The EpicGear Defiant Mechanical Gaming Keyboard Review
by E. Fylladitakis on May 11, 2016 9:00 AM ESTConclusion
I always try to use every keyboard that we review as my personal keyboard for at least a week. My typical weekly usage includes a lot of typing (about 100-150 pages), a few hours of gaming and some casual usage, such as internet browsing and messaging. The EG MMS Purple switches that our Defiant sample came with were very good for such tasks, as tactile switches are great for typing. I would personally prefer EG MMS Orange switches, because the audible actuation of the EG MMS Purple (much like the Cherry MX Blue counterpart) can become annoying when working late at night, especially if there are others nearby.
As far as gaming goes, the EpicGear Defiant feels a little inadequate without any of its accessories. It is very responsive and feels solid as a keyboard, but I found it very tiring to use it for long periods of time without a wrist/palm rest. This is not a problem for low profile keyboards, but high profile of mechanical keyboards makes the use or a palm rest a necessity for long gaming sessions. The programmability is certainly convenient, but the software that comes with the Defiant is far too simple and its macro recording capabilities are minimal. Its modular accessories can improve the appeal that the Defiant has towards gamers significantly, but we have to wait for their release to check on their quality, practicality and cost.
Aside from the optional accessories, the other primary marketing point of the Defiant is the modular switches. This is interesting as a concept but we feel that few users will find it actually practical. One of the very few applications that we can think of is to have a Defiant with Orange/Grey switches and replace a few with Purple switches so as to receive audible feedback from selected keys, or to replace a few Purple switches with Grey switches so as to have quiet gaming sessions. Mixing all three kinds of switches, from my perspective, onto a single keyboard does not seem practical in any way. It would be interesting if the LED could be removed alongside the switch, allowing the replacement of a bad LED/switch combination, but the LEDs are soldered onto the main PCB. A damaged/dead LED is a far more frequent mechanical keyboard fault than a broken switch. Mechanical switches are extremely reliable and EpicGear rates their switches as more reliable even than Cherry’s.
The ability to remove the switches also raises reliability concerns. The Defiant feels solid, but we are working on a brand new keyboard. Having the plastic frames of the switches locking onto an aluminum plate and their contacts simply pressing against other contacts on the PCB may be problematic for the long-term reliability of the keyboard, especially if the switches are being replaced frequently (which we admit, is not a typical use case). The contacts are gold plated, but the 30 μm plating at the contact points can be very easily damaged and that will inevitably lead to corrosion. Regarding mechanical cohesion and reliability, we believe that such problems will be infrequent and that the Defiant should last through several years of everyday use, but its solidity simply cannot compare to traditional designs.
One of the greatest advantages that the Defiant has is its retail price. The MSRP price of the Defiant is $90, which already is a reasonable price for a backlit, programmable mechanical keyboard. When it hits the retail market, it is almost guaranteed that competition will bring the retail price of the Defiant at least 10% down. That puts the Defiant, a keyboard that can be upgraded/modified at whim, at a strong advantage against its competition. Assuming that the retail price of the accessories will also be reasonable and useful, they should allow each user to customize the Defiant according to their needs. This gives the keyboard the potential to offering significant value to those that are attracted by the subtle design of the Defiant and the concept of a customizable, modular keyboard.
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qlum - Wednesday, May 11, 2016 - link
So judging from the article they basically went with a unknown oem to produce them inexpensive mechanical keys which may perform a little less consistent but allows them to include some spare switches while also keeping the price down.Interesting enough to see. I think we may see more of those in the future driving down the price of mechanical keyboards as a whole.
Samus - Wednesday, May 11, 2016 - link
I agree. Cherry switches are overpriced as hell, and this keyboard is proof of that. The hype surrounding Cherry and their, what is it, 8 different tactile strengths, and the fact they are "German" just goes to show the need for other generic competitive mechanical switches.This keyboard is mostly interesting because of its price. But overall it looks like a decent keyboard that should last quite a few years.
althaz - Thursday, May 12, 2016 - link
Are they overpriced though? They are only a little better, but they *are* better and this keyboard isn't cheaper than alternatives from more recogniseable brands.There are some cheaper mech keyboards out there - they are about half the price of this board, but they are also very inconsistent (a nice way of saying "shithouse").
KoolAidMan1 - Thursday, May 12, 2016 - link
Yeah, silly thing for people impressed by gimmicksZaggulor - Friday, May 13, 2016 - link
The clones do vary in quality and feel. Different factories have altered the design a bit.Gateron branded ones are supposedly smoother and nicer than Cherries in linear types. Greetech Green switches have also gotten praise (basically comparable to Cherry MX browns).
Kaihl Black switches have been described to be bit more pleasant than Cherry Blacks by some people as well.
And I also haven´t really heard THAT much negative about other brands in general, besides some users reporting more variance in switch resistance than they have had with Cherries.
Then we also have clones of Topre switches that are used in Royal Kludge RC930 keyboard.(awesome brand name, btw). These are apparently very competent switches, but with somewhat different feel than the original and come with shock absorber bands installed straight out of the factory. It´s roughly 50% of the price of Topre Realforce boards, so it should be a good deal for many who aren´t necessarily crazy about Cherry type switches. Here is a review: https://www.keychatter.com/2015/03/12/review-royal...
Interesting thing about this Epicgear board are not really the switches themselves, but the ease of changing the switches without having to open the keyboard casing. But there are other boards out there that offer this option too:
"Teamwolf" brand has similar capability and they have also multiple color leds lights to go with that. http://www.amazon.com/Teamwolf-Zhuque-Mechanical-K...
In general, you can now get perfectly adequate mechanical keyboard for 40 bucks. With most of the "bells and whistles" you can get from more expensive brands. Only thing you really give up are the actual Cherry switches and not getting thick doubleshot ABS or PBT keycaps out of the box... and perhaps the control software is not quite so polished.
Ogewo - Wednesday, May 11, 2016 - link
How about testing some ergo? Once you go ergo you never go backo. Kinesis, Matias, etc.Zan Lynx - Wednesday, May 11, 2016 - link
I went back. I found flat keyboards felt better, years ago. I'm going to give it another shot with the Keyboardio though.Ogewo - Wednesday, May 11, 2016 - link
Keyboardio certainly looks nice. I wonder how stable the "tent" orientation is, though. I like lots of curve\vertical orientation.BrokenCrayons - Wednesday, May 11, 2016 - link
I went back too after going through several ergonomic keyboards. I gave several models a few months each, but always found the experience pretty miserable if not worse for my wrists and the tendons in my hands that move my fingers.What I would like to see is some AT testing of a few inexpensive membrane keyboards because I have a sneaking suspicion that they'd be competitive despite costing 1/10th to 1/20th of the price if you take into account the loss of programmable macros and RGB lighting. However, I realize that doing so may cast the mechanical keyboards in a bad light and generate some vendor animosity which would might cause problems getting flagship product samples in for review.
Impulses - Wednesday, May 11, 2016 - link
I think they've tested some membrane boards in the past... What you're suggesting might hold true as far as features, but it doesn't change the fact that membrane boards *require* you to bottom out on each and every key press which is ultimately more tiring for anyone that has weaned himself off that.