Review: HIBI Hibiki

HIBI has re-released its 65% board, Hibiki, so I wanted to revisit the R1 version in anticipation of R2. Hibiki has become one of my favorite boards so I’m excited to talk about it with you.

*Hibiki R1 in Office Beige with Hibi’s first keycap set, PBT Office Beige*

Introduction

Hibiki is a 65% board produced by Australian maker HIBI. HIBI produces keyboards, artisan keycaps, photography accessories, and– occasionally– Mahjong sets. The brand feels really cohesive, fun, and fresh — no one is doing more interesting, unique, and cute stuff than HIBI right now.

*Clockwise from top left: Very Hibi, Choc, Snow Boy, Office Beige, courtesy of HIBI*

Specs

Hibiki has a 6° typing angle and a slightly larger footprint than many other 65% boards due to its delightfully wide bezel. Its dimensions are 127mm x 336mm, and the highest point of the board is 37mm.

Hibiki offers the choice between an aluminum or a polycarbonate plate, and its PCB is a hotswap wilba.tech WT65-H3-HIBI PCB that was specially designed to match HIBIKI’s case color. The hotswap PCB allows for split backspace, a 7u spacebar, and a 6.25 u spacebar. Hibiki also comes with a 4.0mm PORON foam sheet that can optionally be installed between the PCB and the plate to change the board’s sound profile.

Hibiki’s standout feature, however, is its case. As noted above, Hibiki has a wide, anodized aluminum bezel with rounded corners that showcases the board’s color. It’s bold, fun, and honestly iconic.

But the bottom case is the most interesting by far; instead of aluminum or brass, it is made of thick, injection-molded polycarbonate that is post-machined to remove markings and finished with additional polishing. This thick polycarbonate bottom not only showcases the board’s custom PCB, but it also creates a resonant sound signature unlike any other board I’ve tried. It’s vibrant visually and acoustically.

What’s next for Hibiki

In late 2023, HIBI teased a new Hibiki forged of carbon fiber, and in late 2024, it announced a Soot colorway and a limited-edition Matcha colorway.

Pre-orders ran in late 2024, and fulfillment began in mid-2025. Recently, a small number of extras became available, but supplies are extremely limited. No future runs of Hibiki have been announced, so buyers must act quickly if they want one.