Lighting and Performance

The Epomaker EP75 supports N-key rollover USB and 2.4 GHz out of the box, 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. There are 82 mechanical keys in total here with the R. Win key replaced by an Fn key and the rest as described on page three to where you get most of the functionality of a TKL keyboard without resorting to layers or profiles. You can of course use the software program to remap the keys as desired and saved on the keyboard itself!

Regardless of whether the software drivers are installed or not, the keyboard lights up in a rainbow wave effect for both sets of LEDs which makes for a fairly impressive lighting show. Indeed, the side-firing LEDs add in accent lighting around the entire keyboard and the dynamic lighting effect goes through the 16.8 M colors in a smooth manner without any flickering. This also confirms the keycaps are indeed opaque and also that the keyboard is powered on and recognized by the PC.


Seen above are some of the other available lighting effects, accessible via both onboard controls and software, with full 16.8 M RGB per-key lighting for some static RGB modes, having me test for light bleed. There is very little light bleed present, owing to the non-floating and opaque keycaps that make for the LEDs to only shine through between the keycaps. The LEDs are still bright enough to where the lighter keycaps are illuminated enough to have the legends legible in any ambient conditions you are going to seriously use the keyboard in anyway. The side lighting also makes the EP75 conducive for those who want a strong RGB presence on their desk and you can easily turn off the LEDs via software or onboard controls which also allow some customization directly via hotkeys. I then used the software drivers to set all LEDs to white, testing for color fidelity, since RGB LEDs can struggle to put out true white and require calibration on the hardware and software fronts from keyboard makers. We see the keys end up looking slightly pink here which is affected by the keycaps to an extent but also this could have been improved via LED calibration by Epomaker.


Wired mode works as expected without hitches, but the wireless connectivity is going to be a primary feature of interest for potential customers with the Epomaker EP75 having both 2.4 GHz and Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity on offer. The keyboard can be paired with up to three devices simultaneously in Bluetooth mode to make for a maximum total of five devices across the three modes. The user manual describes how to pair the keyboard in the wireless modes as well as indicator LEDs to describe the operating state and battery status during charging/discharging. There is also an auto sleep mode pre-programmed which turns off backlighting after five minutes of inactivity and places the keyboard in standby mode after 30 minutes. This contributes to a battery life on the order of multiple weeks with the LEDs off owing to that massive 10,000 mAh combined battery capacity here, which really is how you would be using the keyboard with opaque keycaps anyway. I got closer to 75 hours of intermittent use with the LEDs on, which is not really enough for Bluetooth noting that this runtime reduces further over 2.4 GHz. Charging is pretty much an overnight affair but really not an issue given you will only have to do it every few weeks in typical use. Seen above are other shortcuts Epomaker had programmed with the Fn layer for productivity and user convenience to further sweeten the deal with the EP75 even if you don't wish to use the software program.


The Gateron Pro Yellow only differs from the regular Milky Yellow in that it comes lightly pre-lubed, and Gateron also claims a better mold for tighter tolerances with the moving parts. There may or may not be some gold plating on the metal contacts, since none is visible to the naked eye. It is a linear switch rated to be slightly heavier than the Cherry MX Red, but with the same respective actuation and total travel distances of 2.0/4.0 mm. Actuation force is thus expected to be near the rated 50 gf, with a bottoming-out force of ~60 gf. A random test of twenty switches showed these were not only quite consistent, but very close to the rated numbers. Even using the switches was a pleasure because of the smoother travel, which the lube makes even better. The Gateron Pro would be a very good upgrade for those used to the Cherry MX Red because of various gaming keyboards since it won't feel too different, just better overall while having enough resistance to keep regular typists happy as well. Keeping to 2.0/4.0 mm travel is also good overall; while not a fast gaming switch, it will be a very good general switch, and from what I am told, these switches are selling well too.


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 Epomaker EP75 keyboard at ~85 WPM as it comes out of the box with the Gateron Pro Yellow switches. For context, you can find sound clips from other keyboards here, including those with linear switches. I did bottom out constantly here for reasons seen above and I have to say that foam sheet between the plate and the PCB in addition to the second foam sheet between the PCB and the bottom case panel work well together to cut down on higher frequency pings and reverberations in the keyboard. The thicker PBT keycaps and lubed stabilizers also help to an extent, and you end up with a relatively dampened sound signature that is primarily from the pre-lubed switches bottoming out. It's certainly a better sounding keyboard in my opinion than many mainstream offerings and approaches the overall typing experience that keyboard enthusiasts are looking for.