Specs:
Upper Keyboard:
- Alumaze 60 “Just Black” Case
- Wooting 60 HE Steel Plate
- Wooting 60 HE PCB and Switches (Lubed)
- GMK Nightrunner Keycaps
- Stock Stabilizer
- Case Foam of the Alumaze Kit
- 1 Layer of 1.5mm Neoprene
- All Standoffs
- O-Ring Mounted
- Screws barely tightened
- 2 Layers of Tape Mod
Lower Keyboard:
- Tofu 60 Redux Orange Case
- Wooting 60 HE Steel Plate
- Wooting 60 HE PCB and Switches (Lubed)
- MW Commute Keycaps
- Stabilizers (Lubed)
- Case Foam of the Tofu 60 Redux
- 1 Layer of 1.5mm Neoprene
- Brass Weight
- All Standoffs
- O-Ring Mounted
- Screws barely tightened
- 2 Layers of Tape Mod
Comparison:
I tried to make a roughly fair comparison but there were some noticable changes from my old Wooting to the new one i received. I had to lube my old Stabilizers but the new ones came with more then enough lube on it. I didnt bother to mess with them any further. Also my old Wooting is already a year old and the switches have been removed two times and opened. The new Wooting came with better prelubed switches then the old one. For the sake of comparison i lubed them myself after cleaning them. Obviously there can also be a different soundwise between the Milkyway Keycaps and the GMK Set. But i also tested the old one with GMK Wasabi V2 for a better comparison soundwise. So what was the take away?
- Without the Neoprene Sheet in both keyboards the Alumaze Case sounds noticably more clacky while the Tofu tends to be a little deeper in sound. With the added Neoprene Sheet it was a lot less noticable.
- At least in my configuration (especially with having all Standoffs i guess) i had a REALLY hard time to get both keyboards to sound consistently the same. This was especially a problem with the Tofu 60 Redux. There were multiple areas were the sound drastically changed. Especially “E” and “D” key. This was not solvable for me through a switch change. But maybe it has to do with the center Standoff which most people tend not to install. The Alumaze had these issues to a lesser degree.
- In Terms of Centering the USB-C Port both Cases did that without any problems. Obviously you have to keep that in Mind if you apply additional foam.
- The Brass Weight made a great difference for the Tofu 60 Redux. I highly recommend it. Without it the sound was noticable thinner.
- Both Builds were pretty easy to perform without any issues.
- From an aesthetics standpoint i didnt have any quality issues with any of the two cases.
- Both Cases have a nearly identical front height (the Alumaze is actually 1 or 2 mm higher). The difference lies in the typing angle that is adjustable on the Alumaze 60 Redux and is in standard configuration noticably lower. Obviously ergonomics and intuitive use is highly subjective. I found it more comfortable writting on the Tofu case with a wristrest, while i prefered to use the Alumaze without a Wristrest.
- In my configuration the Plate and PCB sits a little to high in the Tofu Case for my preference. if you look at it from the front at an (pretty much unusual) low angle you see a lot of the plate under the keycaps. That isnt noticable during normal use though.
Conclusion:
To me there are multiple points that can need to be considered when choosing the “winner” for you here. I would say if you already have an aluminium case the only really reason to switch is if you hate the sound profile and want something different…doesnt mean its necessarily better. I had my Wooting 60HE in a Blade 60 Case before and the “upgrade” in sound is definitly not worth the price.
Going to the aesthetics i would say there are reasons here that can help you decide. If you hate the latch for the carry handle you know already that you shouldnt consider the Alumaze. The gold Accent in the lower left on the Alumaze Case is something that i personally like but its not for every theme and setup going to work. From a quality standpoint i find the Tofu to be a little bit less glossy on the finish which didnt make it an as horrible finger print magnet as the Alumaze…but that might be depending more on the color then anything else. The Tofu Case is noticable more heavy then the Alumaze but both feel solid on the table and soundwise the impact doesnt seem to be there. Also there is the obviously much bigger variety of color options for the Tofu
Ergonomics could be an undervalued point in deciding between these two cases. The Tofu offers a pretty much standard typing angle of 7 Degrees while the Alumaze lets you choose between 4 Degrees and 7.5 Degrees. That combined with the question if you want to use a wristrest (which doesnt align perfectly on the Alumaze if you use the Wooting one) and what keycap profile you use can make a gigantic different in fatigue and stress during longer typing sessions.
A point that i didnt mention til now is price…which can be a dealbreaker…especially if you order from the US. The Tofu 60 Redux including the brass weight comes for 81,50 Dollar. In Germany i can get it for roughly 95€. The Alumaze 60 costs 130€ which reduces to roughly 115€ if you are eligable for the discount.
If i had to choose between both i would take the Alumaze in the current configuration over my Tofu Redux Wooting but from a value for money standpoint the winner has to be the Tofu 60 Redux. What makes me personally a little sad is that a “budget” keyboard like the Zoom 75 or the QK 80 still sounds way better then all options i tested for the Wooting…but the Wooting offers features i dont want to trade in for sound alone.