Product Description
Power Within Reach: Macro keys are useful but only if they’re easily accessible. The Mech5 gaming keyboard was design with that in mind. The modular D-Pad can be adjusted to perfectly complement your hands natural gaming position. Stop wasting time reaching for Macro keys all the way across the keyboard! Improve Your Game: Our simplistic design approach improves your speed and accuracy by keeping just 5 Macro keys to the immediate left and 6 additional ones (D-Pad) directly above your hand -- all at your fingertips. Too many Macro keys lumped up together in the same place or split to all corners of the keyboard will only bring additional confusion and stress! Unrestricted Modular Customization: Attach the Numeric Keypad on the left-wing of the Mech5 and instantly add 17 additional Macro keys to your arsenal. Attach it to the right-wing and use it as a standard numeric keypad or leave it detached to make more room for your mice. Virtually all keys across the Mech5 are user programmable! Built for War: This ultra-durable keyboard is designed for heavy combat. The Cherry mechanical switch extends its lifespan to 50 million keystrokes. In addition, this keyboard is designed to be water resistant, featuring special seals and drainage gutters. Spilling your drink on your keyboard is no longer an excuse for losing!
| List Price: | $109.99 |
| Price: | $79.99 |
| as of Fri, 15 Mar 2013 13:48:52 GMT ***Remember, deals price on this item for sale just for limited time*** | |
Product Details
- Color: Black
- Brand: Azio
- Model: KB577U
- Dimensions: 7.75" h x 1.60" w x 24.00" l, 3.17 pounds
Features
- Mechanical Keys: The Cherry Black mechanical switch is widely believed to provide the best gaming experience. Featuring a linear design ideal for rapid pressing of keys and the right stiffness to help prevent accidental key presses.
- Fully Programmable Keys: The included Software allows for full customization of the entire keyboard and 11 dedicated Macro-keys.
- Modular Design: The numeric keypad can be attached to either side of the keyboard or remain detached. The included Macro Keypad module is the first of many accessories that will take advantage of the keyboard?s rail system.
- Macro D-Pad: The add-on Macro D-Pad expansion allows for 6 additional programmable keys. The expansion module rail enables custom positioning by sliding the D-Pad left or right.
- Anti-Ghost: Ensures multiple commonly pressed keys register when pressed simultaneously.
- 2x USB Expansion Ports: Connect your USB devices directly to the keyboard for added convenience. Braided Cables & Gold-Plated USB Connector: Enhanced durability and conductivity.
- Water-Resistant: Engineered to remain functional even if accidentally exposed to liquid. Do not flip or shake the keyboard and the liquid will properly drain itself.
- Win on/off Key: Disables the Windows key to prevent accidental pressing of the key during game play.
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful.
By Dave
I purchased this keyboard to replace my Logitech G15. Searching around I couldn't find any place nearby that had mechanical keyboards to test the feel of the different switches so I was left to blindly choose which one I thought would work the best for me. I went with the black instead of the reds to try to alleviate any accidental key presses. The blacks are very stiff. About as stiff as a normal membrane keyboard - which isn't really a bad thing. My first impressions of the keyboard were very positive. It looked nice, had a nice weight to it, the large rubber feet with multiple adjustments were great, you could customize the setup between the DPad and the num pad, overall it was an impressive keyboard.
Being able to adjust the location of the DPad for macro keys is a great idea. However, this removes the ability to use the function keys at the top of the keyboard. Most games don't use these, but things like Alt+F4 has it's use in certain situations. Being up so high I didn't find these to be in a great location. I stuck to using the macro keys to the left of the keyboard.
One thing I noticed quickly was the sharpness of the corners on the keys. When gaming I press the space bar with the side of my thumb. My old G15 had an oversized space bar so I simply just pressed down on the middle of the key. The Mech5 has a normal sized space bar. This resulted in me pressing down on the corner of the key. After a short while of gaming my thumb became sore and irritated. It was a simple adjustment to move my thumb a bit higher on the keyboard, but it was an unnatural adjustment.
Another thing I noticed was the markings on the keys were not consistent. The left shift in particular was very light - as if it had been used for a long time. How I place my finger on the shift key I don't press down on the lettering so it was definitely not from use.
I knew going into it that the Mech5 didn't have any backlighting and I was okay with that. Until I actually used it in dim lighting. I can type upwards of 80 words a minute and have no problems finding even the rarest of symbols, but it was natural just to glance down at the keyboard from time to time for whatever reason. The lack of backlighting isn't a huge deal but they included a bit of it on the macro keys with a really nice red - why not just use this throughout the rest of the keyboard? This also would have alleviated my above complaint about the cheap marking on the key caps themselves if they chose to have backlit keys.
After a few weeks of use I was still happy with the keyboard, but wasn't blown away like I was hoping to be. The sound and feel of the mechanical keys were great. Gaming on it felt more natural than a traditional keyboard as keystrokes could be performed faster. But again, with the Cherry MX Black switches being so stiff it didn't feel like a vast improvement. I ended up purchasing a Corsair K90 in order to see how big of a difference there was between the blacks and the Cherry MX reds. I have to say, I easily prefer the reds. The blacks are nice, but don't have too different of a feel of a traditional keyboard except that they are linear and travel downwards very smoothly instead of the uneven resistance of typical rubber membranes. The reds are very sensitive, but not to the point where you can't touch the other keys without them being activated.
I ended up returning the Azio Mech5 and keeping the Corsair K90. The K90 for the same price had a few added features like multimedia keys and a mute button. The large dial of the Azio was nice, but with the lack of a mute button it took several full rotations to quiet the noise. The K90 is an absolutely beautiful keyboard with the aluminum and tons of backlighting. The Azio is a striking keyboard as well with its massive frame and aggressive styling. The two are very different from every aspect and it ultimately comes down to a matter of taste. I was happy with the Azio Mech5 but for the same price the Corsair K90 is a slightly better product.
I would recommend the Azio Mech5 to anyone if they prefer black switches over reds. If the reds are too sensitive for you and you love blacks, the Azio is a great choice. Just know that it has a few shortcomings. If it would have had backlighting and better keycaps and a mute button I probably would have stuck with it. Many of the mechanical keyboards don't have any multimedia keys or volume dials and many don't have macro functionality so the Azio definitely has it's place. Unfortunately, it just wasn't for me. I really liked the keyboard, but I didn't $100 like it.
7 of 9 people found the following review helpful.
By Will Brown
This keyboard feel's very sturdy and strong. It really does remind me of the older, more indestructible keyboards.
Overall, I would rate this product a 4.5/5
Some of the really nice perks of this keyboard:
- The keys are very strong
- The volume knob appears to be more accurate than the Mech4 (it takes less turning to adjust the volume)
- You can detach the num pad and macro pad and use them individually
- There is a quick way to disable the windows keys
- It is nice and heavy, don't have to worry about it moving around
- You can customize every key on the keyboard using the software that comes with it
- The "\" and "|" key is above the enter key (and not beside the backspace key like the Mech4)
- The "Enter" key is in a normal position
Some of the shortcomings of this keyboard:
- Clackity-Clackity-Clack (It is very noisy)
- Nothing else that I can think of!
I would highly recommend this keyboard for both gamers and power users alike.
It is a GREAT keyboard!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful.
By Hatt
I originally bought the mach 4, but due some issues I had to rma the keyboard. As a replacement they sent the updated version. Unfortunately my feelings still don't change that much.
Pros:
Really feels like a solid keyboard.
Multi-level adjustable feet. (high, low, flat)
Good tactile feel for most the keys. Remember these are black switches... they aren't meant to give that positive feel some might be used to with other switches.
USB Hub. Every keyboard should have one built in.
Nice cable sleeving.
Support. My rma was a piece of cake and they even paid for my return shipping.
Cons:
Sticky shift key. Feels as if the key is going down crooked rather than straight. So it has a tendency to hang up a bit and not engage until after I've already hit the other key I wanted shifted.
Volume dial is improved over the last one but still not good. The tactile feel of the knob seems to have gone down.
Macro keys flaky when resuming from hibernation.
Not really pros or cons but other things to note that affect my ratings:
I wish they had a model for gamers that didn't look like it was made for kids.
Still no back-lighting which I'm finding is mandatory for me now.
The keyboard is huge. Because of the aesthetics the keyboard is still almost 19" long without the ten-key installed. That's the average size of most keyboards with a built in ten-key. So if you're looking for the removable ten-key to save space, this won't do it. It's also pretty darn tall, especially with the add-on keypad over the f keys. If you're using a keyboard tray this prob won't work for you in height or length. The size might be a pain for those who like to move or tilt their keyboard for gaming like I do also.
I've replaced my Azio with a Ducky Shine II without the ten-key. I've given up on the macro keys and volume knob and just use 3RVX to control the volume. The ducky is about 5 inches shorter in length, same tactile feel and led back-lit. Just wish it had the USB hub for my mouse.
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