In the world of mechanical keyboards, the sound profile is almost as important as the typing feel. While many prefer clicky and tactile switches for optimal auditory feedback, some prefer a silent typing experience. This opens up an interesting niche in the market – the quest for the quietest keyboards.

A popular tech reviewer recently got his hands on a keyboard that claims to be the “world’s quietest.” Coming from a company called Vermilo, it promises virtually silent keystrokes right out of the box. Of course, he wasn’t going to take their word for it. He decided to fully test and modify this keyboard to see just how quiet he could make it.

Initial Impressions

Right away, the reviewer noticed the Vermilo keyboard has a very smooth, pillowy feel. The keycaps are PBT with a clean, minimalist color scheme. Under the hood, it uses unique “Prestige Silent” switches designed specifically for this board. They have a dampening system on both the stem and bottom to reduce noise without sacrificing feel.

The keyboard lacks any visible screws, which worried the reviewer as he planned to open it up. It also mysteriously smells like men’s cologne, likely to cover up any manufacturing odors. At $136, it hits a nice price point for a fully built board. An RGB version is also available for just $7 more.

Teardown Reveals Innovative Design

To the reviewer’s dismay, the Vermilo custom keyboard is extremely difficult to take apart, with plastic clips that must be broken. Vermilo likely knew he would attempt this, and intentionally made it hard to open.

Inside, he discovered several noise dampening techniques. It uses a gasket mount, with silicone rings between the plate and barebone PCB. There is also foam lining the case, and rubber pads at the bottom. The gasket mount prevents reverberations, allowing the switches themselves to shine in their silence.

The reviewer then added small tape mods to further improve acoustics. However, the unusual screw placement made reassembly extremely tricky after tampering.

Extremely Quiet Acoustics

After reassembling the “broken” keyboard, the reviewer was impressed by its uniquely muted sound signature. For a stock board, it achieves an uncanny degree of silence. The gasket mount and custom switches complement each other perfectly to minimize noise.

He compared it to a tactile Vermilo board, which sounded satisfyingly clacky by contrast. This demonstrates the massive difference switch choice makes in a fixed design. It also shows the specialty Prestige Silent switches were truly built for stealth.

Is It the New Quietest?

So is this really the mythical world’s quietest keyboard? With its robust combination of custom switches, gaskets, foam, and pads, the reviewer believes it makes a strong case for the title. The price is also very competitive for such an innovative design.

However, the difficult modability means you must accept the stock sound. Attempting to alter or improve it comes at a big risk of permanent damage. For those who just want a silent typing experience without tinkering, the Vermilo checks all the boxes. It achieves impressively muted acoustics right out of the box.