A very pleasant 65%, but it is "pinging!
First of all it is important to point out that this keyboard has not been designed exclusively by Ducky - it is in fact a collaboration between them and the Shenzhen-based manufacturer Varmilo.
The user manual has a section in English. The instructions are brief but detail the operation of the product quite well.
The packaging is satisfactory (especially with a USB / USB-C cable and a key extractor included), except for one detail. A small converter to change the keyboard port from USB-C to USB 3 was all bent up and had to be straightened out with pliers. Fortunately, this is the least important accessory, so it's passable.
Nothing wrong with the tactile feel of the keyboard. The chassis is a bit thicker and more classic than the One 2 Mini series. The MX Clear switches with their increased resistance make less noise than the MX Browns for those with a lumberjack typing style like me. The keys have a nice sandstone surface, the font is simple and you can feel the quality of the PBT. Great.
On the other hand, I have mixed feelings about the sound, as this model suffers from the famous "ping" sound that produces a metallic tone with each keystroke (which is a shame at this price). To solve this problem, you can either :
- Get "o-rings" which will further reduce the noise and cancel out the ping at the cost of a reduced bearing distance
- Lubricate the springs; more time consuming and thorough, but the ping will be reduced and the total bearing distance is maintained
The keyboard does have a backlight (white) which can be static or in "breathing" mode, with 4 brightness levels. However, the Page Up key is permanently lit - as a power indicator perhaps?
In short, this keyboard is well built and the 65% format offers a compact device with dedicated arrow keys. Be sure to have something to muffle the ping!
