It has crazy potential. Frankly, when I first typed on it stock, I was thinking... hmmm. But after a day of trying different things and modding it... I found the perfect balance and now it's one of the best typing and sounding boards I own
From what I've seen, Keychron is charging $30 for shipping across North America which makes the Q1 barebones actually cost $180 where as the GMMK pro ships free in the US for comparison. I live in Canada and the authorized seller is offering the barebones Q1 for $220 cad free shipping which translates to about $180 usd. The board is still a great deal but Keychron is a bit shady with their pricing strategies in my opinion
Im really glad that you're keeping modding capabilities as an option before giving a conclusion. After all, these keyboards are "custom" and a personal project.
You are absolutely right! You don't really get into this hobby without considering modding it, so I wanted to show that you shouldn't dismiss this with just the example out of the box!
I've moved on from the "entry level" customs, but still enjoy watching the review vids. Out of the many reviews I've watched, yours is definitely the best!
What did you move to? I had a GMMK Pro but sold it, wondering if I should stick in this entry range or go up a bracket, but no idea where to look for 75% boards (that are actually in stock to buy).
@@CosmicApe I've got a few group buys I'm waiting on: Tomo, Vega & Day Off 60. Mid-entry custom that are in stock to buy, that's going to be a lot harder.The Bubble 75 might be a good option if you're willing to wait for a group buy.
@@embreys That's the hard thing. If you want anything "good" you have to wait on GB which take a while. Almost nothing is in stock ever. I mean, it makes sense since it's all custom made and small batches, but I still wish there was more available to choose from.
Thank you. This gives me a lot more hope for my modding experience. All I’ve been seeing is hate towards this board lately. I honestly see it as a really fun board to play around with and it seems like it has potential to be a good board.
The future of custom keyboards looks bright, people say entry keebs are getting more expensive, but as more competition appears the prices will go down and down↘️, and the keebs will get better and better↗️ Love your channel dude💙
Thanks Ley! I feel like the features on entry price points are overlapping with premium. So the prices go up in certain segments, but way down in others, and at the end of the day, it's good for everyone :)
@@Keybored yeah, that's very true. I hope to get my first custom some time in the future, hopefully then we'll have tons of amazing options to choose just like this one👀
Hurray to keychrone for pushing the boundary of custom keyboards into the realm of affordable. We really need this, more and more competition which will lead to better and cheaper boards. I can't wait to see what I can buy one/one a half years from now when my gmk set that I bought a few weeks ago arrives.
A year later, there are ten boards in the Q series, and a whole V series with plastic tray-mounted variants at half the price. And there are also Akko and Feker, even with gasket options at close to V series prices.
@@Lishtenbird yeeessss, I've seen so many new cheap gasket mounted boards. It's incredible. I'm still undecided on what keyboard to get for that gmk set that's still like half a year away, but man I can't wait.
So I didn't think that the GMMK Pro was going to get a competitor this early. In fact, the Q1 is very game changing. The first consumer market keyboard that actually has flex with those thick gaskets, stabilizers made by a respected brand, VIA and QMK out of the box. This thing is also much cheaper than the GMMK Pro with keycaps and decent switches. Glorious really needs to step up their game. It was very smart of Keychron to partner with Gateron to make this board.
I fully agree! This thing out of the box was so-so... but after the mods, it's punches way way above it's weight and has mid-high level typing characteristics! This makes me excited for their Q2 65% also!
On the later version of the q1 it comes with two layers of foam in the case, I recommend taking out the thinner of the two which is adhered to the case and tape modding the pcb. Although I haven't tried it yet, I could also imagine the PE foam mod being a nice addition. That being said it might cut down on some of the springiness since it would increase the size of the pcb+plate assembly.
Hey there, great video! I'm a complete newbie when it comes to keebs and looking into the Q1 as my first after watching the GMMK Pro situation unfold. I really liked how you showed the paper-thin case dampening foam on the lower case and did the finger flick to show off how pingy it is. But this got me thinking... have you ever tried using a moongel damper pad to mod a keyboard? A moongel is typically used in live drum setups to absorb excess resonance and deaden certain sounds. I got the idea to perhaps use it here because I've actually put a moongel on a cymbal before and it worked pretty well to control the drummer's overaggression. It's very cheap (
Ooooh... I never tried moongel before! Now I will have to try! It seems super interesting and might have some applications in the future. Thanks for letting me know!
In the USA, Q1 shipping costs $30, so with barebones they are the same price basically and you get an encoder knob, so really either is a pretty solid value
The feature that attracted me to purchase MANY Keychron products over the last few years has been the Bluetooth support. I have many QMK keyboards and was hoping they would release a Bluetooth QMK keyboard. This blows the Drop keyboards away. Here's to hoping they will add Bluetooth support to a future keyboard. A RF dongle would be cool also.
I've been learning about custom keyboards these past couple of days since it's something that I've been wanting to get into for a while and I think I just found my entry point to the hobby.
Thank you for the review! You are the first review I watched, because I felt like you will be honest and straightforward. And you definitely are! I am personally waiting for Q2, the 65% form factor, but this definitely helps. I was wondering - how did you feel about the typing angle? I kind of assumed that they might have a kickstand because all the other boards they tend to have it. 5 degrees just looked a bit flat.
Thank you so much kiachiaki! I really appreciate it! The 5 degree typing angle actually doesn't bother me at all :) I have been using this with the writ rest, and overall has been such a comfortable typing experience for me, with a nice and gentle typing feel, great sound and a great layout making it nice :)
@@Keybored thank you for your insight. I also use wrist rest too because I type few hours a day so your comment is helpful. I think with that flex, it might be a gentle keyboard to my (slammed) fingers.
something I don't have to spend too much money on. I spent over 300$ for customizing GMMK. Already bought today and will be using for my work keyboard with minimal mods and acoustics I am hyped to get these on hands. Also that the extra money will be spent on getting the cool goodies like the wrist wrest. Though the shipping cost me 30$ so the total keyboard cost me 199$
I heard some ratteling noise from the spacebar and the backspace but its barely noticable, amazing build! Making me buying this keyboard for my first custom keeb (I did modded a couble of keyboards before)
Lmfaooo that intro, perfect lighting man! Edit: great review as always man! This keyboard sounds REALLY good, I was shocked when I heard the type test!
:) Thanks for dropping by takoyakeys! Honestly, when I first took it out of the box, I was a bit put off by the sound... it was not that great. Took a saturday to do it, but I think I got it dialed to that balance between bounce and sound! Glad you liked the intro! I filmed that at 1 AM... I'm sure my neighbors think I'm a crazy person
im fairly new to the custom keyboard scene and only so far have aa cheap keyboard that I lubed, everyday im getting more convinced that this is the board that will get me down the custom keyboard rabbit hole
For a board that offers RGB, offering colored translucent switches feels like an odd choice. This does look a nice board for the price though! Definitely doing a better release than GMMK did.
Thinking of getting this board. I know that the modding video is coming out in the next few weeks. That being said, did you get any custom parts like PC plate, or is it safe to buy stock and mod later?
Hey Scott! Just wanted to say that you and and Alexotos usually have the best sounding modded keyboard for my personal preference. So I'm always looking forward to your videos. I'm kinda interested in the Q1 despite not being a massive fan of 75%. At this point, we know that it has a much better gasket implementation than the gmmk pro. But was wondering typing feel wise, how does it compare to other higher end keyboards. Is it one of the flexiest and softest you've felt or do they feel much better than this? I'm not sure if I should get this or just save up for boards with better typing feel.
I would say straight feel and sound, the Q1 can be up there with even the "high end." But I think where the high end starts to pull ahead is they're much better out of the box, and overall, the construction, the heft and finishing is top notch. I think as the hobby moves forward, the basic performance will start to get better and better, and the finish and the more detailed bits will be what separates the top and mid and low
For those wondering, the current version that is purchasable does not have the capability to have an encoder (rotary knob) as that would take a different PCB. That option will apparently come later
This looks good but honestly the way you made it sound with mods is what made me buy the keyboard. Keychron should sponsor you haha. Very excited for your mod video :)
really looking forward to modded video! i’m seeing a lot of complaints about the pinging but the sound you have in this video is very close to what i’m wanting. cant wait!
That does help a bit, but not to the extent you need it to stop the reverb and ping. There is another material that you can use, and it actually gets rid of the need for foam all together... and it's not silicone!
Im basically trying to get a gmmk pro but out of stock here for months for may grab this, wanting to go full on meaty thonk rather than a hollow thock sound if you get me. So may put some tangies or boba u4ts in one
What about gaming? I am looking to a keyboard to work/study and gaming (50 - 50) and I was between the glorius and this (one thing of this that I love it is the version with wireless and easy switch of mac/windows). Any suggestion?
Hey man, great video! I can't believe how good this sounds! I'm trying to decide between the Bakeneko65 which goes live in a few weeks and the Keybored-modded Q1, what would you recommend? Also do you know whether sorbothane or any other dampening material will work just as well as KilMat? Thanks!
I don't think you can go wrong with either! Having the Bakeneko 60, I gravitate more towards the Q1 because it's just so much better featured and more versatile. Sound wise, I think both are neck in neck, and also in feel... that is a tough choice! I think at the end of the day, what looks better on your desk?
I would say go Q1 if it's available... I am typing this on my Q1 right now... I'm always amazed how this thing sounds whenever I put it into rotation lol
I think they are very different. The D65 is very dense. It's heavy, it feels very dense in your hands and as you type also. It's a very stiff board tho... it's gasket mount but there is no flex. However, it still dampens the key bottom out well. The Q1 on the other hand is a bouncy soft design, which feels more open in terms of sound. In stock form, too open... pingy. But with the right mods, it gets really good. At this point, based on the price difference, I would say go with the Q1 unless you really like the D65 looks or you want a 65%
@@Keybored Thank you for your response, I really appreciate it. I really do like the d65 65%. But now I am not sure. I see that you're using a brass plate in your d65, have you tried removing some gaskets? Is it stiffer than a top mount with o'rings? what if we will not consider the price? Which one would you take? Again, thank you so much!
really enjoyed this review, also ur mods are fantastic for the final form, but if you were to choose an entry keyboard between the nk65ee and q1 which would you choose? considering that modding is not an issue, also i heard that keychron's releasing a q2 with a 65% layout, do you have thoughts on it?
I would take the Q1 over the NK65EE any day. The NK65EE was great for its time, but now there are so many better alternatives! I am also very interested in the Q2 as well! If Q1 showed such great potential, I assume Q2 will also be similar!
@@Keybored thanks for ur reply man! i see, my mind is clear now HAHAHA, excited for the q2 as well, i think ill wait for it before buying anything lol, also, can u name some better alternatives for the nk65ee so i can also look into it? thanks in advance!
I am currently using the Shure MV7, and has been working out well for me. I also have tried the fifine mic, and that works well to as long as you have a very quiet room!
@@Keybored i got the k2 and it’s been awesome so far. Really dig it. But I feel like this may have kickstarted a new addiction lol. The q1 wasn’t available anyways and I don’t really wanna go that hard into modding on my first one. So the k2 seems like a perfect starting point. No complaints so far.
Definitely! Especially for the red switches! I was so surprised how nice they turned out after the lubing+filming+spring swap... not sure why gat inks even exist anymore!
Does your GMK Blue Samurai set look that blue in person or is it just a camera effect? I and several others on DROP complained that the set we recieved does not look nearly as blue as what is pictured, and in your video the set looks great. The one I have right now looks extremely muted (if the blue caps weren't next to black ones for contrast, I would have called them black). If yours looks that good in person I think I may have been given a knockoff/poorly updated product from DROP.
Hmm... that is very interesting! It's not the most vibrant blue like the striker or anything, but it is still very blue :) Definitely much much more blue than black. If the room was dark, it would look more navy and drab, but overall, I think it's still fairly sufficiently blue
@@Keybored I did some more testing when you mentioned dim light and I realized that the keycaps look completely different under cool, fluorescent light. I only bothered to check them under warm light since that is what I have in my room. I've never seen such a drastic difference between warm/cool light in keycaps before, its kind of insane. The keycaps really do look off-black in warm light, but perfectly blue in cool light which is probably what you have as your studio lighting. I guess that's something to think about when buying them/setting up your desk. Thanks for the video or I'd have never bothered to check why my keycaps look more drab than expected, I'm finally excited to have gotten them!
Hey what was the background music you were playing at 8:42 Also was looking into buying this and thank you for such a great review and what we need to watch out for for in terms of modding and making the most out of this case
Hmm... I have to check my edit to see what music I used :) But glad to hear that the video was helpful! If you do end up with the Q1, you won't be disappointed!
@@Keybored I can tell there's a lot of mod went into it. I love how your mod makes it sound great while keeping the flex. I feel comfortable ordering it knowing your final form can do that lol but please post a tutorial of the mod later 🙏🙏 I am buying both fr4 and PC alongside with the barebone kit
did you try the car sound deadening material on this board? If so, how was it compared to thick foam :o really curious to see if it's a viable mod on these hollower sounding boards or if it mutes way too much
:) guessed one of the mods for the "ultimate" version. Thick foam wasn't the best... it did some good and also did some bad. But there is always some little things you can do and I managed to balance it out!
Oh it's a bunch of stuff, but definitely a level 1 that anyone can do :) I just had to try so many combinations to achieve that perfect balance... Get rid of ping and hollowness, improve sound yet keep all of the flex
hey! i ordered a gk68x and i'm looking to replace the switches. i'm looking for pretty good prelubed switches i can just use straight out of the box and my options so far are the glorious lynx, JWICK red's, Tangerines and banana splits, which of them do you recommend to get?
Hmmm... I think the tangies and banana will be the closest to each other, since they're both produced by JWK. If you want to use the switch out of the box with no lubing/filming, check out the Gateron CAP V2 Yellows also... they are very very usable out of the box. If you want to do something out of those 4, I really like tangies and banana splits
@@Keybored thank you! I just today found Kiwi's and durock L7's from an European reseller so those are probably my best options atm. I've never used a tactile switch as my main switch before so the kiwis are a pretty big contender for my new main switch.
Hey I know a long time has passed so not sure you'll see this comment but as a newbie is this keyboard still a good option? Also any recommendations for tactile switches or caps if I was looking to upgrade down the line?
This is still a great option! Especially if you're looking for a 75% option, this is great at the price. I have been enjoying a lot of the gateron switches lately (oil kings, CJ, ink blacks) as well as the new Tecsee offerings.
They are adding thicker foam! I don't think the plate material is actually the issue. Most of the ping comes from the bottom case resonation and how it reacts with the upper case... but there is a solution to that and I will show it off in the modding video! :)
What the f@*k they just destroyed the GMMK Pro to smithereens!! A coiled cable too?! Glorious refuse to improve their keyboard so good job Keychron. Just needs thicker case foam and a polycarbonate plate that comes with the Q1. 169 dollars for a full build is epic. It's between this or the upcoming KBD67 Lite R3 for me.
It really is epic! I'm typing this on the modded Q1 right now, and it's such a satisfying keyboard to type on and it sounds like pure ASMR... it's crazy that this is coming from a keyboard under $200 right now
I feel that this board was so good with the aluminum that unless you're looking for more of that plastic thock, I would just stick with the stock. Poly might be super super flexy.
man this board's price is an absolute steal, considering how much you can do to mod it and make it sound a whole lot better than stock.
It has crazy potential. Frankly, when I first typed on it stock, I was thinking... hmmm. But after a day of trying different things and modding it... I found the perfect balance and now it's one of the best typing and sounding boards I own
@@Keybored did you relubed the switchs after receiving it ?
@@TheTheJerio are you planning on buying these switches?
From what I've seen, Keychron is charging $30 for shipping across North America which makes the Q1 barebones actually cost $180 where as the GMMK pro ships free in the US for comparison. I live in Canada and the authorized seller is offering the barebones Q1 for $220 cad free shipping which translates to about $180 usd. The board is still a great deal but Keychron is a bit shady with their pricing strategies in my opinion
@@TheTheJerio yup! The phantom Reds in the ultimate version
Im really glad that you're keeping modding capabilities as an option before giving a conclusion. After all, these keyboards are "custom" and a personal project.
You are absolutely right! You don't really get into this hobby without considering modding it, so I wanted to show that you shouldn't dismiss this with just the example out of the box!
I've moved on from the "entry level" customs, but still enjoy watching the review vids. Out of the many reviews I've watched, yours is definitely the best!
:) thank you Julie! I appreciate it! So you graduated to the higher ends :)
What did you move to? I had a GMMK Pro but sold it, wondering if I should stick in this entry range or go up a bracket, but no idea where to look for 75% boards (that are actually in stock to buy).
@@CosmicApe I've got a few group buys I'm waiting on: Tomo, Vega & Day Off 60. Mid-entry custom that are in stock to buy, that's going to be a lot harder.The Bubble 75 might be a good option if you're willing to wait for a group buy.
@@embreys That's the hard thing. If you want anything "good" you have to wait on GB which take a while. Almost nothing is in stock ever. I mean, it makes sense since it's all custom made and small batches, but I still wish there was more available to choose from.
Thank you. This gives me a lot more hope for my modding experience. All I’ve been seeing is hate towards this board lately. I honestly see it as a really fun board to play around with and it seems like it has potential to be a good board.
It definitely has the potential to be a good board. As it stands with all these mods, it feels and sounds fantastic
I NEED that modding video, amazing work man!
:) It'll be coming soon! I'll try to time it right before people start taking delivery
@@Keybored great! Thank so much, just got my pre-order done!
@@Keybored Looking forward to it! Thanks for the great review!
Does it need soldering?
@@SridharKatakam nope! It's hot swap :)
WTF this sounds so good! i was bummed out when i saw the stock sound test but seeing this gives me high hopes!
Yup same! I was like uuuuhhhh... after trying it the first time. Then after a day of modding... found the perfect balance and now it's wow
@@Keybored would you recommend this as a first custom keyboard or no?
@@x3rts yes
Quite excited for this. Imagining it with Gat black v2s and durock stabs
Hey, you guessed some of the mods for the "Ultimate" version!
@@Keybored CANT WAIT
The future of custom keyboards looks bright, people say entry keebs are getting more expensive, but as more competition appears the prices will go down and down↘️, and the keebs will get better and better↗️
Love your channel dude💙
Thanks Ley! I feel like the features on entry price points are overlapping with premium. So the prices go up in certain segments, but way down in others, and at the end of the day, it's good for everyone :)
@@Keybored yeah, that's very true. I hope to get my first custom some time in the future, hopefully then we'll have tons of amazing options to choose just like this one👀
So happy you got a review unit. Looking forward to the mod tutorial!
:) Yup! It's a combination of things to achieve it, but I feel it's well worth it! It retains all the flex and drastically improves the sound!
Thank you for your review. I was stoked to see that you were one of the few early reviews. Your keyboard reviews/mods are the best out there.
:) Thank you zhieson! Glad it was helpful and I appreciate the support!
Hurray to keychrone for pushing the boundary of custom keyboards into the realm of affordable. We really need this, more and more competition which will lead to better and cheaper boards. I can't wait to see what I can buy one/one a half years from now when my gmk set that I bought a few weeks ago arrives.
Haha, ahh good old GMK. The fun of ordering something, completely forgetting about it then one day, BAM... something came and I don't know what.
A year later, there are ten boards in the Q series, and a whole V series with plastic tray-mounted variants at half the price.
And there are also Akko and Feker, even with gasket options at close to V series prices.
@@Lishtenbird yeeessss, I've seen so many new cheap gasket mounted boards. It's incredible. I'm still undecided on what keyboard to get for that gmk set that's still like half a year away, but man I can't wait.
So I didn't think that the GMMK Pro was going to get a competitor this early. In fact, the Q1 is very game changing. The first consumer market keyboard that actually has flex with those thick gaskets, stabilizers made by a respected brand, VIA and QMK out of the box. This thing is also much cheaper than the GMMK Pro with keycaps and decent switches. Glorious really needs to step up their game. It was very smart of Keychron to partner with Gateron to make this board.
I fully agree! This thing out of the box was so-so... but after the mods, it's punches way way above it's weight and has mid-high level typing characteristics! This makes me excited for their Q2 65% also!
This guy just makes every single keyboard sound amazing compared to every other people
:) Thank you O oO!
I was building keyboards... Before they paid me to build one... I just like it. Sometimes you gotta go back... to actually move forward
Haha, go way back and you'll be the most forwardest
On the later version of the q1 it comes with two layers of foam in the case, I recommend taking out the thinner of the two which is adhered to the case and tape modding the pcb. Although I haven't tried it yet, I could also imagine the PE foam mod being a nice addition. That being said it might cut down on some of the springiness since it would increase the size of the pcb+plate assembly.
:) Yeah the production version came with 2 layers of foam I heard!
That intro was so good I had to subscribe 😆
Hey there, great video! I'm a complete newbie when it comes to keebs and looking into the Q1 as my first after watching the GMMK Pro situation unfold.
I really liked how you showed the paper-thin case dampening foam on the lower case and did the finger flick to show off how pingy it is.
But this got me thinking... have you ever tried using a moongel damper pad to mod a keyboard?
A moongel is typically used in live drum setups to absorb excess resonance and deaden certain sounds.
I got the idea to perhaps use it here because I've actually put a moongel on a cymbal before and it worked pretty well to control the drummer's overaggression.
It's very cheap (
Ooooh... I never tried moongel before! Now I will have to try! It seems super interesting and might have some applications in the future. Thanks for letting me know!
@@Keybored Haha I'll definitely keep an eye out on your channel for any mods involving a moongel! Really interested in how it'd turn out.
Feeling real silly having gotten a GMMK Pro a few months ago even though I really enjoy it.
Nothing wrong with the GMMK Pro after the mods!
In the USA, Q1 shipping costs $30, so with barebones they are the same price basically and you get an encoder knob, so really either is a pretty solid value
seeing this video idk i still might go gmmk because shipped they cost the same
that typing test my gawd, it's amazing what your mods have done to it!
:) Thank you mutt! It took a bit of work, but I love how it turned out!
Man I'm hyped. Thank you for the video. Your videos are super high quality & on point. Looking forward to the modding video.
Thank you so much! I really appreciate the support!
wow, this guy really can make any keyboard sound good
:) Thanks Lee!
The feature that attracted me to purchase MANY Keychron products over the last few years has been the Bluetooth support. I have many QMK keyboards and was hoping they would release a Bluetooth QMK keyboard. This blows the Drop keyboards away. Here's to hoping they will add Bluetooth support to a future keyboard. A RF dongle would be cool also.
This right here! The main reason why I bought all those Keychrons also! The wireless!
They can’t make a wireless qmk
I've been learning about custom keyboards these past couple of days since it's something that I've been wanting to get into for a while and I think I just found my entry point to the hobby.
This will be the perfect entry point into the hobby! You'll get mid-high level keyboard performance out of it actually
@@Keybored Just gotta learn to mod it and I'll be set. I hope I can get one by the holidays.
@@Fr0stbite1801 I'll have the mod video out soon!
Thank you for the review! You are the first review I watched, because I felt like you will be honest and straightforward. And you definitely are! I am personally waiting for Q2, the 65% form factor, but this definitely helps. I was wondering - how did you feel about the typing angle? I kind of assumed that they might have a kickstand because all the other boards they tend to have it. 5 degrees just looked a bit flat.
Thank you so much kiachiaki! I really appreciate it! The 5 degree typing angle actually doesn't bother me at all :) I have been using this with the writ rest, and overall has been such a comfortable typing experience for me, with a nice and gentle typing feel, great sound and a great layout making it nice :)
@@Keybored thank you for your insight. I also use wrist rest too because I type few hours a day so your comment is helpful. I think with that flex, it might be a gentle keyboard to my (slammed) fingers.
something I don't have to spend too much money on. I spent over 300$ for customizing GMMK. Already bought today and will be using for my work keyboard with minimal mods and acoustics I am hyped to get these on hands. Also that the extra money will be spent on getting the cool goodies like the wrist wrest. Though the shipping cost me 30$ so the total keyboard cost me 199$
I hope the gmmk pro is completely transformed! Yeah but this one Def improves exponentially with the mods
5th Q1 review I've seen in this hour! Great video!
Thank you Zenden! Hope it was helpful!
I heard some ratteling noise from the spacebar and the backspace but its barely noticable, amazing build! Making me buying this keyboard for my first custom keeb (I did modded a couble of keyboards before)
Lmfaooo that intro, perfect lighting man!
Edit: great review as always man! This keyboard sounds REALLY good, I was shocked when I heard the type test!
:) Thanks for dropping by takoyakeys! Honestly, when I first took it out of the box, I was a bit put off by the sound... it was not that great. Took a saturday to do it, but I think I got it dialed to that balance between bounce and sound! Glad you liked the intro! I filmed that at 1 AM... I'm sure my neighbors think I'm a crazy person
@@Keybored Hahaha you are crazy! But in an awesome way. Great job on tuning everything, end result was sooo nice.
im fairly new to the custom keyboard scene and only so far have aa cheap keyboard that I lubed, everyday im getting more convinced that this is the board that will get me down the custom keyboard rabbit hole
:) Just get ready to mod it a bit, and it becomes amazing
For a board that offers RGB, offering colored translucent switches feels like an odd choice. This does look a nice board for the price though! Definitely doing a better release than GMMK did.
Haha, you are right about that. The browns for example color the lights brown lol. But overall the board after the mods is phenomenal!
intro got me lmao. great review, will definitely buy one myself!
Haha, I'm glad you noticed! I wonder how many people will :)
I really like how sharp that case looks
It's really a good looking design, and I love the small angular details of the side of the case towards the back :)
Thinking of getting this board. I know that the modding video is coming out in the next few weeks. That being said, did you get any custom parts like PC plate, or is it safe to buy stock and mod later?
I would say that the stock aluminum plate is actually pretty good! I am planning to try out the FR4 plate in the future tho
Really glad you got your hands on one. Extremely good video. Looking forward to the modding guide.
:) Thank you so much! Will have that out soon!
Sounds just like when I pull a couple of skillets out of the kitchen cabinets 👍
:)
Hey Scott! Just wanted to say that you and and Alexotos usually have the best sounding modded keyboard for my personal preference. So I'm always looking forward to your videos. I'm kinda interested in the Q1 despite not being a massive fan of 75%. At this point, we know that it has a much better gasket implementation than the gmmk pro. But was wondering typing feel wise, how does it compare to other higher end keyboards. Is it one of the flexiest and softest you've felt or do they feel much better than this? I'm not sure if I should get this or just save up for boards with better typing feel.
I would say straight feel and sound, the Q1 can be up there with even the "high end." But I think where the high end starts to pull ahead is they're much better out of the box, and overall, the construction, the heft and finishing is top notch. I think as the hobby moves forward, the basic performance will start to get better and better, and the finish and the more detailed bits will be what separates the top and mid and low
Love your reviews. Subscribed since the GMMK Pro mod video.
:) Thank you bahuy ta! I really appreciate the support!
The 'final form' put me over the edge to actually buying it. Very interested what you did to get that amazing sound profile!
Yup! I'll put out a video right before people take delivery! Took me a whole day of tinkering to get it the right balance!
Loved the into, but that sound test, like popcorn....love it
:) Thank you David!
Great review. What was that clear thick foam you used to demonstrate the case sound?
Hi Jeremy! It was the Zip-n-fit foam that I use for a lot of my builds!
Thank you for the great video! Have you tried the Q1 v2? Any thoughts?
Grabbed one of these to build a keeb for a friend. Barebones plus nicer keycaps seems like a build that could last a lifetime, basically.
Yup! I'm sure your friend will be happy!
This is the first sound test I've heard that shows just how pingy it is. I'm glad I went for the GMMK Pro.
In stock form, it really is pingy! With the right mods, that is very controllable!
For those wondering, the current version that is purchasable does not have the capability to have an encoder (rotary knob) as that would take a different PCB. That option will apparently come later
Great point! Thank you for the clarification!
@@Keybored that comment was more for the keyboard newbies (myself included haha) but thanks for your interaction with the community
Love your samurai blues. I found the reds on Amazon. They are so nice on the fingers!
I love the colorway!
What is the name of the song in the background? It’s sooo groovy
south facing leds, screw in stabs. i cant wait for more mass production quality boards like this!
And the typing experience is actually very nice!
This looks good but honestly the way you made it sound with mods is what made me buy the keyboard. Keychron should sponsor you haha. Very excited for your mod video :)
:) Thank you so much! I'll have the mod video out soon!
I need that Final Form Q1 tutorial EXPEDITIOUSLY, can't wait to pick this one up
Will have it out in the coming weeks! The nice thing is that the sound improved drastically and kept allll of the flex :)
Keyboreds intros are always the best
:) Thank you so much for the support! It was so awkward filming it at 1AM on my driveway lol
that space bar sound. great stuff!
Thank you so much! The space bar is filled with butyl :)
Best review by far!!!! Thumbs up 👍🏼
:) Thank you Elgene!
really looking forward to modded video! i’m seeing a lot of complaints about the pinging but the sound you have in this video is very close to what i’m wanting. cant wait!
It took a bit of work, but you can achieve a perfect balance between the flexible bounce and sound! I'll have the modding video out soon!
Here is a thought - What if you put a layer of blue painters tape in the bottom under the foam as a damper? I think i will try that when mine arrives!
That does help a bit, but not to the extent you need it to stop the reverb and ping. There is another material that you can use, and it actually gets rid of the need for foam all together... and it's not silicone!
Cant wait to get mine!
:) You won't be disappointed!
Wonder if you can get a PC plate for it?
You sure can! Keychron offers Aluminum, Brass, PC and FR4 plates with this board right now!
@@Keybored that just on the order page or on a separate page, was looking it it but i must be blind xD
Im basically trying to get a gmmk pro but out of stock here for months for may grab this, wanting to go full on meaty thonk rather than a hollow thock sound if you get me. So may put some tangies or boba u4ts in one
@@RathOX Right here! It's under the Q1 accessories. www.keychron.com/pages/customize-your-keychron-q1
@@Keybored thank you!
What about gaming? I am looking to a keyboard to work/study and gaming (50 - 50) and I was between the glorius and this (one thing of this that I love it is the version with wireless and easy switch of mac/windows). Any suggestion?
Hey man, great video! I can't believe how good this sounds! I'm trying to decide between the Bakeneko65 which goes live in a few weeks and the Keybored-modded Q1, what would you recommend? Also do you know whether sorbothane or any other dampening material will work just as well as KilMat? Thanks!
I don't think you can go wrong with either! Having the Bakeneko 60, I gravitate more towards the Q1 because it's just so much better featured and more versatile. Sound wise, I think both are neck in neck, and also in feel... that is a tough choice! I think at the end of the day, what looks better on your desk?
Still waiting for me pre order Q1. Something about the custom badges taking a long time to sort. Starting to wonder if I'll get it.
Yeah I heard that the custom badges really did slow down the overall ordering process!
Love your content ❤
Thank you so much TechTweek! I appreciate you stopping by!
damn that final form tho, you just make me want the q1, nice job man .
:) it took me a whole day to figure out the best combo... tried like 4 different foams, tapes, all sorts of stuff and landed on that
@@Keybored hey can i ask a question i was wondering could it work, 5 pin switches on half plate hot swap on the q1, does it possible
I cannot believe more companies do not have Mac options. I'm happy at least they have the proper keycaps and functionality.
:) Yup! And it's also offered in ISO as well, so a lot of different options
This is the coolest uncle in the whole of youtube
Hahaha, I will take that as a complement? I am an uncle so it's all good
honestly.. i dont know this hobby exist before watching this video
looks fun..
might get this keyboard later
:) It's an interesting hobby for sure! check it out!
Planning to buy a barebone and I'm stuck between gmmk pro, keychron q1 and akko mod007. Hope you'll have review on akko mod007. 😊
I would say go Q1 if it's available... I am typing this on my Q1 right now... I'm always amazed how this thing sounds whenever I put it into rotation lol
Great review! Can you please advise which one is better Keychron q1 or the kbdfans d65 in your experience? thank you
I think they are very different. The D65 is very dense. It's heavy, it feels very dense in your hands and as you type also. It's a very stiff board tho... it's gasket mount but there is no flex. However, it still dampens the key bottom out well. The Q1 on the other hand is a bouncy soft design, which feels more open in terms of sound. In stock form, too open... pingy. But with the right mods, it gets really good. At this point, based on the price difference, I would say go with the Q1 unless you really like the D65 looks or you want a 65%
@@Keybored Thank you for your response, I really appreciate it. I really do like the d65 65%. But now I am not sure. I see that you're using a brass plate in your d65, have you tried removing some gaskets? Is it stiffer than a top mount with o'rings? what if we will not consider the price? Which one would you take? Again, thank you so much!
that intro was alright alright alright
:) alright alright alright
Where can I buy the Q1 with the white key caps that you had? Or do I need to buy keycaps separately?
THAT INTRO LOLOLOL... now I want to go drive a Lincoln
Hahaha, I'm glad at least a handful of us get it! Sometimes you have to go backwards to go forward!
really enjoyed this review, also ur mods are fantastic for the final form, but if you were to choose an entry keyboard between the nk65ee and q1 which would you choose? considering that modding is not an issue, also i heard that keychron's releasing a q2 with a 65% layout, do you have thoughts on it?
I would take the Q1 over the NK65EE any day. The NK65EE was great for its time, but now there are so many better alternatives! I am also very interested in the Q2 as well! If Q1 showed such great potential, I assume Q2 will also be similar!
@@Keybored thanks for ur reply man! i see, my mind is clear now HAHAHA, excited for the q2 as well, i think ill wait for it before buying anything lol, also, can u name some better alternatives for the nk65ee so i can also look into it? thanks in advance!
Hi again! Do you recommend any mics for a sound test? Mine doesn’t like to pick up the switches very much.
I am currently using the Shure MV7, and has been working out well for me. I also have tried the fifine mic, and that works well to as long as you have a very quiet room!
@@Keybored Thank you! I will try the fifine mic.
omfg the intro is exactly why i use a keychron
Haha... because I like it!
I just ordered a k2v2 and I kinda wish I just got the q1 instead but it seems out of stock.
The Q1 is a much better board unfortunately. It doesn't have the wireless tho. The stock issue is bad... Hope they can figure it out quick!
@@Keybored i got the k2 and it’s been awesome so far. Really dig it. But I feel like this may have kickstarted a new addiction lol. The q1 wasn’t available anyways and I don’t really wanna go that hard into modding on my first one. So the k2 seems like a perfect starting point. No complaints so far.
Thanks! Ordered mine!
Congrats! I'll have the mod video out soon and you can achieve similar results!
extra $20 for keycaps and switches looks like the better deal than the barebones
Definitely! Especially for the red switches! I was so surprised how nice they turned out after the lubing+filming+spring swap... not sure why gat inks even exist anymore!
Does your GMK Blue Samurai set look that blue in person or is it just a camera effect? I and several others on DROP complained that the set we recieved does not look nearly as blue as what is pictured, and in your video the set looks great. The one I have right now looks extremely muted (if the blue caps weren't next to black ones for contrast, I would have called them black). If yours looks that good in person I think I may have been given a knockoff/poorly updated product from DROP.
Hmm... that is very interesting! It's not the most vibrant blue like the striker or anything, but it is still very blue :) Definitely much much more blue than black. If the room was dark, it would look more navy and drab, but overall, I think it's still fairly sufficiently blue
@@Keybored I did some more testing when you mentioned dim light and I realized that the keycaps look completely different under cool, fluorescent light. I only bothered to check them under warm light since that is what I have in my room. I've never seen such a drastic difference between warm/cool light in keycaps before, its kind of insane. The keycaps really do look off-black in warm light, but perfectly blue in cool light which is probably what you have as your studio lighting. I guess that's something to think about when buying them/setting up your desk.
Thanks for the video or I'd have never bothered to check why my keycaps look more drab than expected, I'm finally excited to have gotten them!
Hey what was the background music you were playing at 8:42
Also was looking into buying this and thank you for such a great review and what we need to watch out for for in terms of modding and making the most out of this case
Hmm... I have to check my edit to see what music I used :) But glad to hear that the video was helpful! If you do end up with the Q1, you won't be disappointed!
@@Keybored if i could just grab that song ill be very much appreciate it!!! thank yoouu
Your channel is incredible! Why did it take so long to get recommended???
:( youtube doesn't like my channel name. But it's too late now to change haha
Im CRACKLING at the beginning why is no one talking about it
Haha, I feel not everyone got where that comes from :)
Your modded sounds so good. I am guessing tape mod is one of the mod 🤔 looking forward to hear other plate options especially POM and FR4
A lot of mods went into it to achieve that balance between bounce, feel and sound!
@@Keybored I can tell there's a lot of mod went into it. I love how your mod makes it sound great while keeping the flex. I feel comfortable ordering it knowing your final form can do that lol but please post a tutorial of the mod later 🙏🙏
I am buying both fr4 and PC alongside with the barebone kit
Do keychron sell different plates for this?
@@Cafaaro Yeah go to customize Q1 then scroll down to plate. You get brass, PC, and FR4
That intro was hilarious. Was that you or an actor?
Haha, it was me at 1AM in the morning thinking... how should I intro this
Looks like Keychron is serious in the custom keeb game, make prebuild great again.
Also blue samurai is a killer!
I love how it all turned out! I'll have the Q1 modding video out next week :)
did you try the car sound deadening material on this board? If so, how was it compared to thick foam :o really curious to see if it's a viable mod on these hollower sounding boards or if it mutes way too much
:) guessed one of the mods for the "ultimate" version. Thick foam wasn't the best... it did some good and also did some bad. But there is always some little things you can do and I managed to balance it out!
Going to order a barebones kit once I see your mod video to see if it's within my realm of tinkering as I'm new to the hobby.
Oh it's a bunch of stuff, but definitely a level 1 that anyone can do :) I just had to try so many combinations to achieve that perfect balance... Get rid of ping and hollowness, improve sound yet keep all of the flex
can't wait for the mod tutorial! loving the content as always
Will have it out soon! It's the perfect balance I feel... It retained all the flex and got rid of the hollowness and ping
@@Keybored looking forward to it so that I can do the same when I order a Q1
I can't wait for the modding video. Getting close to needing a new keyboard and this one has checked all my boxes so far. 100% modding it though.
:) It needs 100% modding to get it perfect, but it's nothing crazy like sawing a plate lol
Damn okay! Best soundtest I've heard so far (the rest were hollow and kind of garbage sounding) thanks for restoring hope!
:) Putting it up front and center, I was hoping to provide some encouragement that there is potential!
Polycarbonate plate and some Durock POM would sound great with this kit!
It'll be thocky!
hey! i ordered a gk68x and i'm looking to replace the switches. i'm looking for pretty good prelubed switches i can just use straight out of the box and my options so far are the glorious lynx, JWICK red's, Tangerines and banana splits, which of them do you recommend to get?
Hmmm... I think the tangies and banana will be the closest to each other, since they're both produced by JWK. If you want to use the switch out of the box with no lubing/filming, check out the Gateron CAP V2 Yellows also... they are very very usable out of the box. If you want to do something out of those 4, I really like tangies and banana splits
@@Keybored thank you! I just today found Kiwi's and durock L7's from an European reseller so those are probably my best options atm. I've never used a tactile switch as my main switch before so the kiwis are a pretty big contender for my new main switch.
Hey I know a long time has passed so not sure you'll see this comment but as a newbie is this keyboard still a good option?
Also any recommendations for tactile switches or caps if I was looking to upgrade down the line?
This is still a great option! Especially if you're looking for a 75% option, this is great at the price. I have been enjoying a lot of the gateron switches lately (oil kings, CJ, ink blacks) as well as the new Tecsee offerings.
Keychron, is the best keyboard for macOS, from China!!! Very cool!!!
Welcome from China! Thank you for your support!
did you say that keychron is adding thicker foam? also would you recommend a polycarbonate plate to help reduce ping?
They are adding thicker foam! I don't think the plate material is actually the issue. Most of the ping comes from the bottom case resonation and how it reacts with the upper case... but there is a solution to that and I will show it off in the modding video! :)
@@Keybored i have a anne pro 2 with gateron browns in it, would you recommend the phantom reds if i want to try something new?
This is the best video about the Q1
Thank you Vince! I appreciate the support!
this is the best sounding q1 i have heard. if you can get this kind of sound out of it consistently it will do better than the gmmk pro.
And it flexes like crazy!
What the f@*k they just destroyed the GMMK Pro to smithereens!! A coiled cable too?! Glorious refuse to improve their keyboard so good job Keychron. Just needs thicker case foam and a polycarbonate plate that comes with the Q1. 169 dollars for a full build is epic. It's between this or the upcoming KBD67 Lite R3 for me.
It really is epic! I'm typing this on the modded Q1 right now, and it's such a satisfying keyboard to type on and it sounds like pure ASMR... it's crazy that this is coming from a keyboard under $200 right now
The more affordable and readily available options the better. I'm more tkl guy myself but this doesn't look bad for the price.
Definitely not bad for the price at all! With the right mods, it really shines!
On the website there is a polycarbonate plate for the Q1 that can be bought separately. Do you think it would be worth it swapping out the plate?
I feel that this board was so good with the aluminum that unless you're looking for more of that plastic thock, I would just stick with the stock. Poly might be super super flexy.
LOL that intro, I love it Scott
:) glad you noticed it! I was wondering how many people would recognize where it came from haha
Is that one of the keychron wrist rests or just one you had? The height looks perfect
I see I asked this question prematurely lol
:) The keychron one made for the Q1!
If you can reduce hollow sound and still keep the bounciness of gasket. It's gonna be wild 🔥🔥🔥
Yup! That's what took me a day to figure out, and is part of the "ultimate" mod :)