Head to head · both bought and tested

Meridian 96 vs Quarry TKL

Both tested here, side by side: measured sound, latency and typing scores for the Meridian 96 and the Quarry TKL, and which one to buy.

The Quarry TKL scores 0.5 higher overall and is also the cheaper of the two at $72. Someone who wants a TKL that will not need anything done to it, and who values open firmware over wireless. Buy the other one if: anyone who works in spreadsheets and has run out of desk.

Scores, criterion by criterion

Criterion	Meridian 96	Quarry TKL	Difference
Build	7.5	8.0	-0.5 to Quarry TKL
Typing feel	7.5	7.5	level
Sound	7.0	7.5	-0.5 to Quarry TKL
Stabilisers	6.5	8.0	-1.5 to Quarry TKL
Software	8.5	9.0	-0.5 to Quarry TKL
Value	7.5	8.0	-0.5 to Quarry TKL
Overall	7.4	7.9	-0.5 to Quarry TKL

Measured

Figure	Meridian 96	Quarry TKL	Difference
Sound	58.9 dB	55.3 dB	3.6 dB quieter to Quarry TKL
Latency, wired	4.6 ms	3.4 ms	1.2 ms faster to Quarry TKL
Polling	1,000 Hz	1,000 Hz	level
Actuation	46.3 g	51.7 g	-5.4 g — preference, not better
Case flex	0.9 mm	2.1 mm	-1.2 mm — softer, not better

Specifications

Specification	Meridian 96	Quarry TKL	Difference
Price	$95	$72	$23 cheaper — Quarry TKL
Layout	96%	TKL (87-key)	—
Switches	Linear — Kailh Red	Linear — Gateron Yellow (pre-lubed)	—
Hot-swap	Yes	Yes	—
Mount	Top mount	Gasket mount	—
Plate	Aluminium	PC (polycarbonate)	—
Connectivity	Wired USB-C, 2.4 GHz dongle	Wired USB-C	—
Remapping	VIA	QMK	—
Weight	1,240 g	980 g	—

Shape and footprint

Meridian 96

96% — 100 keys, 20u wide. A full numpad with the gaps removed. Roughly TKL width with everything a full-size has. Highlighted keys are what this layout adds over the next size down.

Quarry TKL

TKL (87-key) — 87 keys, 18.25u wide. Standard layout minus the numpad. Spaced clusters, so muscle memory transfers from a full-size.

Where to buy

The full reviews

Everything above is a summary of two longer reviews — including the flaws, the long-term notes and the photographs. Meridian 96 · Quarry TKL