KiiwiIBM Model M keyboard sound
Hear the IBM Model M keyboard sound on Mac: it plays in your browser as you type below. The buckling spring from the 1984 IBM Model M.
Type the words below. Headphones make the difference obvious.
What it sounds like
Inside a Model M each key presses on a spring that buckles and snaps against a hammer, giving one of the most recognisable sounds in computing: a loud, deep, mechanical clack with a ring of spring behind it.
Nothing modern quite sounds like it. Next to a Cherry MX Blue it is deeper and heavier.
At a glance
Compared with
Cherry MX Blue
Cherry's clicky switch, recorded on ABS and on PBT keycaps.
Blue Alps
Alps SKCM Blue, a click leaf design from the 1980s with a crisp snap.
Kailh BOX Navy
Kailh's heavy click bar switch: very loud and deliberate.
Keep exploring
More clicky switches Kailh BOX White, Razer Green, Trust GXT 865 Asta
Choosing an app Kiiwi vs Klack, more switch vs switch pairs
Questions
What does the IBM Model M keyboard sound like?
Inside a Model M each key presses on a spring that buckles and snaps against a hammer, giving one of the most recognisable sounds in computing: a loud, deep, mechanical clack with a ring of spring behind it.
Is the IBM Model M loud?
Yes, this is the loud end. A clicky switch makes a click on every press on top of the bottom-out, which is why it carries across a room.
Which switches sound similar to the IBM Model M?
The closest in Kiiwi are the Cherry MX Blue, Blue Alps and Kailh BOX Navy. Cherry MX Blue: Cherry's clicky switch, recorded on ABS and on PBT keycaps. Blue Alps: Alps SKCM Blue, a click leaf design from the 1980s with a crisp snap. Kailh BOX Navy: Kailh's heavy click bar switch: very loud and deliberate.
Can I get the IBM Model M sound on my Mac?
Yes. Kiiwi plays this recording, key-up sound included, under the keyboard you already own, in every app, from the menu bar. It works on Apple silicon and Intel Macs with macOS 14 or later, and it's a one-time purchase.
Get the IBM Model M sound on your Mac
Kiiwi has all 36 packs, this one included, and plays them under the keyboard you already own, in every app, from the menu bar. It needs macOS 14 or later, costs $4.99 once, and hears that a key was pressed, never what you typed.
Download for macOS