The 5QS Mark 2 can be equipped 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 muted red switches combine to create an incredibly sluggish typing experience. The switches, made quiet using internal silicone strips, are naturally soft and slightly pulpy, and the bottom mount makes this pulpiness even more pronounced when typing. The sound inside the case also absorbs other vibrations and elements of typing that would otherwise be present. Stabilizers are ordinary plate-mounted units that, despite being lubricated from the factory, still rattle, even immediately out of the box. This became even more apparent when the keyboard was silenced.
Finally, typing on this keyboard feels soft and almost quiet, while still maintaining some subtle high-pitched and raspy tones that are unpleasant, but easy to cover up by headphones, earbuds, or even speakers. Are quiet enough.
Photograph: Henry Robbins
Unlike many keyboards today, the 5QS does not have hot-swap sockets. This means that unless you're proficient with a soldering iron and you like the manufacturer's warranty, you'll be limited to whatever switches came with the keyboard from the factory. The Lego-like customizability offered by hot-swap sockets has gone from a novelty luxury to an industry standard in modern keyboards, so it's somewhat disappointing to find it absent on this model at this price. However, this does mean that the 5QS will be slightly more reliable than a hot-swappable board, as hot-swap sockets can sometimes fail with extensive use.
Q functionality
Das's big selling point with this keyboard is its “Q” software, which is used to customize RGB lighting and other functions. It can be used to modify the individual function of each key, as well as apply animations and patterns to RGB.
RGB can also be configured through individual “applets” you install in the main app. These can connect to external applications and website logins to display information such as unread messages, alerts, and system information. Some of the more interesting things include a four-day weather forecast, 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 drinking water and standing up reminders if you're sitting for too long.
While these are all good concepts, even the best concepts are held back by one major flaw: RGB lights are not an effective way to convey complex information. For example, the Weather Forecast applet has several color options for different predictions, but only some of these make sense at a glance: white for snow, yellow for sun, and blue for rain. The other options – pink for cloudy weather, and red for rain with thunderstorms – are not so intuitive. Unless you spend a lot of time with this keyboard and adjust your daily routine to adapt to the new system, I doubt the average person will find it helpful to play memory games with the information that would otherwise be available on their computer. But it's two clicks away. While other keyboards (e.g. Razer's BlackWidow V4 75% Pro) Due to integrating a secondary display, this solution seems overly complex and cumbersome.