WOBKEY Zen65 Keyboard Full Review & Sound Test

Overview

The WOBKEY Zen65 is a 65% custom mechanical keyboard created by WOBKEY. The WOBKEY Zen65 is the third layout designed by WOBKEY following the Rainy75 and the Crush80. The WOBKEY Zen65 is built with high quality materials using the latest technologies like tri-mode connectivity, quick assembly ball-catch mechanism, and a pogo pin PCB connector. The WOBKEY Zen65 pushes the boundaries of premium features at a more affordable price with multiple internal mounting options and design elements like an internal brass plate. So, what can the WOBKEY Zen65 offer you and should you get one?

Product Details

Key Design Features

The WOBKEY Zen65 case has design features that even more premium level keyboards lack. Notable features of the WOBKEY Zen65 include the chamfered internal edges of the top case, which add a refined touch rarely seen in this tier, and an internal brass weight that enhances both aesthetics and acoustics. The Zen65 also offers four distinct mounting options, giving users the flexibility to fine-tune their typing experience. Combined with the ball-catch mechanism and a magnetic pogo pin PCB connector for easy, cable-free assembly, these thoughtful design choices elevate the Zen65 far beyond its price tag, delivering a truly premium experience at an accessible cost.

Badge + 2.4GHz USB compartment:

The popular entry level custom mechanical keyboards as of late have had similar bottom weights that are usually just a rectangular backpiece. However, the WOBKEY Zen65 re-innovates their design approach taking inspiration from other keyboards that feature a hidden compartment to house the 2.4GHz USB dongle.

Internal brass weight:

On the bottom case, the brass plate acts as a weight as well as a cover to house the internal batteries. The brass plate is also cut out in a way that allows there to be a bigger gap between the PCB and bottom housing underneath each row of switches. This design helps to produce a more refined typing sound and within the case.

Multiple mounting options:

The WOBKEY Zen65 offers four mounting options:

Default plate mounted gasket sleeves
Plate mounted dumbbell gaskets
PCB mounted dumbbell gaskets
Top mount

1) Default gasket sleeves:

2) Plate gasket dumbbells:

3) PCB gasket dumbbells:

4) Top mount:

Magnetic pogo pin PCB connector:

Unlike most keyboards that rely on a ribbon cable or JST cable to connect the PCB to the bottom case, the Zen65 features a magnetic pogo pin PCB connector. This magnetic connection makes the Zen65 incredibly easy to assemble and disassemble — no tools, no fuss, and no fragile cables to worry about. It’s a thoughtful design choice that not only streamlines the build process but also reduces the risk of damaging the PCB during modding or maintenance, making it a more user-friendly and long-lasting keyboard.

Top Case:

On the top case, the WOBKEY Zen65 has uneven bezels with thinner bezels on the sides of the top case and slightly thicker bezels on the front and back of the top case. The WOBKEY Zen65 features chamfered internal edges on the top case that are anodized gold. This is feature that is even rare for premium level keyboards, giving the WOBKEY Zen65 an impressively premium and elegant aura at this price point.

Side:

The side profile of the WOBKEY Zen65 at first glance looks like a standard box-on-wedge design, but upon further inspection the Zen65 has subtle design elements that adds layers to just a simple box-on-wedge. The WOBKEY Zen65 has a slight edge that goes around the sides of the top case that breaks up the simple box on wedge design.

Ball-catch structure:

Internally, the WOBKEY Zen65 is assembled using a quick assembly ball-catch mechanism that feels secure and also allows for easy disassembly to try out different configurations. Out of the box, the WOBKEY Zen65 comes assembled with the PCB gasket sleeve mounts that feels comfortable to type on without too much flex. The WOBKEY Zen65 also comes with all of the foams pre installed which can be easily removed due to the ease of the ball catch mechanism to configure to your personal liking.

What is included in the Box?

Keyboard Case
Microfiber Keyboard Cover
Plate (PP or FR4)
PCB with Internal Battery
Stabilizers
Keycaps
Switches (HMX Violet or Kailh BOX)
Acoustic Foam Package
2.4GHz Receiver
Spare Screw (for top mount)
Spare Switches
Spare Gaskets
USB-C Cable
Switch and Keycap Puller
Carrying Case
Manual

Keyboard Sound

The WOBKEY Zen65 stock produces a marbly/creamy sound straight out of the box and is refined to have no hollowness or case ping.

The WOBKEY Zen65 offers multiple mounting options that each produce their own unique sound profiles. The gasket mount builds produce a more open and soft sound profile while the top mount produces a tighter clacky sound profile with modifier keys that are emphasized more. Since the WOBKEY Zen65 has an option for a PCB mounted design, it could be possible to also build a plateless configuration although it would not be recommended to do with a hotswap PCB.

With all of the foams removed, the WOBKEY Zen65 has a slightly brighter sound and sounds less foamy. The WOBKEY Zen65 has no case ping or hollowness with no foams as well. The heft of the bottom weights and batteries could help in creating a tighter sound that is more isolated. WOBKEY Zen65 also has a central brass plate installed on top of the bottom case that aims to improve resonance and produce a richer sound.

With no foams, the WOBKEY Zen65 has the potential to have a high pitched clacky sound if used with higher pitched switches such as HMX Violet, but overall, its sound profile lies within the mid tones creating a tasteful combination of the highs and lows that produces a creamy and marbly sound signature. One thing to note about the sound of the WOBKEY Zen65 with no foams installed is that the sound is slightly thinner and less full.

The brass plate not only adds a premium heft to the keyboard, but it also functions as a sound modifier to enhance the typing experience. The brass plate was implemented to evenly distribute the sounds and vibrations since brass resonates at a lower frequency than aluminum. This produces a deeper and a cleaner sound by reducing any potential hollowness or metallic ping that might be caused from an all-aluminum construction.

The WOBKEY Zen65 also has built in padding on the corners of the bottom case of the keyboard. These paddings help to align the keyboard when assembling as well as providing a built-in force break to prevent any metal-on-metal contact.

The WOBKEY Zen65 comes with pre-lubed switches and good quality dye sub PBT keycaps that sound great straight out of the box. The WOBKEY Zen65 has two options for switches: HMX Violet switch and Kailh Box switch. The WOBKEY Zen65 has a versatile sound that can be clacky, creamy, or thocky depending on how the keyboard is configured with different plates, switches, and foams.

WOBKEY Zen65 Review Video with Unboxing and Sound Test:

Keyboard Typing Feel

The WOBKEY Zen65 feels very comfortable and premium to type on straight out of the box with its PCB gasket leaf spring mount structure. The WOBKEY Zen65 comes prebuilt mounted with silicone gasket sleeves but has the option to be mounted in top mount as well as PCB gasket mount with dumbbell shaped silicone gaskets.

In its stock form with the gasket sleeves and all foams installed, the WOBKEY Zen65 offers comfortable typing experience. While it’s not overly bouncy, the gasket mounting still delivers a satisfying amount of cushioning for everyday use. I would describe the WOBKEY Zen65 to feel responsive and comfortable in its stock form. With the foams removed, the WOBKEY Zen65 feels softer and more flexible. Without the foams, pushing down with excessive force can cause the PCB to bottom out on the bottom case so it would be recommended to keep at least one layer of case foam to prevent damaging the PCB.

The plate mounted dumbbell gaskets and the PCB dumbbell gaskets also have a similar feel as the gasket sleeves but ever so slightly bouncier and softer.

If built in the top mount configuration, the WOBKEY Zen65 has a more solid typing feel than with the gasket mounts. The typing feels relatively stiffer than the gasket mounts but still provides a comfortable typing experience since the top mount provides a compact and responsive typing feel.

If built in a plateless configuration, the typing experience on the WOBKEY Zen65 would feel the softest and more flexible especially with the foams removed. However it is not recommended with a hotswap PCB.

The stock switches and stabilizers on the WOBKEY Zen65 feel premium to touch and to type on. The switches and stabilizers are pre-lubed and feel smooth and consistent with minimal stem wobble. The dyesub PBT keycaps feel comparable to more expensive sets and provides a matching aesthetic to the case color you choose. However, it can be noted that the legends on the WOBKEY Zen65 PBT keycaps may show slight inconsistencies in spacing or thickness though it may vary depending on the production batch.

Build Experience

Since the WOBKEY Zen65 comes prebuilt, the initial build experience is mostly comprised of the unboxing and setup experience. The WOBKEY Zen65 is amazing to use straight out of the box, but for those who are interested in tinkering with different configs (keycaps, switches, mounting, etc), below are our thoughts on the build experience.

The WOBKEY Zen65 has a screwless quick assembly system using a ball-catch mechanism. This makes the Zen65 incredibly easy to open to try out different configs since the ball-catch mechanism allows the top case to be unlatched from the bottom case without any unscrewing necessary.
The WOBKEY Zen65 uses a magnetic pogo connection to create an even easier assembly/disassembly without the need to deal with JST cables or ribbon cables.
When trying to insert or remove switches from plates/PCBs with flex cuts, it is recommended to fully open the case and remove the plate/PCB assembly when swapping out switches to prevent any damage to PCB or keyboard components. We would also recommend to use a plate fork (or tweezers if no plate fork) to help support the flex cut plate when inserting switches.

Things to Note

The On/Off switch for the Zen65 is located underneath the caps lock key so you would need to remove the keycap to access it. The On/Off switch for the Zen65 is slightly more convenient and user friendly to use because the physical switch is large enough to toggle on and off without using a tweezer or other tool.

Conclusion

The WOBKEY Zen65 is a high quality prebuilt custom mechanical keyboard that has yet again pushed the standard of the quality that can be achieved at a more affordable price. It is the first 65% keyboard by WOBKEY to join the 75% Rainy75 and 80% TKL Crush80. WOBKEY Zen65 has modern design features like the ball-catch mechanism, tri-mode connectivity, magnetic connectors, built in force break, and it even sounds great without any foams as well.

But it didn't stop there. The WOBKEY Zen65 decided to include more advance features to its design to create the best possible version of their 65% with the additional internal weight with stepped cut outs and the anodized chamfered edges. The WOBKEY Zen65 is a huge recommend for anyone looking for a custom mechanical 65% keyboard that is pre-built, affordable, hot-swappable, and high quality.

Starting at $89USD and up to $129USD, much like the Rainy75, the WOBKEY Zen65 has yet again set the standard for an affordable, premium feeling, and aesthetically pleasing custom mechanical keyboard now in a 65% form factor.

🛒 Shop the Zen65 on Kickstarter: 👉 link here.

💬 Got questions? Want us to compare it with a specific board? Drop it in the comments!

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WOBKEY Zen65 Keyboard Review