Whenever I find a bargain I always have the temptation to hop on it and ... end up with 2 of them.
But... I already have 3 mechanical keyboards, can I buy this and actually enjoy the purchase or regret?
Buyer's remorse? Hm?
GRAB NOW. REGRET LATER
This isn't an advertisement
I ended up with two of them, yeah. Kill me.
Will I be full of regret for hopping on 2 of them or will I be replacing my CM Storm MECH which has been my benchmark for general key switch feel and solidity?
It is a good deal. You might be wondering WHAT sort of switches it uses and how can I feel a better switch than original cherry MX Blues with a very thick backplate?
Yes, it actually doesn't use through hole LEDs. Apparently they live longer and they are less susceptible to UV degrading the lenses of through hole LEDs and if that isn't good enough it is easier to produce keyboards with SMD LEDs. For comparison my old CM Storm MECH had a MSRP of over 200.
Those were the days.
Oh I forgot, you can swap switches with this keyboard! Included in the box is a metal pincer to remove switches.
Dead switches? No problem. Don't like the feel of certain switches? No problem.
Apparently you can swap any MX compatible switch including gaterons, kalihs ( no idea why would you do that ), cherrys (obviously)
Goes without saying that this keyboard manages to be substantially cheaper because it doesn't have the cool reactive features that the CM MasterKeys have for example or RGB... which I don't really need on a keyboard.
Do I need that though? Nope. My QFR-i might have epic features since it's launch (they added more features) but all my keyboards that I use have a single mode that I use... On or Off. Don't want anymore.
However, tecware missed out a WASD and arrow cluster lighting mode on the phantom as far as I can tell!
It's also cheaper because they are using outemu switches... But it's not a bad one! Not even close.
The switches feel punchy and consistent even though they a tad wobbly on the horizontal plane. They are really fun to type on however
That said, some Cherry MX often are wobblier than these switches.
One more thing about the keyboard is that the metal plate is VERY strong. I cannot really measurably flex the keyboard at all.
Forget all you think of solid keyboards, this one is hard enough to break a skull!
There is also an integrated keycap remover holder on the back! Talk about versatility. The keyboards I've had before usually come with the keycap remover... Somewhere.
It lacks a removable cable but that's fine by me. It has a braided cable even at this price point .
Those cutouts are probably there for style to add a bit of a flair to it.
Why? I have no idea
Outemu blue MX switches.
They are slightly more tock rather than click sonically compared to 2013-2014 MX Blues found on the CM Storm MECH. Sometimes feel and sound is dependent on keyboard design.
It has a crisp strong response as a Blue switch
No LEDs on the switch itself!
Just enjoy.
The SMD LEDs.
Conclusion :
Guess what I'm using now? Yes it's this keyboard! It's managed to make me feel happy using it and the chamfered edges on the plastic bits of the outer end of the keyboard makes it less ardous to use compared to my QFR-i which was rather painful when you rest your hand on the case.
Sure, it doesn't have RGB but if that's what you really want... I may have news coming on them.
If you need a new mechanical keyboard, buy it. You won't be disappointed.
Of course, it isn't 104 key but I rarely used my numpad which only served to take up space on my table.
Another thing, it doesn't have a wristrest but most keyboards don't have either and it's height makes it reasonable enough to not need a wristrest.
I have been typing on this keyboard for this review and I find it comfortable as I do when I am gaming
The keycap font does look a bit cheap though.
Recommended!
