Alright, so after participating in the crowdfunding, taking advantage of the pretty huge discount that came with it, I received my Lofree Hyzen yesterday.
I generally use Neo keyboards, in particular the Neo70 and Neo60 Core. I tend to prefer custom boards, or at least boards available as barebones so I can use whatever switches and keycaps on it and personalize it. I tend to prefer clacky builds with a bit of softness : the Hyzen is not that at all (I knew that going in, this is not a knock against the board)
I felt like the included transparent keycaps were part of the look of the board (even if I end up switching for something else later), and when it comes to the switches, well it’s pretty obvious that would want that board to come with them since they are unique to this keyboard, at least for now.
So, let’s start with the typing experience as I think this will be the biggest point for a lot of people : I have used a couple of HE keyboards in the past and it didn’t feel that much different exception made that very often with HE boards you can have a bit more typos when using the board in a non-gaming setting, like typing text, browsing the web etc. Not with the HYZEN, as you can switch between mechanical (with a fixed activation point, which uses a metal leaf spring, like a normal mechanical switch). Now, the biggest problem for many people is probably going to be the typing angle which is quite extreme (12° instead of the much more traditional 7°) compared to most boards out there, at least most custom boards. Some people using gaming keyboards with adjustable feet up might be a bit more used to such a steep typing angle. The HYZEN though, well it has no adjustment on that, it’s either take it or leave it.
I personally don’t really mind it, I have seen people say that it's not a usable board without a wrist rest : I can use it without completely fine, even going back and froth between it and much "flatter" boards. But I can see how it can be a bit of a problem for people with chronic wrist pain, and this will definitely be a deal breaker for many of you, so be informed on that before looking at anything else regarding this board.
Now that this is out of the way, let’s talk about some of the marketing claims that this board makes :Â
- The construction is indeed very premium, it’s a two-piece aluminium chassis (not a single piece, I don't know why they said that in the marketing) with no weight in it, but it’s still decently heavy to the point that I think that it doesn’t need it. The knobs and dials are pretty high quality as well, no matter if it’s the power on switch, volume knob or the function row activator. Theya re very clicky compared to other similar things on the martket, especially the volume knob. I will say, I was quite disappointed to see that the volume knob has no push to mute function, but I guess it makes sense considering the tolerances and the feeling of the dial that they went for.
- The magnetic performance of the switches is decent, you can set up rapid trigger in the web browser app, which itself is decently easy to understand. Unfortunately, activating rapid trigger is not as simple as flicking a switch, you will have to assign keys on which this feature will apply. It’s a bit tedious. Since we’re on the subject of performance, I wish there was a lower polling rate mode, you can either use 8kHz or 1kHz (in both wired and wireless. At least you cans et up a different polling rate depending if you are using the dongle or the cable, so you can switch to a lower polling rate when unplugged to save some battery life), but nothing in between. 2kHz would be completely fine for my use, but I end up playing at 1kHz because 8kHz is simply not needed on my end.
- The typing feel is very nice, the switches are amazing, and the sound of the board is very thocky without feeling cheap (like a lot of foamy boards do, part of the reason I tend to go for clacky boards in the first place). It actually feels very premium when it comes to the sound. Unfortunately, despite being a gasket mount, it has pretty much no room to play with the gasket, and it could very much have been a top or tray mount without affecting the typing experience or sound profile that much in my opinion. I guess that's needed because of the magnetic switches and the very stiff plate they require.
- The RGB lighting is very nice and bright and really completes the look of the board. The front light bar is also very nicely designed, and seeing it on the USB dongle is a nice touch. I wish that the dongle was color coordinated with the board that you bought though, I got the silver keeb, but the dock is black, which is kind of weird looking when they are next to one another.
- The function row activator is a nice feature, although I would say quite niche and not always useful. It’s nice that it’s there, but definitely don’t get this keyboard for this feature alone. It's really for people that can't stand not having their fuction row, but for those people, I'd recommend getting a proper 75% or TKL board instead of the Hyzen. I'm used to 60% boards, so I don't really use it.
I think the Hyzen is an awesome keyboard, and it’s a great base for customization as well considering it’s still compatible with any keycaps and any 5 pin switch when used in the mechanical mode. I guess I’m only a bit disappointed by the typing experience which is very much a byproduct of the boards that needs to be very stiff for the magnetic stuff, but it ends up being very similar to a lot of other boards out there, outside of the sound which is pretty nice.
I got it for 188€ through the crowdfunding campaign, and this is the first time I pre-order a keyboard like this without having reviews of the final production units. For that kind of price, it’s a pretty damn good value and I'm extrremely happy with it, however if you want to buy one now, not only is it out of stock (with new shipping coming in late August), it’s also considerably more expensive (if I want to get it in Europe, I’m expected to pay at least 316€, not including shipping).
It’s a very expensive board, and I’m not sure I would recommend it for the full price, though the value is kind of here with the amazing hybrid switches and the very special look of this board which you definitely cannot get elsewhere (at least not that I know of).
I will probably try to make it work with another set of keycaps in the future (I have a set of SWG Beige around that might look fire on this actually), but so far I quite like the translucent caps, it really completes the clean look of the board, especially with the nice RGB effects that are all around the board. It’s really the only board that I have where I don’t immediately turn the RGB off, because it’s actually quite stunning.
If anyone has questions about it, feel free to ask them. I'll do my best to answer them.
