Turtle Beach
After four years of clacking , I was quick for a change .
I first made the leap from a tissue layer keyboard toa mechanical onein 2020 with an $ 80 Aukey keyboard . It was a hulking good deal laden with 104 keys , an enormous book node , and garish blue button specifically there for on - board RGB customization . Its flaws did n’t come to me , though ; I was too busy obsessing over the sweet phone of clicking . It did n’t take much to turn me into a convert , as I could feel myself typing with better precision thanks to the tactile and audio feedback .
Turtle Beach
A lot has changed for me in those four years . A shedding African tea and a new home co - functional setup with my collaborator intend that my loud , hair - garner PC apparatus had become a detriment to my needs . I require a novel answer , andTurtle Beach ’s Vulcan 2 TKL Prowas the perfect experiment . The keyboard would once again push me out of my typing comfort geographical zone by introducing me to the world of magnetic Hall Effect switches . Now that I ’ve essay it , I ’m not sure I ’ll be fail back anytime before long .
Magnetic typing
I lead off running into problem with my Aukey setup about a yr into owning it . While I was doting of its loud switches , they tended to amass cat hair and other debris much faster than I consider . I was constantly wrenching keys off to scavenge it , draw up spools of dust . It did n’t hold up to wear and tear very well either , as key fruit would systematically beat on me after a few years of constant use . The last straw came when my lady friend and I moved in together and I suddenly became hyper - aware of just how loud the switches were . That , match with a move to a low desk space , mean that I had a mickle of problems to puzzle out .
While my original plan was to move toa similar Alienware mechanical keyboard , I decided to give the Vulcan 2 TKL Pro a endeavour when it came across my desk for examination . Its compact size was a much upright fit for my needs , so that was a honest start . I plug it in , keep an eye on its livid shape light up up with color , and commence typewrite . I was take aback for a moment ; it felt and sounded all unlike than what I was used to , but I could n’t figure out why .
What I had n’t realize at the time is that the Vulcan 2 usesmagnetic Hall Effect switchesinstead of the stock mechanical single I was used to . That ’s a newer technology in which the keys do n’t actually make physical touch with anything when pressed . Instead , they use magnets to register key stroke . In theory , that contribute to both more - precise typing and more - durable keys . consider that my old keyboard needed constant maintenance , I was especially intrigue by that 2nd part . Despite my initial unease about the feel , I determine to stick with it .
The Vulcan 2 ’s switches are much quieter than what I ’m used to .
The first hurdle was getting used to what felt like a voiceless , inadequate hold back when I iron a key down . The Vulcan ’s switch felt a picayune more rigid than what I was used to originally , which ab initio felt a little intemperately on my finger’s breadth . Once I adjusted to that ( using the Swarm 2 app to set propulsion ) , I quickly get a sentience for how gratify Hall Effect switches can be .
My typing has mat more fluid than my older mechanically skillful keyboard , as I can move between key faster without lose accuracy . That ’s help by the fact that the Vulcan 2 uses some especially smooth key cap that almost make me feel like I ’m gliding over porcelain tiles . They ’re thin caps resting on high switch , leaving a circle of outer space for the RGB illumination to shine through and substantiate each individual keystroke with a speedy flash .
While the flavour may be an acquired taste , the drop-off in decibel stratum is a big rise . With no forcible contact being made , the Vulcan 2 ’s switches are much quieter than what I ’m used to . The sound is more in between a mechanically skillful and membrane keyboard . They still make a noise , but it ’s more of a muted clacking , as if I ’m typing under a mantle . It ’s a warmer , less harsh note that I ’m sure will be importantly less annoying to my girl when she ’s working one way away .
The self-aggrandizing test , though , would come down to how well it would manage the muss that come from a hombre who loves to hang out on my desk . Her desquamation was ultimately my mechanically skillful keyboard ’s downfall , and I hoped that Hall Effect switch would get disembarrass of any contact interferences that might have been cutting into my keystroke .
While it ’s too early to say how that ’ll shake out , I have noticed that it ’s much easy for me to actually see that debris in my keyboard now . Because of its stinting substitution pattern , I can see straight down to the table and blemish any stray hairs between key . That prepare it easy to maintain on the fly ball , as I can but blow it out rather than rick keys off to even see the add-in . That makes me hopeful that I ’ll have a keyboard that both last longer and look clean .
For the time being , I do n’t design on packing up my Vulcan 2 anytime soon . I ’m sold on the concept of Hall Effect tech for now thanks to accurate typing , well-off customization , and a gentler sound . Turtle Beach ’s stab at it experience stiff , especially at a $ 150 toll point , even if I like the key had just a bit more flex to them ( extras like a volume knob , palm rest , and the very utile Swarm 2 app make up for that nitpick ) .
Will my honeymoon phase stand the trial of time , or will I be looking to the next heavy trend once my keys inevitably wear out ? I ’ll tell you in four days , but something assure me the Vulcan 2 will survive that postponement .
