The 5QS Mark 2 can be equipped with Cherry MX2A Brown, Red and Silent Red switches. Das sent me a review unit with their most popular option, the MX2A Silent Reds. The bottom-mount system, copious amounts of silicone cushioning, and quiet red switches combine to create an incredibly dull typing feel. The switches, quiet thanks to internal silicone strips, are naturally soft and a little mushy, and the bottom support makes that feeling even more pronounced when typing. Soundproofing inside the case absorbs all other vibrations and typing sensation elements that would otherwise be present. Stabilizers are generic plate-mounted units that, although factory lubricated, still shake, even straight out of the box. This was also made more obvious by muting the keyboard.
Ultimately, this keyboard’s typing is smooth and nearly silent, while retaining subtle, higher-pitched tones that are unpleasant, but quiet enough to be masked by headphones, earbuds, or even speakers.
Photography: Henri Robbins
Unlike many current keyboards, the 5QS does not have hot-swappable sockets. This means that unless you’re comfortable using a soldering iron and don’t like having a manufacturer’s warranty, you’ll be limited to the switches that came factory with the keyboard. The Lego-like customization afforded by hot-swappable sockets has gone from a new luxury to an industry standard in modern keyboards, so being absent on this model, at this price, is somewhat disappointing. However, this means that the 5QS will be slightly more reliable than a hot-swappable card, as hot-swappable sockets can sometimes fail under heavy use.
Q functionality
Das’ main selling point with this keyboard is its “Q” software, which is used to customize the RGB lighting and other functions. This can be used to apply animations and patterns to the RGB, as well as change the individual function of each key.
RGB can also be configured via individual “applets” that you install in the main application. These can connect to external applications and website connections to display information such as unread messages, alerts and system information. Among the most interesting are four-day weather forecasts, tools for tracking the value of stocks and cryptocurrencies, and tools for tracking flight and video game prices. Besides that, there are a few timed reminder apps for small tasks like drinking water and standing reminders if you’ve been sitting too long.
While all of these concepts are interesting, even the best ones are held back by one major flaw: RGB lights simply aren’t an effective way to communicate complex information. For example, the weather forecast applet has several color options for different forecasts, but only some of them make sense at a glance: white for snow, yellow for sunshine, and blue for rain. The other options (pink for overcast weather and red for thunderstorms) are not very intuitive. Unless you spend a lot of time with this keyboard and adjust your daily routines to get used to the new system, I doubt the average person will find it useful to play a memory game with information that is otherwise two ways away. clicks on his computer. While other keyboards (like Razer’s BlackWidow V4 75% Pro) incorporate secondary displays, this solution seems overly complicated and disappointing.
