Input It’s going to be a keyboard week. I have at least three mechanical models to review this week and they all offer something quite different. First up is the Keychron Q1 Max with a volume knob.
This is a deluxe mechanical keyboard from the premium brand Keychron. The Q1 Max is a handsome-looking keyboard with an advanced construction which gives it a solid feel that you won’t find with most keyboards on the market. I’d rate it up there with a Mode keyboard, arguably the Rolls-Royce of keyboards.
The Keychron Q1 Max is a tenkeyless layout so it doesn’t have any numeric keypad. It does have a full row of function keys which also double as media keys for both Windows and macOS. It also has a dedicated volume knob which also functions as a mute button.
There are keycaps in the box for both operating systems and a switch to physically change between the two layouts. So, let’s look at the keycaps on the Q1 Max. There are two keycap finishes available: Carbon Black and Shell White. I like them both and each has a deliciously retro feel. The keycaps have a sculpted KSA profile and are hard-wearing with a double-shot construction for long-term durability.
The metal body of the Q1 Pro is made from 6063 aluminum that’s been CNC machined and then polished and sandblasted to give it a hard-wearing matte finish. Despite being made from aluminum, this is one hefty keyboard with a weight of around 1.8kg. Rubber feet on the bottom of the keyboard, coupled with its heft, ensure the Q1 Pro won’t slip around on your desktop.
There’s a choice of connectivity with the Q1 Pro and you can choose between three Bluetooth connections across three different devices or you can use a USB-C connection or a dedicated 2.4GHz wireless dongle that offers the kind of latency you normally only get from a wired keyboard. If you use Bluetooth the polling rate is 90Hz while cable or dongle, take the polling rate to 1,000Hz. That kind of latency is perfect for competitive gaming where you need exceptional responsiveness.
To give this keyboard a wonderfully dead feel, Keychron has used sound-absorbing foam with latex layers and PET film. Silicone gaskets bring a totally solid feel to the Q1 Pro and that results in improved typing accuracy and less fatigue when typing for long periods because there is less recoil in the key action.
Like most mechanical keyboards, the Q1 Pro has hot-swappable Gateron-style switches. There’s a choice of Jupiter Red, Brown or Banana switches, depending on what noise level and tactile feedback you are looking for. All the switches have south-facing RGB LEDs and there are plenty of lighting animation effects and light levels available or you can turn the LEDs off altogether.
At the heart of this keyboard is an ARM Cortex M4 chip with 256k of flash memory. The chip controls all the input processing and the keyboard’s QMK firmware means it can be extensively programmed using the VIA app or website. You can remap the keys, assign macro functions to keys and generally make it do what you want it to do. The programming function works on both Windows and Macs.
Verdict: The Keychron Q1 Pro is a superbly made keyboard with a compact layout and solidity that makes it ideal for day-long use. The built-in battery powers the wireless connectivity and the RGB LEDs. The battery lasts longer if you turn off the lights, but I found battery life was very good, lasting around a month with lights on and I assume it would go much longer with the LEDs turned off. If you’re looking for a well-built mechanical keyboard that’s a dream to type on and has a superb noise profile, the Keychron Q1 Pro could be the one for you. The dedicated volume/mute knob is a nice extra and something you’ll love once you get used to it.
Pricing & Availability: The Keychron Q1 Pro with Knob mechanical keyboard is available now and costs $209.
More info: www.keychron.com
Tech Specs:
- Body material: Aluminum.
- Plate material: Polycarbonate.
- Keycap: KSA profile, double-shot, PBT ((not shine-through).
- Switches: Gateron Jupiter (choice of Red, Brown or Banana).
- Stabilizers: Screw-in PCB.
- Backlight: South-facing RGB LED.
- Hot-swappable: Yes. (Compatible with most of the 3 pin & 5 pin MX mechanical switches such as Gateron, Cherry MX and Kailh).
- MCU: ARM Cortex-M4 32-bit STM32F402 (256KB Flash).
- Polling rate: 1,000Hz (2.4 GHz & wired) / 90Hz (Bluetooth).
- N-Key rollover (NKRO) : Yes, for both wireless and wired modes.
- Battery: 4,000mAh rechargeable li-polymer battery.
- Wireless working time (backlight off): Up to 180 hours.
- Wireless working time (RGB): Up to 100 hours (lowest level).
- Bluetooth Version: 5.1.
- Compatible system: macOS/Windows/Linux.
- Connectivity: 2.4 GHz / Bluetooth / Type-C wired.
- Dimensions (W x L): 145mm x 327.5mm.
- Front height: 22.6mm (without keycaps).
- Back height: 35.8mm (without keycaps).
- Feet height: 2.4mm.
- Angle: 5.2 degrees.
- Weight: 1,724g ± 10g (fully assembled).
