Das Keyboard 5QS Mark II review: The keyboard lost in time

The 5QS Mark 2 can be equipped with Cherry MX2A brown, red and muted red switches. Das sent me a review unit with their most popular option, the MX2A Silent Reds. The bottom-mounting system, generous amounts of cushioning silicone, and muted red keys combine to create an incredibly dull typing feel. The keys, which are silenced using internal silicone strips, are naturally soft and slightly tactile, and the bottom texture makes this muscularity even more noticeable when typing. Sound damping inside the case absorbs any vibrations and other elements of writing that may be present. Stabilizers are generic plate-mounted units that, despite being lubricated from the factory, still vibrate, even right out of the box. This is also made more apparent by silencing the keyboard.

Ultimately, typing on this keyboard feels smooth and feels almost silent, maintaining some subtle treble tones and unpleasant crackles, but it’s quiet enough to cover with headphones, earbuds, or even speakers.

Photo: Henry Robbins

Unlike many keyboards today, the 5QS doesn’t have hot-swappable jacks. This means that unless you’re able to use a soldering iron and don’t want to take out the manufacturer’s warranty, you’ll be limited to any keys that came with the keyboard from the factory. The Lego-like customizability offered by hot-swap sockets has gone from a new luxury to an industry standard in modern keyboards, so the absence of this model at this price is somewhat disappointing. However, this means that the 5QS will be marginally more reliable than a hot-swappable board, since hot-swappable sockets can sometimes fail with heavy use.

S function

Das’s main selling point with this keyboard is the “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, along with modifying the individual function of each key.

RGB can also be configured through individual “applets” that you install within the main application. These third-party applications and logins can connect to websites to display information such as unread messages, alerts, and system information. Some of the more interesting features include four-day weather forecasts, value trackers for stocks and cryptocurrencies, and price trackers for flights and video games. Additionally, there are a few timed reminder apps for small tasks like drinking water and a reminder to stand up if you’ve been sitting for a long time.

While all of these concepts are great, the best of them are hampered by a major flaw: RGB lights simply aren’t an efficient way to communicate complex information. For example, a weather forecast program has multiple color options for different forecasts, but only some of them make sense at a glance: white for snow, yellow for sun, and blue for rain. The other options – pink for clouds, red for 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 useful to play a memory game with information that is two clicks away on their computer. While other keyboards (eg Razer BlackWidow V4 75% Pro) Integrating Secondary Displays This solution seems complicated and disappointing.