Voice65% by OwLabs: Innovative or ambitious?

Vikram B.
Jan 24, 2022
4 min read

Updated: Nov 3, 2022

One of the most innovative boards of the past year is finally here. An absolute stunner, this E-White + Black masterpiece is truly a work of art. But, was it worth the hype, and does it live up to the expectations? Specifications at the bottom.

Well, to keep it concise, yes. This is a really amazing board, and it really does exemplify the new and fresh things that OwLabs tried in their first international keyboard. And while it isn't perfect, there are features in this board that make up for it.

Let's start with the looks. The first thing that you notice is the protrusion on the right hand side of the board. Understandably, this was the eye-catching feature that OwLabs used to market their board. On this right side we find a light bar with many customizable, preprogrammed actions (which will be covered more later), and a black knob near the top. In terms of looks, it's a really cool design, and the subtle then aggressive curve towards the top with the knob peeking out shows class and attention to design. Moving to the other parts of the board, we see a normal 65% layout with a fixed bottom row, caps lock, and backspace if you choose the hotswap version (there is a solder PCB available if you choose). I personally really do like the mid-seam that is present in the board, and the black inside is a nice contrast with the white coating. The side profile is quite normal with a normal wedge design. Nothing to see here. Moving onto the back, we find four right angle shaped feet, which all compliment the geometric design nicely. The weight is quite simple, featuring a small OwLabs design, with a date when the company was founded.

Overall the looks of this board are great if you like the 65% layout. With that being said, there are some things that I would like to see if this would ever come out with an r2 (which is practically impossible). First, the weight could be a bit bigger. In relation to the size of the board, the weight is very small, and I think that they could have done a better job with the size of the weight. Second, I think that they could have offered different colored knobs (because you can remove and take apart the knob's daughterboard). It adds just that little bit of personality, and it's always cool to customize your board if you feel. Obviously, these are quite nitpicky, but, nevertheless, things that I felt myself wanting when using this board.

Disclaimer: Post-processing as been done to this image.

Moving to the most important, typing feel and sound. For full disclaimer, I am using this board with 1mil MX Browns, and all layers of foam + tape mod. This board is really really cool, and starts the OwLabs trend of excessive foam in their boards. It comes with three main foams, ESD sheet, case foam, and plate foam. Using all three and the tape mod means that this board sounds very full, and most of the switches sounds pretty good. The gasket mount that is used is very firm (even without foams), but it does its job nicely. It isn't the nicest sounding board, but with all the foam it feels decent. The low front height and typing angle means that it is easy for everyone to use and its overall quite comfortable. If there was one word I would use to describe this typing experience, it would be comfortable. It's not exceptional, nor will it make you drop every other board, but it's comfortable.

Some other features that are nicely integrated on this board: First, the lighting of the LED bar on the right side is bright and easy to see. There is little to no bleed, and the diffuser does a nice job. The most important thing is the integrated software to switch the color, brightness, and pattern of the lighting effect. This is a welcome change as having no software means you can change the look of your board on the fly. While you can't make your own patterns, there are numerous preset ones for you to pick from. Overall, big thumbs up. Next, we see the per-key RGB already installed onto the PCBs, something which isn't common in a lot of higher end enthusiast keyboards, but is a welcome change for those who want it. Just note, that with many opaque switches and caps, there is little to no bleed through as the LED's, while bright, aren't bright enough to go through switches. Lastly would be the knob that is found above the LED strip. The knob is smooth, but has distinct bumps, which add to the satisfying feel when using it to control volume. Additionally, they have preprogrammed other actions for the knob which include scrolling pages, and scrolling smoothly through the page. Both are useful, and just generally nice to have. All these features are nice to have on a board like this, and with the pricing as low as it is, this is a really cool board in the mid-level range that can be a great second or third board!

Overall, this board is a really refreshing sight to see, especially in the hobby where there is much of the same. The LED bar on the right, combined with the knob is something that is really different, and something that will cement OwLabs spot in the market as a new designer with fresh ideas.

Edit: Since the posting, there have been updates to the firmware. Now you do not need to use a .json file to use VIA, Voice65 has been integrated into VIA natively. Additionally, until this is changed, OwLabs are still providing extra PCBs for sale on their website, something that few companies do, especially after such a long period of time. Kudos to you OwLabs!