Introduction

Would you believe we are on build #10 already? It seems like it was only yesterday when I tried out a new way to introduce custom keyboard parts on TechPowerUp, but that was in fact over a year ago now. In the time since, we've looked at some interesting switches, colorful keycaps, and even hotly anticipated keyboard kits. I already knew what I wanted to do for the 10th iteration, and Akko's debut into the premium DIY keyboard space was part of the plan. Indeed, the CNC-machined aluminium gasket mount MOD 003 kit arrived even before the novel acrylic version we saw before, and it has been so popular that new batches almost instantly sell out whenever they pop up. Epomaker was kind enough to send one in the color I wanted, as well as a matching keycap set. But what about the switches?


Soon after my coverage of Kailh's recently released Master Series switches, as well as the impressively silent BOX Hush switch, Kailh reached out to see if I would be interested in covering its brand-new switch lineup replacing the Box V1 switch, which is in my opinion the gold standard for custom mechanical switches. The BOX switch design has been put to good use both by Kailh directly and modders and collaborations, and I was quite curious about what the all-new BOX V2 switches would bring to the market. This build article will cover all three new BOX V2 switches—Red, Brown, and White—and comparisons will be made to the same versions of the original BOX V1 series, too. There's a lot to unpack, literally, so let's thank Epomaker and Kailh for providing all the parts before we get on with it!

Akko MOD 003 Kit Part 1

This is the 13th article including Akko products, of which there have collectively been ~20 separate components as a whole. But nothing Akko has thus far gotten me as excited as the Akko MOD 003 kit, not even the modded Monet's Pond set I use at work. It is Akko's first standalone keyboard kit series alongside a few others in the MOD series, and the MOD 003 uses the rarely seen 96% form factor in addition to multiple different colors and the aforementioned gasket mount. It ships in a heavy-duty cardboard box that is a far cry from the more inexpensive Akko pre-builds, adopting a new product lineup in the so-called Akko Designer Studio. A monochrome color scheme greets us with very little on the front or back, leaving what is inside to the imagination. The top lid lifts off to reveal a thick foam sheet on top of the contents for added protection. There is an even thicker foam body with two cut-out compartments for the keyboard kit inside another foam wrap, and the cable off to the side.


On top of the kit is a customary Akko user guide (online copy here) in both Mandarin and English, and it goes over the pre-programmed functions and customization options for the MOD 003 and 004; the latter is the non-gasket mount version. The cable is quite generic, however. I would have liked a color-matched cable similar to what Akko did with the ACR series. It's otherwise a black Type-C to Type-A cable with a standard PU sleeve and no fabric sleeving—completely functional, possibly more so than others in that it isn't very thick and easy to manage, but still basic. Missing are a keycap puller and switch remover, with the former provided with many keycap sets from Akko, Epomaker, and the likes. This is not really a premium unboxing experience for what is supposed to be a premium product.


I mentioned that the MOD 003 kit from Akko is a 96% form factor unit, with the US ANSI layout resulting in a total of 98 keys similar to the amazing Akko Black&Gold 3098B. The differences between the two are stark, with the MOD 003 ditching the ABS plastic case for thick CNC-machined aluminium. It comes anodized in six color options ranging from a tamer gray to a dashing pink, and I picked the Jade Green finish, which is absolutely spectacular in person. When light hits it, you can see the metallic sparkle coming off the chamfered edges that are neatly done with no errors in manufacturing or finish. This is also a hefty kit at over 1.5 kg by itself that will easily weigh ~2 kg with the switches and keycaps installed. Note the various cordoned off sections similar to some old-school designs, which I would have rather seen omitted for reasons I will get into over the course of this article.


Flipping the kit around, we see another sign of the MOD 003 kit targeting a higher-end market. The plate insert on the back is such a typical group buy kit move—those who know will know. The green case at least comes with a recessed gold-colored plate to show the natural built-in case elevation. The engraved name leaves no doubt about the gasket-mount functionality. The MOD 004 is identical-looking, but goes for a standard tray mount and costs less. There is no sticker or label otherwise, making for a clean look with minimal branding. This kit is also screwed together with eight screws on the back, and four long rubber pads on the corners lift the kit off the desk to prevent scratches to the aluminium and keep it from moving around, although it is massive. There are no add-on feet, which I wasn't surprised by on this all-metal chassis, so the integrated elevation is all you get.


In the middle on the side facing away from the user, a relatively large cutout provides access to the USB Type-C connector, and the accompanying cable fits easily. In fact, there is enough room for most aftermarket cables if you wanted to jazz things up further. The cable is the usual 6' long and requires an available Type-A port on your PC, where USB 3.2 Gen 1 (USB 3.0) is recommended, although USB 2.0 will still suffice for power.


A look from the side better shows the built-in single-step case elevation. It's a medium-profile case, and the bottom is still tall enough for a wrist rest if you are not used to touch typing with your hands hovering over the keys. Otherwise a plug-and-play kit using 5-pin switch sockets compatible with your favorite Cherry MX-style cross-point stem switches, you do not need to clip plastic pins off 5-pin switches. Each socket has an SMD RGB LED for backlighting, but the plate-mounted stabilizers are one of the drawbacks of this otherwise impressive case design. The stabilizer stems are lightly pre-lubed, though, which does help, and I don't see native support for screw-in stabilizers.

Akko MOD 003 Kit Part 2

Disassembling the kit is quite simple if you have a matching Allen key for the eight screws on the back. This allows the entire case to be taken apart, and there are no internal USB cables to worry about, either. A closer look at the top piece shows the CNC machining in full force, as well as the excellent anodized finish that leaves no marks inside or out. The middle piece consists of the plate and PCB, which we will examine soon, and the bottom piece has a foam sheet.


This relatively thick foam piece absorbs typing noise and reduces case reverberations, which is always a good thing if prioritizing how the keyboard sounds, and whether the sound signature is only that of the switches. The foam dampens the resonant frequencies of the switches bottoming out and keycaps striking the plate, which keeps the fundamental sound signature intact. Removing the foam, eight more screws keep the plate insert in place on the back. This means the Akko MOD 003 easily supports modding and adding your own plates, and I would have liked some more replacement plates as first-party options.


The middle section is what makes this a gasket-mount kit, evidenced by the various pieces of flexible, pressure-absorbing high-density foam around the periphery. I would like more to be added to the space beneath the Fn key row, especially as pressing down there will result in a noticeable gap. Regardless, the gaskets on either side and sheet between the plate and PCB further cushion the keyboard when pressing down on keys, and isolate the various elements from each other for a cohesive typing feel and sound.


Should you want to swap the plate out for one of a different color or material, the hot-swappable switch sockets mean you are a few more screws away from it as well. The PCB is black and very similar to the one in the Akko Black&Gold 3098B, down to the primary components and where they are placed. Soldering quality is quite good, including for the TTC hot-swap sockets I was expecting since the company has a history with TTC. Akko is clearly banking on using this new platform for at least a couple of years, so much so it has partnered with a USB microcontroller manufacturer to have its own branding on the chipset. This is a good way of hiding what is used, and the same continues with the (presumably) dedicated hardware LED drivers that also have no identification on them. Unfortunately, we don't get hybrid wireless connectivity despite there being room on the PCB, so this is a wired-only kit. All the components, including the switch sockets, SMD RGB LEDs, and capacitors, are soldered to a multi-layered PCB.