Plate Material Sound Comparison - Alu vs Brass vs Steel vs Carbon Fiber vs Polycarbonate

Let me know which combo you like the best! All recording was done in one big session without moving the microphone and trying my best to put the board back in the same spot every time I swapped switches and plates.
Direct side by side comparisons start at 16:47
Plates Used: Aluminum, Brass, Stainless Steel, Carbon Fiber, Polycarbonate
Switches Used: Black Ink w/ UHMWPE Stems, Kiwi, Silk Yellow, Holy Panda V2
Audio is left unaltered. Only boosted the volume by 12db for Black Inks, Kiwis, and Silk Yellows. Holy Pandas only boosted by 10db.
Plate material breakdown I found on discord: cdn.discordapp.com/attachment...
Board Specs
Case: TOFU60 Aluminum (e-white)
PCB: DZ60 RGB
Stabilizers: Durock Screw In, lubed with Krytox 205G0, KBDFans foam stickers for bottom out
Caps: OEM Profile PBT caps from Amazon (amzn.to/37joUTQ)
*Added foam in between case and PCB
*Silicone O-rings on standoffs for softer bottom out (amzn.to/2V7mQsw)
Links to plates (I got 2.25u left shift variant)
Aluminum: kbdfans.com/collections/60-la...
Brass: kbdfans.com/collections/60-la...
Stainless Steel: amzn.to/2JeKYGZ
Carbon Fiber (Super long shipping times to US): kprepublic.com/products/60-al...
Polycarbonate: kbdfans.com/collections/60-la...
Timestamps
0:00 Aluminum - Black Ink
0:52 Aluminum - Kiwi
1:41 Aluminum - Silk Yellow
2:33 Aluminum - Holy Panda
3:25 Brass - Black Ink
4:15 Brass - Kiwi
5:06 Brass - Silk Yellow
5:56 Brass - Holy Panda
6:46 Steel - Black Ink
7:36 Steel - Kiwi
8:26 Steel - Silk Yellow
9:17 Steel - Holy Panda
10:09 CF - Black Ink
10:58 CF - Kiwi
11:47 CF - Silk Yellow
12:38 CF - Holy Panda
13:27 PC - Black Ink
14:16 PC - Kiwi
15:06 PC - Silk Yellow
15:55 PC - Holy Panda
16:47 Black Ink (Side by Side)
17:51 Kiwi (Side by Side)
18:52 Silk Yellow (Side by Side)
19:56 Holy Panda (Side by Side)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Need some tools to mod your own board?
4 prong pickup tool: amzn.to/2Gsm4mk
Needletip tweezers: amzn.to/2TLtMe2
Brushes: amzn.to/2TIbo68
1/8" neoprene foam: amzn.to/2HJHo7y
Hobby knife kit (includes knife, ruler, cutting pad, replacement blades): amzn.to/3jNPxo6
Multiple bit screwdriver set: amzn.to/3eqQORj
Double sided tape: amzn.to/3eeMVOW
Clear ruler: amzn.to/3kNOIwW
Switch puller: amzn.to/3jL0WFi
Dielectric grease: amzn.to/3mGCwid
Brushes: amzn.to/2TIbo68
Screwdriver set (they don't sell mine anymore): amzn.to/34IvsLR
Flushcut clippers: amzn.to/2HIDqfp
Deskpad: amzn.to/3ecJgBv
Camera Equipment
Camera: amzn.to/3oJxqDC
Camera battery pack (for unlimited recording time): amzn.to/3jLoqu5
El Gato CamLink 4K: amzn.to/35THUry
MeFOTO tripod: amzn.to/3jMpa22
Camera overhead tripod mount: amzn.to/3jNTk4O
Camera ballhead: amzn.to/3mGtKkm
Audio Equipment
Blue Yeti microphone: amzn.to/35Vqw5s
Foam microphone cover (works as pop filter): amzn.to/31XOBaD
Microphone stand arm: amzn.to/3oKBBiC
Blue Yeti compatible shock mount: amzn.to/2HSnW8x
Lighting Equipment
LED floor lamp + side lamp: amzn.to/32ixssL
LED ring light: amzn.to/3kN2e42
#SoundComparison #Plate #ASMR
*Disclaimer: Amazon links are affiliate links. Clicking on them doesn't cost you anything, but it does really help me keep making videos

[@Glarses]

The effort, my goodness. What a lad

[@AustinV]

Senpai?

[@qwertty5939]

found you again lol

[@eliasvaly2273]

what is the best kind of linear? i like the cherry MX brown, If you lube them

[@seanms35]

Too true. This person is a saint

[@sweeney4727]

Wow Glasses Cool

[@beatrice9071]

this man went out of his way to test 4 different switches on 5 different plates, he had to swap out keyboards 20 times just for this video just so people knew what plates and switches sound like

[@AustinV]

So glad you appreciate the effort!

[@jenn_bf]

mad respect to this guy

[@quokkaokka3473]

Nah he just has 20 different keyboards.

[@AustinV]

@@quokkaokka3473 That would be the 300 IQ move

[@J0HHNYJO3ST4R]

That guy never gets bored i guess

[@computerhoofd]

No 2 minute long intro about who he is and what this video is about. This video goes straight to content and really well organized and concise content at that. Video title describes exactly what this is about. I give this 10/10

[@ryanisacuc8381]

Dude can’t agree more. I hate when youlosers spend more than half explaining their exact setup and methods for testing. Every possibke stupid answer to every troll comment they’re already expected and then very little time showing us what we want. I’d much rather just get into it like this and at eve waste the time maybe telling us things like feel that we can’t see or tell us the reasons or types of differences we hear n why. But save it for the end for those who don’t need

[@ripfrickingben]

I DIDNT THINK IT EXISTED BUT THIS WAS THE EXACT VIDEO I WAS LOOKING FOR THANK U

[@AustinV]

Happy to be of service

[@jairohuaylinos8041]

The one dislike is from the guy who is jealous that he can't put that much effort into his videos and that much quality of your video

[@ifalm4274]

That one dislike is froma guy with their balls itchy seeing 0 dislikes and just had to do it for the hell of it. In reality this video worths 0 dislikes

[@mw2blackopsamazing]

no seriously though the dislikes have to be from bots? this video took wayyyyy too much effort for anyone to dislike it tbh

[@variamente6855]

Or just you know, bots?

[@muaznetnet]

now its 6 dislikes,like tf if u cant appreciate this quality,then f off then.some people just need to be disgraceful

[@variamente6855]

@@muaznetnet stop getting triggered, its bots. They did ut to my video too. 395 likes 5 dislikes, another video has 106 likes and zero dislikes. And the other video has 145 likes and 0 dislikes.

[@walkerstandard2373]

No one said u needed to do this but u made it like your life depended on it! Very well done video

[@AustinV]

Haha thanks! Appreciate it!

[@Translucentism]

Just commenting for the algorithm and for my appreciation on so much effort. Poly-carbonate seemed to sound the best in my opinion for almost every switch!

[@AustinV]

You’re a real one! 🙏🏻

[@thomasriley5675]

This was unbelievably helpful almost a year later, Thanks Austin!

[@normconel2907]

Fantastic video! Thanks so much. Dividing up the video into sections detailing the switch and plate material made this super easy to use.

[@AustinV]

Thanks! Glad you like it!

[@nerooweb]

just subscribed for the pure effort you put into this, mad man

[@HotDogBunss]

Oh wow those quick comparisons towards the end are absolutely perfect for hearing how they sound differently so I’m not trying to manually scrub a video for comparison.

[@sifu2323]

Thank you for taking the time and effort to put together this video. Formatting is great too!

[@AustinV]

Thanks! I actually waited until I could afford Final Cut Pro before I made this video so I could actually format my captions in a better way than iMovie!

[@traviscornett1963]

We need more sound tests done this way. These others all over KZbin don’t help anyone when done on different boards with different plates in different cases. Not to mention mic quality and environment. Big ups to you, my friend. 👍🏼

[@bakabakaa]

The effort you put into these videos are amazing. Great job!

[@AustinV]

Appreciate the love!

[@ThreeToeJoe]

You absolute legend!! Thank you so much for the amount of time and effort you dedicated for this video!!

[@AustinV]

Glad you appreciate it!

[@TheNaughtyType]

Holy man, thank you, well needed. The work ethic! Cheers.

[@ikikaera3402]

Insanely high effort video. Most of these kinds of comparisons involve different keyboards/keycaps/surface areas etc which automatically invalidate them since even just minute changes within a keyboard's structure can significantly affect the sound. Really well made, thank you for this!

[@LanNguyen-yy8en]

The most perfect sound test video! Thank you so much!

[@AustinV]

Thanks! Glad you found it useful!

[@bucus7224]

This is so underrated! You put so much effort into your videos!

[@AustinV]

Thanks so much!!

[@pedromaleque3786]

Thank you for taking the time to make this video! Really informative

[@AustinV]

Thanks! Glad you found it useful!

[@ChocoChopsticks]

Thanks! I was contemplating on whether I should try out a carbonfibre so this helped a lot

[@SSantanapng]

Polycarbonate plate it is for my zealous v2 thank you so much for the time and effort you put into this, you have no idea how much this helps me.

[@irdixstrife]

What a lad, thank you very much for the effort the man we need

[@JeepnHeel]

The comments on this video highlight just how greatly necessary it is! Not only are people's preferences vastly different, but also the way they interpret terms and describe sounds. As a newb, this really helped me set my own baselines and helped to understand why I read so much "conflicting" info on the same components. Thanks so much for the time & effort you put into this!

[@erendegeneres4182]

Dude, you're worth every sub and more! Thanks for this

[@jollyrubino]

Fantastic video, just what I needed!

[@HunterR1177]

This is genuinely a fantastic video I appreciate it

[@MisterComment25]

Yes! I'm struggling with my plate choice right now and this helped me pick the right one for me! Thank you very much

[@erikhansen3159]

Do you mind sharing which one you picked any why?

[@Depressed_Resident]

legend man. this video is exactly what I was looking for.

[@trevwagner666]

Thank you so much for this, you really went all out for this video its incredible. now i at least kind of have an answer for what plate to put in my super quiet build

[@Schvesley]

Are you going PCB?

[@weplaydrunkyeah8772]

Dude deserves way more likes. Video is very helpful, thank you for this.

[@AustinV]

Thanks! Glad you liked it!

[@enriquekesslermartinez724]

Very informative content! Keep it up!

[@AustinV]

Appreciate the support!

[@Laughadaffadil]

liked and subbed just for the sheer amount of work this took. good job dude!

[@2b2c1d2]

Thanks so much bro, lots of effort put in, so thanks

[@jacobstein9549]

I am blown away by the difference in sound between the aluminum and brass comparisons. I am really liking what the brass is doing to the switch sound. FANTASTIC video!! I know that creative endeavors like this take a lot of planning and imagination; you successfully compiled some really solid information here. Thank-you.

[@AustinV]

Wow thanks so much for saying that! Glad you appreciate the work that went into this video!

[@alfie424]

Holy cow this is the most thorough sound comparison video I've ever seen. More keeb channels need to take note.

[@tytylerclae]

wow, this was amazing tysm. this so solidifies how much I love holy pandas 😍

[@AustinV]

What's your plate of choice?

[@tytylerclae]

@@AustinV hard to choose but the stainless steel has such a deep thocc for that spacebar but I love the uniform sound of the carbon fiber! Those are my top two

[@davidmin1028]

This was so helpful! About to start a build with holy pandas and polycarbonate plate :)

[@AustinV]

Good luck with build!

[@YouTube_Staff]

This must have taken a lot of time and effort! Thanks for the video!

[@AustinV]

It did! I'm glad you appreciate it! Thanks for the support

[@mintmindy]

THE EFFORT! Thank you so much! MUCH NEEDED

[@persim100]

What a lad, man really went out there and did all that, AND made convenient timestamps.

[@AustinV]

[@georago_]

This is peak content, really helpful.

[@SupraSayianOfficial]

Amazing video! This helped me greatly man keep up the great work!

[@AustinV]

Thanks! Glad it helped!

[@fireninja7434]

This video really deserves all the praise it's getting

[@rak2477]

the sheeer dedication my guy.... BRAVO

[@pablosnackbar6417]

Thank you thank you thank you. You are an absolute legend, mate.

[@JoelSubiabre]

The effort behind the video are amazing🙌

[@AustinV]

Thanks! 🙏🏻

[@ellowell8160]

Not just the raw effort. The formatting was so clear and well thought out. Coming from countless frustratingly incomplete or hard-to-parse sound comparisons, this was a LIFESAVER. Thank you! PS I had 10 minutes left to make up my mind on extras for an ending GB and the clear side-by-sides at 16:47 were a godsend!

[@AustinV]

Thanks so much for the praise! I had a hard time finding a good comparison with a lot of different variations all in the same video, but couldn't so I made one myself :)

[@FIintztone]

Holy crap the poly sounded good!

[@thanh8922]

Great works, that's the exact video I was looking for. Thanks

[@olivertrees]

absolutely brilliant video, appreciate the effort.

[@nerdynumen]

Carbon Fiber was all around my favorite. While it retained a sturdy, deep bass, with some cushion, it negated the harsher tones while listening via my Sennheisers. Also saw glarses on your video, and that made my day even more. Props to such a quality video! Keep up the videos Austin, liked & subed.

[@4time2waste]

Wow, amazing effort! Thank you

[@DanmTheSystem]

The absolute SYMPHONY at the end

[@AustinV]

maestro recognizes maestro

[@Morinasan]

very informative and helpful. Thank you very much for the effort, the research and for the quality of the video.

[@AustinV]

Glad you appreciate it!

[@Thegoat444_]

The amount of effort this video must have taken, props to you man!

[@AustinV]

Tyty!

[@Jonas_Fox]

You're doin the lord's work brother. Thank you.

[@AustinV]

🙏🏻

[@cyandejong5287]

Reeelyy nice quality video dawmm thank you

[@ericfayhuynh]

thank you oh my goodness, the time and effort

[@dhruv609]

Thanks for the effort! Keep it up!

[@whiffgod_]

I was watching keyboard videos and I stumbled into this video. Really great video and the effort you put in :0 You earned a sub

[@XnoobsauceX]

🔥🔥Saved to my keeb playlist 🔥🔥

[@rj3720]

this is the only video that helped me decide between pc and brass, thank you

[@AustinV]

Happy to be of service

[@fynniels12]

What did you choose? :D

[@allexsaromay6018]

This was so incredible helpful thank you!

[@kaylamorales6795]

Kudos to you my man for the effort in laying out plate comparisons on a single board and sound setup. This video needs more likes!

[@cesarrestrepo5621]

Doing Gods work, thank you brotha.

[@juanamador9136]

Very informative, I've been looking for a video with sound differences, I can barely notice any change between plates to be honest but I think I'm still going for Brass since I like the gold glimpses you get here and there on the board. Amazing comparison video!

[@AustinV]

Thanks! Gl with your future build! Another thing to note is the "bottom out feel" of the board when you type. It's not something that you can really hear, but the stiffer the material, the harsher the feel. So if you like a softer feel, brass might not be the best option. Just an FYI

[@flux8151]

Why are you in the hobby if your ears are that bad

[@exponentialdongexpansion5223]

@@flux8151 what an elitest you are

[@lele-mw2nk]

@@AustinV thanks a lot because i would have gone for brass, could you tell me which one felt the best for you personally

[@fishing_hou5140]

This is an amazing video! Thanks for making it happen

[@AustinV]

Thanks! Glad you like it!

[@SolaireML]

Liked and commented just for the effort you put in.

[@moonjelly7]

Great video! Very helpful

[@WidowmakersAss]

tysm for the effort. was trying to decide on linear vs tactile for a brass plate and then was wondering if I even wanted a brass plate in general lol

[@AustinV]

Glad I could help out!

[@erikhansen3159]

What did you decide on in the end and why?

[@ThatsMistaTwistToYou]

Such a useful video - thanks for making it!

[@AustinV]

Glad you found some use out of it!

[@derpgodyt6316]

Thank you so much, I decided to go with a steel replacement plate for my sk61

[@dontlistentome7498]

commenting for algorithm. Amazing showcase for a range of switches with every plate. Nice.

[@TBomb06]

This man is the GOAT.

[@antonyamarie6570]

dude well done! Thanks a lot!

[@Rockycm1]

Liked and subscribed for your effort. God bless you dude.

[@ericqhochuli6004]

I am surprised how consistently bad the silk yellows sounded and how AWESOME the black inks sounded regardless of the plate. The stainless steel plate also sounded pretty amazing. I was not expecting that either. What a video, great work!

[@bozmagic9672]

I've never seen stainless steel before but it sounds really nice, thanks for the video!

[@K0wp3R]

this video is just perfect. we get all the plates material, with different switches, no boring intro to skip, no useless content, just the results. and oh my the effort this guy made to swap 4 switches onto 5 different plate materials, that's 20 switch swaps.

[@bayybars]

Wow thanks, this is the best plate comparison video by a landslide

[@aaroningots]

This must have taken weeks. Damn. Respect.

[@AustinV]

It was not a quick process lol 😅 Glad you appreciate it!

[@OneRedKraken]

Holy crap. This video is absolutely amazing. I can only imagine how long it must have taken to setup. No ways around it. This absolutely help me understand which sound profile I like best and I can't thank you enough. I now understand that although I don't have a definite favorite (yet) I do know 100% sure that I can't stand the aluminum plate. It emphases the sounds I like the least. It's all personal obviously, no hate to those who like aluminum plates! To each his own!

[@ethex_]

this is exactly what i needed this is a 10/10

[@delanuevei9874]

thanks for making this bro!

[@KyuuKirigaya]

i know its going to be a great video cuz I instantly liked the video xD

[@phanthaihoa]

thank you man. appreciate your work

[@token112]

For the algorithm! Went to sub but I'm already subbed lol. Amazing effort!

[@limuelmendoza5356]

NOW THIS IS CONTENT

[@powerhitter033]

Thank you! This is incredibly helpful!

[@hucklejoko4838]

This is very helpful thank you!

[@AustinV]

Glad you like it!

[@999dom2]

this was really good mg

[@bakicci]

bro thank you youre a real one

[@kevinwhilden6577]

Very well done!

[@AustinV]

Thanks!!

[@cuddledog142]

Amazing video. Thank you so much!!

[@AustinV]

Glad you like it!

[@ItsNarwhalPlaysMC]

This is so helpful for keyboard nerds, tysm for the effort!

[@AustinV]

Glad you appreciate it, fellow nerd!

[@tlm2096]

Your a bloody legend

[@JK_Vermont]

What a public service! Thank you!

[@froginthebed5607]

best video comparison. Thanks a lot for this

[@AustinV]

Glad you found it useful!

[@jonicailagan1016]

thank you so much, this is perfect, you even happened to have used the same switches im thinking of getting I need the thocciest plate i can get

[@AustinV]

🙌🏻