Paying for Style | Epomaker Akko Neon 3061 Review & Keycaps Discussion
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- Äas pĆidĂĄn 5. 08. 2024
- In this video I'll go over my thoughts about the Akko Neon 3061 Bluetooth 5.0 mechanical keyboard with Gateron Oranges. Overall, I think at $110 it's pretty expensive, but you're paying for higher quality keycaps and a matching case & USB cable.
I'll also express my opinions about how the keycaps on this board closely resembles GMK Laser. I feel better about this set vs. some of the sets by HK Gaming, where they directly copied the novelties, but I would love to hear your thoughts about budget keycaps clones/knock-offs/highly-inspired sets in the comments.
This keyboard was provided to me by Epomaker for my honest review. I was not paid for this video, and Epomaker did not have a say in the creation of this review, or saw it before it went live.
Akko Neon 3061
epomaker.com/products/akko-ne...
Akko Neon Keycaps
epomaker.com/products/akko-ne...
You can currently pre-order SA Laser as of February 2021
drop.com/buy/drop-mito-sa-las...
0:00 Intro
0:19 Unboxing
0:50 Build Overview
2:09 North-facing Switches Tests
3:16 Bluetooth 5.0
4:16 Macros
6:11 85% PBT Keycaps
7:29 Similarities to GMK Laser
10:55 Conclusion
12:15 Typing Test
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iâm gunna get this for my birthday it looks đ„
I am split on this issue with clones aswell. On one side, as a designer myself, I know how annoying it is when your design gets ripped off. At the same time, as a consumer, I think itâs sort of absurd how exclusive the keyboard market can be. Iâm pretty deep in the hobby and even I canât justify always having to be ready to quickly buy an expensive set and wait a whole year to get the item. I think the clones represent the heavy imbalance of supply and demand in this market. Best case scenario is all these Chinese clone companies force keyboard companies and vendors to resort to another method other than group buys. I really donât under stand why some of these vendor donât make contracts with some of these designers so they can have high quality gmk sets that are actually in stock.
I don't think we'll ever get to a point where GMK sets are constantly in stock, considering how big their queue is. Drop is the only one who gets close to keeping GMK in stock, but those can get limited at times. But there are other manufacturer who can make nice, quality, value keycaps. Would def love to see designers & vendors working together to keep keycap sets in-stock.
Isn't the point of drop culture to keep supply artificially low? They do that shit on purpose so I'm glad we have clones to replace them.
Bro this aint no meaningful design, nobody cares if it gets stolen. Especially the lazer set is literally just two colors thrown together, its nothing special
Very informative and well made video. Thank you for the info on the interference, I was thinking of getting this keycap set for a north facing board that I own, so I was slightly concerned.
i'd hardly call these doubleshot PBT keycaps a clone of these more expensive ABS keycaps, if anything they are just making the keycaps properly
I just wish there was more in stock options for custom keycaps.
For sure. You could start a debate about what makes something "custom," such as the limited quantity of them. But ignoring that, what it comes down to is that there isn't a lot of in-stock options in comparison to the higher-end sets. Instead of designers going to GMK/Infinikey/Keycreative where there's a huge backlog and it's one-off runs, what if instead we saw designers working with reputable vendors and manufactures to keep them as in-stock, mid-tier options.
If you look at AliExpress they have gmk keycap clones that use the same molds as the keycaps in this video. Look up âgmk-yâ they are actually really good quality, the only down side is it take a while to arrive from China (about a month shipping time)
Neon keycaps are really good for the price
Got mine from taobao recently
Great video as usual sir! As for the north facing switch vs. Cherry profile keycaps issue, tt seems like newer switch designs have been taking this problem in consideration and slightly changing the shape of their top housings as a result. I've also seen Cherry profile keycaps (non GMK ones) that have a different structure (ridges in different positions and orientations on the inside of the cap) that also seems to avoid clashing with switches' top housing when installed on the north facing position.
So it is possible that Akko used one or both of these remedies to avoid the problem altogether in this keyboard.
Thanks for the info! I did try to measure the insides of the akko neon & gmk keycaps..but I did not have the right tools for that.
No iso support,sadge
I really agree with what u said about clones. I donât really care about Akko being the same color because they have different novelties, and different keycaps number. I wish they changed the color a little but I really respect them for coming out with a few completely original sets like the Tokyo world tour. I also love their cs switches. However I would respect and like hk gaming but they blatantly copy gm sets and they donât even care about it. I think they are a bad company even though the keycaps are decent for 40$
do they fit on the sk 61 from skyloong, and is it important if i have optical or mechanical switches`?
Great review Jimmy! I agree with you, this keycap set is pretty similar BUT since it's impossible to get the original ones... it is what it is. This doesn't hurt the original set, especially because usually the original artist don't go with 2nd or 3rd run.
It's pretty annoying to have to wait 1 year to get a keycap set or to pay x2, x3, x4 the original price to buy used by someone else because everything is so HARD to get it.
How many months to ship? 12-14 if you're lucky atm with GMK sets. I just like that I have more options for PBT sets as I don't use ABS.
Does this keyboard use arrow keys as a secondary function of WASD? Does it also have media shortcuts too? Otherwise, no reason to get this over a Snowfox for the same price in bangood.
3:00 on the GMK I definitely could here some interference, the South facing keycap had a deeper and louder sound like it wasn't hitting the switch, however on the default keycaps I couldn't really tell the difference
Agree though I wish HK and akko would make their own dope color ways. Also using the clones colors are as good and accurate to the resl thing either. But Hk sets are a really nice feel and price regardless tho.
The clone keycap argument is such a difficult one. The artist puts in a lot of work for the design. However, they are just colours at the end of the day.
Plus they're very rarely available.
I don't have a moral problem with it at all really. I know most people in the community truly feel you're allowed to copyright 'light blue legends on purplish keys' and maybe even that's legal. But I don't think that's right.
@@cinialvespow1054 Well said. GMK 8008 was designed based on the colours of a sports bra. I wonder if Omnitype (DixieMech) gave credit to the original artist who designed that bra colour theme.
im a malaysian and any keycaps that costs 100 dollars is 4times the price in our currency. and to wait for 6months + for a GMK keycaps its pretty tough.
to answer the copycat question. how do you copyright a colour combination? its different than copying music notes or a classical painting. you are just using the same colour palette that is open for everyone else. i dont mean to spread hate here but just trying to share a point of view as a budget keyboard enthusiast from a smol asian country
That's a great point about other currency besides USD. To go back to the color question, technically I don't think you can copyright colors (other than like paintings, but I don't think you can compare colors for keycaps with paintings), but you can trademark them. But I honestly don't care for the legal perspective. Does it feel right or wrong? Where is that line drawn? My perspective has shifted a bit since I created this video-I don't mind if color combinations are copied (that's just what's going to happen if designers continue to go with GMK and their long wait times + expensive keycaps), but I draw the line at novelties. Copying colorways + branding (such as the set name) also doesn't sit well for me, but not as bad as copying novelties.
@@jimmynguyen973 hello Jimmy, thanks for the notice senpai!! i see... okay yes i very much agree. i also hold true to the saying "you pay for what you get" which also applies here. i have yet to actually own a GMK-level keycaps but i do believe that the quality will definitely tell the difference that if its a legit or not. anyway.. thanks for the reply my dude huge fan!!
Same in the Philippines. GMK sets are always double the price at the minimum.
@@vectivuz1858 Akko mid ftw
Does anyone know if it is hot swap I want to clip and lube the stabs but donât want to damage anything
Not hotswap so you wonât be able to clip them, but you may be able to shove some lube into the housing
I completely agree with you on clones, it doesnt really effect the seller of the original design most of the time, and not everyone can spend 100+ on keycaps, and wait months to get it, let alone actually joining a group buy on time. i do think they should give some sort of credit, but its good to have cheaper sets that more people can afford
if you order the keyboard off of banggod beware it might not come with the keycap puller,thats what happened for me
file a complaint, you might be able to get the a full refund lol
I will just buy the keycaps and i will buy a keyboard razer hunstman mini
Can you use this on keychron k6 ?
Yes, the akko neon keycaps should work on keychron k6
Can these keys caps be swapped with other ones?
Yup, any standard MX stem keycaps
can you foam mod this ?
I do think it's unfortunate for the designers, however the same happens with fast fashion. If anything, it won't affect the enthusiasts as they will still await official GB. Hopefully it drives more people into the hobby which will eventually lead to more manufacturing access and products such as the GMMK Pro. I was going to get the epomaker GK96s because southpaw /bluetooth would be great for work. Now I'm debating if I should compromise and wait for the Ikki68 Aurora
x Mizu and get the BT PCB T_T
Great job as always, love the variety of keyboard content haha
Oo hard choice, I didn't know about the Ikki68 Aurora. Hmm guess it's a choice of functionality vs aesthetic.
I do agree that budget keycaps drives more people into the hobby. But I hope to see more original, budget-oriented keycaps.
@@jimmynguyen973 Absolutely, more original budget keycaps would be amazing!
picking like 5 colours on a palette and making thousands of dollars is unfortunate?
The sadists/ patient gentlemen willing to drop 300 dollars on keycaps and wait a year for them, are not gonna stop doing so just because there is a 'clone' available.
@@cinialvespow1054 I agree with you that no one should "own" colors, which is why I'm ultimately okay with this neon set, but there are clones out there that also copy novelties, and that's where it crosses the line for me.
It's not unfortunate because the GMK sets will start selling less, because I don't think they will, but it's the fact that someone is profiting off someone's creative work in the end. If it's just colors, then I don't mind.
But I just saw that there are clones of a GMK set that's currently in GB. It's been in IC for a while, so someone decided to clone it, novelties included. Will it hurt their sale? I doubt it, the set is on fire right now, and like you mention the people who would buy the clones are not the ones who would buy GMK sets. But it's still unfortunate for the designer for someone to yoink their work.
I think it's pretty big headed to think you forever own light blue legends on purplish keys, just because you 'designed' (picked like 6 colours and made sure you like how they look together) a set of 250 dollar keycaps that can only be bought in a 1 month period and you wait a year for them.
They're just colours,.
This is fine, and I'm glad there are companies willing to meet the demand.
This is definitely a clone keycap set. The color combinations are âcopiedâ, if they changed the color combinations, or changed how they used the colors that would be something different. Itâs like music, you can use different notes on a key to produce something similar but different. This keycap set just straight out copies.
Drop the link for them glasses pls
www.jins.com/us/men/snorlax-model.html đ€
@@jimmynguyen973 we about to be twins
another thing is that this keeb and keycaps ship to the uk with fairly cheap if no shipping fees, this is god as ppl in the uk that enjoy the hobby such as myself, can never buy high end keeb parts and group buys without paying the same or more in shipping as the actual product. another point is that GMK sets are always bout of stock or sells out instantly, making it doubly hard to get your hands on high end parts in the UK. there really is no right answer to if these are truly a knock-off, as there are numerous positives and negatives.
That's a great point about the final price people have to pay in the UK & other markets due to shipping fees/VAT/etc. Right now, I think of knock-offs as a necessary evil. If it's too expensive or difficult to get something somewhere and there's a demand for it, someone will find a way to fulfill that demand.. And I still don't think these cheaper options will hurt the high-end keycap sets, but rather make them more popular during future runs.
It's like however many years ago, most people watch anime illegally from pirated sites because the content was too difficult to get. Now that anime has blown up, it has become much easier to consume that content legally & support the original creators.
Do you think this keyboard is better than the dk61 or the gk61 ?
depends on the features youre looking for, and how much you're looking to spend. Epomaker sells the neon 3061 for $110 (altho I hear you can get it cheaper), which makes it more expensive than those keyboards. however, the keycaps on the neon 3061 are high quality, and the whole keyboard is themed to match the case. but you're missing out on hotswap sockets with the 3061.
@@jimmynguyen973 ok so what keyboard do YOU recommend for 100$ or less ?
This keabord is good FOR games?
it'll work fine for games, any keyboard will be fine.
1:05 I wish my ex girlfriend had the same rubber feet
Iâm pretty sure the âgateron whiteâ is just a gateron clear
also is there a way i could get one for free and do a review on it like you did bro?
I was contacted by Epomaker for this, so my best advice is to build up an audience of people who are interested in mechanical keyboards, and Epomaker will reach out if they see value in sending you one
@@jimmynguyen973 thanks
I'm with you on "ripping off the design of other peoples work is BAD" if that was a unique keycap profile of some sort or a keyboard case design... but let's be honest, it's just COLOR of the keycaps. You'd have to be crazy for calling something that has the same colors a RIPOFF. Sure, if it has the same exact accent keys that have a unique design, then yeah, maybe. But I don't see how you can even call picking colors designing. It's a bit overkill :)
Love the channel - keep it up ^.^
About the keycaps - I think it's a shame that cheaper in stock keycaps tend to be ripoffs of other peoples sets that they have worked on. Would be great if there were some cheaper options that were more of their own original idea. A lot of people can't afford / don't want to wait for GMK sets to ship and it sucks that there aren't really a whole lot of really good options to fill that gap. If someone was never going to buy a GMK set like Olivia for example, it's not a bad thing to buy the knock off; I just think it's more of a problem that the knock off exists if that makes sense.
Clones are kinda a toss up. recently ive noticed its quite a trend for popular high end products to have clones from more budget friendly brands. take airpods for example, they came out at quite a highg price, and within around a year there were good quality but cheaper clones, such as raycons. they share similar traits, such as coming in a case and wireless charging, but are also good quality. i belive it is the same for the akko neon, were epomaker are a known budgewt brand, and have produced quality keebs before. if it was a random brand on amazon that had produced these i believe that they would've been just a cash grab, but i genuinely believe that epomaker are trying to make higher end keeb accessories more avaible to the community. however they should have made a few changes or given credit to gmk.
I don't think you can say raycons are clones of airpods. Airpods proved that the market wanted true wireless earbuds, and now other companies are joining in. There are literal clones of airpods, but many choices out there are different in many ways, such as the price as you're mentioning.
I believe Epomaker is a reseller for the AKKO neon 3061 / keycap set, as you can buy the keycap set from other places. But I do agree that Epomaker is working on making higher-end keyboards and accessories more available to consumers by fulfilling the demand in this mid-tier category (not as cheap as $20-$40 sets, but not as expensive as GMK)
@@jimmynguyen973 The market wanted true wireless earbuds.... when they removed the ability to have wired earbuds ;)
Incredible how big of a hit airpods were. And on another perspective, it has brought us much nicer and cheaper bluetooth buds options than we had pre airpods.
I resent the possible copycat crap let me be clear on that, but I really dont care about GMK and their shiny ABS keycaps...GMK keycaps should make more PBT keycapsets.
I agree about shiny ABS keycaps, I have a love-hate relationship with GMK because of that. But I don't think GMK will make PBT keycaps anytime soon, I'm betting on other manufactures to fulfill the demand for high-quality PBT keycaps like Infinikey & Keyreative (although they can have their problems)
mua set keycap neon cĂł váș» ngon hÆĄn
Color pallete. Not design. GMK's are overpriced anyway.