The Iqunix F96 keyboard sings as you type
19.1.2022
Translation: Veronica Bielawski
The Iqunix F96 would be the best ready-made keyboard in our range – if not for one big flaw.
The Iqunix F96 is quite the rarity in our shop; it’s housing is made completely of aluminium. The majority of keyboards we carry are made of plastic. Speaking of synthetic materials, the keyboard – which comes in the Swiss layout – has keycaps made of high-quality PBT plastic. Most ready-made keyboards come with cheap keycaps made of ABS plastic. These two features alone make the keyboard a real hidden gem. Unfortunately, the aluminium housing warbles a singsong that gets on my nerves as I type.
A stylish affair
F96 could just as well be the name of a sports car. The F96 certainly looks flashy. The 96 in the name stands for keyboard’s form factor; it is, namely, a 96% keyboard. Size-wise, it’s not far off a tenkeyless model (i.e. a keyboard without the number pad), but it has only four keys less than a full-sized keyboard. To achieve this, the keys are arranged in a more compact way. The F96 is available in three colours/variations: KAT, Knight and Coral. I have the KAT and Coral versions for my review.
You can also choose between three switches: Cherry MX Blue, Cherry MX Red and Cherry MX Brown. Unfortunately, the keys are soldered, which makes swapping them out difficult. However, the manufacturer, TTC, should release more variations of the keyboard soon. Both of my test keyboards have Cherry MX Red switches.
The case of the F96 is made from five aluminium parts: one bottom plate and four side plates. The side parts are hooked onto the bottom part through notches and held together by screws in the corners. The visible screws give the keyboard an industrial touch. The keyboard uses a so-called tray mount system, meaning the circuit board and cover plate, which contains the buttons, are screwed to the base. Most ready-made keyboards use this mounting style. It typically makes for a rather hard typing experience.
The two installed feet on the keyboard make for a typing angle of 6 degrees. It’s not adjustable – unless you unscrew the keyboard and remove the feet.
All in all, the keyboard is very well made. Even after unscrewing and re-screwing it several times, the case shows no scratches or other signs of wear.
Great keycaps and unfortunately Cherry MX keys
For the keycaps, Iqunix relies on PBT plastic. The imprints are created using the sublimation printing process. In this process, the dye is evaporated into the keycaps, which is supposed to make for durable imprints. Iqunix has chosen the OEM profile for the Knight and Coral models. The KAT model, on the other hand, comes in the KAT profile. On the KAT, the keycaps are slightly higher and shaped to allow for better grip. I like both profiles, and the keycaps are also very good for a ready-made keyboard. The labels aren’t transparent, which means they’re not illuminated by the RGB LEDs.
The installed Cherry MX Red switches are linear and trigger at 2 millimetres and 45 grammes of force. The total travel distance is 4 millimetres. I have are the RGB switches, which are housed in a transparent case. Overall, I find them too scratchy when pressing down. I can both feel and hear it; the spring that returns the button back to its original position after it’s been pressed makes an annoying pinging noise – the so-called spring ping. This sound is further amplified by the acoustics of the case. My tip: if you’re interested in the keyboard and are a fan of linear switches, wait until the version with TTC switches is released. The Gold Pink Switches are some of the best out-of-the-box switches I’ve ever tried.
The singing case
I’ve rarely experienced a keyboard case that «sings» quite like the Iqunix F96; and by that I mean the reverb that its case produces. The aluminium resonates when I type, creating a bright pinging noise. Interestingly enough, Iqunix has installed two insulation foam panels on the F96: one between the cover plate and the circuit board, and one between the circuit board and the bottom of the case. This leaves almost no free space om the inside, so reverb really shouldn’t be a big issue.
I noticed the problem when unscrewing the keyboard. Namely, the bottom plate is made of two-millimetre-thin aluminium. Aluminium this thin tends to absorb sound easily and emit it again – in other words, it vibrates.
The resulting «song» bothers me. It ruins the otherwise premium workmanship of the keyboard. I’ve never heard such good sounding long keys before – the space bar, backspace and enter keys. This is because Iqunix lubricates the stabilisers, which are the mechanical parts that stabilise the long keys when you press down. Long keys are notorious for rattling, but on the F96, they sound pretty darn good. Unfortunately, Iqunix opted for so-called Costar stabilisers. Compared to Cherry stabilisers, they make swapping out the keycaps more difficult. Here’s a typing demo.
Did you catch the ping as I type? I can’t handle the singsong. It’s a shame, as the keyboard would be awesome otherwise. But it’s a deal breaker for me. But hey, I’m sure there people out there who don’t mind.
Wired or wireless
You can connect the F96 using either USB or Bluetooth 4.0. Iqunix includes a Bluetooth dongle in the box in case your computer doesn’t support Bluetooth. Also in the box: a USB-C to USB-A cable for wired connection. The connection mode can be changed with a switch on the underside of the keyboard. When RGB is deactivated, the built-in 4,000 mAh battery lasts up to four weeks with eight hours of daily use. The F96 can seamlessly switch between up to three devices simultaneously over Bluetooth. The Bluetooth connection was stable during my test, and I hardly noticed any input lag when typing. For gaming, however, I would connect the keyboard with the cable.
You can actually establish the wireless connection using keyboard shortcuts. This works perfectly – even on a Mac. Other shortcut keys are also programmed; for instance, you can access media controls by pressing the Fn key together with the F keys.
Software and lighting
The F96 has RGB lighting for each individual button. Since the keycap markings aren’t transparent, they don’t light up. As such, what you get is more of a configurable backlight. The illumination can either be adjusted through key combinations or software. The latter is difficult to find; I downloaded it from the Iqunix homepage when I had just started testing the keyboards, and a few days later it was no longer there. The software doesn’t offer many options, but it does allow you to remap all keys and create macros.
Verdict: awesome keyboard that unfortunately sings and is expensive
With the F96, Iqunix delivers the almost-perfect ready-made keyboard. The 96% form factor, which still has (almost) all the keys of a full-sized keyboard, is especially suitable for the office. The workmanship is top, and the keyboard is available in a variety of designs and switches. Only the sound it creates is a deal breaker for me. The F96 whistles a singsong as I type that really gets on my nerves.
Other points of criticism are that the keys cannot be easily replaced – they’re not hot-swappable – and that typing feels quite hard. And then there’s the price tag. Depending on the version, the keyboard costs between 200 and almost 230 francs. Compared to a Keychron K4, which also comes in the 96% form factor, that’s a lot of money. And the keys on the K4 are hot-swappable. In exchange, you do get an aluminium case on the F96. All in all: if the singsong and high price tag don’t scare you off, then I can recommend the F96.
Kevin Hofer
Senior Editor
kevin.hofer@digitecgalaxus.chFrom big data to big brother, Cyborgs to Sci-Fi. All aspects of technology and society fascinate me.
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