The 5QS Mark 2 will be outfitted with Cherry MX2A Brown, Pink, and Silent Pink switches. Das despatched me a evaluate unit with its hottest possibility, the MX2A Silent Reds. The underside-mount system, massive quantities of silicone dampening, and the silent crimson switches mix to create an extremely uninteresting typing really feel. The switches, silenced utilizing inside silicone strips, are naturally smooth and a bit mushy, and the underside mount makes this mushiness much more pronounced when typing. The sound dampening contained in the case absorbs no matter different vibrations and parts of typing really feel would in any other case be current. The stabilizers are generic plate-mounted models that, regardless of being lubricated from the manufacturing unit, nonetheless rattled, even instantly out of the field. This was additionally made extra apparent by the keyboard’s silencing.
In the long run, this keyboard’s typing feels smooth and sounds almost silent, whereas nonetheless sustaining some refined higher-pitched and rattly tones which are disagreeable, however quiet sufficient to be coated up by headphones, earbuds, and even audio system.
{Photograph}: Henri Robbins
Not like many keyboards right this moment, the 5QS doesn’t have hot-swap sockets. Which means that until you’re useful with a soldering iron and don’t like having a producer guarantee, you’ll be restricted to no matter switches the keyboard comes with from the manufacturing unit. The Lego-like customizability provided by hot-swap sockets has gone from a novel luxurious to an business normal in fashionable keyboards, so being absent on this mannequin, at this value, is considerably disappointing. Nevertheless, this does imply the 5QS goes to be marginally extra dependable than a hot-swappable board, since hot-swap sockets can often fail with in depth use.
Q Performance
Das’ massive promoting level with this keyboard is its “Q” software program, which is used to customise the RGB lighting and different features. This can be utilized to use animations and patterns to the RGB, together with modifying the person operate of every key.
The RGB will also be configured via particular person “applets” you put in inside the primary app. These can connect with exterior functions and web site logins to show info like unread messages, alerts, and system info. A few of the extra fascinating ones embody a four-day climate forecast, worth trackers for shares and cryptocurrencies, and value trackers for flights and video video games. Moreover that, there are just a few timed reminder apps for small duties like ingesting water and standing reminders when you’ve been sitting too lengthy.
Whereas all of those are cool ideas, even the very best ones are held again by a serious flaw: RGB lights merely should not an environment friendly method to talk advanced info. For instance, the climate forecast applet has a number of shade choices for various predictions, however solely a few of these make sense at a look: White for snow, yellow for solar, and blue for rain. Different choices—pink for overcast, and crimson for thunderstorms—should not very intuitive. Until you spend quite a lot of time with this keyboard and modify your day by day routines to acclimate to the brand new system, I doubt the typical particular person will discover it useful to play a reminiscence sport with info that’s in any other case two clicks away on their laptop. Whereas different keyboards (like Razer’s BlackWidow V4 75% Professional) combine secondary shows, this resolution feels overcomplicated and underwhelming.
