Keychron V6 Wired Custom Mechanical Keyboard Knob Version Full-size QMK VIA Programmable Macro with Hot-swappable Keychron K Pro

I'm a bit of a keyboard fanatic. I'm not a gamer, but I write technical content and develop software, so I spend a lot of time at the keyboard. I learned to program on mainframe computers in the 70s and 80s, and for years I have sought keyboards whose "feel" and sound remind me of the high quality mechanical keyboards that used to come with mainframe terminals. This is the closest keyboard I have found to that experience. It makes a bit more noise than the average keyboard, but it's a very pleasant sound -- not as clicky or as loud as an IBM Model M. This would probably not cause much distraction in a crowded office space. The "feel" is amazing. There's a fair amount of resistance and travel -- so that you feel like your hands are actually getting work done when you type. The resistance is pretty even all the way down. There's not a sudden "break" in resistance at the end of the keystroke, like there is in the Model M when the spring buckles. I've had no problems with "bounce" or sticky keys. The browser-based keyboard utility (launcher.keychron.com) is easy to use, and enables you to configure the backlighting, program keyboard macros, remap keys, update the keyboard firmware, etc. The volume knob (twist to adjust, push to toggle mute/unmute) is a nice touch, and that knob can be reprogrammed to do other things, if you want. I can't speak to the gamers out there, but this would be a great keyboard for anyone who writes or codes for a living, if you're looking for something solid, heavily constructed, silky smooth, and with that retro feeling from the days when keyboards were built to last a lifetime by companies like IBM, Honeywell, and Alps. Read more

* Build quality: 5 stars * Tactile feedback: 5 stars * Key Press Sound: 5 stars * Ease of connectivity: 5 stars So this keyboard is probably one of the best keyboards I've ever purchased. I've been using it for about 4 months now and have had 0 issues with it. No problems with its construction, its build quality, its design, its layout, nada. This thing is built like a tank, too. Heavy solid frame, keys sound great when pressed and give excellent tactile and auditory feedback, and it worked with Windows 10 right out of the box. It cost nowhere near some of the higher end brands, like Das Keyboard, yet I think it exceeds their quality. Absolutely worth the price. The only thing I wish it could do is disable the LEDs. I don't care much for LEDs on my gear and most keyboards/mice have a way to disable them but I couldn't figure out how to do that with this keyboard. Read more

I am very picky about my keyboards. I loved the mac extended keyboards, kept that as long as possible - with adapters until it no longer worked. After that it was miserable for a while. Even the Mathias keyboards with mechanical switches didnt work that well. Settled on a Logitech wave keyboard until they were discontinued (wired version) and the switches no longer worked smoothly. So went looking for a new wired keyboard. Never heard of Keytron but was intrigued because they seemed durable, customizable, wired, worked with macs, and reasonably priced. Went with the brown switch because of the supposedly positive feedback. Box said V6-D3 brown tactile. Well, in comparison with the Apple A1048, there is almost no tactile feedback, almost feels like a linear switch to me. The tactile feedback is very light. But that is somewhat good as I preferred a lighter tactile feedback. Easy to set up, and get working. If there is one improvement, I would suggest including some custom keycaps for the top 4 keys to the top right. They come with a circle, triangle, square and X. which are next to useless. The other suggestion would be to have translucent keycaps like macbooks. The LED lighting is distracting and useless. Oh, and the keyboard is heavy, so it stays put. I will try this a while and see if it stays. Read more

While I was impressed with many aspects of this keyboard, I ended up returning it due to a few issues that I couldn't get past. Positives: heft and feel. I didn't realize that weight was something I was looking for in a keyboard but I really did appreciate how sturdy and well built this one is. The typing experience was also very good. I wanted to switch to a mechanical keyboard and this one is very satisfying in that regard. I also thought that the price was very good considering how well built it is. Negatives: In spite of having the correct keycaps, this keyboard is actually mapped for PC users. So, while the command key is in the right spot, pressing that key results in 'option' being sent instead. Keychron does provide means of remapping the keyboard via a web app that will only run in Chrome, Opera or Brave. If you have one of those installed, it is probably easy to make this a more Mac-like keyboard. Alternatively, you can install Karabiner and do the same. I didn't want to have to install software (I don't want any of those browsers) in order to be able to use the keyboard so this was where I started repacking the keyboard. Worth noting: Maybe this is common with gaming keyboards but, while the keys are backlit, the text printed on the keys is not. The backlighting is a rainbow that can be set to cycle around the keys (or not) and can be set to just red (so as to not spoil night vision?) and you can dim the backlighting (or turn it off) all from the keyboard itself. Maybe the web app has more options? In any event, I found the edge lighting to be way more distracting than having the text itself lit as most laptops have it. I wanted a keyboard with lit keys but not lit like this. You can apparently order keycaps that do light the lettering and then just replace all 128 keycaps yourself but I wanted a keyboard, not a project. So, as a Mac user and console game player, this keyboard was a miss for me. Read more