The Wonderful Sound of Mechanical Keyboards: A Review of Razer's Huntsman Keyboard

Hey guys, this is Austin, and you're probably familiar with the wonderful sound of a mechanical keyboard. Over the last few years, mechanical keyboards have absolutely taken over the gaming market and for good reason. When they first came out, they were very, very expensive, but now on Amazon, you can pick up something like this for 40 bucks. And no, you're not going to have any of the bells and whistles, but importantly, you're still going to be getting the sound and you're also going to be getting that feedback.

I like how I just had to type on it to give you sort of an idea of the sound. The feedback, kind of on you. So when Razer drops off a box with their brand new keyboard and all new mechanical switches, I've got to say, I'm pretty excited. As someone who's been using mechanical keyboards for a while now, I know how much of a difference it can make in terms of typing experience and overall gaming performance.

The Huntsman Keyboard: A Review

Razer's Huntsman keyboard is one of the most highly anticipated gaming keyboards of 2018, and for good reason. With its sleek design and advanced features, it's sure to impress even the most discerning gamers. But how does it stack up against other mechanical keyboards on the market? In this review, we'll take a closer look at the Huntsman keyboard and see if it lives up to its hype.

The first thing you'll notice about the Huntsman keyboard is its sleek design. It's a relatively slim and lightweight keyboard that feels comfortable in your hands, even during long gaming sessions. But what really sets it apart is its advanced features. The keyboard boasts a range of customizable backlighting options, including RGB chroma that can be adjusted to suit your mood or gaming style.

One of the most exciting features of the Huntsman keyboard is its use of Razer's proprietary mechanical switches. These switches offer a unique feel and sound that sets them apart from other mechanical keyboards on the market. They're also incredibly durable and can withstand even the most intense gaming sessions without showing any signs of wear.

The Sound: A Closer Look

So, what does the Huntsman keyboard sound like? The answer is, it's music to your ears. The keyboard's mechanical switches produce a crisp, clear sound that's both satisfying and soothing at the same time. Whether you're typing away or gaming for hours on end, the Huntsman keyboard's sound design is sure to put a smile on your face.

But what really sets the Huntsman keyboard apart is its ability to reduce latency. According to Razer, the keyboard's proprietary switches can cut down on delay by as much as 40% compared to other mechanical keyboards on the market. This means that gamers will experience faster and more responsive gameplay, which can be a major advantage in competitive games.

The Huntsman Elite: A Step Up

But there's also an elite version of the Huntsman keyboard available, which adds a range of features and upgrades to the base model. One of the most exciting features of the Huntsman Elite is its digital dial, which allows you to adjust settings like volume, brightness, and even gaming mode with ease.

The digital dial is also one of the most convenient features of the Huntsman Elite, as it eliminates the need for manual adjustments or button presses. Simply use the dial to make your desired changes, and the keyboard will automatically apply them. This feature is especially useful for gamers who like to be able to adjust their settings quickly and easily during gameplay.

Wrist Rest: A Game-Changer

Another major upgrade of the Huntsman Elite is its wrist rest. The wrist rest is a cleverly designed accessory that attaches to the keyboard via magnets, providing a comfortable resting place for your hands during long gaming sessions. This feature is especially useful for gamers who spend hours on end typing away or gaming.

The wrist rest is also surprisingly well-designed, with a smooth and ergonomic surface that fits comfortably in your hand. It's also incredibly adjustable, allowing you to customize the height and angle of the wrist rest to suit your needs. Whether you're playing games for hours on end or just need a comfortable place to sit while working, the wrist rest is sure to be a game-changer.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Razer's Huntsman keyboard is an excellent choice for gamers looking for a high-quality mechanical keyboard that offers advanced features and customizable backlighting options. The keyboard's proprietary switches produce a crisp, clear sound that's both satisfying and soothing at the same time, while its ability to reduce latency gives gamers a major advantage in competitive games.

The Huntsman Elite takes things up a notch with its digital dial, which allows for easy adjustments to settings like volume, brightness, and even gaming mode. The wrist rest is also a major upgrade, providing a comfortable resting place for your hands during long gaming sessions.

Overall, Razer's Huntsman keyboard is an excellent choice for gamers looking for a high-quality mechanical keyboard that offers advanced features and customizable backlighting options. It may not come cheap at $150 or $200, but if you're looking for the ultimate gaming keyboard of 2018, this might be the one to consider.

The Verdict: A Real Difference?

So, does the Razer Huntsman keyboard really make a difference? The answer is, yes. While it may not change your life as a gamer, it's sure to improve your typing experience and overall gaming performance in some significant ways. Whether you're playing games for hours on end or just need a reliable keyboard that can keep up with your needs, the Huntsman keyboard is an excellent choice.

But what really sets it apart is its ability to reduce latency. According to Razer, the keyboard's proprietary switches can cut down on delay by as much as 40% compared to other mechanical keyboards on the market. This means that gamers will experience faster and more responsive gameplay, which can be a major advantage in competitive games.

In short, the Razer Huntsman keyboard is an excellent choice for gamers looking for a high-quality mechanical keyboard that offers advanced features and customizable backlighting options. It may not come cheap at $150 or $200, but if you're looking for the ultimate gaming keyboard of 2018, this might be the one to consider.

WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: en- Hey guys, this is Austin,and you're probablyfamiliar with the wonderful,wonderful sound of a mechanical keyboard.Over the last few years,mechanical keyboards haveabsolutely taken overthe gaming market and for good reason.When they first came out,they were very, very expensive,but now on Amazon, you canpick up something like thisfor 40 bucks.And no, you're not going to haveany of the bells and whistles,but importantly, you're stillgoing to be getting the soundand you're also going tobe getting that feedback.I like how I just had to type on itto give you sort of an idea of the sound.The feedback, kind of on you.So when Razer drops off a boxwith their brand new keyboardand all new mechanical switches,I've got to admit I'm definitely curious.That's so awesome.So this is the Razer Huntsman.Now what's a little bitdifferent with this keyboardis the idea that it's gotan optomechanical switch.The main difference between thisand a standard mechanical switchis that as opposed towhen you press the buttonand you're actually pressing a littlesort of physical button onthe bottom of the switch,instead when you hit that key,there's a beam of lightthat's going across.So once it starts to depress,it actually cuts off that beam of light,which immediately sends a signalfrom the keyboard to your computerthat that key has been hit.And because Razer's Razer,they had to go completelyover the top with this,a giant model of what theactual switch looks like.I've already seen this,and it is totally andcompletely ridiculous.Just look at this.So for scale, this is what thereal switch looks like versusthe giant massive switchthat they provided.So this was actually 3D printed,but it does give you a goodidea of how the switch works.So as you press this down,it breaks that beam of light.And as soon as that light is broken,it will send an immediate signal,so you don't have to waitfor the spring to compress,you don't have to waitfor the button to goand fully depress itself.And you also don't haveto wait for any sort ofbuilt-in delay to sort of avoidany kind of double presses.It's actually a really cool design,and it sounds cool.So this switch comes intwo models right now,the standard Huntsman aswell as the Huntsman Elite.Now the main differencehere really isn't to dowith the actual key switches,but this guy's going to havea couple of extra featureslike some MIDI keys aswell as a wrist rest.So if we pop this guy open,it's going to be the same size keyboard,and you still get all of your number row,but you've got your,you've got your full RGB wrist rest.Not only is this guy going to be paddedto give you a little bit ofextra comfort when you're typingbut it also does have full RGB underglow,which, especially when you pair itwith the very RGB-ified Huntsman,it's gonna look kinda ridiculous.Now that is some RGB action.So if I attach the wrist rest,which should all be magnetic here,we're going to get the underglow as well.Can we actually kill the lights?Yo, that is so cool.So especially with the LED underglowas well as every singlekey being fully RGB,that looks dope.The way this works is similarto the Bloody keyboard,and that, while you've stillgot the nice responsivenessand you still have that nice click,you're also not having todeal with any sort of lagor latency that has to do withactually pressing a physical button.All you need to do is pressthe key down hard enoughto sort of block that beam of lightand you're going to be good to go.Now Razer's actually not the firstto making a key switch like this.The Bloody switch has beenaround for a little while,and while Bloody switchsounds like a really bad name,it is a very similar conceptexcept that Razer's sort oftaken it to the next level,at least in theory, with stufflike adding a stabilizer bar,which if I bring upour super helpful modelis this bar right nowwhich will help the switchfrom sort of leaning eitherside when you actually press it.So for example, if I press it on the edgeversus in the middle, it shouldstill feel the exact same.So Razer quotes a tonof really nerdy specs,like how this is supposedly30% faster at response timeversus a standard clicky switch.And you've got a very light45 grams of actuation force.But I really care about ishow it actually feels to use.Actually I've got to saythat this does feel pretty decent.So supposedly, you're cutting up to20 milliseconds of delayoff by using this key switchas opposed to a standard mechanical,and while I really can'tjudge that for myself,it does feel pretty much instant.When you press a key, it is right there.Now there are some other thingsthat you're not losing hereas opposed to a standardmechanical switch.Obviously, you've got the soundand you've got the feedback,and it is a little bit of a lighter touchso a lot of mechanical key switchessort of feel like you'rekind of pressing down on ituntil it finally compresses,whereas this is sort ofvery light to the touch.But honestly, I don't hate it at all.It is a kind of nicesort of different feel.Now there are a coupleof major differencesbetween the Huntsmanand the Huntsman Elite.So on the smaller side,you're going to be gettingMIDI controls on the Eliteas well as the digital dial,which you can use for volumeor other features on the computer,but the wrist rest isgoing to be the big one.Now it's actually pretty well-designed.It is going to be attached with magnetsas well as the pogo pins.And right now, it does require you to usea second USB port from the keyboardto be able to powerthis guy and send data,but because you do havethat full RGB control,in theory, you can actuallyattach different accessoriesto the keyboard,so say something like a,maybe a wireless mouse pador a wireless charger foryour phone or something,it could be attached withthese pogo pins in the future.Oh wow, that actually feels pretty good.So it definitely does helpthat I'm playing on a higherrefresh rate monitor like120 frames per second,but I mean there actually is,I don't know, it's hard to say.Could be placebo, I'll totally admit.But it does feel like the response in thisactually is pretty much right there.I don't know.I'm actually kinda curious to seehow big of a difference this iscompared to a normal mechanical keyboard.Now this is definitelynot a scientific test,but I'm going to put the 40dollar mechanical keyboardside by side with the Razerto see if I can actually tellany kind of real difference.So because we do have thehigher refresh rate monitor,hopefully that should sorta takeany other latency out of the way.And obviously the mouse is quick,but can I actually see a difference here?Because I do feel likethere's a legitimate chancethat this could be placebo, right?But it feels like the Razer does cut downon a little bit of latency.Oh, dude, you know what,the Razer actually does feela little bit faster.Wow, that's actually kinda surprising.I will say though thatI definitely do likethe way the Razer switches feel.It's sort of, at least sort offrom my personal preference,it feels about right withthe level of clickinessas well as how light it is.I don't like somethingthat's going to be likeI've got to really shove it downto actually get any kind of click on it.Now, mind you, I'm not trying to saythat everyone should godrop your $40 Amazon specialand spend $150 or $200on a Razer keyboard,but I will say it does actually feel likethere is a real difference.And besides that, you arestill getting stuff likethe RGB chroma stuff,you're getting a nice feeling keyboard,you're also getting somethingthat honestly I feel likekind of looks pretty nice too,especially if you want tofully customize the lighting.But that's nice.I'm kinda surprised.I actually didn't think there'dbe a noticeable difference.At $150 for the Razer Huntsmanand $200 for the Elitewith the wrist rest,it definitely doesn't comecheap, but if you're looking forthe ultimate gaming keyboard of 2018,this actually kinda feels like it's it.