north facing LEDs shine through well but cause interference with cherry profile keycaps ... south facing leds dont shine as well and are better for cherry profile keycaps as they dont cause interference
I am glad somebody made this comment, north facing LED's do interfere with cherry profile keycaps, it really has nothing to do with shine through. This isn't a big deal to me since I run ASA format keycaps most of the time, however I still prefer south facing.
I just got my K8 pro the other day. I am blown away. The heft is almost comical, and feels more like a weapon than a peripheral. The key caps are beautiful with the OSA profile and the legends are wonderfully styled. The brown switch hating is out of place, they are wonderfully quiet except for the space bar which is a little too loud, and blues are available too if you hate your peers. It is a pleasure to type on this keyboard and it would be a steal at twice the price.
3:58 "North facing rgb doesnt shine through everything aswell". Well thats just plain wrong. North facing lights are better for shine through, but can cause issues with cherry profile caps sometimes. South facing lights are better for compatibility, but not as good in shine through.
@@benvel3392 It is, so it can shine better thru shine thru keycaps, but if you are using good quality keycaps they are not shine thru anyway so having the LEDS on the south position is better for keycap compatibility.
I really like keychron. For the longest time I was feeling really intimidated by the mechanical keyboard market, because everything seem to be kits or other things that you had to put together yourself, and I’m just not a hardware builder. Then my friend at work told me about this company, and it seemed perfect, I could just buy the keyboard all put together and plug it in and use it. It was like the old keyboards from the 80s, just with a few modern features on top, which is exactly what I had been looking for.
Does it have nkey rollover? Can you check and comment? I’m not able to find online and not much information is provided I brought k8 pro but rollover is not working
@@ishakantmisra1 On the product page it says that it has. Mine arrives probably at the end of the month. I'll get back to you then if I don't forget. 😅
Keychron boards are absolutely amazing value, the bargain kings. I got their Keychron Q2 when it came out, barebones, for $160. Also got a set of switches I liked for $40 from Aliexpress, and a keycap set for $100 that was in stock that matches the colorway of the board. It is incredibly thick and sturdy, fully CNC machined aluminium, got the gaskets so it's not like a Mac keyboard where you feel like you're drilling your fingers into metal. The QMK and VIA comes in handy because I need to remap my keys as a software engineer (I prefer Caps Lock to be Command). I can configure my knob to control the brightness on my monitor. Frankly, I don't think you could build a better board for less money and more quickly/reliably for $300. My only gripe is now that we are supposedly coming back to the office, I have to find a way to get an equally good keyboard for work as well.
@@thebaker8637 I have a Q2 and completely agree, the quality, polish, and expandability for the price is so incredible. This thing is built like an actual brick, and I love it!
I have the K3 with optical switches and it's honestly one of my favorite keyboards I've ever owned. Thinking about buying a bigger low-profile keyboard from them as soon as they have optical switch options as well.
Recently bought a k4 v2 as my first foray into the world of mechanical keyboards. I got the blue switches and my god is it ever clicky! But I like it and probably will get new linear switches down the line
why would you actually spend so much damn money on a friggin keyboard? you do realize EVERY keyboard is customizable through windows powertoys...ive been using the same keyboard i got for free with a computer purchase almost 30 years ago now. a PS/2 hp keyboard model 5187. with powertoys i changed what all the shortcut buttons do, both the eject buttons and the burn cd buttons too, left everything else at default.
@@stapuft well… i am that stupid person that dreamed of having nice tech stuff. I do love tech at its prime and cheap price tag. But if i can get something I sweated my balls for, yes, I believe i will spend the million for my own happiness.
@@memereview1337 it is, i just am dyslexic, and my fingers move on their own at times, lol, i had "auto hot key" setup on my last computer with a customized list of "mistakes" that i am prone to making, im just lazy and haven't put it on this computer yet.
I have a K8 on Linux (Bluetooth is finicky, requires configuration) and I supported the campaign for the K8 Pro which I'm waiting for at the moment. As a person that finds it difficult to find a "comfortable" keyboard I can tell you, between all the keyboards that I have (Das, Ducky, Razer, Truly Ergonomic...) the Keychron just hit all my buttons and I'm extremely happy with it.
i ahev the k8 on linux as well, the non RGB one. it really is just plug and play on the newer versions of ubuntu (i had to do a bit of configuring as well to get the bluetooth to be more reliable when i was still running PopOS)
@@tfsoa I just bought the K8 and I'm typing this in Fedora 38. It was plug & play for me. I don't know if a year ago it wasn't or he means some other issue that happens after a while. But at least for now, it works fine.
Ive been rockin' the regular K8 for a year now and love it. Its built solid, gets great battery life and has about 20 different options for the RGB. Wife even liked it so much she got a wired 10 key for herself. These really are great keyboards.
Bluetooth can still be finicky in windows. Would be nicer if ever they have their own 2.4GHz (not bluetooth 2.4GHz) dongle, so you can have an option between it or bluetooth (aside from going wired, so you won't have wires over your desk).
Yea, my favourite is how the Logitech MX Master handles things, no wired mode (only charging) on that unfortunately but it will use Logitech's receiver but also Bluetooth if you left home and forgot the receiver or something.
Yeah this is why I never buy a Keychron. Bluetooth is usually fine but 2.4GHz is better and there are plenty of options that offer it. Plus I hate when the keyboard needs to wake back up for a second or two if I haven't typed for a while.
I love that Nicholas is getting to do all of these keyboard reviews the enthusiast market is rapidly expanding and becoming easier to get in to I love it!!!
I've been using a K6 for work for the past year. It's been great except for the lack of delete key (and the promised remap tool which is still vaporware), and the delay when the bluetooth reconnects. If I could remap the light key to delete it would be perfect.
Same, really miss that Delete key. I could never get used to the FN combination. The bluetooth has been finicky at best, but that could be my stupid PC too.
@@nilleftw I wasn't really annoyed about the bluetooth wakeup time until I got my cheap Reccazr 60% board for home/travel, which (like the K6) takes several seconds to reconnect but (unlike the K6) remembers what keys were pressed and enters them when it does reconnect. On the K6 anything entered while it's reconnecting just goes into the void. (Incidentally, the 60% also has a dedicated delete key and uses fn combinations to control the lighting.) They're not really in the same class feel- and sound-wise, the Reccazr feels like it costs half of the K6 (which it does), but I really wasn't expecting the bluetooth to behave better on the cheaper board.
Fr, I just got my k6 recently as well, I really wanted to remap the light key, as well as the home, pg up and pg down, and customise some of the key combo/shortcuts. At this point I think keychron just gave up on the software and probably will come up with “pro” version of that support qmk/via
I really wish that Keychron would add 2.4 wireless to their boards. I like mine but having to rely on Bluetooth has relegated it more to a hardwired board for me.
Exactly! I fear it might lag a lil because I have multiple devices connected via Bluetooth. Do you have any recommendations for 2.4 wireless mechanical keyboard? Looking for a good one
@@jadespidey Not yet as far as a full-size or TKL board go. But I did just recently pick up a Royal Kludge RK61 and a Tezarre TK61 Pro as I was looking for a budget 60% keyboard for travel and the 2.4 works well on both of them. They both have Bluetooth as well. Neither sound or feel quite as good as the Keychron but they aren't bad either.
Without that, Keychron simply is not going to replace my Logitech G915 Lightspeed wireless keyboard as my primary driver. It's good to type on for WFH AND game on, but Bluetooth only just stuffs Keychron boards for gaming latency
the disappointing thing is that all the QMK/VIA features were going to be for the original K8 wiith their own software, but they gave up and decided to make a new one instead. i really wish i could just buy the motherboard for it and just upgrade mine.
100% this. I recently got a K2 v2 and decided to return it because of the essentially non-existent firmware/customization support. To say nothing of the absurd Delete key placement, which can't be customized in software, because refer previous sentence. Very happy with my Royal Kludge RK84, which has all these features plus more, all for a lower price point. I'll miss the feel of the K2's typing sounds, but I will *not* be missing their cheap thin oil-magnet keycaps.
This is what the hobby needs, a beginner friendly affordable board with great features. TKL's probably the best layout too, cause a lot of pople are afraid of giving up their F row for a 65%.
i have an old version and i hated the battery life cause of the rgb. i ended up replacing the 5.7Wh (worth a little over a week per charge) with a thicc 37wh battery. it is now on day 57 since last plug in.
I use a K8 for more than a year now with broken BT1, it's a good thing that they are fixing the most common complaints like the ABS keycaps and lack of key mapping software. It's BT 5.1 as well which I hope fixes the random issues with Windows, it would still be best to have a dedicated dongle for 2.4GHz IMO.
Has anyone had any long-term issues using one of these? I'm looking for cheaper alternatives to the big name brands considering the fact that wireless keyboards cost a fortune from them nowadays, yet don't seem to always hold up. Does Keychron do a better job at building their keyboards for long-term use?
Yes. They do hold up very well. I have a K8 non pro, I mostly use mine plugged in, but the battery still works (*have no idea how well, when I use it unplugged as a wireless keyboards I use it for two days max that way.) Got it 2020, Aug 10. Very happy with it. I plan on getting either a K8 pro or a wooting 60he
I got a Corsair K57 wireless RGB keyboard for $129 and I'm satisfied with it.I like this Keychron BUT It's a NO SALE just because of the letters not shining through... It makes SUCH a difference even if you can type without looking, you just need to get your bearings at a glace and being able to see the letters in the dark really makes the difference... for me that is. I have been wondering about mechanical KB's lately, I've been on computers since I was about 7 and I'm 40 now, so I know ALL ABOUT the original clickey KB. I'm not much of a fan for clickey keys, but its been a long time since I used one, maybe I would like them now. I NEEDED a wires with RGB and honestly the K57 was the ONLY ONE I could find that meet my needs... So I'm happy.... IF this goes kaput anytime soon, then I'll look into the Keychron some more, but I will HAVE TO find some clear letters so the light can come through... it's just the way I roll LOL THANK YOU for opening my eyes to this guy... it seems pretty dope :) PS. - I love that my K57 is integrated with my wireless corsair mouse and they can both run off the same USB dongle, although I keep my mouse plugged in most times... and personally I like the iCue RGB software over all the others I've tried... except that Razor can integrate other brand software into it, but I dont have anything razor anymore
I don't have the K57 but I've been eyeing it for years. Looks like the closest thing to a dream keyboard to me, who likes membrane more (and yeah I tried mechanical). I just wish they could make a K57 with scissor keys and a metal frame. Something almost like the MX Keys but by Corsair. Seriously, that would be amazing.
Really wished for a comparison to a similar keyboard at this price range since i heard so much "its fine" when I can't imagine any standard brand keyboard at this price that could compare to it really
I already have the k8 non pro and my only complaint is that because there is that raised bezel type edge to it, it’s really hard to get dust out of it.
Tried buying the slim Keychron TKL a while ago and they kept delaying my expected shipping date by 4 week increments until I finally just cancelled my order. Ended up waiting 4 months for a keyboard that had an expected wait time of 4 weeks (pre-COVID so no excuses besides poor production planning on their part).
For the most part I like my K6, but I have very little faith in Keychron as a company. For months they were promising that remapping software was "coming soon". I was skeptical, but kept checking in. Last I checked they still didn't have anything available.
@@drewzero1 Yea they are like Razer when they came out with their first laptop; great products for reviewers but lacking the production, software or after-sales infrastructure to support them. To Razer's credit, they expanded those departments after a few years.
Wow. Super impressed by what they're offering at such a competitive price. If they start doing free shipping, I will be heavily considering Keychron for my future keyboarding needs
North facing sockets are good for backlight shine through; however, they can interfere with cherry profile keycap sets. On the other hand south facing sockets are bad for backlight shine through and don't interfere with cherry profile keycaps. Just a correction for 3:55
In 2015, I paid £120 for the freshly released K70 RGB with Cherry MX reds. That's £170 today. Unbelievably expensive. Now we can get keyboards like this for comparatively little! Definitely the march of progress. Got the Q1 V2 myself now and that K70 is unusably awful to me.
Big caveat with Keychron products: They've promised software support for most of their products without delivering it. The Keychron K4 v2 in particular was supposed to get eventual QMK support, but the community has had to go through hoops to find ways to flash their boards to get it working, often sacrificing Bluetooth functionality to make it happen. Now we have their QMK lineup of products launching, and no word from them on making good on their existing products getting that promised support. Fantastic physical products. Poor track record on following through on promises.
Correcting myself as I re-researched the K4 v2 situation (I have two of them)... They promised per-key RGB and key remapping support via software that would be offered at a later date. They did not promise QMK support specifically.
0:42 That sound is the Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything. 8:03 "... I just wish that they would kind of keep up with the times a little better" - and I just wish to get a decent keyboard that isn't massively overpriced, isn't tenkeyless (basically useless for me, I need those keys a lot) and isn't necessarily RGB if that adds extra cost. I kinda see how you'd like the big ones to keep up with the more innovative manufacturers though, but speaking of which - does anybody remember that Art Lebedev keyboard from like ~15 years ago? It was totally overpriced for being a piece of art, but it had one feature that I keep waiting for other companies to add to their lineup. That thing had little OLEDs in all the keycaps, think they were either 32x32 or even 64x64 pixels. Basically you could make them sort of RGB, but also program to show the keys as how they're actually mapped, so it would change when you alter your keyboard layout to another language or even allow you to customize the displayed images completely which might especially be useful for scripts/macros or just individual "start this thing" or "play that sound" buttons. Why does no company make such keyboards anymore? I'd totally be in getting one if it wasn't too expensive eventually. And I bet this could be done for much less of a price tag these days compared to over 10 years ago.
I don't trust bluetooth for gaming and most wireless keyboards from "enthusiast" keyboard brands only use bluetooth. That's what gaming brands have an advantage when it comes to wireless keyboards
3:25 I can understand how it's an issue how you can't see the keys if you are in a dark room but you got to know that it's actually very bad for your eye sight to be infront of your monitor with the lights off if you plan to work with the keyboard. tldr just have the lights on
@@silberwolfSR71 Also the K4, which is 96% i.e. full size but without any space around the arrow keys and home cluster. But indeed none of the QMK models have numpads. I personally picked up a separate numpad that I usually keep on the left of my K2.
@@silberwolfSR71 Oh, dang... You're right! it's been half a year since i checked and i followed their newsletter... Looks like the k10 was a bit of a silent release (they focused on the Q1)! But yeah, - no VIA support, - limited color options (i prefer the retro one) - no option without backlight (battery saving) Honestly, I guess right now i'm happy with my Logitech g613 but if it breaks i still might look at the k10.
As a person who has a Mac for work and PC for gaming, I LOVE to have a single keyboard, just switch BT device or wired mode and I'm ready to game. I got a K2 and will definitely upgrade to a k8 soon.
My first THOCK board was a Keychron K2, the quality, packaging and price point is a no brainer, I feel like Keychron is super underrated and if you know what you're doing you can customize EVERYTHING. Would definitely recommend to all
I've had an eye on the Keychrons since I saw the name go around, perhaps from a year or two ago, but I wanted to go with a 60% with specific details, though they do have barebones. - But I decided that I liked the other ones enough to replace my full-sized Sharkoon Skiller Mech (which isn't bad) with, because... I would like something more compact and probably use it wireless, still. - But while 60% removes a bit too much, even though I'm pretty good with programming "layers" and such (I also use a keypad for games and programs with multiple functions under some keys), sometimes you just want to hit Escape or an F-key or whatever with one hand quickly, instead of having to combine it with the Fn-key or whatever. I thought I wouldn't mind, but I think it would start annoying me, having some functionality "hidden" under a modifier, at least for a main keyboard that just stays at my computer. So I decided I'd go with the K7 Pro, I believe, which I think is called a 75% size. But I love that line of low-profile boards, because not only are they sleek in height, they also have their layouts squished together in very good ways and then also no bezels. Not that it's a big deal, but it makes it all the sleeker, which is just neat. Nobody cares, but you know how we can geek out over stuff. - However, speaking of the squished-together layouts, I'm disappointed they still have the "full" version with space above the directional keys, rather than making some of the keys to the left of them smaller to move them in there, and getting everything together like the K4 Keychron has (except that's not a low-profile). Cause I MIGHT have gone with that, if it was laid out like the K4, to still have that numpad, but still slightly smaller than a regular layout while not losing any keys. - But I think I'll "split the difference" and lose out on the numpad but just program 123456 under jkluio or something, which is right below 789, so you can have your "numpad" there, except while holding a modifier. - That's what I would do for a 60%, kind of like having the F-keys under the numbers, which is also a neat idea for how little you tend to use them, but again... they're so "hidden" and it might get annoying for some programs and games. - Imagine wanting to hit F5 to reload or quick-save or something and you keep needing to hit a modifier... Yea, I think I dodged a self-inflicted bullet there.
03:50 You got that backwards. NORTH facing is not liked because it interferes with Cherry profile keycaps. North facing IS better for RGB.... but south facing is preferred because there's no interference with Cherry caps.
Might wanna look at an Akko 3084B Plus board. 120$ Budget board that comes with good switches(Jelly pink/purple) and PBT keycaps. Im super impressed with mine, 0 rattle and it feels extremely nice to type on. Also Wireless/Wired/Bluetooth and hotswap.
Have a keychron as well. Best feature in my opinion is the quick swapping (Fn + 1, Fn + 2, Fn + 3) to switch between 3 bluetooth devices (work laptop, desktop, console/phone). Love it.
I use a K2 almost purely for my phone and also for my laptop when I'm on the go. I really, really wish Keychron provided a hard shell top. They offer a traveling case, but that thing is much bigger and doesn't fit into my bag as well. I use a soft sleeve that came with an old tablet that fits my k2 just fine, but really want to just find someone with a 3d printer to print me up a hard shell for the K2 that could also double as a wrist wrest.
Are wireless keyboards viable these days? I know mice have gotten to that point, but I figured the input delay was still a big issue for keyboards that are wireless.
My G915 TKL has 0 latency like the Logitech G Pro. I would love to upgrade my keyboard to something better quality, but I love the low profile (I never thought I would before I got the G915) and there aren't a lot of options in the market for wireless, latency free, low-profile keyboards. Keychron doesn't really look high quality to me, especially compared to the G915 (which isn't that high quality either) and I don't trust bluetooth to be latency free at all times.
@@Coda-Ch. Even with the G915, when I use it in bluetooth mode I do notice some latency when gaming. The 2.4GHz comm works flawelesly though, I just have to keep the keyboard and dongle relatively close to each other.
I understand this is short circuit, but it would be nice if the presenter knew more about the product, the aluminum bands are there because they sell other colors on the website, plus it helps keep the price down by not going with full metal housing. Makes the product look more premium for less money. Plus your space bar has a lot more open space to make a deeper sound than a normal keypress. Hence why you're getting a deeper tone from that. More so, if you want shine through keycaps you can still purchase those for it. Non shine through is very normal for enthusiast boards, which this board is a stepping stone into.
Wait 6+ months for a group buy? I finally got my Vega two days ago after the group buy in November of 2020. I don't know how people build repeatedly in this hobby, I'm gonna be in and out with this one. Okay but if ai03 did a 75% I'd probably get that...
Reporting back with the K8 pro from the kickstarter! If you're looking for a good sturdy boi that doesn't break the bank, this thing is amazing. It feels great. The thock is definitely noticeable, and it has got some nice heft to it. Had to come back after receiving it because this vid helped my decision to buy it!
Worlds apart my man, did you not hear that spacebar? People put time and sweat into making their spacebars sound like that, and this one has it sounding like that out of the box. Plus this board comes with gateron switches (and not some noname fake outemu ones), is fully hotswap, has foam/ dampening, non basic colored keycaps, has a win and mac setting.
This has to be my favorite keyboard, got the aluminum brown switches for 135 ish cuz shipping is 15 dollars to my area, only gripe is that it wasn’t in stock when I wanted to get it lol, just shows how popular it is xd
So, I actually ordered this keyboard. I had high hopes, it is a dream to type on. Their software? It doesnt work and their customer service support is nothing but trash. I probably got a keyboard with something bad on it so I firmware flash doesnt fix it, that's fine, lemons happen. What is not fine is that they refuse to do anything about it. It's really a shame. I'm sure very few people will see this, but it's worth sharing in case someone does.
I own a K4 and RK81, my 5 switch stopped working on the k4 after some resistance with customer service, they sent me a brand new keyboard at the cost of mailing my old one back. The switches are great but the form factor compactor to the royal kludge lacks a bit. I replaced the Key caps with standard shine through double shot Pbt huge difference. They felt greasy after a week.
@@ShortCircuit gotta love the LMG channels always ready to watch them. LTT drops at 7pm local most of the times. The videos are a great way to start the evening 👌🏻.
good video as always, i would want to put just a small detail that could be added: just a quick explanation about what VIA is would be nice on the video. Yes i know the focus here is the enthusiasts, but i watch all SCs because i like this video style. I got curious about what it was, so i paused and googled it, solved my question, but as i said, it would be nice for the regular viewer to hear a quick explanation about it inside the content.
I want a Bluetooth wireless keyboard (no dongle) that has USB-C for charging (and wired mode if you want), and also has a USB-A port for passthrough while it's wireless. I use a security USB that I'd love to be able to swap quickly between my laptop, phone, and tablet by just toggling Bluetooth profiles.
Got myself a hot swap-able K4v2 back in October, originally with blues because that's all they had at the time, but I've since upgraded to reds and holy shit am I in love with this keyboard, especially at the price point! Blows mainstream gaming keyboards out of the water!
1:50 The K3 doesn't have that lip and is a pretty nice TKL without too much smooshing. I got it as a gift for Christmas and it's been really nice so far
7 years ago I bought a Ducky DK2108S with blue LEDs and MX Blues for 119 euros (free shipping) and I'm still using it to this day. It's the keyboard with the least amount of flex that I've ever held, the caps are shine through, none have faded, is a *full* keyboard, and comes with basic media buttons (mute, volume down, volume up, and calculator). I love it.
2:17 Thanks for the metric conversion, but at such a high number, we rather put it in Kg and round off to about 0.1. (At first glance I thought it was 13 Kg) So it's 1,3 Kg. Thanks.
I agree with the fact that they're not "shine-through". I wish they would just make the letters translucent. It would look really nice if you'd put a static color or just white light through them, with the colors the keycaps have but alas...
Is it weird that I think the feet on a keyboard should be the other way around? Angling the bottom of the keyboard up would give your wrists a more natural angle to sit in wouldn't it?
Love my keychron's... but I never use them wirelessly anymore, because their Bluetooth implementation is foobar, and often 'crashes' the bluetooth stack on my laptop or tablet. Needing a full reboot before bluetooth works again. Only have it with those two boards, also on laptops from work. As long as the cable is connected, they're fine.
If they're able to make a numpad version, this would be a really great buy for me. I deal with spreadsheets a lot and many games I play use the numpad, can't go without it for me. A separate dedicated numpad is just a little scattered.
I've been a fan of Keychron since their kickstarter for the K1. I have bought several since including the recent Q2. I still dont fet how VIA works but the Q2 was setup outnof thr box fine for me.
Fully decked out K8 User here. Swapped the Gatheron Browns on mine with Cherry MX Blues... it's a clicky paradise. Love what Keychron is doing, Good Pricepoint to get sucked into the whole Mechanical Keyboard Game.
I've had 2 Ducky's that I've been mostly happy with and recently bought a Leopold FC750R. The Leopold build quality is excellent and not too expensive.
My one main gripe with my own K8 TKL is there's no alt menu key, which I use a lot instead of taking my hand away from the keyboard to right-click on the mouse.
What is the current state of BT (mid 2023), as I have heard it does not really work well at all. Half of my use case is pure BT so it not working would be a deal breaker. Additionally, is the Q3 Pro worth the extra 40€?
I just ordered the K2 v2, but I ordered it with the blue switches because I'm a big fan of the click. :) I went with the cheaper model, though. Plastic and white LED, rather than RGB.
I must say I have bad knowledge of keyboards compared to other tech. Ive been mostly running SteelSeries when I was younger, and as of now I run the G915 Logitech one. I love it and won’t be changing anytime soon. However, we’ve gotten an: ”Enhance your workplace bonus taxfree” from work of like $300. So I was planning on getting a real juiced keyboard for the office. He mentioned entusiasts keyboards a few times in the video, which keyboards are those? I love small keyboards, but it’s important for me to have easy accesss to f1 - f12 and the home-end, delete, page up/down and arrow keys. I currently use the Keychron K6 wireless, but it doesn’t suit my office needs, hate that the lighting button isnt a delete button, and that I can’t access end without function key, also I need to use function keys to get f1-12, which is OK but not ideal.
The north facing leds is not cus of shinethrough or even the lights at all... basically means the board is upside down and the switches are also upside down which causes interfernce with some mx keycaps with them not being able to bottom out.
I had a bad experience with Keychron. I think it was the 2nd gen k1 or k3. It was a low profile wireless keyboard with blue switches, for a mac. It was horrible. The keyboard I initially received would randomly miss key presses, and at other times it would stick. For example something like thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis would happen. It was a very bad typing experience. I emailed them, and they requested that I take a video of the issue and send it. I found that weird, but did so anyway, and they eventually sent me a replacement. The replacement keyboard, to a lesser extent, had the same problems. I ended up tossing it and eating the loss. Its a shame, because they're super popular, the have a bunch of sweet looking keyboards, but I have a very bad taste left over from that experience. Highly doubt if I'd ever purchase anything from them again.
Keychron is a good mid-range option. I personally wouldn't game with Keychron keyboards but they are good work/coding keyboards. I think other brands like Razer/Corsair has more features in reference for gaming.
I wish this was in stock in the Indian keychron site but it wasn't for like a month so I just went with K4V2 since I really like having hitswap and aluminum chassy
Royal Kludge is a great competitor to Keychron! Switch and Click did a review on the RK84, and this TKL board is a competitor to the RK87 board. That board has BT/Wire/AND 2.4Ghz.
I honestly think the RK boards are just better. They offer more features and personally, I like the clean design language over the multicolor keycaps that come stock with the Keychrone boards. Plus RK is super competitively priced.
The dealbreaker with the RK87 board is that it's not hot-swappable. I haven't seen the PCB either, so I don't know if it's south-facing or if the stabs are screw-in. These are critical features and I'd love to see RK come out with a version of the RK87 that's more enthusiast-friendly.
@@Lazzmodai That was the Sink87G that was not hot-swap. The RK87 TKL (no sink stuff) is hotswappable with two stab holes. North Facing LED, but that's just a problem for Cherry MX Profiles (from what I read).
WHO TOLD THEM THAT THOCK IS THE SECRET TO THUMBNAILS I WANT CREDIT FOR THIS
Hey hippo big fan
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Howdy Hey Hipyo
HIPYO IS A REAL KEEEB BOI!
a wild Hipyo appeared!
north facing LEDs shine through well but cause interference with cherry profile keycaps ... south facing leds dont shine as well and are better for cherry profile keycaps as they dont cause interference
I was hoping someone already made this comment.
some long stem switches fix that
I am glad somebody made this comment, north facing LED's do interfere with cherry profile keycaps, it really has nothing to do with shine through. This isn't a big deal to me since I run ASA format keycaps most of the time, however I still prefer south facing.
@@enriquev302 and specially designed switches
@OskyEdz if the led's are on the bottom but the legends are on the top half of the caps, then you'd have a slight lighting problem
I just got my K8 pro the other day. I am blown away. The heft is almost comical, and feels more like a weapon than a peripheral. The key caps are beautiful with the OSA profile and the legends are wonderfully styled. The brown switch hating is out of place, they are wonderfully quiet except for the space bar which is a little too loud, and blues are available too if you hate your peers. It is a pleasure to type on this keyboard and it would be a steal at twice the price.
3:58 "North facing rgb doesnt shine through everything aswell". Well thats just plain wrong. North facing lights are better for shine through, but can cause issues with cherry profile caps sometimes. South facing lights are better for compatibility, but not as good in shine through.
Yeah isn't north facing made specifically for rgb?
was going write the same thing in the comments. Some cherry keycap rows will feel "mushy" when you try them on north-facing switches.
Was gonna say this. I recently found out i had this issue with one of my KBs. Just bought XDA keycaps and called it a day.
What even is the point of having a backlight if the keycaps are solid????
@@benvel3392 It is, so it can shine better thru shine thru keycaps, but if you are using good quality keycaps they are not shine thru anyway so having the LEDS on the south position is better for keycap compatibility.
I really like keychron. For the longest time I was feeling really intimidated by the mechanical keyboard market, because everything seem to be kits or other things that you had to put together yourself, and I’m just not a hardware builder. Then my friend at work told me about this company, and it seemed perfect, I could just buy the keyboard all put together and plug it in and use it. It was like the old keyboards from the 80s, just with a few modern features on top, which is exactly what I had been looking for.
I have a K8 aluminum with blues. I love it.
Speaking of keyboards from the 80s... I recently purchased the Keychron C2. Wired, beige, and clacky-clacky. So much nostalgia from that thing.
Does it have nkey rollover? Can you check and comment? I’m not able to find online and not much information is provided I brought k8 pro but rollover is not working
@@ultrameenypants3501 please chdck if possible
@@ishakantmisra1 On the product page it says that it has. Mine arrives probably at the end of the month. I'll get back to you then if I don't forget. 😅
I'm really impressed with what they're offering at that price point
Same, only if their shipping didn't make everything 30 bucks more expensive and make everything pretty much lose it's value points
Keychron boards are absolutely amazing value, the bargain kings. I got their Keychron Q2 when it came out, barebones, for $160. Also got a set of switches I liked for $40 from Aliexpress, and a keycap set for $100 that was in stock that matches the colorway of the board. It is incredibly thick and sturdy, fully CNC machined aluminium, got the gaskets so it's not like a Mac keyboard where you feel like you're drilling your fingers into metal. The QMK and VIA comes in handy because I need to remap my keys as a software engineer (I prefer Caps Lock to be Command). I can configure my knob to control the brightness on my monitor. Frankly, I don't think you could build a better board for less money and more quickly/reliably for $300.
My only gripe is now that we are supposedly coming back to the office, I have to find a way to get an equally good keyboard for work as well.
Not bad but sadly no full size ISO layout :(
@@thebaker8637 I have a Q2 and completely agree, the quality, polish, and expandability for the price is so incredible. This thing is built like an actual brick, and I love it!
I have the K3 with optical switches and it's honestly one of my favorite keyboards I've ever owned. Thinking about buying a bigger low-profile keyboard from them as soon as they have optical switch options as well.
I just got my Keychron K4v2, and I'm extremely happy about it. Got the white/blue keycaps with Gat Reds, and I'm in love.
Recently bought a k4 v2 as my first foray into the world of mechanical keyboards. I got the blue switches and my god is it ever clicky! But I like it and probably will get new linear switches down the line
I customized mine quite heavily. I've now four different switches in my K4v2, I love that keyboard, and its features were made for my needs and wants.
I have 2 keychron keyboards. They're awesome, would recpmmend. I've also had a corsair k95 for like 5 years and I love it.
I just got the K4 for school and office purposes. At home i have the K100 and i love how different but good both are!
why would you actually spend so much damn money on a friggin keyboard?
you do realize EVERY keyboard is customizable through windows powertoys...ive been using the same keyboard i got for free with a computer purchase almost 30 years ago now. a PS/2 hp keyboard model 5187. with powertoys i changed what all the shortcut buttons do, both the eject buttons and the burn cd buttons too, left everything else at default.
@@stapuft well… i am that stupid person that dreamed of having nice tech stuff. I do love tech at its prime and cheap price tag. But if i can get something I sweated my balls for, yes, I believe i will spend the million for my own happiness.
seems tp wprk well.
@@memereview1337 it is, i just am dyslexic, and my fingers move on their own at times, lol, i had "auto hot key" setup on my last computer with a customized list of "mistakes" that i am prone to making, im just lazy and haven't put it on this computer yet.
I have a K8 on Linux (Bluetooth is finicky, requires configuration) and I supported the campaign for the K8 Pro which I'm waiting for at the moment. As a person that finds it difficult to find a "comfortable" keyboard I can tell you, between all the keyboards that I have (Das, Ducky, Razer, Truly Ergonomic...) the Keychron just hit all my buttons and I'm extremely happy with it.
What kind of configuration did you have to apply? I use Linux Mint 21. Thanks in advance :)
@@tfsoa bump
i ahev the k8 on linux as well, the non RGB one. it really is just plug and play on the newer versions of ubuntu (i had to do a bit of configuring as well to get the bluetooth to be more reliable when i was still running PopOS)
@@tfsoa I just bought the K8 and I'm typing this in Fedora 38. It was plug & play for me.
I don't know if a year ago it wasn't or he means some other issue that happens after a while. But at least for now, it works fine.
Ive been rockin' the regular K8 for a year now and love it. Its built solid, gets great battery life and has about 20 different options for the RGB. Wife even liked it so much she got a wired 10 key for herself. These really are great keyboards.
what switches are you using?
Bluetooth can still be finicky in windows. Would be nicer if ever they have their own 2.4GHz (not bluetooth 2.4GHz) dongle, so you can have an option between it or bluetooth (aside from going wired, so you won't have wires over your desk).
Agreed. Proprietary 2.4ghz connection is also (usually) lower latency than Bluetooth, so would be nicer for gaming
What about Windows 11?
Yea, my favourite is how the Logitech MX Master handles things, no wired mode (only charging) on that unfortunately but it will use Logitech's receiver but also Bluetooth if you left home and forgot the receiver or something.
Yeah this is why I never buy a Keychron. Bluetooth is usually fine but 2.4GHz is better and there are plenty of options that offer it. Plus I hate when the keyboard needs to wake back up for a second or two if I haven't typed for a while.
Yep. I have never had a Keychron that wasnt problematic for exactly this reason.
I love that Nicholas is getting to do all of these keyboard reviews the enthusiast market is rapidly expanding and becoming easier to get in to I love it!!!
this board is what convinced me get a Q5
Bro what? He whines about literally anything and everything he can find or think of…
I've been using a K6 for work for the past year. It's been great except for the lack of delete key (and the promised remap tool which is still vaporware), and the delay when the bluetooth reconnects. If I could remap the light key to delete it would be perfect.
Same, really miss that Delete key. I could never get used to the FN combination. The bluetooth has been finicky at best, but that could be my stupid PC too.
@@nilleftw I wasn't really annoyed about the bluetooth wakeup time until I got my cheap Reccazr 60% board for home/travel, which (like the K6) takes several seconds to reconnect but (unlike the K6) remembers what keys were pressed and enters them when it does reconnect. On the K6 anything entered while it's reconnecting just goes into the void. (Incidentally, the 60% also has a dedicated delete key and uses fn combinations to control the lighting.)
They're not really in the same class feel- and sound-wise, the Reccazr feels like it costs half of the K6 (which it does), but I really wasn't expecting the bluetooth to behave better on the cheaper board.
Fr, I just got my k6 recently as well, I really wanted to remap the light key, as well as the home, pg up and pg down, and customise some of the key combo/shortcuts. At this point I think keychron just gave up on the software and probably will come up with “pro” version of that support qmk/via
I really wish that Keychron would add 2.4 wireless to their boards. I like mine but having to rely on Bluetooth has relegated it more to a hardwired board for me.
Exactly! I fear it might lag a lil because I have multiple devices connected via Bluetooth. Do you have any recommendations for 2.4 wireless mechanical keyboard? Looking for a good one
@@jadespidey NJ80 with Gateron Pro Yellows and brass plate.
Bluetooth. 2.4 Wireless and Wired. All in one.
@@jadespidey Not yet as far as a full-size or TKL board go. But I did just recently pick up a Royal Kludge RK61 and a Tezarre TK61 Pro as I was looking for a budget 60% keyboard for travel and the 2.4 works well on both of them. They both have Bluetooth as well. Neither sound or feel quite as good as the Keychron but they aren't bad either.
Yep. This is the last real hurdle for more mass adoption.
Without that, Keychron simply is not going to replace my Logitech G915 Lightspeed wireless keyboard as my primary driver. It's good to type on for WFH AND game on, but Bluetooth only just stuffs Keychron boards for gaming latency
the disappointing thing is that all the QMK/VIA features were going to be for the original K8 wiith their own software, but they gave up and decided to make a new one instead.
i really wish i could just buy the motherboard for it and just upgrade mine.
100% this. I recently got a K2 v2 and decided to return it because of the essentially non-existent firmware/customization support. To say nothing of the absurd Delete key placement, which can't be customized in software, because refer previous sentence. Very happy with my Royal Kludge RK84, which has all these features plus more, all for a lower price point. I'll miss the feel of the K2's typing sounds, but I will *not* be missing their cheap thin oil-magnet keycaps.
You can flash it with qmk but it requires a bit of work and it's not going to be exactly the same as the qmk series
Just came here to say that I'm shocked to hear that Linksys still exists. Loved my Linksys WRT54G back in the day before Unifi became a thing.
Linksys is a Cisco brand so it's not a small company :)
Great they added a silicone layer. Their boards can be a little hollow. For my K6 I added a DYI silicone so nice to see they are adding it now.
This is what the hobby needs, a beginner friendly affordable board with great features. TKL's probably the best layout too, cause a lot of pople are afraid of giving up their F row for a 65%.
well yeah function keys are amazing
I'm a software developer, so I can't give up my F row, there are just too many shortcuts in too many programs to do without them
i have an old version and i hated the battery life cause of the rgb. i ended up replacing the 5.7Wh (worth a little over a week per charge) with a thicc 37wh battery. it is now on day 57 since last plug in.
I use a K8 for more than a year now with broken BT1, it's a good thing that they are fixing the most common complaints like the ABS keycaps and lack of key mapping software. It's BT 5.1 as well which I hope fixes the random issues with Windows, it would still be best to have a dedicated dongle for 2.4GHz IMO.
Has anyone had any long-term issues using one of these? I'm looking for cheaper alternatives to the big name brands considering the fact that wireless keyboards cost a fortune from them nowadays, yet don't seem to always hold up. Does Keychron do a better job at building their keyboards for long-term use?
Yes. They do hold up very well. I have a K8 non pro, I mostly use mine plugged in, but the battery still works (*have no idea how well, when I use it unplugged as a wireless keyboards I use it for two days max that way.) Got it 2020, Aug 10. Very happy with it. I plan on getting either a K8 pro or a wooting 60he
I got a Corsair K57 wireless RGB keyboard for $129 and I'm satisfied with it.I like this Keychron BUT It's a NO SALE just because of the letters not shining through... It makes SUCH a difference even if you can type without looking, you just need to get your bearings at a glace and being able to see the letters in the dark really makes the difference... for me that is. I have been wondering about mechanical KB's lately, I've been on computers since I was about 7 and I'm 40 now, so I know ALL ABOUT the original clickey KB. I'm not much of a fan for clickey keys, but its been a long time since I used one, maybe I would like them now.
I NEEDED a wires with RGB and honestly the K57 was the ONLY ONE I could find that meet my needs... So I'm happy.... IF this goes kaput anytime soon, then I'll look into the Keychron some more, but I will HAVE TO find some clear letters so the light can come through... it's just the way I roll LOL
THANK YOU for opening my eyes to this guy... it seems pretty dope :)
PS. - I love that my K57 is integrated with my wireless corsair mouse and they can both run off the same USB dongle, although I keep my mouse plugged in most times... and personally I like the iCue RGB software over all the others I've tried... except that Razor can integrate other brand software into it, but I dont have anything razor anymore
I don't have the K57 but I've been eyeing it for years. Looks like the closest thing to a dream keyboard to me, who likes membrane more (and yeah I tried mechanical). I just wish they could make a K57 with scissor keys and a metal frame. Something almost like the MX Keys but by Corsair. Seriously, that would be amazing.
0:43 I want GIFs with sound made for this one
Really wished for a comparison to a similar keyboard at this price range since i heard so much "its fine" when I can't imagine any standard brand keyboard at this price that could compare to it really
exactly what i'm talking about above
I already have the k8 non pro and my only complaint is that because there is that raised bezel type edge to it, it’s really hard to get dust out of it.
Tried buying the slim Keychron TKL a while ago and they kept delaying my expected shipping date by 4 week increments until I finally just cancelled my order. Ended up waiting 4 months for a keyboard that had an expected wait time of 4 weeks (pre-COVID so no excuses besides poor production planning on their part).
For the most part I like my K6, but I have very little faith in Keychron as a company. For months they were promising that remapping software was "coming soon". I was skeptical, but kept checking in. Last I checked they still didn't have anything available.
@@drewzero1 Yea they are like Razer when they came out with their first laptop; great products for reviewers but lacking the production, software or after-sales infrastructure to support them. To Razer's credit, they expanded those departments after a few years.
Wow. Super impressed by what they're offering at such a competitive price. If they start doing free shipping, I will be heavily considering Keychron for my future keyboarding needs
North facing sockets are good for backlight shine through; however, they can interfere with cherry profile keycap sets. On the other hand south facing sockets are bad for backlight shine through and don't interfere with cherry profile keycaps. Just a correction for 3:55
What's the point of having RGB if the key caps are not shine through :(
In 2015, I paid £120 for the freshly released K70 RGB with Cherry MX reds. That's £170 today. Unbelievably expensive. Now we can get keyboards like this for comparatively little! Definitely the march of progress. Got the Q1 V2 myself now and that K70 is unusably awful to me.
Big caveat with Keychron products:
They've promised software support for most of their products without delivering it. The Keychron K4 v2 in particular was supposed to get eventual QMK support, but the community has had to go through hoops to find ways to flash their boards to get it working, often sacrificing Bluetooth functionality to make it happen.
Now we have their QMK lineup of products launching, and no word from them on making good on their existing products getting that promised support.
Fantastic physical products. Poor track record on following through on promises.
Other big caveat - they only use bluetooth which has an average of like 20-25ms latency vs. < 4 on 2.4ghz RF wireless.
Correcting myself as I re-researched the K4 v2 situation (I have two of them)...
They promised per-key RGB and key remapping support via software that would be offered at a later date. They did not promise QMK support specifically.
0:42 That sound is the Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything.
8:03 "... I just wish that they would kind of keep up with the times a little better" - and I just wish to get a decent keyboard that isn't massively overpriced, isn't tenkeyless (basically useless for me, I need those keys a lot) and isn't necessarily RGB if that adds extra cost. I kinda see how you'd like the big ones to keep up with the more innovative manufacturers though, but speaking of which - does anybody remember that Art Lebedev keyboard from like ~15 years ago? It was totally overpriced for being a piece of art, but it had one feature that I keep waiting for other companies to add to their lineup. That thing had little OLEDs in all the keycaps, think they were either 32x32 or even 64x64 pixels. Basically you could make them sort of RGB, but also program to show the keys as how they're actually mapped, so it would change when you alter your keyboard layout to another language or even allow you to customize the displayed images completely which might especially be useful for scripts/macros or just individual "start this thing" or "play that sound" buttons. Why does no company make such keyboards anymore? I'd totally be in getting one if it wasn't too expensive eventually. And I bet this could be done for much less of a price tag these days compared to over 10 years ago.
Keychron and Epomaker both make better full size keyboards
@@PasteurizedLettuce Thanks, just noticed myself the K10 being full size.
I don't trust bluetooth for gaming and most wireless keyboards from "enthusiast" keyboard brands only use bluetooth. That's what gaming brands have an advantage when it comes to wireless keyboards
I use the keychron k2 and it has a wired mode which is like the best of both worlds
3:25 I can understand how it's an issue how you can't see the keys if you are in a dark room but you got to know that it's actually very bad for your eye sight to be infront of your monitor with the lights off if you plan to work with the keyboard. tldr just have the lights on
I was looking for a good wireless keyboard, I hope they also have a version with numerical keys.
They dont, sadly. It's a big issue imo.
They do sell one with a numpad, the K10.
However I don't think it has QMK/VIA support.
@@silberwolfSR71 Also the K4, which is 96% i.e. full size but without any space around the arrow keys and home cluster. But indeed none of the QMK models have numpads. I personally picked up a separate numpad that I usually keep on the left of my K2.
@@silberwolfSR71 Oh, dang... You're right! it's been half a year since i checked and i followed their newsletter... Looks like the k10 was a bit of a silent release (they focused on the Q1)!
But yeah,
- no VIA support,
- limited color options (i prefer the retro one)
- no option without backlight (battery saving)
Honestly, I guess right now i'm happy with my Logitech g613 but if it breaks i still might look at the k10.
As a person who has a Mac for work and PC for gaming, I LOVE to have a single keyboard, just switch BT device or wired mode and I'm ready to game. I got a K2 and will definitely upgrade to a k8 soon.
My first THOCK board was a Keychron K2, the quality, packaging and price point is a no brainer, I feel like Keychron is super underrated and if you know what you're doing you can customize EVERYTHING. Would definitely recommend to all
I've had an eye on the Keychrons since I saw the name go around, perhaps from a year or two ago, but I wanted to go with a 60% with specific details, though they do have barebones. - But I decided that I liked the other ones enough to replace my full-sized Sharkoon Skiller Mech (which isn't bad) with, because... I would like something more compact and probably use it wireless, still. - But while 60% removes a bit too much, even though I'm pretty good with programming "layers" and such (I also use a keypad for games and programs with multiple functions under some keys), sometimes you just want to hit Escape or an F-key or whatever with one hand quickly, instead of having to combine it with the Fn-key or whatever. I thought I wouldn't mind, but I think it would start annoying me, having some functionality "hidden" under a modifier, at least for a main keyboard that just stays at my computer.
So I decided I'd go with the K7 Pro, I believe, which I think is called a 75% size. But I love that line of low-profile boards, because not only are they sleek in height, they also have their layouts squished together in very good ways and then also no bezels. Not that it's a big deal, but it makes it all the sleeker, which is just neat. Nobody cares, but you know how we can geek out over stuff. -
However, speaking of the squished-together layouts, I'm disappointed they still have the "full" version with space above the directional keys, rather than making some of the keys to the left of them smaller to move them in there, and getting everything together like the K4 Keychron has (except that's not a low-profile). Cause I MIGHT have gone with that, if it was laid out like the K4, to still have that numpad, but still slightly smaller than a regular layout while not losing any keys. - But I think I'll "split the difference" and lose out on the numpad but just program 123456 under jkluio or something, which is right below 789, so you can have your "numpad" there, except while holding a modifier. - That's what I would do for a 60%, kind of like having the F-keys under the numbers, which is also a neat idea for how little you tend to use them, but again... they're so "hidden" and it might get annoying for some programs and games. - Imagine wanting to hit F5 to reload or quick-save or something and you keep needing to hit a modifier... Yea, I think I dodged a self-inflicted bullet there.
03:50 You got that backwards. NORTH facing is not liked because it interferes with Cherry profile keycaps. North facing IS better for RGB.... but south facing is preferred because there's no interference with Cherry caps.
Might wanna look at an Akko 3084B Plus board. 120$ Budget board that comes with good switches(Jelly pink/purple) and PBT keycaps. Im super impressed with mine, 0 rattle and it feels extremely nice to type on. Also Wireless/Wired/Bluetooth and hotswap.
For the price of admission, this sure is a damn good offering.
Have a keychron as well. Best feature in my opinion is the quick swapping (Fn + 1, Fn + 2, Fn + 3) to switch between 3 bluetooth devices (work laptop, desktop, console/phone). Love it.
I use a hub so I can switch mouse and keyboard together. Works great and faster than the switching of connection profiles (with my devices)
@@mattymattffs old post I know, but do you have it wired or a dongle?
I bought the Q2 and absolutely love it! So choncky with all the metal and great quality!
I use a K2 almost purely for my phone and also for my laptop when I'm on the go. I really, really wish Keychron provided a hard shell top. They offer a traveling case, but that thing is much bigger and doesn't fit into my bag as well. I use a soft sleeve that came with an old tablet that fits my k2 just fine, but really want to just find someone with a 3d printer to print me up a hard shell for the K2 that could also double as a wrist wrest.
Are wireless keyboards viable these days? I know mice have gotten to that point, but I figured the input delay was still a big issue for keyboards that are wireless.
it adds about 20-30 ms of delays, but sometimes the software behind makes it technically better than wired *cough* the one I got rn *cough*
As long as it uses a 2.4GHz dongle instead of bluetooth you should be fine
My G915 TKL has 0 latency like the Logitech G Pro. I would love to upgrade my keyboard to something better quality, but I love the low profile (I never thought I would before I got the G915) and there aren't a lot of options in the market for wireless, latency free, low-profile keyboards. Keychron doesn't really look high quality to me, especially compared to the G915 (which isn't that high quality either) and I don't trust bluetooth to be latency free at all times.
@@Coda-Ch. Even with the G915, when I use it in bluetooth mode I do notice some latency when gaming. The 2.4GHz comm works flawelesly though, I just have to keep the keyboard and dongle relatively close to each other.
@@Maradiaga23 Yeah on Bluetooth mode it does have latency.
I understand this is short circuit, but it would be nice if the presenter knew more about the product, the aluminum bands are there because they sell other colors on the website, plus it helps keep the price down by not going with full metal housing. Makes the product look more premium for less money. Plus your space bar has a lot more open space to make a deeper sound than a normal keypress. Hence why you're getting a deeper tone from that. More so, if you want shine through keycaps you can still purchase those for it. Non shine through is very normal for enthusiast boards, which this board is a stepping stone into.
Wait 6+ months for a group buy? I finally got my Vega two days ago after the group buy in November of 2020. I don't know how people build repeatedly in this hobby, I'm gonna be in and out with this one.
Okay but if ai03 did a 75% I'd probably get that...
3:56 that's not why people dislike north-facing LEDs. it's because it makes the switch housings interfere with cherry profile keycaps
I'd love to have this with a numpad. Boards with no numpad are utterly worthless to me. External isn't good enough.
Check the Keychron K4 out!
@@FanifrischLP how much does it go for?
Edit: I checked it out and I don't think it's for me. I need traditionally placed Home, End, delete, etc keys.
K10 will also come out in different layout's eventually as well, its a full size wireless, im waiting on the German Layout.
@@rustyshackleford5166 €90 ish
@@rustyshackleford5166 then the k10, its normal full size
Reporting back with the K8 pro from the kickstarter! If you're looking for a good sturdy boi that doesn't break the bank, this thing is amazing. It feels great. The thock is definitely noticeable, and it has got some nice heft to it. Had to come back after receiving it because this vid helped my decision to buy it!
I wouldn't mind seeing a comparison of this versus a budget custom TKL from Aliexpress
Worlds apart my man, did you not hear that spacebar?
People put time and sweat into making their spacebars sound like that, and this one has it sounding like that out of the box. Plus this board comes with gateron switches (and not some noname fake outemu ones), is fully hotswap, has foam/ dampening, non basic colored keycaps, has a win and mac setting.
This has to be my favorite keyboard, got the aluminum brown switches for 135 ish cuz shipping is 15 dollars to my area, only gripe is that it wasn’t in stock when I wanted to get it lol, just shows how popular it is xd
So, I actually ordered this keyboard. I had high hopes, it is a dream to type on. Their software? It doesnt work and their customer service support is nothing but trash. I probably got a keyboard with something bad on it so I firmware flash doesnt fix it, that's fine, lemons happen. What is not fine is that they refuse to do anything about it. It's really a shame. I'm sure very few people will see this, but it's worth sharing in case someone does.
I own a K4 and RK81, my 5 switch stopped working on the k4 after some resistance with customer service, they sent me a brand new keyboard at the cost of mailing my old one back. The switches are great but the form factor compactor to the royal kludge lacks a bit. I replaced the Key caps with standard shine through double shot Pbt huge difference. They felt greasy after a week.
Thanks for the video! LMG's content is my most watched UA-cam content by far. Love it :-)
Hope ShortCircuit is your close second most watched UA-cam channel
@@ShortCircuit all the LMG channels I meant really haha. Love from the UK 😎
@@ShortCircuit gotta love the LMG channels always ready to watch them. LTT drops at 7pm local most of the times. The videos are a great way to start the evening 👌🏻.
good video as always, i would want to put just a small detail that could be added: just a quick explanation about what VIA is would be nice on the video. Yes i know the focus here is the enthusiasts, but i watch all SCs because i like this video style. I got curious about what it was, so i paused and googled it, solved my question, but as i said, it would be nice for the regular viewer to hear a quick explanation about it inside the content.
For the past two days I was trying to find a good wireless customizable keyboard and today I was blessed with this video, thanks a lot, ShortCircuit!
You're very welcome!
@@ShortCircuit yoo they replied!!!
Still waitin on that index keyboard. You know for index finger typers like myself.
Crazy about feet eh? 😏
Shh
I want a Bluetooth wireless keyboard (no dongle) that has USB-C for charging (and wired mode if you want), and also has a USB-A port for passthrough while it's wireless. I use a security USB that I'd love to be able to swap quickly between my laptop, phone, and tablet by just toggling Bluetooth profiles.
RE:the title “this keyboard is THOCK”
That’s not how this works. That’s not how any of this works.
That’s how clickbait works though, I guess.
Okay, boomer.
@@rustler08 you're 6 years older than me but I love using that response so I'll take it lol
Got myself a hot swap-able K4v2 back in October, originally with blues because that's all they had at the time, but I've since upgraded to reds and holy shit am I in love with this keyboard, especially at the price point! Blows mainstream gaming keyboards out of the water!
Excuse me sir, that "teeny" screwdriver is well known in the vaping community.
Those Competition Grade Screwdrivers used for RDA vapes.
1:50
The K3 doesn't have that lip and is a pretty nice TKL without too much smooshing. I got it as a gift for Christmas and it's been really nice so far
Love this keyboard in my UK ISO Layout! They changed the keycaps to PBT for the iso version. I want dem PBT!
"You've got feet.. I'm always a fan of feet!"
Buddy.... This is the internet.....
7 years ago I bought a Ducky DK2108S with blue LEDs and MX Blues for 119 euros (free shipping) and I'm still using it to this day.
It's the keyboard with the least amount of flex that I've ever held, the caps are shine through, none have faded, is a *full* keyboard, and comes with basic media buttons (mute, volume down, volume up, and calculator). I love it.
2:17 Thanks for the metric conversion, but at such a high number, we rather put it in Kg and round off to about 0.1.
(At first glance I thought it was 13 Kg)
So it's 1,3 Kg. Thanks.
Got mine with Reds and changed most caps with white HyperX ones, they're great for the price.
I agree with the fact that they're not "shine-through". I wish they would just make the letters translucent. It would look really nice if you'd put a static color or just white light through them, with the colors the keycaps have but alas...
Is it weird that I think the feet on a keyboard should be the other way around? Angling the bottom of the keyboard up would give your wrists a more natural angle to sit in wouldn't it?
Exactly, Banana is an awesome standard of measuring length 😅
Love my keychron's... but I never use them wirelessly anymore, because their Bluetooth implementation is foobar, and often 'crashes' the bluetooth stack on my laptop or tablet. Needing a full reboot before bluetooth works again. Only have it with those two boards, also on laptops from work. As long as the cable is connected, they're fine.
If they're able to make a numpad version, this would be a really great buy for me. I deal with spreadsheets a lot and many games I play use the numpad, can't go without it for me. A separate dedicated numpad is just a little scattered.
There is one…
Keychron K10 Pro
I've been a fan of Keychron since their kickstarter for the K1. I have bought several since including the recent Q2. I still dont fet how VIA works but the Q2 was setup outnof thr box fine for me.
VIA is rebinding software. You can rebind your keyboard to ABCDEGF if you want
Love my K8 and I'm still waiting for the K8 Pro to be orderable in ISO Layout.
Literally only drawback is that its plate mounted. Every other issue can be easily customized out.
Fully decked out K8 User here.
Swapped the Gatheron Browns on mine with Cherry MX Blues... it's a clicky paradise. Love what Keychron is doing,
Good Pricepoint to get sucked into the whole Mechanical Keyboard Game.
I'd love to get one of those, but they don't seem to have the german layout (think it's just called "Qwertz") for the K8 Pro, which is a bummer...
I've had 2 Ducky's that I've been mostly happy with and recently bought a Leopold FC750R. The Leopold build quality is excellent and not too expensive.
What switches did you choose for this? i'm not sure if it was said in the video, and I dont want to have to rewatch to find out. Thanks
My one main gripe with my own K8 TKL is there's no alt menu key, which I use a lot instead of taking my hand away from the keyboard to right-click on the mouse.
With QMK and VIA, this let's you change anything and everything you can imagine. :)
What is the current state of BT (mid 2023), as I have heard it does not really work well at all. Half of my use case is pure BT so it not working would be a deal breaker.
Additionally, is the Q3 Pro worth the extra 40€?
I have k3pro and i have no issues with BT so far.
I got the K8 Pro. What BT issues are you talking about? Works flawlessly on Mac.
I just ordered the K2 v2, but I ordered it with the blue switches because I'm a big fan of the click. :) I went with the cheaper model, though. Plastic and white LED, rather than RGB.
The K8 is a normal looking K3, which has bad bluetooth reliability issues. Keychron did not help me deal with connectivity problems.
Check out the K2, very similar key layout just compact. I own a couple of them, they're great!
I must say I have bad knowledge of keyboards compared to other tech. Ive been mostly running SteelSeries when I was younger, and as of now I run the G915 Logitech one. I love it and won’t be changing anytime soon.
However, we’ve gotten an: ”Enhance your workplace bonus taxfree” from work of like $300. So I was planning on getting a real juiced keyboard for the office. He mentioned entusiasts keyboards a few times in the video, which keyboards are those?
I love small keyboards, but it’s important for me to have easy accesss to f1 - f12 and the home-end, delete, page up/down and arrow keys.
I currently use the Keychron K6 wireless, but it doesn’t suit my office needs, hate that the lighting button isnt a delete button, and that I can’t access end without function key, also I need to use function keys to get f1-12, which is OK but not ideal.
want a more clicky sound. Should I go with the blue switches or the brown switches? Or does that even make a difference?
It’s £139 or 145USD in the uk, not sold on the backlit keys
Currently rocking a Keychron K3 and 4. Love them both.
Considering getting it as an OTG keyboard for my tech backpack.
The north facing leds is not cus of shinethrough or even the lights at all... basically means the board is upside down and the switches are also upside down which causes interfernce with some mx keycaps with them not being able to bottom out.
South facing is so there isn't interference with Cherry profile keycaps - north facing is actually better for RGB.
I got a Keychron K4 a while back, I ended up giving it away as I wasn't happy with it. Got the GK96S and loved it so much I got a second one for work.
I had a bad experience with Keychron. I think it was the 2nd gen k1 or k3. It was a low profile wireless keyboard with blue switches, for a mac. It was horrible. The keyboard I initially received would randomly miss key presses, and at other times it would stick. For example something like thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis would happen. It was a very bad typing experience. I emailed them, and they requested that I take a video of the issue and send it. I found that weird, but did so anyway, and they eventually sent me a replacement. The replacement keyboard, to a lesser extent, had the same problems. I ended up tossing it and eating the loss. Its a shame, because they're super popular, the have a bunch of sweet looking keyboards, but I have a very bad taste left over from that experience. Highly doubt if I'd ever purchase anything from them again.
Keychron is a good mid-range option. I personally wouldn't game with Keychron keyboards but they are good work/coding keyboards. I think other brands like Razer/Corsair has more features in reference for gaming.
What features do the other brands have in regards to gaming that Keychron doesnt have?
It has multi device connectivity as well which was pretty rare the last time I was looking for a solid wireless option.
hhkb hybrid has it too
I wish this was in stock in the Indian keychron site but it wasn't for like a month so I just went with K4V2 since I really like having hitswap and aluminum chassy
'I'm always a fan of feet' - Plouffe, 2022
Royal Kludge is a great competitor to Keychron! Switch and Click did a review on the RK84, and this TKL board is a competitor to the RK87 board. That board has BT/Wire/AND 2.4Ghz.
I honestly think the RK boards are just better. They offer more features and personally, I like the clean design language over the multicolor keycaps that come stock with the Keychrone boards. Plus RK is super competitively priced.
The dealbreaker with the RK87 board is that it's not hot-swappable. I haven't seen the PCB either, so I don't know if it's south-facing or if the stabs are screw-in.
These are critical features and I'd love to see RK come out with a version of the RK87 that's more enthusiast-friendly.
@@Lazzmodai That was the Sink87G that was not hot-swap. The RK87 TKL (no sink stuff) is hotswappable with two stab holes. North Facing LED, but that's just a problem for Cherry MX Profiles (from what I read).