Today we check out the other side of high end keyboards, which isn’t really appreciated
by outsiders, but is loved by many enthusiasts.
And this is the group of electrostatic capacitive keyboards, which the famous Topre switch boards
belong to.
This is the NiZ or NiZ EC87 Chopin electro capacitive keyboard, in which is manufactured
by Plum, which many of you will know.
Inside the box we get a plastic ring keycap puller.
With an extra set of stabiliser clips.
We also get 30 extra 10 gram springs.
And finally the keyboard itself.
Alright so this is a tenkeyless keyboard, so the numpad is chopped off, but this is
also available in the normal full sized layout.
You can always have a separate numpad, and bring it in when it’s needed like their
EC-21 numpad which is also capacitive.
And this just gives you more space on the desk.
First impressions with the keyboard is that it has some decent weight to it which is expected
for a keyboard of this size.
It’s at about 930 grams with the cable, so nearly a kilo.
Although the outside is completely plastic like most other boards, and while there’s
hardly any flex to it since there is a steel plate inside, it does creak a lot when twisting
it.
But that’s not a problem with normal use, but it does make it seem less premium.
And the plastic just doesn’t feel like a great plastic to me, and it does fit the term
‘plasticky’ quite well in my opinion.
The design is kind of mixed.
This is available in white as well, which I personally prefer, but it still has this
same angular shape.
And I do like this sharp design.
The side profile looks pretty cool without being too drastic, and I think it would look
pretty sleek in metal, with all these chamfers everywhere.
But there’s a few weird little bits on the top which don’t really go well with me.
The big one is the bit above the arrow keys.
It isn’t massively noticeable, because it’s pretty shallow.
And when I first got the board I didn’t notice it because it was dark in my room,
but it does catch the light because of the angles, to make it really obvious in most
environments.
Of course just a simple flat face would have been good, and I think most would feel the
same.
And then there’s just a lot of unnecessary part lines and separations that break up the
look, making it look more complicated than it has to be.
Overall it’s a somewhat simple and sleek design, and I do like the shape, but the extra
lines do detract from the aesthetic design in my opinion.
On this version we have the front printed legends.
So from the top we get a really clean and stealthy look.
But when you’re actually using it, you see all the legends of course.
Although since the keycaps and case are different colours, it doesn’t have that full stealth
feel that other keyboards with these types of keycaps have, like the Cooler Master Quickfire
Stealth.
The font or typeface is nice and simple, so no complaints there.
The keycaps are pretty nice and thick 1.5mm keycaps, which are actually made from POM
or POM plastic, which is interesting.
But this is only on the black version, so the white version uses PBT plastic instead.
POM is a less common material for full keycaps, and is more expensive.
It’s a low friction material, and has better abrasion and solvent resistance.
And to add to that, these are actually Cherry profile.
So these are shorter than the normal OEM keycaps on most keyboards, and is one of the favourite
profiles in the community.
We also notice that these have a standard Cherry MX stem, because all the clones utilise
MX stems on their switches, which makes them compatible with all the aftermarket keycaps
which is one of the downsides to the standard Topre switches with their proprietary stems.
And this keyboard has a completely standard ANSI layout, so you could really chuck anything
on here, and it will be fine.
On the bottom we have a couple of small rubber feet for non slip.
Two flip up feet that are also rubber tipped, but it’s a more hard and slippery plastic.
And these also flip out sideways.
There’s a threeway cable routing channel.
And finally our drainage hole.
So they actually market this as a waterproof keyboard.
Although waterproof is a strong word, because they do clearly state that it’s only waterproof
when liquids are poured from the top, so the liquids flows downwards and out the bottom.
So you can’t just submerge this in water, making it not really waterproof, but more
water resistant.
Still it is a great feature to have to make the keyboard more durable.
And finally on the rear we have a non removable cable.
Alright, now to the best part.
This is actually a rubber dome keyboard.
So it isn’t actually really mechanical.
BUT these are much better than your standard membrane keyboards you find everywhere, as
these are using electrostatic capacitive switches, and is the same technology as what the famous
Topre switches are.
So we have the keycap which is on top of the plunger which we push down, just like a normal
switch.
And that depresses the rubber cup which has a conical spring on top of it.
And then that interacts with the capacitive sensor on the PCB which creates the actuation.
I actually couldn’t take this keyboard apart, so it was nice that they also gave me an example
keyswitch.
The other thing that this has is a blue rubber ring, and all that does is dampen the upstroke
sound, which is the high pitched sound Topre switches make, and makes up for most of the
sound.
And typing on this is something else.
And is something I actually really really like.
It’s the lightest typing experience I’ve had, and it’s just so soft and easy to type
on.
Many enthusiasts like to go upwards in weight with switches, but I’m a bit different in
liking really light typing experiences, and that of course means that I just always bottom
out.
Although usually by making things lighter, we cut back a bit on tactility and feedback,
and is one the big reasons many do seek slightly higher weights.
And this is the case with these as well.
Capacitive switches are tactile, but they’re a different type of tactile feel to MX style
switches, similar to a standard rubber dome.
So if you depress it slowly, it feels linear, because the bump is towards the top.
And the bump isn’t that sharp distinctive bump like on the MX style switches.
As it’s just the rubber cup collapsing.
The only negative which is the thing with Topre copies, is that they are a bit scratchy.
Unlike the legit Topre keyswitches which are quite smooth.
The other thing is that clones don’t really replicate the Topre feel accurately.
But that’s not a bad thing depending on how you look at it.
I have a variable weight Realforce, so it has mainly 50gram keys, a couple of 45’s
and a few 35’s.
The Realforce 35g keys are quite mushy, which I never really liked.
However the clones are much sharper and don’t have that mushy feel, which I really enjoy
with these clones.
We can also add the included springs to make the keys 10 grams heavier.
And this just slips over the stem, just like the spacebars on other Topre boards.
Although this doesn’t have the same effect as having a dome which is 10 grams heavier.
So it doesn’t add tactility to the key, but just more resistance.
But I just prefer them without the extra springs, otherwise you’re missing out on the uniqueness
of the product.
With all of this, the sound is unique and is quite enjoyable, where the upstroke is
muffled, and you get that rubbery sound when you bottom out, and is a different type of
thock.
This is no Topre Realforce board, but it’s not trying to be.
And it offers a completely different experience with the 30g domes which I absolutely love.
The build quality isn’t at the same level as the Realforces, but it still has a steel
plate in there, which we can tell by magnets, and of course it’s quite a bit cheaper.
As for electro capacitive keyboards, in my opinion, for the 45-55g domes, go with genuine
Topre.
But they don’t offer the very common 35g ones you see with many clones, and this 30g
board is just something completely different and is pretty much exclusive.
It’s such a unique experience that I’ve really been addicted to ever since I got it.
I wouldn’t mind this in maybe a 65% layout like the Leopold FC660C.
And once I do get it open, I’ll lube the sliders to alleviate the scratchiness, and
make it even more heavenly to type on, and also a touch quieter.
Thanks to DigitEvil.com for providing this keyboard for review.
They actually gave me a 15% coupon code for anyone that’s interested.
I’ll also be checking out their numpad next, so stay tuned for that.