We're fighting over who gets to keep this - KiiBoom Phantom 81

Get 69% off any of XSplit’s video tools. Use code LINUS at lmg.gg/XSplit
Transparent tech has been a staple for 90's kids for over 30 years now (yeah, we're old) so the recent resurgence of clear casings makes sense, but does it actually make a product good? Plouffe is here to check out the new KiiBoom Phantom 81 mechanical keyboard to see if it lives past its flashy presentation.
Buy a KiiBoom Phantom 81 Mechanical Keyboard: geni.us/NbciU3
Purchases made through some store links may provide some compensation to Linus Media Group.
Want us to unbox something? Make a suggestion at lmg.gg/7s34e
► GET MERCH: lttstore.com
► LTX 2023 TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW: lmg.gg/ltx23
► GET EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ON FLOATPLANE: lmg.gg/lttfloatplane
► SPONSORS, AFFILIATES, AND PARTNERS: lmg.gg/partners
► PRODUCTS WE USE ON THE SHORTCIRCUIT SET: lmg.gg/scset
FOLLOW US ELSEWHERE
---------------------------------------------------
Twitter: / shrtcrctyt
Instagram: / shortcircuityt
TikTok: / linustech
Facebook: / shortcircuityt
CHAPTERS
---------------------------------------------------
0:00 Bring back transparent Tech
0:29 Unboxing
1:18 Design and build quality impressions
4:16 Sponsor - XSplit
4:53 A minor gripe
5:53 Typing test and impressions
6:47 Checking out the RGB modes
10:27 Taking out a switch and mod options
11:45 Pricing and overall thoughts
13:25 Outro

[@ShortCircuit]

Do you like this resurgence of transparent tech? Let us know down below! Buy a KiiBoom Phantom 81 Mechanical Keyboard: geni.us/NbciU3 Purchases made through some store links may provide some compensation to Linus Media Group.

[@BoomixDe]

commented 6 days ago, uploaded 5min ago ?

[@ShrkBiT]

@@BoomixDe that's likely because they had the video uploaded and ready 6 days ago. They're not rushing to publish videos, they're releasing on a schedule, and the pinned comment was added after upload.

[@justi89]

​@@BoomixDeit got uploaded 6 days ago and just couple minutes ago it went public

[@cinnabarsin4288]

I like the translucent acrylic boards better but I think it's a fun way to show off some of your components a bit. My real problem is they really don't blend in with anything else. Great if you want the stand out piece, not so good if you want it to fit in with the rest of your setup.

[@bobaubobau8504]

Lol 150 Bugs. Link sends me to Amazon for 808€😂

[@DoctorX17]

I love transparent stuff, but I definitely prefer the frosty look of the black key caps - I feel like the full clear top might make keys harder to read and be more blinding, lol

[@theendishereman]

Have it, the stock keycaps are impossibly to read in most lighting situations

[@zoopercoolguy]

The clear black keycaps remind me of the Apple Pro keyboards from the late 1990s/early 2000s.

[@bryce.ferenczi]

why tf you reading keys

[@DoctorX17]

@@bryce.ferenczi for the very infrequently used things that you don’t really get muscle memory for

[@techfro5494]

I've got some transparent black that look to maybe be that exact kind and it's still hard to read. The rgb is fire tho

[@Dan-Simms]

Always love transparent tech, I like seeing the circuitry.

[@johnd5740]

Correction officers like them too

[@Elvewizzy.]

I like how it looks, I hate my choices a year down the road when the dust and dog hair has literally settled.

[@tmarriotti]

@@Elvewizzy. keyboard are typically very easy to open and dust out debris

[@raymondzhu1217]

I’m so excited about nothing phone 2

[@mono_vt]

I nearly bought a transparent keyboard because it seemed cool. But as a tool I feel like the keycaps would annoy me and I'd end up replacing them.

[@Vancha112]

Not a fan of transparant keyboards, but I love exposed circuitry. That backside looks awesome.

[@Vancha112]

@modest mouse colored person yes, yes I did...

[@TreeFrogs]

I too like awesome backsides

[@brandonbair745]

That would be awesome on a glass desk. The bottom leds would light up the floor!

[@danieloberhofer9035]

My thought exactly! I was thinking about having this for my TV in the living room.

[@dvdkon7165]

The "Clear Black" variant reminds me of circa 2000s Apple keyboards shipped with G3 iMacs. I love it!

[@ReaperUnreal]

I stuck an eBay LED light strip into mine, and this keyboard is really bringing back that vibe. I love it.

[@lovecastle7154]

Plouffe's presenting has gotten much more natural

[@johnperish]

When he's presenting something hes highly knowledgeable in and enjoys, it shows. 👌

[@TheKolikolik]

I legit asked for some new clear keycaps for christmas for exactly this sort of aesthetic. Blue lighting + blue clear keycaps = joy

[@s.i.m.c.a]

yeah - nigh, low light - and keyboard backlight trying blind you eyes together with 1000 nit monitor

[@Ranger.TomGunna]

I just ordered the Clear Purple color after watching this video.. I have tried their clear Linear switches before and while not perfect, they are really good

[@Velirno]

Fantastic review! Plouffe does a great job of accurately describing the typing experience for a keyboard. I grabbed the Epomaker keyboard from a prior episode and the switches were just as described! I love this thing 😭

[@deepblue812]

super looking forward to the keyboard booth at LTX. I want to spend some money on a new keyboard but have no idea where to start with all the different switch styles and options

[@Laun1c]

I love how he is flipping us off when trying out all the RGB modes

[@es0516]

I kept seeing this keyboard all over tiktok and Instagram, I caved and it just arrived. I AM OBSESSED. It's beautifully crafted, it feels high quality. I think like any other keyboards it will take some getting used to because every keyboard is different, but once you adjust, it's lovely. I find the clicks so satisfying.

[@aarong2374]

would love to see them make a full keyboard

[@Akkbar21]

Real men use full keyboards.

[@mastaw]

​@@Akkbar21 Real men use 2%

[@hoofhearted4]

lol thats what i said. i need a 10 key. can be a 95% or something, idc, but i need the numpad.

[@cbegefdkih]

100% layout is rare in the mechanical keyboard scene. Most people go with a 60%-tkl layout and make a separate numpad if they need one

[@ThatSoddingGamer]

This is pretty neat. I remember thinking clear electronics cases was pretty cool, back in the 90's. Not as much now, but it's still neat. If they added one more line to their clear keycaps collection, I would have suggested frosted, to get most of the benefits from the clear allowing a lot of extra RGB effect, but with less glare. The frosted look would have been a nice effect too. All of the versions have RGB it seems, even if they don't demonstrated it on their main product page, so getting the Clear Black + RGB would probably look really good; the same RGB as with the regular clear, but adding a bit of muting to it to make the glare less intense.

[@LinusBerglund]

I did all the custom keyboard stuff, and then got my hands on a razer huntsman v2 silenced linear red. Not only are the keys smoother than any contact based switch, the silencing didn't do too much to the key feel. Modding it was simple. I filled it with silicone, tape modded, force break modded and lubed it. I also filled some of the extra crevices with SBM rubber. I spent two hours on it and now it feels better than any custom board I ever made and doesn't wake anyone up because it sounds less than an apple keyboard. Wireless is usually not worth it unless the battery life is several weeks.

[@PimpmasterMcGooby]

"I AM NOT CRAZY! I knew it was function down! As if I could ever make such a mistake, never. Never!"

[@jody024]

If there is one with a full numlock pad I would consider it for sure.

[@NeoKobalt]

This is so gaudy... and I absolutely love it! Day one buy for me... if it had a number pad. The trend of tenkeyless keyboards makes me incredibly sad.

[@eddylaboriemaye1305]

Thanks for appreciating that designing guides/instructions is important

[@Jarduk]

Reminds me of the Idabao ID80 Crystal. I love this style! Im just too afraid to scratch it and ruin the clean look xD

[@mcmann7149]

I wish a lot more stuff was transparent, that's why I got interested in electronics in the first place. After seeing the nuts and bolts, I wanted to take it apart and see how it worked.

[@Dendumi]

First thing I thought of when I saw the thumbnail was the flux keyboard on kickstarter. Sure hope you guys are gonna take a look at that one too, when it is available!

[@piplup10203854]

Oooh 👀 this is quite nice. I wasn't sure what to expect with this but I love the transparent look and switches. I love the brass to this it goes so well I have no need for this but I kind of want it lol

[@justin_64]

[@theend1555]

Glad to see transparent tech coming back. Need more main stream companies to do it again.

[@Ruuku1]

ordered the v2 silver/crystal one, should be here tomorrow, such a beautiful keyboard

[@ItsCheetahTV]

Makes me want a early 2000's case to match.

[@Neoxon619]

We’re also starting to see transparent controllers return with leverless controllers, namely the MPress & the latest revision of the SnackBox Micro (not the XL, sadly). Even the PS4 Pro & DualShock 4 had a translucent blue variant for one limited edition version of the pair. I hope Nintendo offers at least a translucent version of the Switch 2 (whenever it comes out).

[@beetledrift]

I have the blue translucent ps4 controller. Sadly it's only half translucent. The back shell is stil a solid color.

[@jackthemagiccat4571]

Looks like som6that would be designed in our arcades here in Japan the 90s neon transparent vibes really do be nice

[@Wooyi]

I got into mechanical keyboards past year and I appreciate Plouffe covering this hobby

[@Artista_Frustrado]

00's iMac was the peak of transparent tech, that blend of transparent clear with the Opaque white is chef's kiss but yeah i would love this keyboard on Clear Black, with opaque black/white keys & set the RGB to static purple

[@LostHope...]

a even cheaper keyboard that is also acrylic is the womier k87. it is a frosted acrylic tkl keyboard and the rgb diffusion is immaculate. pudding keycaps look great on it. you can get the keyboard for around $60 - $80. its also hot swap

[@jeffreygunter417]

Great review. Nice to see an excited reviewer. It’s been awhile.

[@trelauney]

5:01 FYI, any cable can act as an antenna, it's length determining what frequency it transmits or receives, in combination with the keyboard chipset's characteristics. This interference can be found at any point in design, but a solution like this means it was probably found during the production run. The Ferrite bead messes with the magnetic fields that run parallel to a cable, essentially de-tuning the unintended antenna behavior. It make a bad antenna a lot worse, so it can properly act as a cable.

[@GetShrektMrKrabs]

Minor gripe with the set, is it possible to modify the table so that it is more stable? Having it shake all the time is a bit jarring when trying to focus on shots shown.

[@justcallmesiv]

you can change the side leds too it's in the manual for anyone that is looking at this a year ater idk if they state it again after he says that you cant, but you absolutely can change that it's in the manual which you can download as a pdf from the website

[@hoofhearted4]

the Clear Black drew my attention. i love the volume knob on these haha. but i wont ever not have a 10 key. blows my mind to not have one. i use it almost every day.

[@massimobertini4894]

I’m surprised y’all never got the Zoom75 I’d have loved to know y’all’s thoughts on it

[@johnperish]

If you wanna tape mod it and still want the led's, use clear packing tape. It creates a different sound profile to masking tape, but it still sounds great.

[@lilpain1997]

The reason many do not do that is due to how much residue the packing tape leaves behind.

[@johnperish]

@@lilpain1997 The thinner packing tape does, But Target has a thick clear packing tape that isnt as sticky.

[@lilpain1997]

@@johnperish I will need to find some in the UK. Would love to hear the difference between it and masking tape

[@Adclif]

You guys linked the smoked black version, the clear version as shown here is a slightly different SKU

[@cella630]

Couple of things. The default shipping option is the fully assembled version. Also, if you are connecting through wireless you must install the software.

[@MorgFlame]

Very good keyboard. A huge fan of the design and weight doesn't bother me, as it'll be in one place all the time. This keyboard meets all my expectations and may consider buying it soon.

[@superkill30]

i love it i have been looking on making a crystal build.

[@TJ_Hack3r]

What material are the keycaps made of?

[@Fumofuz]

The light effects on the keyboard just makes it look like a Christmas decoration. I definitely would hang it on the Christmas tree. XD

[@GatsuRage]

I wonder if it gets hot with the led brightness set to max... I had that issue with a ducky keyboard and had to use the brightness to the minimum to avoid it.

[@brahtrumpwonbigly7309]

I bought a royalaxe brand keyboard off amazon for 80 bucks and honestly I've never liked a keyboard more. Everything about it rocks, and it comes complete. Hot swappable, no need to touch the stabalizers, sounds AMAZING, bluetooth, 2.4 ghz, rgb with actual good settings,, decent battery life, usb-c, and heavy as hell. My only complaint is that they keycaps do not have illuminated lettering, but other than that it is the best keyboard for the best price I've wver gotten.

[@Kapow015]

That clear black looks CLEAN

[@robincameron]

I was on this fence about this keyboard but as soon as I heard the instruction manual was good I put in my order.

[@coreyh3994]

The first sentence of this video "not a lot of clear electronics anymore..." My news feed the last month has had at least 5 items w/ transparency. I'm 100% here for it. Laptops, Keyboards, phones.

[@thatguycalledaustin4206]

How do you guys film electronics such that the flicker caused by LEDs or screen refresh rates is minimized or even eliminated?

[@docferringer]

It would be interesting to get an editor's opinion on all of the new numpads/macropads coming out with multiple nobs, specifically if they feel like the extra nobs are something useful. Skyloong has a keeb that supports up to 6 dials while Megalodon is churning out macropads in every configuration they can dream up. Big jogger wheels your thing? They have it. Small nobs? Yep. Over-sized keys and undersized keys? MADNESS. Just curious if pros think it is worth their time.

[@flufflebut8781]

Circuitry is really interesting and beautiful, more products should go translucent to show it off. I still remember my translucent Gameboy. ❤

[@sigee32]

Have you tried the Klim Shift ?. Its getting quite a following over here in the UK.

[@monkey6430]

That clear black looks too tempting, love that look

[@lucyburgess9781]

This keyboard is shockingly similar to the Idobao ID80 crystal aesthetically.

[@chaobyte3717]

I think it would be awesome if it was a frosted clear or at least diffusers on the ring around the bottom

[@zeexii5660]

okay now we need a fully transparent set up including the table lol

[@Ojas.mediratta]

Surprised you guys didn't show anything from the Idobao Crystal series or the new highly anticipated Bauer Lite to show off a transparent keyboard. Or even the Freja65 which is a little higher-end and made of glass.

[@depressedfrog2]

Cant wait for dirt and food between the keys be visible now 😢

[@ehgodfrey]

Wish they had a full size that thing is gorgeous, I think I like the smoky black better though.

[@Queen_K_Rool]

he said that there's a kit version i.e a build it yourself? where might i find a link to that :)

[@jajavi16]

Bought it love it except for the switches they all randomly stopped working one by one so I had to replace them all.

[@bruceyachtie]

Does anybody know what the function is of pressing the knob? I have this keyboard and it doesn't do anything. Also, is it possible to reprogram this push function or bind printscreen to a key? I don't see any options for these things.

[@PurpleKnightmare]

That tinted black one, OMG I want one.

[@flufflebut8781]

Wow some of those light modes are... wow!

[@goinginzane]

Man this thing looks toooo nice. I'm a little nervous about the clear keycaps though since that looks like the kind of material that would hang onto finger oils and could get greasy over time like cheap ABS caps, anyone know if these kinds of clear caps have finger oil resistance similar to PBT?

[@TheElly750]

0:22 Maybe they should give you the time to do a full keyboard build. Maybe a stream?

[@JustJordano]

I really love the IQunix 75 Dark side and prefer the look and the keycaps set but for the price... This is amazing.

[@sturdybutter]

Honestly I even prefer the little notecard style manual for the keyboard over the plenty of manufacturers that can’t even be arsed to include anything and make you download the manual. Hate that.

[@docmorin_gaming8041]

The ONLY thing that i think they could improve on this is somehow find a way to diffuse the LED's. I feel like it almost makes it look too gaudy for me, but otherwise I absolutely love that transparent keyboard.

[@joeykeilholz925]

I love to see the fair price on this keyboard. Good job to them. I had reverse sticker shock for once.

[@Vladek16]

this looks like the g skill trident z royal ram kit, with the clear, the cristal like switches and the gold under

[@jdo3639]

can someone tell me, if i can use it for the german iso-de format? do i only need to change y / z or and the rest ist driver driven?

[@gavinsuman7935]

I will 100% buy this if there is a model released with a numpad on it

[@leneal2315]

I seriously want an acrylic case for my modern build, i LOVE CLEAR PLASTIC

[@sorappoli5137]

This keyboard is beautiful wow

[@jessica-mh3os]

the purple one looks SICK. love transparent tech, and wanted a keyboard that looks good with a white setup, i think this is the one...

[@PeterSteele111]

My only issue with boards like this is the lack of QMK/VIAL. Its an absolute must for me as I really enjoy creating wonky layouts or just doing tapdance keys to get around not having a full size board. As a software dev it makes a 75% layout much more enjoyable being able to tapdance my end key as a home key and various other things.

[@muazqamar]

Can you please review full size keyboards too? It's always TKL or 65% or something

[@TheSakuraGumiLTD]

They do a smoked out version that looks really nice also

[@austine1425]

I still love my Ice Blue N64. Plus the blue Tony Hawk Pro Skater cartridge looks awesome

[@idoesstuff]

could you review the th80 keyboard with gateron black switches

[@Cyba_IT]

Very cool. My only gripe is that it may be too bright 😂

[@MangoTangoFox]

There are $20 hotswap 60% boards with essentially the same RGB modes (I think this one has a couple additional effects that I don't recognize), so don't take that particular aspect of it as being super premium/special. At maximum, firmware like this can control brightness of the key RGB and the ring RGB, the modes for both, the animation speed for both, the color for both, a BOTTOM color that the main effect is overlayed onto for both (cyan sparkles on top of red, etc etc), and a pause of the animation on the main keys, as well as 2 custom modes with on-the-fly per-key color changing to save and recall from those 2 custom profiles without software. Some boards have a lot of these functions not bound to the board by default so you have to use the software, and SOME ship software that doesn't show you those commands to be bound, so the board's firmware and controller chip may be capable but the software just wont let you access it. Almost all boards like this, are one company taking a PCB, or even a whole barebones kit, and then rebadging and editing some things (software, switches, caps, case reshell, etc), and some do a better job of that than others... so there may be this exact board in a different shell with different caps, and then either better or worse software for it. It's really complicated and there are almost no resources that document this stuff, especially on the software side. If you liked the concept of this board but 150-200 was too much, the YUNZII X75 is similar at 80-90 usd, among many many other options. If you really need macros and highly trustworthy safe open-source software to program them with many layers and hotkeys and tap commands and such, the Feker IK75 QMK/VIA is another good translucent option. If you go without QMK/VIA, it's really up in the air and it might not let you do much or the software DL might just be permanently gone (or the app is malicious), so it's a good idea to go the open source route if you know you're a power user.

Mannn I hope they make an ergonomic version too :3

[@Heretic306]

How in the world is a tech reporter just learning about ferrite beads!? (but we still love you Plouffe! )

[@Ingrowen]

I really wish they had more colours to choose from. If this came in atomic purple it would be an insta buy for me. Still might get one anyway

[@acalthu]

I agree with the Plouffe. Transparent electronics is very much a later 80s to early 2000s thing, and the aesthetic needs to return. I believe the most famous transparent device among the geeks is the transparent Apple PowerBook Duo, which is fabled to be a factory prototype.

[@joz534]

For some reason i expected it to be the maglev Keyboard. Flux is the name?

[@FactionalSky]

There also is a clear purple one. I need this! Bis i hate 75% boards..

[@someTransChick]

9:16 So, once again… the day is saved.

[@SunnyZ]

5:00 LOL awhh, you look so shocked. Back in the day all computer cables had this ferrite capsule

[@aarongerlach1580]

This probably looks amazing in the dark

[@Ivan-qg7cx]

Do i not understand what diffused means or is the side rgb not diffused at all

[@michaelrogers6008]

I love that your reviews are like you're explaining to your mom why she should buy it for you

[@lyfhg]

i think i fell in love with this keyboard

[@FreyrFox]

Was already ready for it to be super pricy but wow that's not insane a price

[@dylanstorts4327]

Legit can't remember the last time that I saw Plouf this hyped over a board and it functions. @Plouf you should absolutely convince Linus to let you do another video on this except it is just you putting every color switch in it... because 😂

[@robandelainehau188]

He should be promoted To CKSO. Chief Keyboard Specialist Officer