Poron sandwich foam and a thickened shell shape the WIN68 HE's typing sound

Tap a thin, flimsy keyboard and you often hear the case more than the keys: a hollow, slightly tinny echo under every press. The AULA WIN68 HE is built to avoid that. Its Poron sandwich foam, a second foam layer at the bottom and a thickened plastic shell work together to soak up the empty space inside the board, so what reaches your ears is mostly the switch and the keycap.

Quick Answer

The AULA WIN68 HE's typing sound is shaped by three parts listed on its product page: Poron sandwich foam, a bottom foam layer and a thickened plastic shell. Together they damp the hollow echo that thin, empty cases produce, giving a tighter, more muted sound. A metal positioning plate holds the Gray Wood switches steady above the foam. Evetech has the WIN68 HE at R449.

🧽 What Poron is doing inside

Poron is a dense, resilient foam used widely in keyboards because it absorbs vibration without going flat over time. In a "sandwich" arrangement, it sits between layers of the keyboard's internal stack, typically between the plate and the circuit board, filling a gap that would otherwise ring like a small drum.

Each keystroke sends a little vibration through the plate. Without foam, that energy bounces around the case. With Poron in the way, much of it is absorbed before it turns into sound, which is why foam-filled boards tend to sound deeper and less clattery.

🧱 Beyond the sandwich layer

The HE does not rely on one layer. AULA lists a bottom foam layer too, sitting at the base of the case where the largest empty space usually is. That cavity is often the main source of hollowness on thinly built boards, and filling it changes the overall character of the sound more than any single tweak.

The thickened shell adds to the effect. A thin plastic case flexes and resonates; a thicker one is stiffer and moves less, so there is less for the vibration to excite. It also makes the board feel more solid when you press hard or move it around the desk.

🔩 The plate, the switches and the sound they make

Above the foam sits a metal positioning plate. Its job is to hold each switch firmly in place so keys do not wobble in their sockets, which matters on a hot-swappable board where switches are pressed in rather than soldered. A stable switch also sounds more consistent, because it is not rattling against the plate.

The switches themselves are Gray Wood magnetic units. They register at 32gf and reach 50gf at the floor over 3.4mm of travel. Because they are Hall Effect switches, they have no metal contact leaf to click, so the sound comes from the stem moving and the keycap landing. A light switch like this also encourages a softer typing style, and a softer touch is quieter too.

🎧 What to expect, and how the MAX compares

Expect a controlled, muted sound rather than silence. Any keyboard with moving switches makes noise, and how hard you bottom out still has the biggest effect. The foam and shell take away the hollow echo; they do not make keys inaudible.

AULA's page for the WIN68 MAX does not describe its internal foam, plate or case construction, so it is not possible to confirm that the two editions sound the same. The MAX uses different switches, Wing Chun at 36gf, and adds extra key modes including SOCD and DKS.

If you want to hear how other boards are put together, Evetech's gaming keyboards cover plenty of damped designs. Swapping in a different magnetic switch from the switch range at Evetech is another route to a new sound on the HE. Should the foam-packed HE develop a fault, Evetech handles it under a 2 Years Local Warranty.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Poron add to the board?

It absorbs vibration inside the keyboard, cutting the hollow echo that an empty case would otherwise produce.

Is there more damping than the sandwich foam?

Yes. AULA also lists a bottom foam layer and a thickened plastic shell, which stiffens the case against resonance.

What is the plate made of?

AULA describes it as a metal positioning plate, holding each switch steady above the foam.

Where does a hollow keyboard sound come from?

Mostly from empty space inside a thin case, which lets vibration from each keystroke bounce around and ring.

Does switch weight affect how loud typing is?

Indirectly. Lighter switches like the 32gf Gray Wood encourage a softer touch, and softer presses make less noise.

Is the WIN68 MAX built the same way inside?

AULA's MAX page does not describe its foam or case, so that cannot be confirmed from the listing.