The 5QS Mark 2 can be outfitted with Cherry MX2A Brown, Red, and Silent Red switches. Das sent me a review unit with its most popular option, the MX2A Silent Reds. The bottom-mount system, large amounts of silicone damping, and silent red switches combine to create an incredibly smooth typing feel. The switches, which are muted using internal silicone strips, are naturally soft and a bit dark, and the bottom mount makes this darkness even more apparent when typing. The damping inside the case absorbs any other vibrations and elements of typing that may be present. Stabilizers are typical plate-mounted units that, despite being lubricated from the factory, vibrate right out of the box. This was made even more apparent by the silencing of the keyboard.
Finally, typing on this keyboard feels soft and almost quiet, while still maintaining some subtle high-pitched and noisy tones that are unpleasant, but can be heard through headphones, earbuds, or speakers. are quiet enough to cover by.
Photo: Henry Robbins
Unlike many keyboards today, the 5QS does not have hot-swap sockets. This means that unless you work with a soldering iron and love the manufacturer’s warranty, you’ll be limited to whatever switches came with the keyboard from the factory. The Lego-like compatibility offered by hot-swap sockets has gone from a novelty luxury to an industry standard in modern keyboards, so to be absent on this model, at this price, is somewhat disappointing. However, this means that the 5QS is going to be marginally more reliable than a hot-swappable board, as hot-swappable sockets can occasionally fail with extensive use.
Q Functionality
Das’ biggest selling point with this keyboard is its “Q” software, which is used to customize RGB lighting and other functions. It can be used to apply animations and patterns in RGB, while modifying the individual function of each key.
RGB can also be configured through individual “applets” that you install in the main app. It can connect to external applications and website logins to display information such as unread messages, alerts and system information. Some of the more interesting ones include four-day weather forecasts, price trackers for stocks and cryptocurrencies, and price trackers for flights and video games. Additionally, there are some timed reminder apps for small tasks like drink water and standing reminders if you’ve been sitting for too long.
While these are all great concepts, even the best concepts are hampered by one major flaw: RGB lights are not an efficient way to communicate complex information. For example, the Weather Forecast applet has several color options for different forecasts, but only a few make sense at a glance: white for snow, yellow for sun, and blue for rain. The other options – pink for cloudy, and red for thunderstorms – are not very intuitive. As long as you spend a lot of time with this keyboard and adjust your daily routine to accommodate the new system, I doubt that the average person will find it helpful to play a memory game with information that is stored on their computer for two hours. Click away. While other keyboards (ie Razer’s Blackwidow V4 75% Pro) integrate a secondary display, this solution feels overly complex and fragile.
