Mechanical Keyboard Sound Isn't That Simple
Figure 1: I couldn't think of a more literal way to represent this article if I tried... Looking back just a few years ago, there’s no doubt that the huge influx of people that joined the hobby at the peak of the COVID pandemic were drawn to keyboards by way of YouTube, TikTok, and other audio-visual content platforms. Even as the output from these content creators has waned in recent months, their collective impact and legacy on the keyboard hobby is rather firmly etched in the history books. As a result of all of their sound tests, build logs, and opinion videos, the message is clear to any new person joining the hobby: mechanical keyboards are all about the sound. Thock this, clack that. Whether it’s keyboards, keycaps, or even singular switches, seemingly everyone new to the hobby meticulously pores over each component of their keyboard not in an attempt to figure out how it will feel in hand, but how it will sound as they’re furiously grinding their way out from...
Mar 27, 2024
Anyway, setting it up for use was simple with Windows 7, no issues there. The first thing that struck me was that the backlight on this keyboard is very bright. (Excuse the crappy image quality. Still it should give you an idea of the lighting intensity)
As for typing, it's a little hard for me to compare, since I've never used blacks. I've used reds before, and these switches definitely require more force to press than those. I did a little bit of gaming in Witcher 3, and I was a little surprised at the slight amount of fatigue my pinky finger was getting from holding down the Shift button during horse riding sections. Still, the switches feel consistent. Also, these black switches are surprisingly quiet. I tend to bottom out my keys fairly often, and on my red switch keyboard, doing so reasonably loud (not as loud as my Razer BW Chroma, however). The switches don't feel to mushy, and it's easy to tell that these are mechanical switches and not membrane.
Build quality feels solid - because of the metal plate, there's little to no flex in the keyboard. One issue I didn't like about my Razer BW Chroma is that there's a little bit of wiggle to the keycap when you fully bottom out a key. All of my Cherry keyboards didn't have this issue, and I'm glad to say I'm not getting any keycap wiggle on this keyboard either.
TL;DR: Very good keyboard for the price. Looks great too, and although each key is individually backlit, you're limited to 7 colors, and setting a color requires you to toggle through each one. Build quality is solid, and I'm satisfied with the typing experience so far.
Also for your second question on which looks more professional I would personally say the black since it blends better with most dark professional/office settings but don't let me tell you what you think would look better.