Cycle8 Keyboard Review
keyboard by: TKD
Photos taken in House by alex
The Cycle8 Review
The Cycle8 is in a pretty unique spot right now. As the big brother to the Cycle7 from TKD, it’s got some really big shoes to fill. Now, I didn’t write a review for the Cycle7, but let me give you a quick rundown on why it became such a hit and share my thoughts on it before we dive into the Cycle8. This way, you’ll get a better sense of where I’m coming from and some history on the Cycle line-up.
The Cycle7 dropped at just the right time and price. Back when it came out, everyone was getting pretty tired of PCBs with flex cuts and other trends aimed at making keyboards feel softer, mainly because these often messed with the sound of the board. It typically made boards sound thinner but hey, it’s all preference! Most affordable boards were following that trend, but the Cycle7 broke the ‘cycle’ so to speak, terrible pun I know. It offered a 1.6mm PCB with no flex cuts, tons of quality-of-life features, and had a great price. It was a breath of fresh air—a custom keyboard that nailed the basics and threw in some nice extras. That said, the product following the launch wasn’t perfect. There were some issues with the wireless PCB, but TKD has since switched PCB manufacturers, so the Cycle8 shouldn’t have those problems.
I’ll be real with you, the Cycle7 was a great release in every way possible, and I’m glad it did well. But for me, it was just really good at the basics and didn’t really make me feel anything. The case design wasn’t super exciting, so it didn’t grab me like it did some others. It always felt like it was missing something, to me at least.
After the Cycle7, they announced a TKL for the Cycle lineup, and people got hyped. Fast forward to now, and the anticipation for the Cycle8 is through the roof! It’s got a lot to live up to. So, let’s dive into the Cycle8 and see what it’s all about.
Full Disclosure and Affiliations
For clarity and transparency, this is not a paid article. They are letting me keep the keyboard for the review. With this in mind, all of these thoughts are my own and no one had any say in what went into the article.
The Cycle8 with GMK Wasabi.
What’s New About the Cycle8?
The Cycle8 brings a mix of new features and keeps a lot of the great elements from its predecessor. We’re still rocking the catch ball system, wireless connectivity, and the same bean gasket setup. One thing I really appreciate is how TKD ensures that parts don’t get damaged during disassembly, thanks to the silicone and soft touch points around the catch ball system. It’s those thoughtful details that make a difference and I am very glad they brought that to the Cycle8 from the previous design.
Now, let’s talk about what’s new. The Cycle8 offers an additional weight option, different materials for battery covers, a new ‘o-ring’ gasket system, and a completely redesigned chassis. They’ve also designed the board specifically around a polycarbonate plate, which is pretty interesting. I love that they’ve taken the time to design the board with specific parts in mind, which usually results in a great sound signature.
Diving Deeper
Alright, there’s a lot to cover, so let’s dive straight into it. The Cycle8 has a lot of hype to live up to, but honestly, I find it to be a bit of a lukewarm release from TKD. I’ll do my best to explain my thought process.
The most significant and, in my opinion, the best change is the case design. It completely ditches the standard rectangular look of the Cycle7 and adds some character with an optional stepped accent piece on top and a great side profile. Even the weight on the bottom has been redesigned with more character and different finishes, which is a very welcome change. You can tell they decided to do more complex machining versus the 7 which is interesting.
The sound signature of the board, with all the bells and whistles installed (stainless steel battery cover and extra weights), is great! It leans to a slightly deeper, almost balanced sound signature. The use of the polycarbonate plate prevents it from sounding too bright, and it’s very pleasant. However, as you remove some of these extra weight options, the board becomes noticeably more metallic and slightly resonant. This might be your style, but for me, it was a bit too much and sounded too harsh.
This is important to me, because it almost feels like you need to pick up these extra parts to get the most out of your keyboard, which does increase the overall cost. I really feel like they should have made a brass or stainless steel piece a stock option.
The new o-ring gasket system is fun to use and typically this is a mounting style I fall in love with rather quickly, but I much preferred the bean gaskets in this board. The bean gaskets were considerably brighter on the polycarbonate plate. The o-rings just sounded a tad flat and it wasn’t the sound signature I was going for, but I appreciate the options given to use none the less.
Now, I received an anodized unit, and while the quality was great on my board, I had some friends who reviewed the Cycle8 with the TKD coating and experienced issues with part tolerances. This caused some unwanted contact and resulted in a ‘ping’. I can’t verify this firsthand, but they shared their experiences with me, and I felt it was important to mention here.
Speaking of QC, I did have a few minor issues that could affect someone’s experience with this board. I was short on the number of o-rings I received, and the included stabilizers had a single stab housing with a molding issue, making a pair of stabs useless. If someone was relying on these included items to complete their build, they’d be out of luck. Which really sucks. I’ve heard other reviewers also encountered problems with some accessories, but there wasn’t a consistent pattern here on exactly what it was. TKD really needs to ensure proper QC with this release to avoid these kinds of problems.
What Sets This Apart From the Competition?
So, why should you consider the Cycle8 over its competition? Think about contenders like the Neo80 and Luminkey TKL—both well-priced entry-level TKLs in the custom keyboard hobby. In my opinion, the Cycle8 doesn’t offer much to truly set it apart from the others other than its looks. It starts at $155 USD and can get pretty expensive with all the extra addons. In fact, I’d feel more comfortable recommending the $175+ versions with the added weights.
It falls somewhere in between the competition without clearly distinguishing itself. Maybe that’s a perfect place for it. Despite its attractive chassis (which is subjective), I feel like it lacks standout features. The Neo80 is cheaper and has more quality of life features, and the Luminkey TKL boasts a more distinct sound signature. However, I don’t think it’s a bad thing that it’s more in the middle of the pact board.
This is where the Cycle8 feels like a lukewarm release. If you like the look of this board, you probably won’t be disappointed. I mean it has some really fun finishes and colors. But if you already own a Neo80 or Luminkey, there isn’t a compelling reason to add the Cycle8 to your collection.
Some positives are there are tons of fun colour options and lots of ways to build this up! The quality of the case is very much there and there are a lot of PCB options, including an HE PCB which is a whooping $130 dollars (which I think is wild).
Overall I had fun with the board and maybe that’s all that matters. It’s by no means a bad keyboard, it just didn’t quite grab me like other boards did. I think a lot of people will really like it, though.
