that can avoid interference from xda, dsa, mt3, sa, oem, etc. If you want to use the cherry profile, you can purchase a switch reverse washer for about 3,000 won for 110 pieces and insert the switch stem.
Other than this, there are no major drawbacks. And at this point, I think you’ve probably wondered, ‘Then, what is the main difference in feel between non-rgb and rgb?’
Cherry switches are used in the same way as non-RGB and RGB, but there is a difference between a swordsman switch and a transparent switch. Of course, both materials are the same nylon, but there is a difference in the feeling of hitting that comes from the difference between softness and hardness. And this part shows great results when tuning.
The soft, soft sound of rolling cobblestone is easy to make when you tune the sword switch. In the case of transparent switches, I have never seen such a good switch yet, except for special shafts made by some other manufacturers. At least Angry Myo Ice Silver, Aqua King, and Gateron Salt Aqua King were fine, and in the case of a cherry transparent switch, well… Most people who enjoy keyboard tuning will close their eyes to the dizzying feeling.
Therefore, if you want a softer and more full sound, we recommend using a non-rgb product. If you cannot give up rgb, you can use an rgb product.
# End of review
I personally think the Cherry Keyboard is a keyboard that serves as a ‘standard’ itself. Standard for mechanical keyboards. A keyboard that shows good looks in all aspects without any special drawbacks, and is suitable not only for simple use, but also for users to tune. I think it’s that kind of keyboard.
I think that only cherry keyboards such as Cherry 3.0s and 2.0 have been reviewed a lot. It is my favorite product among ready-made keyboards, and it is a product that I highly appreciate.
Since I have been playing keyboards as a hobby for about 4 years and assembling a lot of custom keyboards, I sometimes hear people around me asking for keyboard recommendations. Whenever that happens, I recommend the Cherry series. In fact, the general public who asks for a keyboard recommendation tends to be dazzled when the price of the keyboard exceeds 130,000 won, and the price is lower than that, because Cherry is the only product with a higher quality than the price.
In fact, I think that the keyboard is undervalued because it was released at a low price that is convincing to purchase. If you are a general user, you will be able to use it satisfactorily, and if you have a keyboard hobby like me, remove the board and carefully tune everything from the stabilizer to the switch, and you will know what I am talking about. It’s really good.
We conclude this review with the hope that Cherry will continue to produce good products and become a standard in the ready-made keyboard market.
I like cherries.
