Might be pick up a set of GMK Metropolis or SA Tatooine Friday
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Yeah Metropolis at $50 is a wild deal, I probably shouldn’t but it wouldn’t be a surprise if I end up grabbing one of the really cheap GMK sets on top of Phantom… 
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Sorry! I guess you missed the Brutal v2 deepest sale, but $150 is a very good price.
I would recommend them both, but they’re very different from each other and both a bit unique. It depends what sound profile you prefer and what you’re looking for.
I prefer the gasket and o-ring mount to the top mount on the Ellipse, though I’ve only tried it with the alu plate. It’s a firm board, but not too stiff. The shape is really well thought out and interesting in person. The blue ano is beautiful. The designer Funderburker is a real nice guy. It’s CK Bakeneko compatible, and the plate files are available (both full and half plate). The sound with the alu tends toward higher pitched and metallic, but I like it. It’s probably not for everyone. I haven’t tried it yet but think it will sound really focused with an FR4 plate.
My most used mounting style is the o-ring. There is a little extra hollowness near the jst cable area with that one, though I don’t really like that term, but it’s really poppy and fun. I like that an o-ring is less common in a two-piece case like this (similar to OTD Mini) than a tray mount. The top mount benefits from leaving off one or both center mounting points. It’s light-weight.
Overall nice to have in one’s collection and really unique, not for everyone but loveable and in regular rotation. I’ve never seen another one in person, which is kinda fun, and it’s rather slept on. Then a few people own multiple colors.
The Brutal v2 keeps coming back as my daily driver. I don’t think it’s very top-mountish, design goals aside, but it’s a really solid gasket mount. It has a dampened and controlled character, probably due the large gaskets. It’s firm, but the compression of the extra thick gaskets also makes it feel cushioned. The plate contributes to the sound, but there’s no hollowness at all.
With the Ellipse, depending on switch choice, you can get like a really chunky sounding backspace, for example, but it also feels sorta more raw given the thinner gaskets, while the feel and sound of the Brutal v2, despite the name, is subtler and softer. They haven’t released the plate files, but they have several available. You can build it with a half plate as well. I bet it will feel and sound really good but haven’t done mine yet. The shape is understated but really never gets old on the desk. I always liked it but find over time I appreciate it more.
Several months ago I went back to my Brutal v2 and have been really enjoying it. Long poles and the alu plate give nice feedback on the fingers that offsets the thick gasket softness…it can sound rather deep.
Fwiw I just helped my friend buy a green Brutal v2 1800 with Haimu Skies (and NicePBT Thai Tea) as his first high end board.
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Nice, your friend should love it! Got my V2 1800 in yesterday & was super happy with the quality of it! I ended up grabbing the green one too lol! Let us know how they like it.
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Will do. Nice pickup! Yah, I love the 65. I got it when it came out.
I’m excited for him. He loves all kinds of Asian food so it was a tough choice between Thai Tea and Nigiri, but the former seemed better as his sole keyset, at least for now.
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Was quick enough on the draw to get Phantom & all it’s child kits! This has been one of my grail sets, getting it on a great sale makes it that much better!
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KKB Retro Mixed Lights is a killer set. I picked up PBTF Emma from the DK sale. Only 10% off, but it’s better than nothing.
I also picked up some Mode Eighty parts (pom plate, hotswap PCB, foams, etc) as they were 30% off. It’s kind of crazy that I haven’t built it after two and a half years at this point. I probably should have bought the hotswap PCB from the get go as it’s hard to commit to a solder setup in a board without some experimentation first.
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For my ICED KARA. I’m going to make it a streetwear statement.
Has anyone ever tried to paint white stems red? 
Alternatively I’ll have to look for tactile red stems that fit white Gazzew U4 Silent housings.
