Introduction

So far 2024 is really shaping up to be the year of the Hall effect magnetic switch keyboards. We've seen entries from a lot of brands already, with everyone using these switches to showcase the customizable actuation point and near-instantaneous actuation, in addition to a generally smoother typing feel owing to the absence of moving parts in contact with one other. The great equalizer here is that currently there are very few magnetic switch manufacturers, unlike with mechanical switches that currently boast many factories churning out millions of switches annually. As such, differentiating your pre-assembled Hall effect keyboard can be hard, and you would have to resort to the rest of the keyboard to carve out a unique identity. Varmilo has a lot of experience doing exactly this, thanks to its team of artisans and engineers working together to put out keyboards that often resemble works of art. There are currently two Hall effect keyboards sold by the Chinese keyboard brand, and today we examine its latest.


I first saw the Varmilo Muse65 in person at Computex 2024, although it was mostly a quick visit of the entire booth since the brand seemingly did not have anyone who could speak English and was in the marketing side of things—unbelievable! The people there also seemed to think I was wanting to be a retailer for Varmilo despite my multiple attempts to convince them otherwise, to the point where even emails thereafter did not help. I had almost given up on further Varmilo keyboard reviews thus, but Mechkeys came to the rescue and offered me a pick of the five themes that the Muse65 keyboards is sold in. These five options differ in aesthetics only, with different themes and colorways for the keycaps and case alike. I have the Aurora version here, characterized by its colors aiming to mimic the Northern lights. The Muse65 is a wired-only keyboard that uses a full CNC-machined aluminium case, and aims to be one of the more premium such magnetic switch keyboards on the market today. Thanks to Mechkeys for providing a review sample to TechPowerUp, and we begin with a look at the product specifications in the table below.

Specifications

Packaging and Accessories

Varmilo has gone with simpler packaging designs lately, especially for keyboard lines which consist of multiple themed iterations on a base keyboard structure. With the Muse65, we get a pastel green cardboard box with the brand logo and product description on the front—note how this is being marketed as a gaming keyboard—and contact information on the back. A sticker on the side confirms the exact configuration inside, with this unit having the Aurora theme and using the Gateron Magnetic White switches. Lift off the thick lid to reveal foam lining and even more foam all around the keyboard for added protection, in addition to a wax paper wrap and hard plastic dust cover.


The included accessories are found either in a separate marked cardboard box or underneath the keyboard, as with the multi-language user manual (online copy here). We also get the expected USB Type-A to Type-C cable, in black and not necessarily custom-made to match the keyboard I have, as well as a combination metal wire keycap puller and switch remover tool—both look and feel nice though and should do the job well. That's it for the unboxing experience, no spare keycaps or spare switches here unlike with most other Varmilo keyboards we've covered before.