If you haven’t yet treated yourself to a custom mechanical keyboard, there’s nothing better than putting it together yourself. Sure, it can be time consuming. I don’t recommend that all folks in the market for a mechanical keyboard attempt to put a keyboard together, but once you’re familiar enough with keebs and have the time to learn how to put things together, why not build a keyboard all on your own? It’s a fantastic weekend afternoon activity and you’re more likely to get yourself closer to building the keyboard of your dreams.
Meletrix is a major player in the premium mechanical keyboard space, specializing in custom keyboards (with a few prebuilts whenever they’re in stock) made up of premium materials and stunning designs. I’ve been following their announcements over the past year, keeping track of their group buys and interest checks for upcoming keyboards that would be a perfect addition to my home office. Sadly, I’ve always been just a smidgen too late to get in during the group buy phase, but I’ve had the privilege of reviewing some of their pre-production units, most recently the Zoom75 TIGA.
This review, however, is not another review about the Zoom75 TIGA. I reviewed that keyboard a few months ago. Today, I have the pleasure of sharing my thoughts on the Zoom65 V3 – the third iteration of the 65% Zoom keyboard line from Meletrix. I’ve used this keyboard for a month and tested it with some of Meletrix’s recent Arowana switches. Let me be the first to tell you, the Zoom65 V3 is a stunner of a mechanical keyboard, and it’s a fantastic 65%er to put together, too.
The Zoom65 line of Meletrix keyboards offers a compact typing experience with premium materials. Prior iterations of the Zoom65 have incorporated a volume knob, beautifully-colored anodized cases, and a myriad of plates to select from to make that perfect feeling and sounding keyboard. The Zoom65 is the smallest keyboard in the Zoom lineup while maintaining the high degree of customization that the Zoom lineup is known for.
The Zoom65 V3, though, has upped the ante to give consumers even more flexibility in designing their keyboards. Outside of the 5 new case colors (bringing the total to 11 options), tail light option (which adds a touch of light to the backside of the case), and redesigned weighted backplates, the V3 also features seven different mounting systems (all of which come with the keyboard), six different corner modulars that can be swapped out, an optional HE module that converts the keyboard from a mechanical keyboard to a Hall Effect (magnetic switches) keyboard, and the catchball screwless assembly structure that was used in the Zoom75 TIGA (which made it easy to assemble and disassemble at will).
Lots of good improvements here, folks. The Zoom65 V3 looks better than ever once it’s fully assembled, but how does it fare on the assembly process? Even more, how does it compare to the Zoom75 TIGA, Meletrix’s quickest-to-assemble keyboard yet?
Like the Zoom75 TIGA, the Zoom65 V3 came to my door in a gigantic box full of goodies to unpack. Small baggies containing screws and other smaller mounting parts, a carrying case for the keyboard proper, stabilizers (“stabs”) that required some lubing, and the keyboard case itself. I was sent the anodized black case, FR4 plate, stainless steel black back plate, and a PVC Mirror Prism external weight. This model did not have a tail light on the case.
The first step of assembling this keyboard was pretty standard: Testing the PCB, lubing the stabs, and inserting the stabs into the PCB! Compared to the Zoom75 TIGA, this step was a piece of cake because of how the PCB had small labels above the necessary holes that were large enough for the stabs to slide in easily. The stabs could be secured with the included plastic washers. I realize that the TIGA unit I reviewed earlier was a pre-production unit and that the PCB was subject to additional modifications, but I appreciate that this specific step was made easier with the Zoom65 V3.
Next, I installed the batteries by removing the internal weighted plate and added the screws to secure the backplate from the other side. In the assembly video, I had missed the step which had asked me to add the screws to the bottom prior to installing the rest of the keyboard, requiring me to go back after I had completed the rest of the building process. Installing the batteries sounded easier than it ended up being because of the wires not properly settling into the case’s divots that were made specifically for the wires. While I do prefer the batteries coming pre-installed like they did on the Zoom75 TIGA, I appreciate having the option to remove them altogether in the instance where I preferred to use the keyboard as a wired unit.
With the case properly constructed along with the Poron foam around the PCB and plate, it was time for me to select a mounting style. The Zoom65 V3 comes with seven mounting styles in the box, ranging from the standards (gasket mount, split O-ring, top mount, silica gel particle mounting) and some brand new mounting styles, most notably the magnetic levitation mounting!
I’m sure you’ve seen the YouTube reviews of the pre-production units that were posted earlier this year. You may have also seen some users’ reviews on Reddit and/or other keyboard communities. One thing has been consistent with coverage of the maglever mounting style: It’s been hyped up quite a bit. I won’t go so far as to say that it’s revolutionary, but I’ll say that it’s my absolute favorite mounting style of those I tested. In my experience, there was a degree of flexibility when pressing firmly down into the keyboard similar to a silica gel mounting while being bouncy enough to absorb the impact of my fingers. Because of the magnets, the keyboard’s acoustics are refined and less chattery than I would have expected.
My major complaint about the magnets isn’t their bounciness, nor the finickiness of putting them together with the plastic washers (trust me, it was annoying because they’re so small). The magnets are strong while incredibly fragile. When I was trying to pull the magnets apart while building the keyboard, one of magnets disintegrated when it connected to another magnet. It wasn’t as though I was throwing the magnets around – it just acted as a magnet would and snapped together with such a force that it broke apart into several pieces. Luckily the unit came with a few extra magnets, but I was annoyed about how fragile things were.
The other mounting style worth noting here is the spring mounting. It was far easier to put together than the magnets and made my keyboard feel very bouncy. While this is to be expected (because, you know, springs), the bounciness ended up feeling quite natural. I prefer the maglev mounting because of how well it isolates the acoustics, however.
The other unique element of the Zoom65 V3 is the modular corner piece. By default, the keyboard comes with a square LED screen preinstalled, only needing me to slot the tape into the PCB to get it functioning. If I didn’t want the screen, I could easily unscrew it and replace it with another module, such as a backlit telescope badge, a volume knob, or a magnetic badge (think of the badge on the backside of the Zoom75 TIGA). If I wanted to reclaim some space and add another key, I could do that, too. The screen looked nice, but it looked like my screen had a bit of bleed at the top. Unsure if this was a defect or not, but it was only noticeable when the screen’s image was black.
I know that some users hate screens on keyboards, dismissing them as gimmicks. I personally love having a screen on my keyboard, if not to add a splash of character in the form of a cute animation. The fact that users can choose between having that screen or replacing it with something else is great – it makes the Zoom65 V3 easier to customize to my satisfaction and make it truly mine.
One last critique before I move on: I’m not the biggest fan of the ribbon connectors’ placements. Unlike the Zoom75 TIGA, the ribbon connector between the PCB and the bottom case constantly got caught when I was attempting to disassemble and reassemble the keyboard to test out the mounts. I kept forgetting that the screen’s ribbon cable was connected underneath the PCB, so if I pulled too hard on the top case to unlock it, it would yank out the PCB+plate. The ribbon cables on the Zoom75 TIGA felt like they had more room to move and were placed in such a fashion that I wasn’t worried about ripping them out, so it’s a shame to see the Zoom65 V3 have perilous ribbon placement.
For a keyboard that encourages the user to mix-and-match mounting systems and modulars, the ribbon placement has proven to be the biggest issue during my testing. I didn’t rip the ribbon, thankfully, but there have been too many close calls to count. Future iterations of the Zoom65 and other keyboards with screens should put a greater emphasis on tucking the ribbon away to ensure that the user can modify their keyboard without worrying about breaking the screen’s connection beyond repair.
I cannot comment on the quality of the tail light, as my unit did not have it. The pictures I’ve seen from other users as well as content creators on YouTube look quite nice, but I would rather have a uniformly-shaped keyboard case. If the LED tail light didn’t bulge out, it would make the case more appealing.
The rest of the keyboard’s aesthetic is stunning, though. Once the entire unit is put together and fully powered, it feels like a premium keyboard worthy of the $200 asking price. The keyboard is a sturdy unit, even when using the bouncier mounting styles like the spring. The end result of my putting the keyboard together is a tall, solid, and almost-glittery keeb thanks to the gold accents on the black case. It’s a sight to behold.
My unit came with the stainless steep PVD Mirror Black back plate and the PVD Mirror Prism Telescope external weight. I loved the back plate, even if it ended up being a fingerprint magnet when I was attempting to install it and hold the keyboard in hand. The external weight shimmers and looks gorgeous, but caught my fingerprints just as easily as the back plate. Be warned that if you choose the shinier backplates or external weights, use a microfiber cloth to keep them free of fingerprints.
I’ve seen many users dismiss the need for a fancy backplate or customized external weight like the telescope emblem on the Zoom65 V3. The average use won’t turn their keyboard over often, I know, but the materials used on this keyboard are solid and utilize an exceptional build quality.
Like many of Meletrix’s keyboard kits, the Zoom65 V3 does not come with switches or keycaps, so you’ll need to purchase those separately in order to complete your build. Luckily, I had some of Meletrix’s Gray Skies keycaps and Arowana switches on hand for a typing test (listen to the typing test below!). The Arowana switches – all of them, really – sounded fantastic on the Zoom65 V3. It was as if the switches were made to complement the Zoom line of keyboards.
That said, it would be nice for users to get a discount on complementary switches or keycaps if they’re already spending upwards of $200 for the Zoom65 V3, if only to keep them from seeking out subpar switches that feel much less sturdy or sound tinny.
How does the Zoom65 V3 compare to the Zoom75 TIGA’s assembly? In some ways, it’s a step forward in terms of easiness of placing the stabs and getting the basics set up, but it’s multiple steps backward because of the ribbon placement and the potentially overwhelming amount of small parts that are needed for the individual mounting systems. My first attempt at assembling the keyboard took me just under two hours only because of my struggles with figuring out what was needed for each mounting system and getting the ribbon placement just right, but later assemblies took me far less time.
While I am slightly worried about the ribbon cable’s durability, the rest of the keyboard feels like it can handle multiple assemblies in the instances where I want to try out additional mounting styles or replacing the backplate/internal plate. The screws and the threading of the screw holes are durable and held up quite well when I was putting the keyboard together. Meletrix is not compromising on build quality in this regard – I love this keyboard.
If there are things that Meletrix should consider for future iterations of their keyboards, I would love them to incorporate the magnetic mounting system again. Same for the spring-mounted setup. Both of these mounting systems are wildly different than anything I have used in the past, but I am thrilled to use these mounting systems on my Zoom65 V3. While I prefer the acoustics of the magnetic mounting just a bit more, these two innovations should be carried forward. In the spirit of customization, the Zoom65 V3 has won me over on its modularity – having the freedom to remove the screen and replace it with something else is great and should be incorporated in future iterations of the Zoom keyboards, too.
The keyboard’s height and angle made it quite the ergonomic keyboard. I didn’t expect it to feel as good as it did because of its height. As it turns out, the angle of the keys and height of the keyboard was perfect for typing without a wrist rest. I’m usually not the biggest fan of 65% keyboards (check out my other 65% keyboard reviews if you don’t believe me; they’re not the most intuitive for my day-to-day office work nor gaming), but typing on the Zoom65 V3 was a comfortable experience overall.
Check out our typing test using the Arowana switches on the Zoom65 V3!
I’m thrilled with Meletrix’s Zoom65 V3. It’s one of the most comfortable 65% keyboards I have reviewed thus far and is only made better by its near-infinite customization possibilities. The magnetic levitation and spring mounting systems were wild; I hope that future keyboards utilize these mounting systems!
