I have one of these, and for less than 40GBP I am not going to complain. Good action, nice solid click, decent feeling keycaps, good weight to the board as a whole. You can do a lot worse for a lot more money!
For around the same price there is the CIY X77 which is by far a better keyboard. ua-cam.com/video/TT-m3ejSvvc/v-deo.html I'm afraid the Magic refiner will not last long, many reports of dying units.
@@GfgvHcc It's working great, I have not changed the battery for over a month, I'm trying to see how long it lasts. I replaced the stock switches with Akko Radiant Red, feels and sounds like a different keyboard.
thank you for your video. I ended up here having bought this keyboard and didn’t even know the tester 68 existed haha. now I’m curious about the tester and would like to compare both someday. As I’m not much of a heavy user though, i expect to enjoy it anyways. cheers, I’m subscribing to see your other videos and learn more about mech keyboards.
while i got this and the aviator cable both for $34 with shipping...the moment i got it and found out it has no usb port on it, put it back in the box and put it on the shelf, i can't believe it is 2024 and u still sell a keyboard with no usb port, i got it from ali express and it wasn't clear that it was not wired and wireless at the same time, such a shame.
The one I just got today the Dongle slot has been moved to out side of the battery compartment and it fits well and snugly. It is not covered. The PCB is green and looks better and the keys mechanisms are not the same as those. They are very soft, almost no click and I like the feel. $12 on Aliexpress deal of the day, (next day it was $8 I am so pissed.) They even include 2 spare /y Jixian red machanisums and it seems have on click at all and the the only sound I was hearing from the Keys was from them bottoming out on the base plate. I like this because I can use the dongle on my Mister FPGA and the Bluetooth on my Steam Deck and PC.
also, I wish more manufacturers made wireless keyboards with replaceable bats like this one. Much more convenient to just change them rather then use a cable on a wireless (!) product to charge. And you obviously can use a rechargeble aaa bats to save environment and money
Shame, I like the default colorway, and seeing that Amazon charges about $40 for the TES68 it would be nice to get even cheap caps and switches included. My TES68 is still holding up well, but I have heard of it failing for others. I'm curious how this board would hold up in the long term. Probably not well, given what you've shown in this video.
In my country, this keyboard's price is about $20, the tester68 kit is $18 and i gotta spend about $18 more for switches and keycaps. For that price i think it is fine
It's nowhere near as good as a Tester68, so if trying to save money, sure. If one wants the better product, then the Tester68 beats this hands down. Who cares that the Magic Refiner comes with switches and keycaps that are best meant for the trash?
For the extra 30$ you have to spend on switches and key caps you might as well spend an extra 15$ and get something better than both, sorry the tester68 ain't it
I have this for 2 days now. Awesome for the price point. Love the typing feeling and sound. Mine has another slot for the dongle at the back though, unlike yours
@@MechKeyboards my first mech keyboard so yeah I don't have anything to compare it to. I just struggle sometimes with mistype at times because it's quite highprofile keys compared to my trusty K380 and surface pro keyboard which are rather flat but all in all happy with the purchase
Color of pcb has really nothing to do with quality trust me i produce pcbs all the time and use Chinese manufactures. Some colors are more expensive than others and basic green or brown is cheapest but other colors don't mean better quality. The through-holes look nicely filled and i see a normal black silkscreen on the pcb. A cheap pcb is thin like 1.62mm (that is still normal industry size just not very suitable for keyboards that bend).
My experience, while anecdotal, is that PCBs of this color are of lower quality, more prone to issues, and generally do not last long. This is across many electronic devices, not just keyboard PCBs.
@@MechKeyboards well it's not correct. It's fiberglass, resin and copperlanes that make a copper-clad substrate. The Q-value, wiring design, thickness and the amount of layers (for keyboards never more as two) define the quality not the color. For companies to change the default color to produce pcbs in a different color is just more expensive.
@@TheTerracide as it has been explained to me, FR4 non-color boards like this one do not have the acrylic protective layer, hence they are of lower quality and more likely to damage easier. Again, anecdotal, but I've had many PCBs in this "color" die on me much more often that other electronics, but I've only been working with electronics since the 80s, and I know I do not know it all. Cheers.
@@MechKeyboards you are talking about not having a solder mask at all... It's not necessary in every design but it's used to isolate conductive areas of the pcb. It's better to always use a solder mask that is true.
I'm gonna disagree, from what I've learned kailh sockets kinda suck, they're famous to come off because they're just hanging in the air on the back of the pcb with soldering pads being the only thing holding them in place, and these are just tiny sheets of copper foil glued to pcb, guess how well they stand against all the pressure when pushing in the switch? The best thing to happen is solder being brittle enough to give in before the solder pad, then you can solder it back but if it's the solder pad that came off then repair is gonna be much more difficult and messy looking, you can google many pictures of this happening More primitive sockets like these are better in this department because they got a flange that moves most of the pressure to the upper side of the pcb so while it may not fit all types of switches (though you can cut excess legs off and trim the pins) at least the risk of soldering pads coming off (which means trashing the pcb for most of the people) is severely reduced Also on AliExpress this keyboard is like 30% cheaper than tester68 set with stock switches and keycaps so if it's otherwise similar it may be a better deal for the people who want to save on their first mechanical keyboard, especially considering that it also has more interesting color schemes
Unfortunately, switch manufacturers have gone with the wider leg. Hot swap sockets are fine if one is gentle enough. This keyboard isn't worth $5 in my humble opinion. We all have our opinions!
@@ahmeddz7606 I prefer to leave the comment thread on the video topic, please drop by BudgetKeebs and ask your question in our weekly question thread: www.reddit.com/r/budgetkeebs/about/sticky
A GMK67 would be a much better choice, but you would have to get switches and keycaps. MMD Princess switches are inexpensive as are YongQiu keycaps. With some planning you could build out a full 65% with knob for around $60 USD.
@@MechKeyboards thank you so much for the information i am thinking of putting gateron milky yellow there after removing the extra pins u think that will work? and thank you for answering me❤️
Personally I'd rather save and get something better. The dongle doesn't even store in the keyboard, this is a bad product and would create more headaches and cost more time than it's worth, IMO anyways.
this guy appears to be a keyboard enthusiast, he is going to have completely different requirements compared to 95% of other users that are looking for a keyboard in this price bracket if you are looking for a cheap mechanical bluetooth keyboard then you'd be hard pressed to find something comparable - seeing as this is available for $17 for $17 you are looking at e-waste levels of quality, if this thing last for 2 years it's a great deal
I have one of these, and for less than 40GBP I am not going to complain. Good action, nice solid click, decent feeling keycaps, good weight to the board as a whole. You can do a lot worse for a lot more money!
For around the same price there is the CIY X77 which is by far a better keyboard. ua-cam.com/video/TT-m3ejSvvc/v-deo.html
I'm afraid the Magic refiner will not last long, many reports of dying units.
not really@@MechKeyboards
I just picked one up for $18 USD, what a deal. 😂
@@24kmetal99 hey how is the keyboard doing
@@GfgvHcc It's working great, I have not changed the battery for over a month, I'm trying to see how long it lasts. I replaced the stock switches with Akko Radiant Red, feels and sounds like a different keyboard.
thank you for your video. I ended up here having bought this keyboard and didn’t even know the tester 68 existed haha. now I’m curious about the tester and would like to compare both someday. As I’m not much of a heavy user though, i expect to enjoy it anyways.
cheers, I’m subscribing to see your other videos and learn more about mech keyboards.
Very cool, glad you enjoy and welcome a-board!
while i got this and the aviator cable both for $34 with shipping...the moment i got it and found out it has no usb port on it, put it back in the box and put it on the shelf, i can't believe it is 2024 and u still sell a keyboard with no usb port, i got it from ali express and it wasn't clear that it was not wired and wireless at the same time, such a shame.
I'm sorry to hear, sometimes it can be hard to know exactly what one is buying from AE.
The one I just got today the Dongle slot has been moved to out side of the battery compartment and it fits well and snugly. It is not covered. The PCB is green and looks better and the keys mechanisms are not the same as those. They are very soft, almost no click and I like the feel. $12 on Aliexpress deal of the day, (next day it was $8 I am so pissed.) They even include 2 spare /y Jixian red machanisums and it seems have on click at all and the the only sound I was hearing from the Keys was from them bottoming out on the base plate. I like this because I can use the dongle on my Mister FPGA and the Bluetooth on my Steam Deck and PC.
A new revision, nice!
it cost me 15 bux
also, I wish more manufacturers made wireless keyboards with replaceable bats like this one. Much more convenient to just change them rather then use a cable on a wireless (!) product to charge. And you obviously can use a rechargeble aaa bats to save environment and money
Shame, I like the default colorway, and seeing that Amazon charges about $40 for the TES68 it would be nice to get even cheap caps and switches included. My TES68 is still holding up well, but I have heard of it failing for others. I'm curious how this board would hold up in the long term. Probably not well, given what you've shown in this video.
Yeah I agree
In my country, this keyboard's price is about $20, the tester68 kit is $18 and i gotta spend about $18 more for switches and keycaps. For that price i think it is fine
It's nowhere near as good as a Tester68, so if trying to save money, sure. If one wants the better product, then the Tester68 beats this hands down. Who cares that the Magic Refiner comes with switches and keycaps that are best meant for the trash?
not really bro@@MechKeyboards
For the extra 30$ you have to spend on switches and key caps you might as well spend an extra 15$ and get something better than both, sorry the tester68 ain't it
I have this for 2 days now. Awesome for the price point. Love the typing feeling and sound. Mine has another slot for the dongle at the back though, unlike yours
Glad you like it, hope it lasts.
@@MechKeyboards my first mech keyboard so yeah I don't have anything to compare it to. I just struggle sometimes with mistype at times because it's quite highprofile keys compared to my trusty K380 and surface pro keyboard which are rather flat but all in all happy with the purchase
@@cmlosaria if the height is too much you could switch out the keycaps for a lower profile like Cherry or XDA.
@@MechKeyboards thanks for the tip. I'll check those out. Xda looks nice
@@cmlosaria is it still works? any problem?
Color of pcb has really nothing to do with quality trust me i produce pcbs all the time and use Chinese manufactures. Some colors are more expensive than others and basic green or brown is cheapest but other colors don't mean better quality. The through-holes look nicely filled and i see a normal black silkscreen on the pcb. A cheap pcb is thin like 1.62mm (that is still normal industry size just not very suitable for keyboards that bend).
My experience, while anecdotal, is that PCBs of this color are of lower quality, more prone to issues, and generally do not last long. This is across many electronic devices, not just keyboard PCBs.
@@MechKeyboards well it's not correct. It's fiberglass, resin and copperlanes that make a copper-clad substrate. The Q-value, wiring design, thickness and the amount of layers (for keyboards never more as two) define the quality not the color. For companies to change the default color to produce pcbs in a different color is just more expensive.
@@TheTerracide as it has been explained to me, FR4 non-color boards like this one do not have the acrylic protective layer, hence they are of lower quality and more likely to damage easier. Again, anecdotal, but I've had many PCBs in this "color" die on me much more often that other electronics, but I've only been working with electronics since the 80s, and I know I do not know it all. Cheers.
@@MechKeyboards you are talking about not having a solder mask at all... It's not necessary in every design but it's used to isolate conductive areas of the pcb. It's better to always use a solder mask that is true.
they changed layout of the dongle ditch...
for 22$ this is a very good keyboard!
Glad you like it.
I'm gonna disagree, from what I've learned kailh sockets kinda suck, they're famous to come off because they're just hanging in the air on the back of the pcb with soldering pads being the only thing holding them in place, and these are just tiny sheets of copper foil glued to pcb, guess how well they stand against all the pressure when pushing in the switch?
The best thing to happen is solder being brittle enough to give in before the solder pad, then you can solder it back but if it's the solder pad that came off then repair is gonna be much more difficult and messy looking, you can google many pictures of this happening
More primitive sockets like these are better in this department because they got a flange that moves most of the pressure to the upper side of the pcb so while it may not fit all types of switches (though you can cut excess legs off and trim the pins) at least the risk of soldering pads coming off (which means trashing the pcb for most of the people) is severely reduced
Also on AliExpress this keyboard is like 30% cheaper than tester68 set with stock switches and keycaps so if it's otherwise similar it may be a better deal for the people who want to save on their first mechanical keyboard, especially considering that it also has more interesting color schemes
Unfortunately, switch manufacturers have gone with the wider leg. Hot swap sockets are fine if one is gentle enough.
This keyboard isn't worth $5 in my humble opinion.
We all have our opinions!
great review!
Thanks!
Magic Refiner is probably just the reseller, since the branding says it's Ziyoulang
Good point.
What is the lifetime for an average quality battery in terms of hours
Everyone will use a keyboard differently, batteries also come with variances in charge, there is no way to qualify this with those variables.
Is it better or e-yooso z-11 (or z-11t)?
Personally I prefer the Z11.
@@MechKeyboards I also want to ask you which is better k-snake bm600 or baseus f01b
Thank you
@@ahmeddz7606 I prefer to leave the comment thread on the video topic, please drop by BudgetKeebs and ask your question in our weekly question thread: www.reddit.com/r/budgetkeebs/about/sticky
I bought it for 14 euros it will arrive in a few days I think it will do his job before I buy a better one
Sounds like a pretty unsuccessful tester from Magic Refiner.
At a higher price!
Would you suggest any mods to this keyboard? I ordered one before I saw your video.
@user-kg1di9ed3z Grats! This is a nice keyboard. I only did a tape mod and Im going to lube it once I win a battle against lazyness
well that sucks. was planning to get this since its cheaper with all the switch and keycaps
A GMK67 would be a much better choice, but you would have to get switches and keycaps. MMD Princess switches are inexpensive as are YongQiu keycaps. With some planning you could build out a full 65% with knob for around $60 USD.
Will it work thru wire only? (without batteries)?
I assume you didn't watch the video?
mine doesn’t turn on
Can you exchange or return it. I no longer have this, so I can't really offer any troubleshooting.
does this keyboard accept all 3 pin switches or just otemu ones pls answer me
Only certain switches will work as they are Outemu/Mill Maxx sockets as seen here: ua-cam.com/video/NBDJRkfD7xE/v-deo.htmlsi=Y4_0guljcpc31mE8&t=325
@@MechKeyboards thank you so much for the information
i am thinking of putting gateron milky yellow there after removing the extra pins
u think that will work? and thank you for answering me❤️
@@elyeschaouch285 no, Gateron switches do not fit in Outemu sockets.
How do the colour of the pcb have any bearing to its quality. Are they Thinner
www.yydzpcb.com/?m=home&c=View&a=index&aid=171
I mean it's worth it considering it's £13
Personally I'd rather save and get something better. The dongle doesn't even store in the keyboard, this is a bad product and would create more headaches and cost more time than it's worth, IMO anyways.
Nice
Thanks
I bought it then cancelled after this video
Probably for the best.
this guy appears to be a keyboard enthusiast, he is going to have completely different requirements compared to 95% of other users that are looking for a keyboard in this price bracket
if you are looking for a cheap mechanical bluetooth keyboard then you'd be hard pressed to find something comparable - seeing as this is available for $17
for $17 you are looking at e-waste levels of quality, if this thing last for 2 years it's a great deal
@@elduderino7767 exactly
How ling time the battery working?
No idea, I did not test.
i think this is YINDIAO not magic refiner.
It's a MagicRefiner on Amazon: www.amazon.com/dp/B0BHYS8QSW