Really excited about this. Are there any typing tests to get an idea of what the sound signature is like?
Will post one in the next few days.
Would it work with the Topre Clone housing/dome/spring by Niz?
If Niz keep to the same specification as traditional Topre housings, then yes, but it's hard to say for sure.
Will it work with Novatouch housing?
I believe it's the same housings looking at pictures and talking to people that have taken them apart, however I won't officially say it works until I've seen it done.
You know how people outside this hobby look at us like we're crazy when they hear how much we spend on keyboards? This is how I feel when I see something like this.
Don't get me wrong, the case looks great and everyone who wants one should enjoy the hell out of it, but you have to pay $450 for just the case and cannibalize two other boards to build this thing. It's like... at this point I have to nope out
I agree it's a bit wild, however I think there are some elements that can be considered.
Using a top mounted plate with separate Topre housings allows different plates to give hugely different feel and sound profiles. If you prefer a HHKB typing experience, a plastic (Polycarbonate) plate would closely reproduce that, and if you prefer a Realforce feel, then a harder plate such as Stainless Steel will do a similar job.
If you look at it from a cost perspective, initially it can seem a lot, however there are two key points imo. You can pick up both the HHKB and Realforce for around $300-340, so all in it's around $850-900. For a completely built high-end board, I don't think that's too different from anything MX. It's also well known that Topre enthusiasts can be a little crazy, myself included, when it comes to getting the ultimate board. A common mod is to buy a whole other board just purple sliders or keycaps. I personally think this is very similar to what people do with MX boards too, such as vintage dyesubs or switches.
Of course it's crazy if you're not looking for end-game Topre, but taking everything into account, I personally can't think of anything better.