MAX Comparison: Keychron 75% Showdown (Q1 + V1)

The new MAX lineup from Keychron is poised to offer excellent value, but I suspect many will be conflicted about whether to settle with the plastic V1 Max or upgrade to the aluminum Q1 Max. In this video, I explore all the differences I could find from 1-month of using both.
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[@JakeReevesVideo]

Current Discounts + Affiliate Links: linktr.ee/JakeReevesReviews

[@radialbladeworks6183]

Holy moly, this was an excellent review! Thank you!

[@fuzzyfuzzwuz]

I LOVE my Q6 Max w/ KSA keycaps and banana juniper switches. The KSA profile doesn't bother me at all. I really like them.

[@MarbsMusic]

I have the Acoustic upgrade kit in my Q1 Pro and the Max definitely sounds even better stock. Nice to see Keychron is upping the game on those as I love the bouncy typing feel. To me thick PBT or ABS will change the sound drastically compared to those thin PBT caps that come with the keyboards. I have an original Q2 that I have modified quite a bit, it and my Q1 Pro are both setup with loud switches now and ABS caps for a loud clacky sound as they both leaned toward that anyway. I'm currently waiting for the Lemokey P1 which looks to be an aluminum V1 Max. Great video, amazing comparison detail, thank you!

[@JakeReevesVideo]

Thanks for the detailed comment - I’m glad you liked the video 👍

[@NomadSailorMark]

Thank you for such an in depth review!

[@JakeReevesVideo]

You’re very welcome 👍

[@hassan7569]

This was a great review, keep up the good work, we need more people like this on youtube.

[@JakeReevesVideo]

Thanks! I’m glad you liked it 👍🏻

[@AngryChineseWoman]

Exactly the comparison I was waiting for ! As of now the Q1 and Q3 max are unavailable but the V3 max is... I'm tempted to buy the latter but I will wait for the Q1/Q3 max to be back in stock , as they sound better

[@frankfix247]

I think the Q1 Max's spacebar sound is more uniform than on the V1 Max. The spacebar on the V1 Max sounds hollow and knocking for the lack of better words... Very nice video BTW!

[@JakeReevesVideo]

Thanks!

[@NigelTufnelEleven]

It might be more uniform across the spacebar, but what I got from the video is that the Q1 spacebar sounds much more consistent with the rest of the keys than the V1. To my ears the V1 spacebar's sound is VERY different from the rest of the keys and while the keyboard overall looks and sounds great, that was a bit off-putting to me. It's just weird hearing that thunk interspersed with clicks.

[@AngryChineseWoman]

Is it just me or the Q1's spacebar makes a rattling sound, while the V1's does not ?

[@derred723]

Update: I came across this vid and rewatch not that i have a V1 Max for close to 4 months. TLDR: fabulous keyboard and perfect for the non-enthusiast mac user since out of the box it has mac keycaps which are super important for the function keys on a mac because they default to controlling mac functions like launchpad, brightness, etc. Battery life is STUNNING. I use this EVERY day for work and play minimum 9 hours and i mean bare minimum. I plugged in and fully charge march 16 when it first got it and not once since. With backlinghting off and 2.4 ghz use, as if this typing my battery is at 70%!!! I'd 100% agree that the stabalizers rattle and it's well lubed. You can see the lube coming out. Man that sounds dirty! But other than that the sound is great. I''m VERY happy with the sound though again, i'm not thock enthusiast. I did a tape mod on the spacebar that helps quite and put some tape in the enter and backspace buttons but i can't tell much difference in sound as i think the stabalizer issue is clearer. It's also great as pointed out in this vide that the V1 Max has blue esc and enter keys to remove the accents because it only took me a day to get annoyed with the red accents. And i like red but but with a grey and blue keyboard it looks bad to my eye. I'm not a gamer, i use the keyboard for typing and web browsing so multicolors isn't the look i was going for. If the keycaps were all black i'd probably be fine with the red cause i love the black and red combo. And in the future i might by black keycaps for the letters and the FN keys if i can find fn keys that have the mac lettering like official keychron ones. I still say $100 for a keyboard is pricey for us regular folk especially when you go to best buy and there's $20 keyboard but i'm happy with my purchase. I don't feel an ounce of buyers remorse not getting the Q1 as the "upgrades" are not important features for the what i need in a keyboard which is just above basic. I really wanted the option to use VIA and i haven't even plugged it in cause out of the gate it's been perfect. Oh one bad thing. twice, but only twice, my caplock key has been stuck registered as down and i've had to remove the switch and blow on it like any good 80s Atari video game player and reseat it. The keycap wasn't stuck to be clear, and the switch wasn't stuck in the down position. it's just he switch somehow thought it was down. I wonder if it's a pin issue. But reseating it fixed it and it hasn't happened again in a month. Part of me think that single switch might have had a pin issue or be wonky cause none of the other keys have had issues. If you don't need a metal case or that keycap profile this is a great keyboard. It's quite heavy too. Not steel heavy but it has some good weight too. Oh and to answer your quesiton at the end. I preferred the v1 switch sound. I have browns cause i'm old lol. But my like might be because that's what i'm used to now. Maybe it's confirmation bias. I don't know. I honestly don't think i'd be disappointed if i'd bought either one.

[@JakeReevesVideo]

Thanks for sharing your detailed experience 👍🏻 I’m sure this will help some others decide. As you point out, the V1 Max is an exceptional value for an entry enthusiast. Regarding your CapsLock, I suspect you are right that it is a switch issue. If it persists, perhaps try swapping the switch with another key to see if the issue changes to the other key (switch issue) or if it remains on the same key (perhaps a PCB issue).

[@derred723]

it's an easy decisions for me a regular person like me. The cost for a steel case and more foam just isn't important to me. The prices are crazy to non enthusiasts. I'm not an enthusiast either. I just need a good wireless mechanical keyboard. For me the v1 max is the only one in the running. I prefer the darker color too though i wish it had black keys like the v1.

[@JoseSalazar-rt3mm]

Excelente video, bien detallado y una excelente producción. Yo tengo un Q5 Max con Jupiter Banana, me gustan mucho, tanto así que a mi K2 V2, desde el que escribo ahora, le compre los Jupiter Banana, una tactilidad muy agradable. La serie Q Max de Keychron la recomiendo ampliamente.

[@fernandopassaia]

Oh man - this video is pretty amazing, thanks for sharing all this information, helped me out to choose Q1 Max...

[@JakeReevesVideo]

Thanks for the feedback Fernando - I’m glad to hear it helped 👍

[@kobymile5453]

Wonderful comparison! I was debating between the Q6 MAX and the V6 MAX and kept wondering if I made the wrong choice by buying the V6 MAX. Coming from the K10, I immediately disliked the south-facing LEDs and missed the shine-through keycaps of the K10. The south-facing LEDs are particularly bothersome, as they shine directly into my eyes-it’s like having 52 cars with headlights coming straight at you.

[@Absol407]

11:40 Q1 Max Brown 11:52 Q1 Max Banana

[@pcxdrone]

You are an excellent reviewer. I am most likely going to purchase this keyboard in barebones format. That said, are the new profile keycaps that Keychron includes worth getting? I have a nice set of dye-sub PBT keycaps in Cherry format. Do you personally prefer the new keycap height/format over the standard cherry profile? How do they compare in typing experience. Do they take a while to get used to?

[@JakeReevesVideo]

Thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed the video… funny you ask about the keycaps - I’m just in the process of making my notes comparing the Q1 Max to the Q1 HE and the HE uses the standard OSA keycaps that the V1 (and most other Keychron keyboards) use, so I was just debating this. Personally, I didn’t like the larger KSA keycaps when I first tried them - the sculpting is really aggressive; however, it took about a week of use for me to come around to liking them, and now I kind of prefer them… I would buy the keyboard that you like, then only swap the keycaps if you want to try something different - I think Keychron sells KSA keycaps for like $35 USD or something… I think they are worth trying, but if you do try them, make sure to give them at least 2-weeks before you decide whether you like them or not. They do offer a larger acoustic chamber, so they tend to be louder as well. ✌🏻

[@bugraotken]

I am using V1 for over 1 year but I don't understand one thing, why do you want to have a backlighted keyboard where the keycaps are not transparent at letter parts. There is no point and possibility to use these keyboards at dark. When you turn the backlights on, the keycaps stay at shadow so it becomes much more impossible to read the letters.

[@Tirándola-Plena]

Hey, that palm rest looks like it fits the length of the Q1Max perfectly. Could you please share the name or brand? Great content!

[@JakeReevesVideo]

The wooden one I use is from Keychron 👍🏻

[@michaelkphoto8344]

Interesting, I thought south facing lighting was a disadvantage…

[@JakeReevesVideo]

Advantage for some keycaps - cherry tend to fit better with south facing because they are shallow. I also find south facing to cause better illumination, but that is more heavily influenced by the plate material (bouncing the light back)

[@kobymile5453]

I would say it’s a disadvantage. For comparison, I have the K10 with north-facing LEDs and shine-through keycaps. When typing from an angle, the light spill on the board is minimal. However, south-facing LEDs are not compatible with regular shine-through keycaps. Due to the zig-zag pattern of the keys, the LEDs shine directly into your eyes from the upper row of the keys when typing from an angle.

[@Dexx1s]

It will always boggle my mind on how the Q1 isn't just a straight upgrade tom the V1. Not having the extra receiver and keycaps are really strange to me. I didn't even realize that the Q1 doesn't come with a slot to hold the receiver. It's not like the V1 is definitely meant to be their portable line of keyboards. They have other keyboards for that. I still want the Q1 for the metal over the plastic but they're making it difficult.

[@JakeReevesVideo]

Agreed 👍 little quirks like that I think are associated with the added aluminum machining costs, but it muddies the decision…

[@JakeReevesVideo]

@Catalysten both Max models were just released in late 2023 - however, the V1 update was more substantial because the Q1 had a Pro model released last year, which was already better than the base Q1, while the V1 didn’t see the same thing.

[@InfernalWAVE]

great review, learned a lot

[@linvega671]

Have you tested with any non-stock switches? Looking into getting the Q3 Max barebones (which I expect is comparable to the Q1 Max) to use with Oil Kings

[@JakeReevesVideo]

I haven’t yet, but I suspect I will get there eventually… I was thinking about picking up some oil kings eventually as well - let me know how you like them if you get there before I do 👍

[@3seriouss]

Excellent comparison - one question I have for you is that I've noticed that the V1 Max feels much softer to type on than the standard V1, presumably due to the gaskets. With switches being the same, and sound aside, does the Q1 Max feel about the same? I really like the soft typing feel of the V1 Max, and am considering another for my Mac, but am curious if the Q1 Max has an even better typing feel, at over double the cost of the V1 Max.

[@Test32150]

Hello , great video and i have a couple of questions for you jake. Which keyboard would you recommend for a first mechanical keyboard the original v3(i like the tkl version not the smaller ones) or the v3 max. And if you opt for the v3 max is it worth 35 euro more than the original? Thank you.

[@JakeReevesVideo]

Personally, I haven’t experienced the V3, but if it is like the V1 I think it is worth the upgrade to the Max. It isn’t as profound of a change as the Q-series, but it’s still a worthwhile upgrade if you like the sound change or need the RF adapter (hopefully they give you both USB-A and C like the V1 Max).

[@HasanEhsan]

Hi. Great video! I’m torn between the q1 max and the q2 pro - any ideas on what could help me decide?

[@JakeReevesVideo]

Do you need the RF receiver? That would be a big pull to the Max. Otherwise, if you like the compactness of the Q2, there are some fun things you can do in QMK and VIA to achieve the same function bar stuff on the number row, etc.

[@3choblast3r4]

Wow, the Q1 max sounds better but the spacebar sounds absolutely trash. It's almost sounds like another key instead of the space bar. Also super surprisded that the v1 max sounds better than the regular v1 because the regular has the silicone on the bottom. But the difference seems quite big. The max with the osa keycaps sounded best in my opinion (except that the spacebar still sounded bad). I want my space bar to sound a little distinct from all the toher keys. If the keys thock, the bar should thonk. For the stabs, I imagine a holy / holly (holli?) mod would fix that, maybe the some bandaid on the bottom.

[@piecaruso97]

i have got the v3 max and various switch and keycaps sets, but to be honest what ended up working the best for sound and comfort were the gupiter reds the board came with and some thick solid abs cherry profile keycaps i had laying around, for the rest very solid keyboard, i wish it had less flex and the stabilizers were better out of the box

[@anishparulekar1171]

Between the v1 max and nuphys offerings, which would you recommend?

[@JakeReevesVideo]

Hmmm… my wife is using the NuPhy Halo96 with their Rose Glacier switches, and when I offered her to come take one she wanted to keep the NuPhy. It had the hybrid metal-plastic case which gives it a bit more heft too, which you may want to consider.

[@anishparulekar1171]

@@JakeReevesVideo Thanks! I'm trying to decide between the v1 max and the halo75

[@Khida_Senpai]

@@anishparulekar1171 what did you decide on?

[@y11971alex]

I’ve no idea why some people want to add foam to their keyboards. It makes them sound like rubber dome keyboards of the undesirable kind. Looking at this from the vintage keyboard world 😅

[@VicharB]

Looking into Keychron V1 Max or the Epomaker TH80 Pro V2. Which one do you think I should go for. Q1 Max is costly option for me, at least as of today. Thanks.

[@erebezaa]

whic one did you get

[@VicharB]

@@erebezaa V1 Max with TTC Silent Frozen V2 switches.

[@brianholthouse8548]

@@VicharB I plan to do this exact mod. How have you liked the set up? Is it quiet enough or do you plan to mod any extra foam?

[@VicharB]

@@brianholthouse8548 Somehow I am unable to post a link to my mods done here which is on reddit. It describes what I have done and the final result ... quietest and smoothest keeb till date that I had.

[@VicharB]

Do a search there on Keychron V1 Max - My Mods (Satisfied). Also, if I were shopping today I would most likely consider going with Drunkdeer A750 Pro with silent magnetic switches. Watched few reviews and really impressed.

[@VicharB]

Just ordered V1 Max, but with Gateron Yellow switches, as I know how they feel and I really like them. Couldn't hold back :)) Will mode it close to same way I did my K2 v2, which is much more thockier and silent, compared to both here presented Q1 Max and definitely V1 Max.

[@JakeReevesVideo]

Awesome, let me know what you work out for the space bar if yours is as rattled as mine ✌🏻

[@VicharB]

@@JakeReevesVideo So, I did some modding to the stabilisers and do not get any rattle, pure silent thock, no high pitches/sounds. Separately got set of dark blue/black Cherry double-shot PBT keycaps and it is looking dope. Once am done with whole modding surely it will be an awesome keyboard for sometime to come, considering the price.

[@JakeReevesVideo]

@@VicharB What modifications did you make to the space bar to achieve your results?

[@VicharB]

@@JakeReevesVideo I kept the stock stabilisers (for now as used Durock stabs on my K2 V2), did holee mod, lubed everything, plus poron under metal stabs (between the brackets) and EVA pads where brackets sit. Good result, all keys are swift & near silent. Ah, the space bar is filled with acoustic dampening material (used in automobiles).

[@VicharB]

BTW, I didn't like the tactile Gateron Jupiter Banana switches that came with V1 Max and switched them to my currently preferred Gateron G Pro 3.0 Yellow linear switches, which I was also using on my K2 v2. Can you recommend me not costly linear silent switches that are more "creamier and silent" compared to G Pro 3.0 yellow?

[@andrewkahn7345]

Will you do a sound test of the Q1 max with the tape mod? I was considering getting the rainy 75 but they don’t have a black version with RGB for some reason.

[@3choblast3r4]

Yeah, that annoyed me too. They have the lite version black, the normal at least has silver but the pro only has really ugly colors. Kinda regret not getting the rainy 75 when I had the chance. Now it's only on indie gogo and the shipping says for june. No way I'm waiting that long. Ended up getting a v1 max, despite prefering a metal body

[@asterisk4424]

I'm going to be using the V1 Max for a custom building I'm doing for a friend. I typically use Keyboard Customs pe foam fro my V1 builds since it's been great in my experience. Are the overall builds of the pcb identical between the old and new V1? I want to be sure the pe foam fits identically before I buy it.

[@Gibonu666]

@JakeReevesVideo would you mind sharing your feets for q1? also how are they affixed?

[@mashy712]

How do you see the percentage of battery? (Like I know you can press FN + B, but its like in 10%'s. How to get something like 83%?)

[@JakeReevesVideo]

Bluetooth - look under your connected devices and it usually provides the battery percentage remaining ✌🏻

[@farooqilyas99]

Awesome work!

[@JakeReevesVideo]

Thanks 👍

[@Sleet870]

If I'm putting silent switches in, which keyboard would you use fits better? Office use I type all day.

[@tadaschitakemori]

The big question… Is possible to swap the board? I have a q6 pro and wondering if possible to swap the board of a v6 max to a q6 pro case that I already own. Since the v6 max barebone is only 79 dollars. It would be a great upgrade if I could keep the case of my q6 pro that have the same daughter board position of a q6 max with a v6 max PCB and daughter board

[@JakeReevesVideo]

I’m not sure about the 6-line or the Pro versions, but I can say that the V1 Max board cannot swap into the Q1 Max easily because they have slightly different layouts of the gasket wings, and they reverse whether the gasket foam is mounted to the plate or the body. Also, since the Q1 Max is aluminum it has an antenna to get the wireless signal out of the housing - there is not antenna port on the V1 Max. So, while I’m not certain about the V6, I think it would be unlikely to be an easy swap.

[@alesanna99]

Amazing review, I just subscribed!

[@spectre3492]

these sound pretty loud if they're gasket mounted. i have the feker alice 80 and it sounds pretty quiet compared to this

[@IronCan88]

If you want quiet try a quiet switch. Works better than any foam, plate, case mod.

[@jammies701]

Nice vid mate

[@JakeReevesVideo]

Thanks!

[@srikrishna_97]

How loud are the jupyter red compared to jupyter brown and banana switches? Are these tactile keys tolerable in an office environment?

[@morten1]

Why does the Q1 max have to be so TALL o.0

[@3choblast3r4]

the v1 max is lighter than the v1 because it doesn't have the silicone on the bottom. Which honestly is kind of a disappointment. Instead it has foam. Also, I like my keyboards a bit heavy. I imagine the regular v1 sounds a bit better than the v1 max due to the silicone but haven't seen a comparison

[@JakeReevesVideo]

Sound comparisons in this video as well as a separate one ✌🏻Max sounds better than the original V1 to my ear (considerably)

[@3choblast3r4]

@@JakeReevesVideo I have the bad habbit of commenting before I finish a video lol. Thanks for the reivew/comparison. Really appreciate it. I just kinda bought thison a whim (partially because I dropped water on my k2v2 this morning, and I'm not sure if it's going to survive that.). Only regret is not buying the rainy 75 when they kept emailing me about it. But then again, I don't have the patience to wait that long (april). It's only available on indie right now but shipping is june. Although maybe I'll pick that one up in the future, esp if they don't end up doubling the price after release.

[@aljazzajc1607]

Nice video. Do you still have stl files for 3D printed feet for q1 max ?

[@JakeReevesVideo]

Thanks - I do, but I haven’t posted them to Printables yet - was working on getting a fully printable V1 Max case posted. DM or email me and I can send you the files

[@auwefg]

what mods do you recommend for v1 max?

[@JakeReevesVideo]

Tempest tape mod is never a bad place to start - I would also consider swapping out the PET switchpad for something more foamy (IXPE).

[@RedShogun13]

And now Keychron’s Lemokey P1 seemingly beats both of these out

[@loenmake8754]

How their latency perform?

[@JakeReevesVideo]

They’re the same 👍

[@香噴噴-p6f]

tbh original Q series is such a disappointment , i sold out my Q3 after a week instantly because i could'nt bear the pingy

[@sinorcdit]

Isn’t the V1 max’s keycaps ABS?

[@JakeReevesVideo]

Nope, double-shot PBT, OSA profile. Q1 Max is the same, but KSA profile

[@alperyay]

amazing video, thanks for your effort. i have q14 pro and v1(first one), looking another alice keyboard and found a good deal for q10(first one) which is 170 included shipping. q10 max price is 230 included shipping, do you think $60 difference is worth it or not? do you think first gen q10 is outdated for 2024?

[@ProfileP1cture]

what does the knob do?

[@JakeReevesVideo]

Default knob function is volume control (rotation) and mute (press), but you can customize these with QMK/VIA

[@ProfileP1cture]

@@JakeReevesVideo oh ok, thank you😁

[@palfotta]

Is there any information about the actual wireless speed (2,4 ghz)? IS it good enough for competitve gaming?

[@JakeReevesVideo]

It’s 2.4GHz polling at 1000Hz 👍

[@DrSoda.]

Very well done, super detailed, thank you. God bless. Jesus loves you!

[@AA-dq5uo]

Can I put kailh silent switches in either?

[@JakeReevesVideo]

Yes, switches are compatible between both 👍🏻

[@jerryzhai4319]

I love the V Max series but the color combination is.....

[@JakeReevesVideo]

I’m working on something for that… stay tuned for my next video ✌🏻

[@AAkCN1]

Great

[@MoistAntt]

the stabs still pingy

[@JakeReevesVideo]

Yes, very much so. All my audio samples are without any tuning or additional lubing, so there is some work left for anyone who purchases either board.

[@MoistAntt]

@@JakeReevesVideo i got a Q6 Pro and it was pingy and I replaced it for gateron stabs

[@3choblast3r4]

@@MoistAntt I doubt you'd even need to replace the stabs. Just do a holimod or whatever it's called. And the stab rattle will go away. Even on cheap plate mounted stabs as long as they aren't horrible qualiity it does wonders.

[@IronCan88]

​@@3choblast3r4when you get tired of doing holee mode, next time you can try TX stabilizers. Just lube and ready to go.

[@el10leo]

Pressing the spacebar with the index finger like a 5 year old that's literally typing on a keyboard for the first time in their life.

[@JakeReevesVideo]

It’s funny, I’m in the process of making a video comparing all the switches on the new NuPhy Halo 75 V2, and I never noticed that I use my index finger as much as my thumb to hit the spacebar when typing until I was editing the sound samples🤣

[@stills2359]

11:06 12:18

[@sukumarkutti3757]

Can I translate your videos and start my youtube channel with your channel name

[@JakeReevesVideo]

Sorry, that’s not OK

[@bugraotken]

Can I burrow your id card and apply for mortgage? dear @sukumarkutti3757 just be yourself, do not try to copy others.

[@justinlex2473]

V1 max with type c Q1 max with only usb A what a joke

[@3n3rgy90]

This is a problem, since we will probably see less and less USB A on Mainboards and this is a keyboard you probably use for a long time.