**Unboxing and Modifying the Kikron Q1 Pro Keyboard**

The Kikron Q1 Pro is an impressive mechanical keyboard that offers a unique typing experience with its customizable switches, backlighting options, and compact design. But what makes it stand out from other keyboards on the market? To find out, we decided to take a closer look at this keyboard by upgrading its tools so you can control your typing experience exactly to your liking.

To start, we removed all the keycaps and key switches, as well as the eight brass screws that held everything in place. With those out of the way, we flipped the keyboard over and began removing the remaining screws to take it apart. It's worth noting that Kikron is more than happy for customers to upgrade their own keyboards, but they're clear about how warranties work. They'll continue to provide free warranty service for any manufacturing issues, providing customers with replacement parts they need to fix their keyboard if they caused the damage by taking it apart or misusing it.

As we took the keyboard apart, we discovered several layers that made up its construction. The bottom case housed the battery and had a layer of case foam on top of it. Above that was the PCB (Printed Circuit Board), which was held in place with Phillips head screws. There was also sound-absorbing foam above the PCB, and finally, there was the top case. For those looking to upgrade their keyboard's acoustic performance, Kikron offers an acoustic upgrade kit for just $10.

**Reassembling the Keyboard**

With all the parts removed, we began reassembling the keyboard by reattaching the daughter board cable, screwing back in the PCB, and securing it with the Allen key. We then put the same key switches back on but installed a new set of translucent black keycaps from Kikron. These keys gave our keyboard an almost pastel-like look with slowly changing colors. We also took advantage of the easy access to the brightness control, which allowed us to increase or decrease the backlighting with just a few presses.

**Customizing the Keyboard**

One of the standout features of the Q1 Pro is its customization options. We were able to cycle through different effects with function +q and function +a, and change the speed of these effects with function +T and function +G. There were plenty of different effects to choose from, including solid colors and slowly fading rainbow effects. The keyboard also had a range of lighting modes to choose from, each with its own unique look.

**The Price Tag**

One thing that's hard to ignore about the Q1 Pro is its price tag. At $200, it's certainly not an inexpensive keyboard. However, if you compare it to Apple's Magic Keyboard, it comes out leagues ahead in terms of travel and feedback. If you're looking for a more affordable option, you may be able to get 85 or 90% of the typing experience you want for half or even a quarter of the price. But the Q1 Pro really is an end-all-be-all keyboard if your switch ever breaks, you can get a whole new set to replace every key on the keyboard for less than $20.

**Entry-Level Alternative: Kikron K2**

For those looking for a more affordable option, there's the Kikron K2. This keyboard starts out at $79 and is fully assembled with Gateron switches and an RGB backlight. It also has hot-swappable switches, which can be upgraded if you want to change your typing experience. The K2 is a bit more compact than the Q1 Pro but still offers a lot of the same features and quality.

**The Q1 Pro: A Hefty Option**

Finally, there's the Q1 Pro itself, which is made from solid metal and is built like a tank. It's not for everyone, however - it's certainly heavier and more substantial than the K2. But if you want a high-end keyboard that's both compact and sturdy, the Q1 Pro may be worth considering.

**Conclusion**

In conclusion, the Kikron Q1 Pro is an impressive mechanical keyboard that offers a unique typing experience with its customizable switches, backlighting options, and compact design. While it comes with a hefty price tag, it's certainly worth considering if you're looking for a top-of-the-line keyboard. With its ability to be upgraded and customized, as well as its durability and quality, the Q1 Pro is an excellent choice for anyone looking to take their typing experience to the next level.

**Recommendation**

If you've never used a true mechanical keyboard before, I highly recommend giving one a try. It's a game-changer, and you'll be amazed at how much of a difference it can make in your typing experience. And if you're looking for a high-end keyboard that's built like a tank and works both at home and on the go, the Q1 Pro is an excellent choice.

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"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enkikron has launched their q1 Pro keyboard and it might just be the last keyboard you ever need it's a customizable mechanical keyboard designed to work great with Macs or Windows PCS it's a really high quality device and I've been using it as my primary keyboard for some time now so here are my thoughts on the KRON q1 Pro and whether it lives up to its high price already has a product called the q1 so what's the big difference well it's the wireless support the kikron q1 is a great wired keyboard but the q1 pro has support for either wired or wireless connections and yes that is connections plural you can connect to three different Bluetooth devices simultaneously and switch between them with the Press of a button this whole keyboard is built around a customizable user experience if you prefer a wired experience just flip the switch on the back to wired and connect the included USBC cable that USBC cable also includes a USB a adapter so if you don't have USB C ports to spare on your machine you don't need to go searching for one it's also customizable between Mac OS and windows layouts right beside the switch for Wired or Wireless mode you have the switch between Mac and windows the typing experience has been nothing short of excellent with it being a customizable keyboard you can choose to adjust it to your liking but these red switches require very little pressure and the significant weight of the metal chassis keeps the keyboard securely in place once you travel the full key distance the PCB is resting on foam so you don't have a harsh bottoming out of the key the keyboard has a bit of give for a really Pleasant typing experience while I'm not a huge gamer I did try some gaming on the keyboard as well and I had no complaints the included keycaps have a rather concave top for your fingers to rest in and if you're switching from something like a MacBook keyboard which has incredibly flat and shallow keys to the kikron q1 pro it is a very different typing experience that will certainly take a few minutes to get used to but I like having the extra travel distance while I'm typing it's a 75 keyboard so you have the standard letters you would expect a function raw up top and arrow keys but you don't have a number pad and you have a few less editing keys on the right hand side of the keyboard letting the whole thing be a bit more compact on your desk in the top right corner you also have a knob which offers distinct clicks while turning out of the box it's set to control volume as you turn it while pressing it will mute or unmute but connecting your keyboard to your computer via the USBC cable and using the Via software opens up a ton of possibilities for customization you can control lighting macros and so much more including reconfiguring the knob to do what you want in different software there's honestly enough just in this software that it could be a video all its own so let me know if you're interested in a keyboard customization video down in the comments and while you're at it leave a like if you're enjoying the video I'd really appreciate it the keyboard has four different layers with two dedicated to Mac and two dedicated to Windows so you can switch between a layout you have for typing and when you have set up specifically for video editing macros or something similar when I say this thing is customizable I mean it when you go to order the q1 pro you can start off with the bare bones keyboard in us or european layouts or a fully assembled keyboard the keyboard itself is available in Shell white silver gray or carbon black and it's the carbon Black Version I have here if you go with the bare bones kit those are your options then you can choose your own switches and keycaps to set up your keyboard exactly how you like it if you instead opt for the fully assembled kit the color of the keycap will correspond to the color of the keyboard you choose if you go with the white it includes mostly white keys with some light gray and red accents going with silver brings mostly gray keys with some darker and purple accents and the carbon black I have here comes with mostly greenish gray keys with black and blue accents the customization is more than just visual though with the fully assembled version you can choose between kikron's red Brown and banana switches the keyboard I have here has the red switches which require very little pressure and provide consistent feedback through the key press thanks to being a linear switch they're also very quiet switches so unlike some other options they're unlikely to annoy others working near you in an office setting if you go with the brown or banana switches they'll be a bit louder but not as clicky as Blue switches the brown switches require a bit more Force but offer a tactile feel while kikron's banana switch requires even more Force but has a less travel distance it offers a bit more of a tactile feel at the very top of the key press as of now those three keychron key types are the only ones offered for the pre-assembled version you can use kikron's other key switches or switch over to Cherry MX or Gator on switches or any other compatible switches depending on the feel you're going for you can go through kikron's customization page to put together all the different pieces you want for your ideal keyboard that you get to put together yourself you can also mix and match switches on the keyboard so you have the typing experience you're looking for in general use but adjust your wasd keys to those you prefer for gaming the switches are also easily hot swappable and the tools needed to do so are all included in the Box speaking of let's talk about what's in the box for the fully assembled keyboard you get the keyboard itself with the key switches and keycaps in place a quick start guide that goes over everything you need to know about pairing the keyboard controlling the backlight and more there are extra keycaps so you can replace the max specific keycaps with those meant for Windows you get extra foam gaskets and screws in case you lose one while taking apart the keyboard there are extra grippy feet to replace the pre-installed ones if something happens to them underneath the keyboard in the Box you have four tools you have the keycap puller the key switch puller an allen key and a Phillips head screwdriver Apple may not be a fan of its customers taking apart their products but keycron definitely is they include the tools you need to do it and even offer upgrades like the acoustic upgrade kit so you can control your typing experience exactly to your liking since they included the tools to do it let's take a look inside the keyboard to start I'm just going to remove all the keycaps and key switches with those out of the way I'll flip the keyboard over and start removing the eight brass screws if you're doing this be sure to keep good track of them with the keyboard taken apart we've got several layers there's the bottom case which houses the battery and then you have a layer of case foam then you have the PCB which is held in with Phillips head screws above that their sound absorbing foam the plate and then the top case if you're doing that acoustic upgrade kit you'd be replacing the foam but we're not doing that today and while kekron is more than happy for customers to upgrade their own keyboards they're clear about how warranties work they'll continue to provide free warranty service for any manufacturing issues providing customers with the replacement parts they need for their own keyboard so it can be fixed if you caused the damage by taking your keyboard apart or misusing it though they'll still offer Replacements but you'll have to pay the cost of the parts and shipping I think that's a really great policy overall it makes sense they can't cover customer cause damage but selling the parts so you can fix it anyway goes a long way to reducing e-waste so now that I've taken the keyboard apart let's put it back together reattaching the daughter board cable screwing back in the PCB and then using the Allen key to secure the bottom case I'm gonna put the same key switches back on but I have another set of keycaps from kikron this translucent black set of keys so I'll put these on and then let's take a look at the lighting options foreign you have really easy access to the brightness control just press the function key and W to increase the brightness or the function key and S to decrease the brightness you can also just turn off the backlight by pressing the function key and tab you can cycle through the effects with function q and function a and you can change the speed of the effects with function T and function G there are a ton of different effects from solid colors and slowly fading rainbow effects to lights radiating outward from the key you press I tend to keep it on this one which gives it an almost pastel-like look with the keys slowly changing colors now I've mentioned right off the bat that this keyboard is quite expensive and at two hundred dollars it certainly is but if you compare it to Apple's magic keyboard it comes out leagues ahead with a lot of travel and good feedback if you're only after a decent mechanical typing experience you can probably get 85 or 90 of the way there for half or maybe even a quarter of the price and I can't fault you for wanting to go with something that's a bit easier on the wallet but this keyboard really is an end-all BL type keyboard if a switch ever breaks you can get a whole new set to replace every key on the keyboard for less than twenty dollars if your keycaps start to feel a bit worn out after a while you can get complete new sets for around thirty dollars and if the foam inside the keyboard were ever to start to wear out you can get the acoustic upgrade kit with all new foam for just ten dollars there's no denying that it's a big price tag for a keyboard but the quality and customization really helps it to earn that price if you're looking for a bit more of an entry-level mechanical keyboard you can check out kikron's K2 it starts out at a far more palatable 79 fully assembled with Gator on switches an RGB backlight rather than white is a 10 upgrade and hot swappable switches are another 10 upgrade so for a hundred dollars you can have a wired or wireless hot swappable RGB mechanical keyboard to provide a lot of the same typing feel you would get from the q1 pro in a similarly compact form factor but the q1 pro is made of solid metal and it's certainly more sturdy than the K2 which comes with a plastic frame by default the q1 pro is a much heftier unit and you'll get absolutely no flex from it unlike the K2 if you've never used a true mechanical keyboard before I cannot recommend it enough give one a try and figure out which key switches work best for you and if you want a high-end keyboard that's built like a tank and works at home or on the go check out the q1 pro through the link in the video description despite using decent mechanical keyboards before nothing I had reached the level of kikron's q1 pro I hope you enjoyed the video if you did consider leaving a like leave your thoughts in the comments down below and subscribe to the channel for more from nine to five Mackikron has launched their q1 Pro keyboard and it might just be the last keyboard you ever need it's a customizable mechanical keyboard designed to work great with Macs or Windows PCS it's a really high quality device and I've been using it as my primary keyboard for some time now so here are my thoughts on the KRON q1 Pro and whether it lives up to its high price already has a product called the q1 so what's the big difference well it's the wireless support the kikron q1 is a great wired keyboard but the q1 pro has support for either wired or wireless connections and yes that is connections plural you can connect to three different Bluetooth devices simultaneously and switch between them with the Press of a button this whole keyboard is built around a customizable user experience if you prefer a wired experience just flip the switch on the back to wired and connect the included USBC cable that USBC cable also includes a USB a adapter so if you don't have USB C ports to spare on your machine you don't need to go searching for one it's also customizable between Mac OS and windows layouts right beside the switch for Wired or Wireless mode you have the switch between Mac and windows the typing experience has been nothing short of excellent with it being a customizable keyboard you can choose to adjust it to your liking but these red switches require very little pressure and the significant weight of the metal chassis keeps the keyboard securely in place once you travel the full key distance the PCB is resting on foam so you don't have a harsh bottoming out of the key the keyboard has a bit of give for a really Pleasant typing experience while I'm not a huge gamer I did try some gaming on the keyboard as well and I had no complaints the included keycaps have a rather concave top for your fingers to rest in and if you're switching from something like a MacBook keyboard which has incredibly flat and shallow keys to the kikron q1 pro it is a very different typing experience that will certainly take a few minutes to get used to but I like having the extra travel distance while I'm typing it's a 75 keyboard so you have the standard letters you would expect a function raw up top and arrow keys but you don't have a number pad and you have a few less editing keys on the right hand side of the keyboard letting the whole thing be a bit more compact on your desk in the top right corner you also have a knob which offers distinct clicks while turning out of the box it's set to control volume as you turn it while pressing it will mute or unmute but connecting your keyboard to your computer via the USBC cable and using the Via software opens up a ton of possibilities for customization you can control lighting macros and so much more including reconfiguring the knob to do what you want in different software there's honestly enough just in this software that it could be a video all its own so let me know if you're interested in a keyboard customization video down in the comments and while you're at it leave a like if you're enjoying the video I'd really appreciate it the keyboard has four different layers with two dedicated to Mac and two dedicated to Windows so you can switch between a layout you have for typing and when you have set up specifically for video editing macros or something similar when I say this thing is customizable I mean it when you go to order the q1 pro you can start off with the bare bones keyboard in us or european layouts or a fully assembled keyboard the keyboard itself is available in Shell white silver gray or carbon black and it's the carbon Black Version I have here if you go with the bare bones kit those are your options then you can choose your own switches and keycaps to set up your keyboard exactly how you like it if you instead opt for the fully assembled kit the color of the keycap will correspond to the color of the keyboard you choose if you go with the white it includes mostly white keys with some light gray and red accents going with silver brings mostly gray keys with some darker and purple accents and the carbon black I have here comes with mostly greenish gray keys with black and blue accents the customization is more than just visual though with the fully assembled version you can choose between kikron's red Brown and banana switches the keyboard I have here has the red switches which require very little pressure and provide consistent feedback through the key press thanks to being a linear switch they're also very quiet switches so unlike some other options they're unlikely to annoy others working near you in an office setting if you go with the brown or banana switches they'll be a bit louder but not as clicky as Blue switches the brown switches require a bit more Force but offer a tactile feel while kikron's banana switch requires even more Force but has a less travel distance it offers a bit more of a tactile feel at the very top of the key press as of now those three keychron key types are the only ones offered for the pre-assembled version you can use kikron's other key switches or switch over to Cherry MX or Gator on switches or any other compatible switches depending on the feel you're going for you can go through kikron's customization page to put together all the different pieces you want for your ideal keyboard that you get to put together yourself you can also mix and match switches on the keyboard so you have the typing experience you're looking for in general use but adjust your wasd keys to those you prefer for gaming the switches are also easily hot swappable and the tools needed to do so are all included in the Box speaking of let's talk about what's in the box for the fully assembled keyboard you get the keyboard itself with the key switches and keycaps in place a quick start guide that goes over everything you need to know about pairing the keyboard controlling the backlight and more there are extra keycaps so you can replace the max specific keycaps with those meant for Windows you get extra foam gaskets and screws in case you lose one while taking apart the keyboard there are extra grippy feet to replace the pre-installed ones if something happens to them underneath the keyboard in the Box you have four tools you have the keycap puller the key switch puller an allen key and a Phillips head screwdriver Apple may not be a fan of its customers taking apart their products but keycron definitely is they include the tools you need to do it and even offer upgrades like the acoustic upgrade kit so you can control your typing experience exactly to your liking since they included the tools to do it let's take a look inside the keyboard to start I'm just going to remove all the keycaps and key switches with those out of the way I'll flip the keyboard over and start removing the eight brass screws if you're doing this be sure to keep good track of them with the keyboard taken apart we've got several layers there's the bottom case which houses the battery and then you have a layer of case foam then you have the PCB which is held in with Phillips head screws above that their sound absorbing foam the plate and then the top case if you're doing that acoustic upgrade kit you'd be replacing the foam but we're not doing that today and while kekron is more than happy for customers to upgrade their own keyboards they're clear about how warranties work they'll continue to provide free warranty service for any manufacturing issues providing customers with the replacement parts they need for their own keyboard so it can be fixed if you caused the damage by taking your keyboard apart or misusing it though they'll still offer Replacements but you'll have to pay the cost of the parts and shipping I think that's a really great policy overall it makes sense they can't cover customer cause damage but selling the parts so you can fix it anyway goes a long way to reducing e-waste so now that I've taken the keyboard apart let's put it back together reattaching the daughter board cable screwing back in the PCB and then using the Allen key to secure the bottom case I'm gonna put the same key switches back on but I have another set of keycaps from kikron this translucent black set of keys so I'll put these on and then let's take a look at the lighting options foreign you have really easy access to the brightness control just press the function key and W to increase the brightness or the function key and S to decrease the brightness you can also just turn off the backlight by pressing the function key and tab you can cycle through the effects with function q and function a and you can change the speed of the effects with function T and function G there are a ton of different effects from solid colors and slowly fading rainbow effects to lights radiating outward from the key you press I tend to keep it on this one which gives it an almost pastel-like look with the keys slowly changing colors now I've mentioned right off the bat that this keyboard is quite expensive and at two hundred dollars it certainly is but if you compare it to Apple's magic keyboard it comes out leagues ahead with a lot of travel and good feedback if you're only after a decent mechanical typing experience you can probably get 85 or 90 of the way there for half or maybe even a quarter of the price and I can't fault you for wanting to go with something that's a bit easier on the wallet but this keyboard really is an end-all BL type keyboard if a switch ever breaks you can get a whole new set to replace every key on the keyboard for less than twenty dollars if your keycaps start to feel a bit worn out after a while you can get complete new sets for around thirty dollars and if the foam inside the keyboard were ever to start to wear out you can get the acoustic upgrade kit with all new foam for just ten dollars there's no denying that it's a big price tag for a keyboard but the quality and customization really helps it to earn that price if you're looking for a bit more of an entry-level mechanical keyboard you can check out kikron's K2 it starts out at a far more palatable 79 fully assembled with Gator on switches an RGB backlight rather than white is a 10 upgrade and hot swappable switches are another 10 upgrade so for a hundred dollars you can have a wired or wireless hot swappable RGB mechanical keyboard to provide a lot of the same typing feel you would get from the q1 pro in a similarly compact form factor but the q1 pro is made of solid metal and it's certainly more sturdy than the K2 which comes with a plastic frame by default the q1 pro is a much heftier unit and you'll get absolutely no flex from it unlike the K2 if you've never used a true mechanical keyboard before I cannot recommend it enough give one a try and figure out which key switches work best for you and if you want a high-end keyboard that's built like a tank and works at home or on the go check out the q1 pro through the link in the video description despite using decent mechanical keyboards before nothing I had reached the level of kikron's q1 pro I hope you enjoyed the video if you did consider leaving a like leave your thoughts in the comments down below and subscribe to the channel for more from nine to five Mac\n"