Build Quality

The shell is a very sturdy; there are no rough edges and nothing creaks. Putting your hand on the mouse, it feels like a quality product. Some updates to the shell have been implemented nonetheless, especially when it comes to the disassembly and mouse feet - more on those below.

Not that disassembly is something most consumers care for, but for someone like me who changes mouse cables out for custom ones or wants to look at the components, it's very interesting to see the new approach Zowie has taken here. It used to be that you had to remove the mouse feet to access the screws to open the mouse; now, there is only a screw under the lower part of the sticker on the bottom, and you can simply punch through it and unscrew the screw. Then, you just lift the upper shell up and take it out of its hinges at the top. Simple and efficient.

Buttons & Scroll Wheel

The buttons use Huano Blue switches with clear and strong feedback. The button design itself, while not using a separate button piece, is on the light side in terms of how much actuation force is required. Certainly the lightest of all Zowie mice, but still with a distinct click.

The side buttons feel like they are a bit improved; however, they are still not that good. There is pre-travel still, and the click itself feels a bit mushy. This is most likely due to the lever design used and has nothing to do with the Huano Red switches; they have a nice click.

The wheel has been updated too, but only very slightly. The same optical encoder that is used with all Zowie models is still used (which makes the wheel interchangeable with the rest of their lineup), but there used to be a scenario where it would miss scrolls when scrolling from the front of the mouse. That was caused by the wheel axle having some upward play, which took the spokes of the wheel encoder out of the light barrier. That issue has finally been fixed with a little protrusion (the white dot in the picture above) on the top shell keeping the wheel in place at all times.

Cable

Perfect. I'm a big fan of the rubber cables used by Zowie as they are very flexible and not stiff like most braided cables. Even the most flexible braided cable is still worse than the cable used by Zowie.

Mouse Feet

All of Zowie's mice used to have two big feet, one at the top and another at the bottom of the shell. With the EC-B series (or really the white glossy EC-A special edition already), Zowie has switched to a more common setup of four smaller feet in the corners of the bottom shell. The feet used for the EC-B have excellent glide and, due to their rounded edges, don't snag on any edges or fabrics of the surface you use it on.

Surface

The coating of the EC-B is the same as on the EC-A/FK and ZA series already, and has a smooth rubbery feel to it. Personally, I prefer the glossy white versions and their coating; the black smooth coating works well enough, but I have really dry hands, and until there is enough moisture between my hands and the shell, it can be a bit slippery with the black coating. It's not a deal breaker in any way, just a preference of mine, and something to keep in mind if you have bone-dry hands as I do.