Mistel Q75 Keyboard Review 10

Mistel Q75 Keyboard Review

Value & Conclusion »

Software

With all functionality hardware based, there are no software drivers for the Mistel Q75. As such, I have chosen to combine this section with the performance section below. The company hosts firmware updates on the support page, which downloads as an executable file in an archived folder. My unit was already on the latest firmware since the Q75 is a recent release, so there is nothing else to cover here.

Performance


There are two connectivity options for the keyboard, and the Mistel Q75 gets the expected full N-key rollover USB as well as 2.4 GHz wireless connectivity. Switch Hitter confirmed no chatter with these keys, and we see above which dedicated keys are on the base layer. Of course, this does not show the Fn and Pn keys on the keyboard itself, with the former replacing R. Win as per usual with keyboards today.


The base layer is important with smaller form factor keyboards, but customization and other layers are equally important. With the Q75, Mistel does a good job with both. For example, remember those three indicator LEDs on the keyboard? Surely, there is no need for a num lock and scroll lock indicator, and one of the three lights indicates whether you are in Windows or macOS mode. The Mistel Q75 supports dual OS thus, with different pre-programmed functions associated with the Fn + layer bringing media playback and volume control to users, in addition to some convenient program shortcuts in Windows that worked as expected. The Fn layer continues with other keys, and these bring back the missing functions from the TKL form factor and a few other tweaks, including key function swap sometimes associated with dip switches on the back of keyboards.

Pn is a fairly unique key, which we have seen used before with the likes of some Mistel and Vortexgear keyboards associated with custom mapping and layers. This is the case here too, with there being a total of four layers on the Mistel Q75. The base layer is non-programmable, but the other three are fair game for key mapping and macro functionality, which is where the third (LED 2, actually) indicator LED comes into the picture. The manual goes through this process in more detail, as well as how to reset the function, layer, or full keyboard depending on how much of a mess you made. It also has pre-configured QWERTY, Dvorak, and Colemak support, which is nice for those who want to try these out for potentially more typing efficiency.

The 2.4 GHz functionality is very handy too, with the dongle pre-paired out of the box. If you don't see it, Fn + Home pressed for 3 seconds initiates pairing, following which you un-plug and re-plug the dongle to get it done. It was a plug-and-play solution here, after which the wireless connectivity worked as expected. I mostly tested the keyboard at home, and took it from line of sight (~5 m away from the source) to a different room with concrete walls, which did not pose an issue, either. Latency is also lower compared to Bluetooth, making it a possibility for gaming, although battery life will be worse than on Bluetooth 5.0. Given the lack of backlighting and the user-replaceable AA batteries, this is really not an issue with the included batteries rated to provide a few months of typical usage on the Q75. Charging batteries depends completely on the batteries used, with the stock ones being non-rechargeable.


I mentioned before how there are seven Cherry MX switch options with the Mistel Q75, and my sample has the non-RGB MX Brown switches, all the way down to the older mold with the 50 M lifetime keystrokes. The MX Silent Red, Clear, and MX Speed (Silver) might be the newer RGB variant only since they don't come in the original mold based on the Cherry website, although Ducky has since worked with Cherry to get an MX Clear RGB switch. Either way, this switch is rated at 2.0 mm actuation with 45 cN and 4.00 mm total travel, with a tactile bump right before actuation at 50 cN and a peak force of 60 cN when bottoming out. It's still one of the most popular switches today in terms of companies utilizing it, although I personally prefer a more tactile bump and smoother travel. The MX Brown is not my favorite switch, yet the average end user should have no issues. The lack of hot-swappable switch sockets does make the switch decision more deliberate and final, at least for everyone who won't be de-soldering things anytime soon, so choose wisely if you go with the Mistel Q75.


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 provided Mistel Q75 keyboard sample at ~95 WPM as it comes out of the box with the Cherry MX Brown switches. For context, you can find sound clips from other keyboards here, including those with tactile switches. I did bottom out more often than not, especially with the relatively lighter switches, and notice that there is not much ping from the steel plate. The noise-absorbing foam helps a lot since I could definitely hear the pings closer to the keyboard, and it also cuts down on reverberations through the case. The overall sound signature is still higher-pitched than not, with the downstrokes off the steel plate being the major contributor.
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Dec 22nd, 2024 22:10 EST change timezone

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