HMX Taro

Quick Summary

The HMX Taro is a silent linear that actually feels good, a rarity. Its POM/TPE double-shot stem dampens both ends of the stroke to cut noise dramatically, without the dead, mushy bottom-out that ruins most silent switches. Offered in light 37g and medium 45g weights, it is the switch to reach for when you need near-silence in a shared office or late at night and still want a smooth, satisfying keystroke.

Specs and Feel

The Taro comes in two builds: 37g actuation / 45g bottom-out, and 45g / 53g. Pre-travel is 2.0mm and total travel is 3.8mm on a 22mm single-stage extended spring. The defining part is the stem, a POM and TPE double-shot that bakes silicone dampening pads directly into the stem rather than gluing them on, so the silencing is consistent and durable. The PC top and nylon bottom housing keep what little sound remains warm and muted. The glide is smooth and the dampening is tuned well enough that the bottom-out still has a hint of definition instead of total sponginess. A frosted light window helps backlight diffusion. Stem wobble is low.

Tuning

The Taro is excellent stock and the one thing you should not do is add stem lube to the dampening pads: it can make the feel mushier. If anything, leave it alone. A light housing film is the only worthwhile tweak, and only if you want to tighten the sound further. The 37g build is ideal for quiet gaming; the 45g suits typists who want a touch more resistance.

Verdict

Buy the Taro if you need a genuinely quiet linear that does not feel dead. For offices, shared rooms, or late-night typing, it is one of the best budget silents available. Compared to the HMX X 80retros Volume 0, another silent HMX linear, the Taro feels a little crisper at the bottom; against any standard linear it trades crisp acoustics for near-silence. Skip it only if you actually want to hear your keyboard.