Mode Sonnet R2 opened at CannonKeys

The second round of Mode's 75% board, the Mode Sonnet, is now live for order at CannonKeys. The group buy opened on 2026-05-01 and is scheduled to close 2026-06-15. CannonKeys is handling the global region directly, so there is no separate proxy for buyers in the US, EU, UK, or APAC.

The board returns with the same tab-and-block mounting internals — Mode's Mounting Block System, filed under "gasket-mount" by the hobby for the feel it produces — and aluminum case as the first round. The headline change in R2 is the accent-weight palette, not the chassis.

What's new in R2

R2 keeps the original case profile and weight footprint but introduces a refreshed set of accent-weight color options. The vendor listing for MODE Sonnet R2 shows the brass weight available in three finishes: polished, black PVD, and a new bronze PVD that was not offered in R1. The bronze finish is paired in product photography with the silver and graphite case colorways.

Mode has not changed the typing angle or plate lineup — POM remains the no-upcharge stock plate, with aluminum, carbon fiber, and copper as paid upgrades. R1 buyers who want only the new weight finish should check the standalone accessory listing on the same page rather than re-ordering the full kit.

Lead time is listed as Q4 2026, in line with R1 cadence. The CannonKeys storefront ↗ carries the configurator, including plate, weight, and PCB selection.

The Sonnet, briefly

For buyers who passed on R1 or are arriving at Mode Sonnet for the first time: the chassis is a 75% aluminum case with a 5.5-degree typing angle and Mode's Mounting Block System — EPU41 polymer blocks captured over tabs on the plate edge, not a silicone gasket strip, though the hobby (and this catalog) still calls the feel "gasket-mount." The default plate in every kit is POM. Mode also offers aluminum, carbon fiber, and copper plates as paid upgrades at checkout.

The acoustic character of the default build leans soft. The block mount plus a POM plate means flex is built in at both layers — the result is a board that absorbs keystroke energy rather than bouncing it back. That makes for a cushioned, medium-thocky sound profile on most switches, and a relatively forgiving typing feel even with stiffer linears. Buyers who prefer a tighter, brighter response should budget for the carbon fiber plate at checkout; Mode's own copy calls it "slightly stiff with a bright sound."

The tradeoff is worth naming clearly: the POM plate is not a compromise for a budget build — it is a deliberate choice that the block mount rewards. But it is a different feel from what you get on an aluminum- or carbon-fiber-plate board, and if your reference point is a top-mount or tray-mount board you have been using for years, the first session will feel noticeably different. That difference is the point. For a first-hand account of how the default build performs in practice, see building the Mode Sonnet with Gateron Oil Kings.

Readers whose preference runs toward an Alice-layout rather than a 75% can find a direct comparison of leaf-spring F1 versus block-mount character in the Nyawice group buy coverage, which ran at CannonKeys at a steeper 9-degree typing angle. Buyers weighing a different 65% altogether — one that never reached a group buy — can read the Wuque Studio summer update, which covers the Ikki68 Aurora holdover.

Buying notes

The R2 group buy was global through CannonKeys, with one checkout flow and one fulfillment timeline. There was no announced regional proxy in the EU or APAC for this round, so duty and shipping at delivery time will follow CannonKeys's standard outbound policy. That direct, no-proxy structure is the vendor-first model charted in When customs became vendor-first, which covers how CannonKeys and Mode arrived at this distribution shape.

A note on links: it's the "view at vendor" button on /group-buys and any named-part mention that resolves to a vendor page — like the Sonnet reference above — not citation links inside article bodies, that gets auto-flagged with rel="sponsored noopener" at render time. That's applied by the site, not the editorial team, and applies whether or not thock has any commercial relationship with the vendor in question. In this case, thock has no affiliate arrangement with CannonKeys for the Sonnet R2.

The buy closed on schedule at 2026-07-15. The closed entry is archived at /group-buys/past.

What to watch next: Mode typically follows a flagship round with a smaller accessory drop two to three months later. If the bronze PVD weight sells through quickly, expect a standalone weight restock before the boards themselves ship.