Driver

There is no software driver support for the AZIO Retro Classic, with all functionality being hardware based. As such, I have chosen to combine the driver and performance pages into one.

Performance

There is full N-key rollover USB here, as Aqua's test confirms. Similarly, no key chatter was detected using Switch Hitter.


When first connected, all the LEDs light up white at 100%, and given this keyboard doesn't use RGB LEDs, this is as true a white as any I have seen on a keyboard. The diffuser element built into the switch housing also works well, and we have all the legends backlit very uniformly. Sure, it does help that they are crammed into the center as we saw before, but it does at least work as intended, so I will give them that. There is onboard control on backlighting brightness, and we have seven steps (0, 16, 33, 49, 67, 84, and 100%) to choose from.




There are also two lighting effects - a breathing mode and a reactive typing mode. Both are ultimately somewhat disappointing since the brightness steps are very harsh in both modes and the transition between LEDs comes off as more of a quick, modified on/off instead. Perhaps this is where a dedicated LED driver may have helped.

There is not much else to describe here which you have not already seen - the AZIO Retro Classic is a fairly standard keyboard in that it does everything expected of a QWERTY keyboard, but better than most office keyboards. The keycaps are unique-looking, the secondary functions tied to the function keys continue to be appreciated, and I still do not like those concave surface keycaps for typing on, which is as it was with the two keyboards with these keycaps before. Your mileage may vary, but just be aware of it, especially since you can't really do anything about the keycaps to begin with.


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 AZIO Retro Classic sample at ~80 WPM. For context, you can find sound clips from other keyboards here, including those with clicky switches. I did bottom out here, although it is definitely possible not do so for a quieter typing experience. In terms of actuation and bottoming out, these switches are functionally no different than Kailh Blue switches with an average actuation force of 59.88 cN averaged across twenty keys on the sample provided. Bottoming out seemed regular too, and nothing jumped out at me that was any different from the rest. The switches all felt very smooth when using the keyboard and had a good tactile bump, which is just the way I like it.