Hey! This is my Keychron q2 pro build that I bought used for fair price of 80eur. Switched keycaps, switches and made a few mods to the board. Right now spec are:
switches: HMX Xinhai
keycaps: gmk clones 8008 + minimal
no foam at all
PC plate in stock, but ordered alu plate to test Very nice clicky sound that I absolutely love.
Videos
I ordered my first mechanical keyboard: Keychron Q2, and, I received it just today. In the meantime, I was doing some more research, and came across Q2 pro. As far as I understand, it is the same as Q2, with bluetooth as an additional capability.
I am thinking, if Q2 and Q2 pro are the same, except for the wireless capability, it would probably better to get Q2 pro instead. I have two questions:
- Does it make sense to exchange it to Q2 pro?
- Does Keychron actually allow it? It got shipped from China all the way to the UK, i.e. expensive shipment.
Thank you for your advice!
I have heard a lot of hype around Keychron keebs, so I dove in head first and bought one. I got the Keychron Q2 in a Navy Blue colorway with Gateron G Pro Red switches. Here is my review on the keyboard:
Keycap Aesthetic: 9.5/10: The Navy Blue keycaps look great with the keyboard case.
Backlight Color and Modes: 9.5/10:
Foam: 10/10
Build Quality: 10/10: The case and keyboard feel have a really nice quality and typing on it feels like typing on marshmallows.
Feel: 10/10
Weight: 6//10: Aluminum case feels very heavy and can be frustrating to adjust.
Switch Options: 7/10: You are to choose between Gatereon G Pro Red, Blues, and Browns. Though not a lot to choose from, any of these switches stock still sound amazing.
Hotswapability: Yes: I mean it's hot swap, the only minor complaint would be about socket pins having to be on the top which is not usual for me when trying to insert switches into the socket.
Overall Stock Sound: 10/10
Stabilizers: 9/10: The Gateron screw-in stabs are pretty decent. No complaints at all.
Overall: 9.5/10
Overview: I love this keyboard in every way and if you would like to start getting into custom keeps this is the way to go. No matter what switch you put in this bad boy it sounds astonishing. My main complaints are in regards to A: The weight has an aluminum case and is frustrating to hold or move around. It does imply that the keyboard is sturdy and secure though, and won't wobble around. B: The case has so many fingerprints, I mean put your finger on the back of the keyboard for 1.2 seconds and there is already a big fingerprint in that area. (I am probably over exaggerating about that) but this keyboard is actually so nice I really do have to find something to pick on about it. Anyway, Totally recommend this board mainly for the looks, sound, feel, and hot-swap ability!
Sound Test: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Bn9PdYLJVc&t=7s
I just got my Q2 Pro. Here’s a shot next to my regular Q2 (the Pro is the silver one). I got it for the banana switches and KSA keycaps.
This is my 5th or 6th Keychron and the first to have an issue out of the box. When plugged in and with the switch set to Cable the keyboard was spewing random characters including control characters. It worked fine in Bluetooth.
I took it all apart and removed the tiny daughter board with the Cable and Mac/Win switches and USB C port. All the solder joints looked fine so I’m thinking the Cable/Bt mechanical switch wasn’t seated properly on the electronic switch soldered to the board. When I put it all back together it worked fine.
I think the cases are almost identical other than the extra switch and the cutout on the back for the Bluetooth antenna.
I like the look of my retro Mac keycaps I have on my regular Q2 but the profile is flatter than I like. The KSA profile is much more comfortable for me.