Disassembly

Disassembly is fairly straightforward if you know what to look for. The metal badge above the arrow key cluster is held in place by two hex head screws and can thus be removed completely if you would prefer a cleaner look. The metal frame is held in place by twelve more hex head screws. Following these, you will have to slowly pry the frame out since some notches in it go in place on the keyboard's top plate very snugly. The frame is a major contributor to the keyboard's mass, and while the black chrome plating was done well in most places, there were still a couple spots where the telltale rainbow spill effects of poor plating showed up. These were on the underside of the frame where you would not see them at all when installed, but I still reported the issue to AZIO who mentioned that they would ensure no retail sample would have this issue.


Removal of the leather top plate is the same as with the MK Retro we saw before, wherein there are multiple screws on the bottom all around the edge, including under the four feet. Once done, remove all the keycaps from the front and it will come right off. We can now see the black stainless steel plate in the front that further adds to the structural integrity of the keyboard. This and the metal frame make for a very solid-feeling keyboard with no flex at all. Also visible now are the four indicator LEDs that are white - as are those for the rest of the keyboard.


There are more screws holding the plate/PCB piece to the bottom panel, and these need to be removed from the front. Once done, dislodge the internal USB connector and the bottom panel and USB cable come off, giving us our first look at the PCB and more. The PCB is red in color, and on the front, we also get a better look at the AZIO/Kailh typelit switches mentioned previously.


Solder quality here was very good, which is always nice to see. Powering the keyboard is a Holtek HT68FB560 MCU with the usual tantalum capacitors around. With no macro/key re-assignment or onboard storage, the MCU really has nothing but standard keyboard functionality and simple backlighting to take care of, and it does so quite well. The PCB itself has multiple layers, for those interested in such details.

Before we move on, be advised that disassembly will void the warranty and that TechPowerUp is not liable for any damages incurred if you decided to go ahead and do so anyway.