The NEW Tofu65 released... and it's interesting

Sponsored content. While this is a paid review, it does not impact my thoughts about the product. All these thoughts are my own and the company/vendor does not get to see these edits to the video nor can see the streams due to the nature of it being a live stream.
MY THOUGHTS:
This is the new TOFU65 v2 from KBDfans. I was left less than impressed. I want to preface this by saying sound is subjective. The bowl mounts felt good but made the board sound oddly thin and boring. But its hard to tell if it was the flex cuts in the board or just the mounting style. The gasket sock version of this sounded MUCH better but I still wanted more from the keyboard sound wise.
The bowl mounts were also tough to install, they were very delicate to put in and frustrating. But it was interesting. There was also an issue with the USBC as well but apparently they sent me the wrong daughter board.
I really want to do another build of this but with more foams and a plastic plate. But this combo of stuff wasn't from me.
✅ BUILD SPECS:
Keyboard: TOFU65 v2 - kbdfans.com/r?...
Plate Material: Aluminum
Keycaps: GMK Grand Prix
Switches: Korby Switches
Stabilizers: Cherry Screw Ins
Here is how i lube my switches and stabilizers:
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Switches - • How To Lube Your Switc...
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Edited by: / manolivisuals

[@jonathansallows836]

We're talking about the Tofu keyboards again; this is taking me back. I still have the V1 from years ago. I still love it.

[@bakeraus]

It's the real King

[@CombatCactus]

The V1 is still my go-to board, I use it more than anything else

[@listentoAdamTaylor]

Alex your keycap combos are goated

[@alexotos]

I really appreciate this!

[@MrSkullhead0]

Their color choices they have made for the 60/65 are just so damn pretty. I appreciate board designers adding some flare in color choice because I feel like sometimes this hobby lacks unique color choice sometimes.

[@coyotex850]

ima be honest here, i think flex cuts has to be one of the dumbest trends in this hobby, it went from people wanting a soft typing feel to folks wanting the keys to downright collapse in their hands while typing....i know different strokes different folks but its just so gimmicky

[@DarkTheHunter]

You are definitely right

[@altapp5040]

It makes all keyboards sound thin as hell. And they cover it up with tons of foams.

[@onion_____]

It's an autistic trend caused by influencers. All boards being gaskets with bounce and flex = cringe. Who the f is typing that hard enough to push the entire board down?

[@jelcroospockt]

The whole mech keyboard scene is gimmicky. I have never seen anything that is Meta being backed up with proof or data. Everything is based on gimmick and talk and trial end error

[@keagan5379]

100% agree. I stopped following the hobby once the flex cuts craze took over.

[@pkennethv]

Thank you for speaking out against flex cuts. I also prefer not having them, but they're so trendy, it's sometimes disappointing to see keyboards I otherwise would be interested in being "ruined" by only having flex cut PCBs.

[@HimmelWeint]

You can tape them up and it will sound exactly like a non flex cut pcb and it will still more flexible than a non flex cut pcb. Try it out if you think it sounds thin personally I prefer to get the flex cut pcbs.

[@pkennethv]

​@@HimmelWeint Sound is not the issue for me. I like the feeling like I'm typing on Fort Knox / a brick. (I am not being sarcastic) I find it super ironic how for so many years (and still today), when tech channels review laptops, they talk about & praise when a laptop has minimal deck flex/chassis flex and dislike it when the chassis flexes when typing. Meanwhile, here we are with keyboards that in some cases cost as much as entire laptops, yet many are seeking the feeling of typing on a $200 netbook/Chromebook. (I don't have any personal issue with people who like flex cuts - this entire hobby is about making things to your liking. I'm just pointing out something I find amusing/ironic)

[@cuzihungry]

​@@pkennethvWhat keyboard do you recommend under $200?

[@pkennethv]

​@@cuzihungry TBH I haven't tried enough boards that I think I would like to be qualified to say which specifically between them I would think it's best, and pretty much all of them cost more than $200. Sorry, I'm afraid I don't think I'd be able to help you much with a recommendations. I have tried various boards of friends/others out of curiosity, but I knew going in that they weren't my style/I wouldn't love them (and I was right). I primarily use the original Tofu 65 aluminum (Zealous V2 62g switches, brass plate, plate foam, PCB foam, case foam (all foams are the official ones from KBD, GMK keycaps). Apparently Tofu v2 is quite different though. I'm happy enough with it that I've stuck with it for >2 years. My only real gripe with my Tofu is the spacebar feel & sound is different depending on where you press - I gather that's due to placement of one of the screw/mount near the spacebar. But honestly, the typing experience on alphas, I don't think there is anything else/different I would wish for. If I were to buy again now, I'd probably go Mode Envoy (and use one of the stiffer mounting options), BUT that is speculation purely based on video as I've never even seen one IRL before. I believe it should address my gripe with the spacebar on my Tofu. Even then, when "seriously typing", the spacebar issue doesn't bother me, because I'm pretty much always pressing it on the same spot anyways (so it's effectively "consistent"). It's only when spamming around on the keyboard, maybe play/pause toggling a KZbin video etc. that the unevenness will sometimes be noticeable.

[@itayron5684]

i got to know you just few weeks ago and every video is perfection!!! i really love to watch you keep going!!!!

[@arpeykeys]

Andy's stream with the tofu60 sounded way better, I was surprised to hear this sound so thin! Granted, different switches, but both 3.5mm travel long pole switches so I wouldn't expect them to sound this differently. Of course the whole setup is different, but hoping to hear more sound tests of the new tofus to get a more average sound of it.

[@karstenk.6067]

By Taeha Types the Tofu Sounds mega

[@General_Mills_]

Tofu was my first board back in early 2020 and I could never get over the tray mount unevenness, even with silent switches or whatever mods. This is nice

[@thirtyacres7504]

Love the pastel color palettes. Visually pleasing.

[@Delbs1]

Alex talked about good tray mounts, which ones are there in the market? I have a Tofu60, and I'm trying to get it to sound clackier and have a more forgiving bottom out (even with the O-Ring standoff mod)... So I'm looking at other competitors, to find out how can I make mine a better board :)

[@brian3602]

I may be wrong but one of the top tier tray mounts include the Mekanisk Fjell, Urskog and Klippe. Also the Noxary one (Dk the model name). Even better….. get a unikorn and tray mount it. TGR + SingaKBD + Tray mount lmao

[@sasori5163]

Fjell

[@lucent5432]

Honestly, I LOVE how this sounds

[@nftbandit9645]

Thank you for making such an in depth vid! I have been contemplating grabbing a V2 in the current GB. I just got a Zoom65 in the GB though and my wallet is REALLY hating me heheh but I may have to just snag one.

[@fearsomezq]

Would love to see a tofu Jr build I'm absolutely loving mine

[@thecaptainsterling]

The Butt plug bit had me DEAD ☠️ 😂

[@Gosling_dkc]

Jeez it’s CRAZY how much the hobby has changed… (Cue the “back in my day” comment) I remember like 3 years ago ordering my first tofu and it coming in a cardboard box lol. The OG tofu65. I ordered a black and it had finish defects so they sent a grey one and let me keep the black. KBDfans has some great CS.

[@hungryyelly]

Kinda feel like the tofu lost its identity with the V2. It's cool to see the extra mounting styles but when I look at this it looks like every other custom. My favourite thing about the original tofu was how simple it looked and how angular/sharp the case style was. Like a block of fresh tofu. Also the anodization looked a lot more raw on the originals. Just my 2 cents 🤷‍♀️

[@100_vadlavikramchary9]

yeah i prefer the original wayyyy more. they increased upper bezels size it just ruins the simple look, now it lost the proportions :(

[@solaufein]

this keyboard looks beautiful... and its acoustics is probably build around to use foams. Would love to hear: mid plate foam + tape mod or mid plate foam + tape mod + pe foam.

[@brianallesac6305]

Firstly, thank you for what you do. I truly enjoy your content. Can I ask what the blue board and switches above the build are.

[@majinkeyboards]

I agree on the flex cuts. Pure gimmick, there was one pcb I think that tried so hard, it looked like some curtain blinds; was cool to look at, but that seemed about it.

[@imst4722]

Aren't the three colors of bowl gaskets different hardness(softness)? You might have the most soft version installed (hopefully). Either way I'm excited to get my 60!

[@JordanDoesKeebs]

Quick question, is this the forest green or the azure colourway?

[@jeffrey3280]

Same question here

[@seanquizon58]

would like to know too! looks too light to be Forest, and too dark to be Azure

[@138csm]

Azure for sure. Forest is much darker.

[@138csm]

The lighting on the photo they used is very bright and seems to have affected the look more than some of the other colors.

[@amveeeee]

Subscribed! Cuz for all I see is 65% boards which is also I prefer the most.

[@KDD0063]

I like how there is no block next to the arrow keys, and i really want the pine green

[@lindis8030]

Now I want to watch a review of the tofu60 2.0 and thoughts on it. I already built two tofu's one tray mount and one converted into a gummy o-ring, and I am leaning to build the tofu60 2.0 and would love to hear your on thoughts on it

[@byrone1262]

We should get a choice between flex cuts and no cuts... If the Jris65 pcb didn't have them it would sound better. With a tape mod and bottom foam it's good but plate less needs all the foam.

[@jaxx1360]

is that the pcb the tofu 2.0 uses. I can’t find that info literally anywhere. Please help

[@Sylanthus]

Hey Alex. I love you. Also, between these 65s, what would you recommend the most? Mode Envoy KBDFans Tofu65 2.0 Neo65 Luminkey65 Thank you!!

[@drewfisher4413]

When ever my board sounds sort of thin I will sometimes put PE foam in without anything else and it might make the board a little deeper, but it makes the sound a lot more poppy and marbly. But also the tofu is supposed to be on the deeper side of the spectrum.

[@budroeucqanthoine269]

Can I ask you what color is the samples you got? Is this the "azure" one? Or the Forrest? Cause it doesn't look like the render on their website? And the 60 you showed at the beginning looks kinda off white / cream color, Wich doesn't exist.. This is confusing

[@zyn1307]

Im trying to decide between the Tofu Jr and this which one do you recommend?

[@KiD2x2]

did you change the mounting style when you took it apart? didn't hear you mention it but you said it sounds better because of the mounting style ...

[@donjr3270]

YO! Love this video! Could you share what barebone and key cap you are using @ 0:14?

[@HimmelWeint]

Personally I prefer boards with flex cuts as it does make the board flex a bit more and taping up the cuts doesn't change how flexible it is but makes it sound like a non flex cut pcb and is easy enough. I do really like the Tofu60 V2 so might be a bit biased towards it but I think with the taped up flex cuts it sounds better and feels better than my brother's Envoy. However I do think that the Envoy just has the better finishing it's smoother surface finish and the paint is way more even and fewer imperfections.

[@matheaumichalak7537]

What frame/keyboard is on screen at the start of the video? (The fully assembled blue-ish gray one)

[@muddystick]

Homie obsessed with A E S T H E T I C

[@xdiv1nity]

RIP Acrylic gang. You will be sorely missed

[@spundt125]

I never thought that the word bowls would be related to keyboards

[@mkeebs3623]

looks like a tofu to me. waiting on one to try the new mounting style

[@aahlala]

Ooof on the misaligned USB-C and other QC issues.

[@dupre7777]

hi andy i have a heaven 65 with 1.2mm pcb flexcut and it makes the sound less full and worse . Do you know a 65 wkl pcb 1.6mm that i could use ? Thanks for the response

[@Vantel]

I don't know much about keyboards, but from what I can tell the hype around a board with 'tofu' in the name is just exciting for a lot of people. do you think you could make a part two of this video and figure out why the sound is so hollow? thanks!

[@mikathegaything]

the only reason im set on this keyboard is the top and gasket mount options as i have never tried these and i want to know what i like

[@coleydotmp4]

the common plague of the tofu lineage... mid sound

[@castin5244]

Call me crazy but the regular old OG tray mount tofu with some tape on the PCB and a bit of dynamat in the case is probably my favorite sounding keyboard ever. Way better than this new tofu despite all goofy flex cut backplate super thin PCV nipple mount stuff. But that's just me.

[@Vantel]

Hi coley I subbed yesterday

[@coleydotmp4]

@@castin5244 Ahh interesting! I have an acrylic tofu that i just build, trying to get it to sound good has been a struggle. I might need to try filling the bottom of the case with dynamat/noico. do you have any other tips?

[@quangnamnguyen3790]

Can I ask the name of the gray keyboard above?😅

[@Redino20]

Mode Envoy!

[@L96A1BM]

Does the tofu60 hhkb support a 6.25u spacebar or just a 7u? Because the set im looking at only has a 6.25u bar

[@reignxcv2960]

I think they called it tofu65 V2 because it will be superseding it and v1 will probably no longer in production

[@lanzbusgano5014]

I believe using the top mount makes the tofu65 2.0 more lively

[@jaxx1360]

It comes with the stabs? And are they prelubed

[@tsukikotsutsukakushi9339]

got my tofu 65 in a couple days ago and i just built it. they come with cherry screw in stabs and they are not pre-clipped or pre-lubed. you will need to do both yourself if you plan on modding and tuning your stabilizers. personally, i did not use them and used another brand. i'm sure they would be fine to use if you don't care to shop around for another set of stabilizers.

[@jaxx1360]

@@tsukikotsutsukakushi9339 already had some durock v2s in my room I forgot about.

[@123abctyler]

the flex mount pcb combined with a distinct lack of mounting for the backplate is extremely disappointing. if you press down hard enough on the space bar you can actually pop the switch. major design oversight having the PCB and plate bolted together by nothing but switches and stabs...

[@josuesilva-zv9ko]

What color did he have the forest or azure? I’m in love with the color but the website doesn’t match his color lol his is in like between

[@lucaanceschi]

Is carbon fiber supposed to be flexier than FR4 plate?

[@tsukikotsutsukakushi9339]

most keyboard videos i;ve seen rank flexibiliy from stiffest to pliable: carbon fiber, aluminum, fr4, polycarbonate, pom (not sure where to put brass because i haven't typically seen brass plates offered other than high-end keebs [i'm also pretty new to the mk scene so please feel free to ask around for more information])

[@lucaanceschi]

@@tsukikotsutsukakushi9339 Thank you!

[@krisl7068]

I don't really understand why they're making a Tofu Jr and this Tofu65 V2. What's really the point here? The V2 has 1 more mounting option and has no side seam in the case, but the Jr has a nicer bottom with more weight options. Seems kinda redundant?

[@dafaqu694]

Me too I don't understand why they made it two of 65, and here I thought tofu jr was supposed to be the improvement of tofu65 and then baam the V2 announced lmao

[@jadenoodles42]

GMK Evil Eye enjoyers 🧿

[@okanakgonul4473]

thats unhealty amount of flex xD

[@lazyreuvin]

Seems like there is no space for a battery if u want to use a pcb with Bluetooth or wireless... It's a big killer for me as I sometimes switch from my monitor to my TV if I'm watching a movie or large screen content and I like to move around with my keyboard sometimes.

[@KidKeys]

Personally it sounds really nice even tho some people may not agree

[@lando634]

I keep seeing this board but i have no clue where to get it

[@LizardTechOfficial]

may i ask where you got your custom mouse from?

[@LS-is5ob]

The tofu isn’t a tofu for me anymore… not instock, no instant shipping, too expensive (i live in europe). Whole purpose of the tofu was to give a instock case that was almost always available. Idk maybe that’s just me

[@arpeykeys]

Thats cuz they barely started making them lol... They'll have a lot in stock later, but just like Tiger80, it might not last forever (but Tiger80 did last in stock for quite a while). But maybe it could be something they keep in stock longer than the tiger80.

[@LS-is5ob]

@@arpeykeys hopefully :) i really like the azure one :)

[@DarkTheHunter]

Dear eu fella the kbdfans board are in stock on keygem

[@LS-is5ob]

@@DarkTheHunter sadly they don’t have all colors and 250-280€ for a tofu is not worth it for me… rather buy a qk65 then

[@samuelfresnel]

what do you use for keyboard cable and headphones?

[@eikishiki6456]

How do you think it compares to Q2?

[@shynnsup8383]

What the bluish case keyboard in front?

[@involuntarysoul3867]

sounds pretty bad, also 65% without blocker looks weird. Alot of recent boards designed from China have PE foam designed in mind, the sound is pretty hot over there

[@alexotos]

Apparently it’s a fad in different parts of the world which is a okay! I think I’m personally, just like many others, fatigued of some of the foam options.

[@dylangrace6213]

Does anyone know where I can get that carrying case for the Tofu65? I can’t find it on the KBD website.

[@robinlayman5068]

What earbuds are you rocking?

[@adrianr514]

Picked up the Tofu Jr when it was announced. Received it mid Jan and then they announced these a week later. Not too mad about it, nothing new/nice. Top mounted the Jr with POM and it is great. Still daily a QK65 though.

[@sumkid9263]

Mode Envoy destroys this in so many aspects it seems. Its a good time for people getting into this hobby for sure.

[@Vashtiian]

@@sumkid9263 honestly the only reason I like it is because it is it decent keyboard with RGB for cheap. And I know that's an unpopular opinion

[@skweetis]

I'm guessing that when KBDFans did their interest check on this board, enough people who filled out the form said they wanted flexy that KBDF went with it. Personally, I will never buy a flex cut PCB, because PCBs shouldn't be flexing. If I'm paying for a custom keyboard, even an "entry-level" one such as this, I want it to theoretically last for decades with proper care. If the PCB is flexing, you have traces and smt solder joints etc. that are getting stressed and which might crack somewhere down the line requiring repair or replacement. Nevermind that 1.2mm flex-cut PCBs sound like crap and severely limit your stabilizer choices - I honestly don't think they'll be reliable in the long run. I'm sad, the 68 key layout is my favorite and Tofu65 has some gorgeous color choices, I definitely would have picked one up if they had just done a regular board.

[@offbrandbiscuit]

Not gonna lie this board felt like a bit of a joke on the release page. The bowl mount is basically just tadpole with extra steps and proprietary, but it does sound the nicest of all three configs honestly. 1.2mm flex cut hotswap PCB is a meme too tbh Also screws hidden under adhesive feet are a huge L

[@mmurked]

whats that cloth pad underneath the keyboard?

[@DarkTheHunter]

What’s the difference between this and the jr?

[@bronzevchannel3352]

Ecoat or Anodized is better?

[@baumann9551]

what is the grey board on his desk?

[@gabrielwong5910]

Curious to know what instructions he's looking at? Anyone have a link? Ty

[@Vashtiian]

I got the Junior and I liked it so I don't see a point in getting the new one. And actually quite confused why they did the Junior and the 65 at the same time, plus I think the Junior looks better

[@Isaacthedank]

2.0 has bowl mount and sandblasted brass while jr has pvd steel

[@enuazeal]

sounds like a tofu :) love it, so mine v1 is now rarity :)

[@jezzaFN.]

Was the tofu65 discontinued??

[@viethoangvu9426]

somehow, this is actually v4 of the only tofu name lol

[@user-mfsc-2024]

forced u to choose flex-cut board if u want hot-swap👎

[@8bitsamurai6]

Yea oring is king imo and sock styles prob next or latus.

[@Honestcritic79]

What keyboard is he using at the top of the screen?

[@Redino20]

That’s a Mode Envoy :)

[@brocky]

Yes, please no flex cuts on PCBs anymore. Please please. With foam it doesn't even flex anyway.

[@BraveClam]

What makes it the V2? It's the second Tofu, boom. There's your answer.

[@ajhuang6559]

Which is better zoom65 v2 or tofu65 2.0??

[@three36ixx]

zoom

[@8bitsamurai6]

They prob keep the name since its a known entity.

[@yuan81]

what's the keycap set on the Envoy?

[@person9842]

gmk monokai material

[@AWib1703]

should i buy this or a zoom65v2?

[@lleonellus4241]

This, if you have the budget

[@castin5244]

Flex cuts in PCBs and backplates seemed like the dumbest, most baffling thing to ever happen to the hobby since I first saw them. To me, gasket mounts make sense because they isolate the plate and PCB from the case to get rid of structure born resonance. And with a good gasket mount each key should have nearly the same level of cushioned feel even with solid metal backplate and regular PCB. But putting a bunch of cuts in your PCB and plate so it flexes like the keyboard on a cheap ass $200 laptop, like to the point where pressing a key in the center of the board makes the whole thing cave in. Like why?! Especially since the original point of backplates was to give rigidity to the PCB in the first place. Why even have a backplate at all? The keyboard hobby is getting wacky man.

[@AD-nq2nz]

People use plates more for their effects on sound than for rigidity. Most keyboard PCBs are made of FR4 (which is itself a popular plate material) so they are rigid enough alone. That's how plateless keyboards are a thing. If plates were for rigidity, brass plates would be the gold standard in the hobby, but they evidently are not. As for flex cuts, they allow for an extremely soft typing experience that cannot be achieved by mounting systems such as gummy o-ring or poron gasket alone. I'm not personally a fan of flex cuts because sound>>feel in my personal opinion and the presence of flex cuts tends to reduce the fullness of a board's sound profile, but that's the rationale behind them. At the end of the day, preference is king, so you're not going to like everything the hobby has to offer and that's perfectly normal.

[@arpeykeys]

Feel > Sound. I personally like flex cuts a lot, and I did like the sound they gave for a while but I'm leaning back towards non-flex cuts in terms of sound now. I do think the fact that 90% of boards that came out in 2022 with flex cuts was just overkill, but its apparently more popular in China (heard it on someone's stream) which is probably why it was so prevalent.

[@ghostjokster5852]

Bakeneko sounds better plus the better mounting style imo.

[@mannykathy88]

notification gang

[@ImJustStandingHere]

interesting is the word alex uses when he doesnt like something hehe

[@100_vadlavikramchary9]

they ruined the board for me. the bezels are thicker and it ruins the proportions. it was my dream keyboard :(

[@DonutMonster13]

Can anyone tell me what color this is?

[@tsukikotsutsukakushi9339]

looks like e-coat azure. the best color imo. i wish it was still available. i went with the e-coat lavender since it was available and it looks really good with keycaps i had bought for it.

[@DonutMonster13]

@@tsukikotsutsukakushi9339 ya they no no plans to restock, makes me sad

[@hman2875]

I'm personally a fan of the thinner sound

[@aesric]

haircut's neat

[@jonathaningram8157]

I hate the fact that the top section is longer than the bottom section, really ugly design I think. I liked the v1 much better, it's a shame they don't produce it anymore.

[@sghound]

flex cuts are skem

[@springpocket6941]

from the feedback it sounds like a flop

[@bompop43]

third

[@MaxDaWeiner]

First

[@grimsan46]

no Oooo noboooooO