This thing has got it all, Gasket mount, Hot swap, RGB, USB-C, Bluetooth 5.0, Rotary Knob. At retail price of $89, the EC66 appears to rank high in the dollar to features ratio.
It amazes me that a couple years back keyboards in the sub $100 were as basic as could be. While now keyboards under $100 come with loads of features normally associated with more expensive boards. Let's break It down.
Case:
The case is all plastic but still feels solidly built, no complaints there. This case also comes in a black version which appears to be slightly translucent which I think looks very cool. The case has poron foam in between the plate/pcb as well as foam in the bottom of the case. This creates a muted sound with a slightly softer typing experience. Gasket mount doesn't provide nearly the same experience in a plastic case as it does in an aluminum or brass one. But it still feels great nonetheless. For such a light and cheap board it feels amazing and sounds great. (Typing test soon).
It amazes me that a couple years back keyboards in the sub $100 were as basic as could be. While now keyboards under $100 come with loads of features normally associated with more expensive boards. Let's break It down.
Case:
The case is all plastic but still feels solidly built, no complaints there. This case also comes in a black version which appears to be slightly translucent which I think looks very cool. The case has poron foam in between the plate/pcb as well as foam in the bottom of the case. This creates a muted sound with a slightly softer typing experience. Gasket mount doesn't provide nearly the same experience in a plastic case as it does in an aluminum or brass one. But it still feels great nonetheless. For such a light and cheap board it feels amazing and sounds great. (Typing test soon).
Connectivity:
There is a USB-C port in the normal left mounted position, and can be connected using Bluetooth 5.0 and a 2.4 ghz dongle. I found Bluetooth to be the easiest option as I could connect to my pc and my phone and switch seamlessly. I found the dongle to be redundant and not as stable as bluetooth. Most modern devices have bluetooth, but in case you want to connect wirelessly to a device without bluetooth you have the option.
Software:
I personally didn't feel the need to use it all that much. But it does provide you with an easy way to change the RGB and program different keys.
Keycaps:
The keyboard comes with an MDA profile set featuring dye sublimated lettering. With the dye sub lettering is surprisingly sharp and very consistent. The font that they used looks a little weird because of the weird rounding. But otherwise it looks very clean. Despite this I still would have liked to see something closer to helvetica or arial rounded bold(GMK). The texture is very smooth and feels quite good on my finger tips. The stock keycaps are around 1mm in thickness providing a decently thocky sound. My specific board came with Gateron yellows but you can choose between a variety of options.
Stabilizers:
The stabilizers come pre lubed and are nearly perfect. I added a little bit of lube to the backspace as it had a tiny bit of rattle. But otherwise the other stabs were perfect.
I am extremely happy to see that stock pre-built boards now come with tuned stabs.
There is a USB-C port in the normal left mounted position, and can be connected using Bluetooth 5.0 and a 2.4 ghz dongle. I found Bluetooth to be the easiest option as I could connect to my pc and my phone and switch seamlessly. I found the dongle to be redundant and not as stable as bluetooth. Most modern devices have bluetooth, but in case you want to connect wirelessly to a device without bluetooth you have the option.
Software:
I personally didn't feel the need to use it all that much. But it does provide you with an easy way to change the RGB and program different keys.
Keycaps:
The keyboard comes with an MDA profile set featuring dye sublimated lettering. With the dye sub lettering is surprisingly sharp and very consistent. The font that they used looks a little weird because of the weird rounding. But otherwise it looks very clean. Despite this I still would have liked to see something closer to helvetica or arial rounded bold(GMK). The texture is very smooth and feels quite good on my finger tips. The stock keycaps are around 1mm in thickness providing a decently thocky sound. My specific board came with Gateron yellows but you can choose between a variety of options.
Stabilizers:
The stabilizers come pre lubed and are nearly perfect. I added a little bit of lube to the backspace as it had a tiny bit of rattle. But otherwise the other stabs were perfect.
I am extremely happy to see that stock pre-built boards now come with tuned stabs.
The Knob:
The Knob appears to be smooth anodized aluminium which feels great on the fingers. The tactile 'steps' were solid and provided great feedback. The default mapping for the knob is volume up and down but they can be changed in the software. Even though none of my boards have knobs(besides this one), I found it to be very useful for listening to music.
Should you buy it?
If you are in the market for a 66% keyboard with a lot of features on a lower budget, I can definitely recommend the EC66. At the kickstarter price of $79 this is a great keyboard for anyone starting out in the mechanical keyboard world.
At the retail price of $89 the EC66 is still a fully featured 66 percent keyboard that provides a seamless solid typing experience.
You can buy this keyboard on Kickstarter or on there official store which which will launch further down the line
The Knob appears to be smooth anodized aluminium which feels great on the fingers. The tactile 'steps' were solid and provided great feedback. The default mapping for the knob is volume up and down but they can be changed in the software. Even though none of my boards have knobs(besides this one), I found it to be very useful for listening to music.
Should you buy it?
If you are in the market for a 66% keyboard with a lot of features on a lower budget, I can definitely recommend the EC66. At the kickstarter price of $79 this is a great keyboard for anyone starting out in the mechanical keyboard world.
At the retail price of $89 the EC66 is still a fully featured 66 percent keyboard that provides a seamless solid typing experience.
You can buy this keyboard on Kickstarter or on there official store which which will launch further down the line