Review: Akko x HMX Mirror Switches

Had $30 lying around and wanted to give these a try. Link to switch. I'm just a guy who bought something online. No sponsors, wasn't paid to do this, etc. etc.

This is my second HMX switch. My first HMX purchase was the HMX Macchiato around this fall, and I fell in love with their clacky sound signature and longer travel. They're currently in my favorite MX build and I don't think they'll be coming out anytime soon.

However, this is my first purchase of any switch from Akko. I knew that they made a ton of switches and collaborated with a bunch of different manufacturers, but I just never got around to giving them a try, especially since they tended to make lighter linear switches and I prefer much heavier ones. But since I've been on a lighter switch kick lately, I decided to give them a try and plopped them into my trusty foamless Bakeneko65 with the stock FR4 plate.

Weighting:
The weighting is kind of confusing. It says 37g actuation and 42g bottom-out, but compared to other light switches I've used, they don't feel that light. Maybe it's the long pole, but usually with stuff this light I make a lot of typos or accidentally actuate the F and J keys from resting my fingers on them. Not really the case here. But if you like your switches heavier, you might want to look at the Hyacinth v2 instead, which comes in a 67g weighting.

Sound:
As someone who loves obnoxiously high pitched clacky switches, I adore these. But if that's not your thing or you prefer a deeper sound these might not be a good fit. You can absolutely stick these in a foamy board, but it won't scratch that part of your brain the same way something like a Wuque Morandi might.

Feel:
Super smooth and super responsive, with zero scratch. At speed it feels like you're typing on a cloud (which is funny because HMX even makes a "cloud" switch). I can't speak to how it compares to HE switches in terms of feel (certainly sounds better), but in terms of MX switches, these, like other HMX products, have some of the best out-of-the-box smoothness that I've experienced outside of Haimu switches.

Extra:
Check your PCB before you put these in. Sometimes HMX switches are too short or loose for some PCBs and it causes issues with actuation. This happened to me with the Macchiatos on my Melgeek MJ61 PCB mounted on a wilba(dot)tech Salvation, and again on the Bakeneko, but just with the delete key. The fit with my Cannonkeys Brutal60 V1 was also so loose that I figured it they wouldn't work at all.

Overall (wow)
I'm really envious of people starting in the hobby in 2024. Getting a TKL worth of switches that sound and feel like this for like $30 would have blown my mind just three years ago when I had gotten started.

In terms of budget linears, these are tied with the MMD Princess V4 53g for my favorite ultra cheap budget switch. Crazy good for what you pay.