Lighting and Performance

The AQIRYS Libertas supports N-key rollover USB and 2.4 GHz which tested successfully using Aqua's test. It defaults to 6KRO with Bluetooth as expected. Switch Hitter confirmed no chatter with these keys either, and seen above are all the functions with dedicated keys on the base layer. This 82-key unit gives you most of the functionality of a TKL-size keyboard in a smaller footprint and note that R. Win is replaced by the Fn key which is used for the Fn layer itself that has shortcuts to improve quality of life such as commonly used programs and media playback. These are also identified by the keyboard-specific secondary or tertiary legends on the keycaps and, together with the dedicated volume control knob on the right, make this a far more versatile keyboard than usual.


Seen above are some of the available lighting effects accessible via both onboard controls and software, with full 16.8 M RGB per-key lighting on offer. The opaque keycaps result in accent lighting only, although the translucent case makes the most of it by adding in some side lighting too. I'd say this isn't the keyboard to get for anyone wanting an impressive light show, at least with the stock keycaps. Light bleed is minimal on this keyboard owing to the lack of floating keycaps, and color fidelity is fairly good given the LEDs set to white only had a tiny pink hue.

The 2.4 GHz dongle was already paired to the keyboard out of the box and I had no issues getting a similar typing experience with wireless, as I did with wired. Battery life is ~20 hours with the LEDs on in this mode which increases to ~25 hours with Bluetooth. Keep the default sleep settings that turn off the LEDs and then the keyboard after certain periods of inactivity, and now you can get the keyboard to last 70+ hours of nonstop use which translates to a couple of weeks of regular use for me. This is mostly thanks to the large 8000 mAh combined battery capacity here and, given the opaque legends, I usually ended up leaving the LEDs off anyway. Charging the keyboard does take a long time though although there is a handy battery level gauge in the software. The slight amount of space savings over a TKL-size keyboard form factor also has a few inherent ergonomic benefits in that your fingers do not have to travel as much to hit the required keys, and you can also have the mouse placed closer to the keyboard to have your arms be in line with your shoulder width. Gamers will also benefit from more real estate to move the mouse around, although you may also want to consider a much smaller keyboard or a dedicated game pad at that point.


I mentioned before how the AQIRYS Libertas only comes with a single switch option in the form of the HaiMu x AQIRYS Super Silent, which is a silent switch that doesn't feel all that different from the HaiMu Pink used in the AQIRYS ADARA we saw before. This is a full-size mechanical switch that can be considered similar to the Cherry MX Silent Red switch and is rated for an actuation force of 47 gf at ~2 +/-0.5 mm of travel, which in itself is a massive range to declare. The pre-lubed switches make for a pleasant and smooth typing experience, although the gasket mount and dampening sheets used do take away from that crisp typing feedback some may prefer to have. As always, the sound of a keyboard is based on more than just the switch type. So when comparing sound clips, consider the keyboard as a whole. In this case, I have provided above an example sound clip of me typing on the AQIRYS Libertas keyboard sample at ~90 WPM as it comes out of the box with these HaiMu silent switches. For context, you can find sound clips from other keyboards here, including those with linear switches. I did bottom out constantly here which also helps demonstrate how reasonably quiet this keyboard is. The silent switches play a big role here of course, but they are complemented well by the silicone gaskets and the silicone sheets used which help dampen the keystrokes to where it's not as high-pitched as it would be without them, in addition to absorbing noise. The thicker PBT keycaps also help here, as do the pre-lubed stabilizers, and the overall typing experience is one that will be fine for a shared work environment. So I can say AQIRYS claiming this is one of the quietest keyboards on the market is valid enough, although again I am not sure this is that much different from its own ADARA keyboard.