HEAVY SHELL PARE65 Review｜The best keystroke feel produced by a super-heavyweight body

There are a great many criteria for selecting a keyboard.

It is also a well-known fact that the so-called “swamp” factor is so strong that there is no limit to how particular you can be about the body material, weight, hot swap or not, mounting method, and so on.

Among these, the most important factor is the “actual keystroke feel and sound.

HEAVY SHELL PARE65 is a keyboard that we highly recommend to those who are particular about the keystroke feel.

This article reviews the actual use of the HEAVY SHELL PARE65, which is being held in GB for a limited time at KPepublic.

Please watch to the end!

PARE65 was provided free of charge for review by KPepublic. If PARE65 is purchased through this site link, GreenEchoes Studio, which operates GreenKeys, may receive compensation. Any profit generated from this page will be applied to the operation of GreenKeys. Please understand this in advance.

Use coupon code: HOTTYHOTTEA for $5.00 off.

About PARE65 Specifications

First, let’s look at the specifications of PARE65.

Review of PARE65 with photos of actual equipment

Let’s begin our review with a look at the photos of the actual device.

The DIY kit was provided to us as a preliminary review.

PARE65 comes in a sturdy semi-soft case like this one.

Let’s open the contents.

As you can see, there is quite a lot going on.

There is no build guide for assembly. (Instructions are provided at the bottom of the contents)

If you are familiar with assembly, you can probably create it in about an hour.

No additional soldering work is required since the PCB board is pre-soldered with Kailhn’s hot-swap sockets and rotary encoders.

Layout selection is not available, only the standard 65% layout is supported.

The mounting method is a silicone sock gasket mount via a switch plate.

This simple and clear cushioning mechanism is a major mounting method used in Meletrix’s Zoom series and QWERTY KEYS’ QK series, and is characterized by a core key feel that is not too soft.

Very unusually, the switch plate has LEDs.

As for the power supply, it seemed to be provided from the contacts by the rotary encoder.

Perhaps because they are positioned one step higher than regular LEDs, they glow beautifully.

The case is breathtakingly beautifully sculpted, with no irregularities in the paintwork in any detail.

The rugged design and its weight satisfy the desire for ownership.

As for the keyboard dimensions, the bezel width is approximately 10 mm, the height of the front side of the case is approximately 20 mm, and the height of the back side is approximately 40 mm, almost the same as a typical 65% layout keyboard.

The tilt angle is fixed at approximately 8.5 degrees.

A unique feature is that the top case can be removed.

With this construction, I can enjoy looking at the entire circumference of the keyboard without making the screw holes visible on the bottom.

The Benefits of PARE65

Now that we have looked at the exterior, let’s take a look at some of the advantages of PAR65 that we have found in actual use.

Very good key feel

First, please see this typing sound review.

The keyswitch uses NuPhy Night Breeze.

Night Breeze has a relatively loud bottoming sound and crackly keyswitches, but it has the disadvantage of being quite loud on keyboards with immature sound-absorbing mechanisms.

The PARE65’s sock gasket mounting mechanism and three layers of cushioning foam work together to create a tight keystroke feel.

Very high degree of perfection and beautiful overall keyboard appearance

This is better if you take a closer look at the pictures rather than the text.

The PARE65 is a truly beautifully shaped keyboard.

The keyboard as a whole is a work of art as a single metal frame, aided by the thoroughness of not showing the screw holes.

Easy-to-use 65% layout with keymap changes

Although PARE65 does not have any layout variations, it is a popular 65% layout, so it will be a smooth transition from any keyboard.

The function keys can also be entered by combination typing with the Fn key on the right side of the space bar and the numeric keys.

The most important point is that it is an independent arrow key.

In addition, VIA support allows the user to change the keymap as well as register macro keys.

As for VIA, a dedicated .json file is required since the .json has not been merged. As for the recommended software, it is not VIA on the web, but the installation type Ver 2.2.0.

via-2.2.0-mac.dmg

via-2.2.0-win.exe

Cost-effective and satisfying.

PARE65 is extremely cost-effective.

The barebone kit starts at $242.00, which is inexpensive for such luxurious metal materials at this price point.

LED light mounts are special and beautiful

PARE65 LED lights are attached to the back of the switch plate, not to the PCB base.

This will allow you to enjoy even more vibrant lighting than with a regular keyboard.

The Disadvantages of PARE65

Now that we know about the appeal of PARE65, let’s look at some of the disadvantages you may want to check before you buy.

Very short time available for purchase.

Perhaps the most significant disadvantage of PARE65 is that it is available for purchase for a very short period of time.

PARE65 can only be purchased from the vendor, KPrepublic, and is not a regular sale item; it is a “group buy format” (GB format), which means that it is available for a very short time.

The deadline for purchase is October 31, Beijing time, so you need to make your decision early.

Payment methods are limited to PayPal.

PayPal is the only accepted payment method for PARE65.

Please note that credit card payments are not available for purchase.

No build guide as far as DIY kits are concerned.

Unfortunately, PARE65 does not have a build guide.

If you have assembled such a custom keyboard barebone kit at least once before, you can assemble it without problems, but if it is your first time, it seems to be quite difficult to assemble.

How to build PARE65

Let’s take a brief look at how to assemble the PARE65 DIY kit.

Summary｜If in doubt, you should buy a one-of-a-kind keyboard.

This is my review of PARE65.

The key feel is similar to that of the Zoom65 and QK65, which use the same aluminum body and sock gasket mounting system, but the overwhelming weight of the case also contributes to the outstanding stability of the keys.

A keyboard made of such a luxurious piece of metal and available at this price is a real rarity.

The GB period is short and there is little room to think…but if you have any doubts at all, you will not regret buying.

We hope PARE65 will be your partner in a wonderful keyboard life.