Keychron Q6 - First Build & Review + Mods + Sound Comparison

I decided to dip my little toes into the hobby of custom mechanical keyboards and built my own full sized keyboard. I am not an expert in keyboards whatsoever, so take what I say with a grain of salt. I noted my first impressions and thoughts of my new daily driver including a sound comparison at the end. I definitely am not just out of stuff to make videos on and didn't just want to try to capitalize on a dumb purchase.
0:00 - Intro
1:25 - Keychron Q6 w/ Knob
3:11 - C3 EQUALZ X TKC Tangerine Linear Switches
4:23 - Keycaps
5:45 - Mods
6:43 - Outro
7:03 - Sound Comparison (Stock)
7:45 - Sound Comparison (Tape Mod)
8:23 - Sound Comparison (Tape + PBTFans Twist)
Keychron Q6 w/ Knob - mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/...
C3 EQUALZ X TKC Tangerine Linear Switches - www.thockking.com/products/c3...
PBTFans Twist Base Set - mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/...
PBTFans Twist Numpad - mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/...
White Pudding Keycaps - www.amazon.com/dp/B09TXFT8KL?...
Instagram: / kaichuuuuuu
Twitter: / kaichuphoto
Website: kaichu.myportfolio.com/
Music:
KEM - Lazy Love
uppbeat.io/t/kem/lazy-love
Doug ORgan - Synthercise
uppbeat.io/t/doug-organ/synth...
Yeti Music - Concrete Heat
uppbeat.io/t/doug-organ/turtl...
Moire - Bees In The Garden
uppbeat.io/t/moire/bees-in-th...
Outro:
Sappy - Yayo
/ yayo
/ sappy.187
sappy94.bandcamp.com/releases
open.spotify.com/artist/0YZ7s...
DISCLAIMERS:
This video is not sponsored. Any names or brands that appear or are mentioned are not involved with the production of the video in any way.
Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing."
The materials are used for illustrative and exemplification reasons, also quoting in order to recombine elements to make a new work.
License code: ZBEWPKW6NPXVVNTE
License code: 2CWG4FR9ULCCLEEF
License code: EP4XMXAMLRUXYOLB
License code: HJJRVDH3ZANVHLTW
#MechanicalKeyboard #CustomKeyboard #dailydriver #switches #techreview #keycaps #TKC #keychron #tangerine #linear #pbt #pbtfans #kbdfans #keyboardasmr #thocky

[@sacredgeometry]

Software engineer here. Fuck non 100% keyboards. Why would I want a cramped keyboard if it's living on a desk? Give me all the keys and put them in the place they have been for the last 30 years please.

[@davidrocky]

hahaha same for me

[@LordBillington42]

Finance worker/spreadsheet lurker... Same.

[@house9850]

Net Eng here. F anything with out a 10 key for typing IP addresses

[@AgroPlatypus]

I got a 96% expecting to get used to it. A year and a half later and I haven't gotten used to it. Need 100%.

[@MM-he2iq]

Came here for a simple review of a potential buy, subscribed because of the quality and humor of this video! Keep it up man!

[@Preferenceeeee]

Your descriptions for the sounds are on point :)

[@user-xw4od8kb7y]

I agree. Let's hook up.

[@JAfonsoNunesMartins10]

Holy shot the quality of this video is insane!

[@kaichuuuuuu]

Update: She's fried :D Tried doing a DIY PE foam mod with what I thought was non-conductive foam since I already used it on my other keyboard and apparently it IS conductive and now she's dead. Dunno if Keychron will sell just a replacement PCB but if they do, I'll fix this, if not, I'll look for another. Probably actually a 75% and a separate numpad......

[@IvanValenok]

Can you name foam you used to avoid this?

[@lt1caprice57l]

That suuuuuucks dude.

[@kaichuuuuuu]

@@IvanValenok I do not have a name, just generic packing PE foam from another keyboard. If you are going to do this mod I would at least purchase foam that is nonconductive with 100% confidence lol

[@brettcombs774]

@@kaichuuuuuu informative video man. Kinda about to walk the same path, considering the Q6 and tangerines for the same reasons... Maybe check stuff with a multimeter next time?

[@m.a.s2830]

Sucks. I guess I won't got tampering with mines anytime soon. I just bought a q6 this morning.

[@tek_soup]

100% my fav, great job! i just ordered the latest MAX Version.

[@amirprog]

Why nobody is reviewing q6 pro?

[@hangdogdaddy38]

Love my Q5 96%. It's the way to go today for a full size.

[@turrrret]

i really like the sound of it! The pbt keycaps really do make a difference, especially on the spacebar

[@kaichuuuuuu]

They were all Double-shot PBT Keycaps! The last set are thicker and are Cherry profile which are lower profile than OEM which the other 2 were.

[@turrrret]

@@kaichuuuuuu oh yeah, i wasnt even talking about the material, but more so the brand pbtfans. Cherry profile's nice, isn't it

[@kaichuuuuuu]

@@turrrret ah my misunderstanding :P they took a little bit getting used to but I think they are so much more comfortable to type on than OEM profile!

[@abshassan]

I just got the Q5 which is the 96% version of this keyboard, I absolutely love it, i went and bought the pre-built with Gatereon Pro Reds, i probably do a tape mod on the PCB but as it is, its sounds pretty damn good.

[@TurboV8boi]

I got the q5 recently. I like it quite a bit too.

[@VD-cc4hx]

i like mine. i bought one for my dad, the metal one. best 200$ full size kb out there. i cant think of any custom boards at this price that are metal and full size with via.

[@RandomGuy-lw4wm]

Man idk how you only got 384 subs the quality is too good

[@kaichuuuuuu]

Haha thank you very much! As Picasso once allegedly said, "Good artists copy, great artists steal." so I kinda just stole other creators' production methods and stirred it up in my style with my stuff :)

[@itokube1277]

@@kaichuuuuuu Maybe but stealing doesn't improve the quality and what you're doing is really cool

[@Reddepex]

Thanks, this is where I found out south facing doesn't work that well with shine through. Saves me a disappointment :)

[@kampret43]

Im agreed with u about numpad..

[@epikremedy]

lube it up, it made a huge difference, my qk75 sounds like marbles now. been looking for a full size ill check this one out. Im in the boat as you, my first was a gmmk 2, 2nd was qk75. I miss my full cause the work i do, just dont like the gmmk2 cant get it to sound like my qk.

[@lt1caprice57l]

I just built out a V6 with Gateron CAP V2 milky yellows. I like them, but I'm going to get a Q6, move the gat yellows to it, then remove the plate foam and the silicone pad from the V6 and put Zeal Clickiez in it. And to that end, you shouldn't write off clicky switches because of your experience with Cherry blues. I'm a clicky switch guy and I hate any and all clickjacket switches, of which Cherry blues are the OG. Definitely give box pinks/jades or Zeal Clickiez a try. The latter are designed more like Alps switches with a click leaf.

[@kaichuuuuuu]

The video I'm working on right now is of a keyboard with Milky Yellow Cap V2's as well and they're really nice to type on too! Your plan seems more solid though. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate how the Cherry blues felt, they just were getting too loud and annoying especially with my hyperacusis and misophonia developing for the past couple years. If noise wasn't an issue, I'd definitely still keep the Ducky!

[@lt1caprice57l]

@@kaichuuuuuu gotcha and I get it. Just wanted to make sure you're aware that there's a world of clicky switches that are considerably better than Cherry blues and other clickjacket type switches. I've got box pinks in my C2 and box jades in my K10.

[@paulchiu]

Hi, do they make any shine-through keycaps for these RGB full boards? I know K10 has shinethroughs, but those keycaps are shorter and filmsy. Thanks for your time.

[@kaichuuuuuu]

Shinethrough keycaps for south-facing RGB will be super limited to ones where the legend is on the front face of the keycap, as opposed to the top, or maybe if the text is on the bottom half of the top face. Otherwise the keys won’t be lit, which I learned in this video. The K10 has north-facing RGB so shinethrough keycaps can be used properly

[@DerekElliott]

Order\ed it fir\st nd a then cme her\e to wtch some r\eviews and ws very hppya when you mentioned blender\ in the fir\st minute!!!

[@bear8myparents734]

You started talking about full size near the beginning of this video. Good job on calling out the pretentious snobs who try to shame us 100%ers. They laugh at full size, but I laugh at their small baby toy keyboards. I'm 40ish and the best keyboard ever in the world was an IBM M series. ALL keyboards were full sized in the 80s and 90s unless you were at an AS400 terminal or something. I bought a Q6 recently. So far, I've lubed the stabilizers, put in Kaihl box jade clickies and SA keycaps... and that's it. A decade after after going down this expensive rabbit hole, I've reached endgame. I'm happy with it. I love it so much, I'm watching Q6 videos. BTW. There aren't many people making Q6 videos because it's full size LOL.

[@kaichuuuuuu]

I fried it with static discharge so as a replacement I decided to try a 75% and a TKL (latter was on a clearance sale and was super cheap) and a numpad. I think I still much rather prefered the typing feel on the Q6 though, so I may use that for work once I can get a replacement PCB. Nothing beats a full size in terms of practicality and convenience of having all the keys available!

[@bear8myparents734]

@@kaichuuuuuu that sucks. I did the same to one of my boards. I’m afraid to do tape mods now. Btw. Chyrosran22 did an unboxing video about the same time you posted yours. Us 100%ers are still around. There’s some good comments below his video.

[@Secretlycat31]

How have you found the knob to use?

[@muhtaromkholis2957]

should do the force break mod

[@kaichuuuuuu]

Hadn’t heard of that one! Will definitely try that :)

[@kaichuuuuuu]

Just tried that mod and the whole thing sounds a lot less resonant. Thanks for recommending that mod :)

[@tiborlaho5728]

Hi mate, What plate is in that KB? I really like how you tuned it! :)

[@kaichuuuuuu]

It’s whatever it is stock which I believe is steel. Really shows how nice this thing sounds without any mods!

[@schaffhausens3921]

Hello! I'm deciding whether to get the Q6 or go for the cheaper V6! I'm leaning towards the Q because it sounds better, can you help to measure how tall is the tallest point of the keyboard? I want to make sure it fits under my ikea screen stand. Thank you!

[@BType13X2]

Go for the K10 with the aluminum body not the K10Pro. The K10 is like the K6 minus the knob. I own a K10 and have gifted a K10 to a friend in the office, both of us like it. I also have a GMMK2 (pretty good keyboard.) a Steelseries Apex, a Steel series 6G2, a Corsair K95, A razor blackwidow, a Das Keyboard and a Durgod Taurus... My work keyboard is the K10, my WFH keyboard on that station is either my K95 or my GMMK2. And my current keyboard on my desk on my PC is the Steelseries Apex. My advice if you want to go Keychron and you want a fullsized layout go K10 save yourself some $$$. Although my opinion is you cannot go wrong with any of the keyboards I have listed other then the Razor blackwidow, and the Durgod Taurs is pretty good but you can hear abit of spring twang when you type.

[@bipolar-tiger]

Thank you for preferring full size. Keyboard enthusiasts are just freaking weird. what do they do all day on anything less than TKL? typing comments on youtube fulltime?

[@kaichuuuuuu]

I mean plenty of people who solely play games on a kb never use the numpad, or apparently numbers in general, otherwise 40% layouts won’t exist. To each their own I guess

[@Ramesiel]

@@kaichuuuuuu I actually use my numpad most often specifically *for* gaming. So useful having all those extra buttons to bind to in-game controls.

[@nadiaangelica8594]

can we turn of the rgb?

[@kaichuuuuuu]

Yes

[@almo2001]

I LOVE BLUES. But yeah, not for everyone.

[@myrirr]

southpaw version released!

[@kaichuuuuuu]

I doubt I'll ever like the southpaw. Using a numpad with my left hand doesn't feel right after spending years punching number with my right hand.

[@myrirr]

@@kaichuuuuuu it will definitely need some getting use to.. but being able to use mouse while numpading is liberting.

[@jakegarrison787]

Dumb suggestion but flip your spacebar key cap backwards and try it see if you want to go back after a few days

[@jasssedine]

dude you wrote penis, I saw that!

[@ThePazuzu]

That's disgusting, where?

[@jasssedine]

3:02

[@kaichuuuuuu]

I completely forgot I did that lmfao

[@RandomCryptoHodler]

Lol

[@DJaquithFL]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="289">4:49</a> South Facing LEDs .. yeah the _tards of social mediocra_ thought it was a great idea because I handful of cheaply-made cloned keycaps and switches might interfere with one another. Meanwhile, the end of see-through keycaps. Effing brilliant!!

[@AdamVHS]

Finally some one else said what I have been trying to say, suction sliding sucky thing hahahahahah my man we are brothers, further I also find myself with all these super attractive keyboards displayed round my studio like trophies lol's

[@ThePazuzu]

The MK community is so intolerant that this dude had to justify personal preference towards 100% layouts.