Verdict
The Epomaker TH80 Pro V2 is a nice wireless mechanical keyboard . It offer enthusiast - grade features and a fluent typewriting feel , as well as excellent connectivity options with interesting looks . However , its weak construction , short battery aliveness and hit - and - miss software keep it from becoming a real top contender .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
Epomaker is an enthusiast keyboard blade who have made great head in the space in recent yr by offering a range of attractive , well - price and specced mechanical options .
One of its belated contenders , the TH80 Pro V2 is a replacement to the wildly popular original TH80 , and adds a few interesting unexampled feature and spirit , while maintaining a sensitive price item . To this end , the £ 109.99/$99.99 cost tag is excellent for a wireless mechanical keyboard with hot - swappable functionality , peculiarly when expectant - brand options such as theAsus ROG Azothcost nearly three times the cost .
This keyboard is pitted more against top - socio-economic class option from more boutique brand such as theKeychron Q1 Prothough , and it undercuts them by one-half . On paper at least , the TH80 Pro V2 may well be one of thebest mechanically skillful keyboardsyou can buy .
Design
The TH80 Pro V2 is usable in two colourways , either an off - white-hot with ecru and burgundy accent , or a bleak and hoary option with more and more retro sensibility . The latter is what I ’ve convey here , and it ’s an fantabulous keyboard by path of looks .
The two - tone pitch-dark and grey colourway is smart , and is certain to gibe in well with a wide range of other peripherals out there , while its textured , duncish ABS plastic casing almost attend metallic . At a glance , you may think this keyboard is deserving a luck more than the $ 99.99 ask price .
However , pick it up , and you presently realize why . While the 700 g exercising weight for a 75 per centum layout mechanical keyboard is n’t wholly unreasonable , the plastic case offers a fair amount of flex at the corners to the point where it feels similar to more budget mechanical option I ’ve used from bargain bin stain such as Trust . The TH80 Pro V2 is n’t the best keyboard to go for if you need top - mountain pass build lineament at this monetary value stop .
The layout on offer is at least working , offering a useful complement of keys with handy extras such as a unmarried column nav cluster , pointer keys and a procedure dustup . It offers most of what you get in a TKL layout keyboard , while giving you a bit more in the way of desk space without a freestanding section for the nav clump keys . The only affair UK emptor should watch out for is the want of ISO cardinal layouts , so you will be leave to portion out with a single summit Enter paint with an ANSI key layout and its appropriately labelled caption .
As with the like of the largerKeychron Q5 Pro , Epomaker ’s TH80 Pro V2 offer SA - style keycaps with a improbable profile and a slight indent which helps along its retro sensibilities .
These keycaps tender large print legends with a font that would n’t be out of place on an honest-to-goodness IBM 3101 beamspring keyboard . In accept a tight look , the keycaps look like to old IBM beamsprings , even if the materials used are far from the same . The TH80 Pro V2 utilises doubleshot PBT keycaps , offering a durable credit card combined with a process which means the legends will never wear off , given they are part of the keycap itself . However , with a still finish , the keycaps here feel a muckle more similar to more low-priced Artium Baccalaurens options , as pit to PBT , which is puzzling .
The TH80 Pro V2 also come up with a small 1.14 - column inch screen door which can be used to expose things like the clip to small GIFs and images .
queerly , the default state of displaying the engagement and clip is n’t right , and it ask download a disjoined piece of software and plugging the keyboard in for it to work correctly . It is n’t as versatile or controllable as the OLED screen on theAsus ROG Azoth , but it ’s a pleasant novelty to have , even if you desire to display an image and nothing else .
As for its interface , this Epomaker keyboard pop the question a convenient and thoughtful one , with a USB - C port for wired operation , as well as a substitution for choosing between connecting the keyboard via Bluetooth or the included 2.4GHz pass receiver . You also get a small expansion slot in which to store the receiver , which is handy .
Performance
inwardly , my sample of the TH80 Pro V2 came with Epomaker ’s own Mulan switches . These are pre - greased linear switches with a swooning 47 g propulsion force and a total 3.8 mm of change of location . With that lubrication and their linear feel , they are brisk switches to use for sidereal day - to - day working , and felt solid in my distich of weeks of examination write article and hire in low-cal CS:2 rivulet .
I would normally prefer a delicate tactile switch , but the Mulan switches were absolutely operational , and the TH80 Pro V2 was a comfortable keyboard to type on , with the combination of those switches , the fact this is a gasket - mounted board , and its slightly inset keycaps . The gasket mounting sure enough helps offer a responsive typewriting feel by it being slightly bouncy liken to keyboard that are a peck more solid .
Alongside offering a antiphonal typing feel , the TH80 Pro V2 is also in keeping with the optimal creamy acoustics afford by the combining of its internals with several bed of foam and lubricate switch . There is n’t any font rattle or Ping River either , and it vocalise fantastic . The only thing to mark is that in this contour , it is quite loud , so you may want to opt for something quieter if you ’re intending to utilize a mechanical keyboard in an open function .
However , if you ’re not a sports fan of the Mulan transposition in the TH80 Pro V2 for whatever reasonableness , it ’s handy to lie with that Epomaker also offers this keyboard with other linear pick with varying forces . If none of them tickle your phantasy , then you ’ll also be well-chosen to learn the TH80 Pro V2 is a red-hot - swappable keyboard . This means you’re able to chuck in any switch you care , whether they ’re tactile , linear or clicky , and also adapt to the MX standard of 3 or 5 pin mounting .
To test this , I swapped out the bundled switch with some Cherry MX Ergo Clear soft - tactile transposition , and the appendage was simple , especially with the bundled keycap and switch puller . You do have to be careful when place unexampled switches back in , however , just because of the potential drop for dead set pins . If that materialise , commit the replacement out , lightly crusade the pins to be back straight and attempt slotting it into the slot on the keyboard again , ensuring you campaign down enough to try it click into place .
The TH80 Pro V2 offers fantastic wireless connectivity with both three - canal Bluetooth and a 2.4GHz wireless connection over its bundled USB - A receiving system on go .
Pairing with either is easy , with the keyboard ’s Bluetooth pair operating by a key combo of Fn+ Q , Fn+W or Fn+E depending on which Bluetooth channel you ’d like , while for the USB receiver , it ’s plug - and - play with the machine you want the keyboard to work with . A pumped-up connection over USB - C is also offer by putting the keyboard into the USB mode and plug away it in with a honorable old - fashioned cable .
As for barrage fire life , the TH80 Pro V2 come with a 3000mAh battery inside , which Epomaker range the keyboard to last for up to 8 hour with RGB lighting on , and up to 80 hour with no light .
My testing reveal it to last for a full workings Clarence Day , around 8 hr , with that lighting on , before it conked out . Even for a keyboard at a lower Leontyne Price point , this feels peculiarly weak , considering rivals from Keychron will last for up to 100 minute with RGB inflammation enable . Even then , low profile pick such as theNuPhy Air75 V2provide a much longer run - time , and that is n’t much more in terms of price than this option from Epomaker . Turning the backlighting off yields much strong operation , although it still sits behind cardinal competition from Keychron and NuPhy .
Software and Lighting
The TH80 Pro V2 features a full assortment of RGB light thanks to its south - facing LEDs contained underneath the keycaps and beside the switches . As the keycaps on the keyboard are not shine - through , the lighting operates as more of an underglow than by lighting up single key . It is however vivid , and can be changed by key combination to exchange the speed at which the lights cycle between colouring , as well as the luminance and overall shade .
computer software compatibility is where things get a bit more fiddly . Epomaker say the TH80 Pro V2 is compatible with the open - origin VIA software , which I ’ve encountered previously in a wide scope of enthusiast - grad keyboard . With those , it has work on flawlessly immediately , where it has n’t with the TH80 Pro V2 .
Be it over a pumped up connection or the 2.4GHz receiver , this keyboard will not be watch by the software , therefore fix its potential for remapping headstone . Moreover , the JSON files command to flash the keyboard into the software ca n’t be added because the keyboard wo n’t be find by the software initially . I ’ve cross - referenced this with other user who appear to be having the same issue , and undertake to reinstall the software package , and it ’s to no help .
However , there is a write grace with the Epomaker Custom Image Tool , which is a piece of Windows - only software that ’s expect if you want to change the nonremittal icon on the TH80 Pro V2 ’s sieve . It fixes the wrong time and date from being shown on the clock , although you’re able to also upload images and GIFs for it to display . For mine , I pick out some black commit Reviews desktop wallpaper , which matched well with the black , gray and white keycaps and looked good .
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Should you buy it?
The Mulan switch inside the TH80 Pro V2 are some of the better linears I ’ve tested with a quiet and responsive typewriting experience . If that ’s what you require , this is a solid keyboard .
As much as the TH80 Pro V2 is an splendid keyboard for the price , its tenuous plastic typeface leaves a lot to be desired where competitors are using machine aluminium .
Final Thoughts
With the repute that preceded Epomaker with some of its more low-priced enthusiast - grade keyboards , I had eminent hope for the TH80 Pro V2 .
It gets most things correct , with interesting looks with an industrial , retro spell to them , as well as suave switch and fantastic enthusiast - point addition such as gasket mount , lubed switch and hot - swappable functionality . The comportment of two mean of wireless connectivity is also a far-famed win against more expensive competitors , too , which worked well .
However , there are a few shortcomings . For starting motor , its ABS plastic figure is n’t up to scratch compare to the competition , with a reasonable amount of flex , while its paltry 8 hour of battery living with RGB on is rather low compare to the contest , and its integration with VIA is n’t necessarily the best in class , either .
Against the the like of theKeychron Q1 Pro , the Epomaker TH80 Pro V2 feel a small half - hearted and while it is a dear keyboard overall , those shortcomings prevent it from becoming a real grade leader , particularly with Keychron ’s option give a fully machined Al chassis , better software compatibility and much longer shelling animation for not much more in price of outlay . For more options , check out our inclination of thebest mechanical keyboardswe’ve tested .
Trusted Score
How we test
We apply every keyboard we test for at least a week . During that time , we ’ll check it for relief of use and put it through its stride by playing a variety of dissimilar genres , including FPS , strategy and MOBAs .
We also agree each keyboard ’s software program to see how easy it is to tailor-make and set up .
FAQs
The Epomaker TH80 Pro V2 offers a 75 percent central layout , which is standardised to a TKL choice .
Yes , the Epomaker TH80 Pro V2 is hot - swappable , and compatible with either 3 or 5 personal identification number transposition .
