NuPhy Air96 V2 vs Keychron K17 Pro - Which is Best?

[@michaelraney6732]

In preparing to buy my first mechanical keyboard, deciding between these two was agonizing. However I went with the K17P bc I work with spreadsheets all day and I need my larger zero key on the numpad. I have owned my K17P for about 5 months. I love it. I have never had any problems with the knob. I have eliminated many of the F1-F10 keys in favor of macro keys. I will never go back to a normal keyboard.

[@cavanpinto]

100% agreed with your views. i have both Keychron K17 Pro and the NuPhy Aiv2. i also got the Air 96 with the Aloe Switches. I do like the lighter typing fel of the Aloe switches. it's very cloud like and seem to be "thockier" than the reds; reds do sound more silent though. I've also noticed that the Nuphy Low profile switches allow more RGB to shine through the south end and the RGB node is centered (north) to each keycap on the NuPhy -compared to Keychron which is slightly to the left (North).. I have shine through keycaps for both devices and the NuPhy still wins. Keychron's shine though set has tiny letters which is not great for RGB shine though. NuPhy's Shine though set has the large letters which help RGB diffusion and have great transparency. Great Reviews as always! Cheers!

[@Vaip3rr]

Hello @cavanpinto, I’m between NuPhy Air96 V2 and Keychron v5 Max. NuPhy is low-profile, Keychron v5 Max isn’t low-profile. Do you have any experience vs non-low profile and some advice so I can choose between of them?

[@cavanpinto]

Hey @@Vaip3rr it depends what you like really. Keyboards are extremely personal. the main difference between Low and regular keyboards is as follows: 1. Low Profile switches have a shorter actuation distance compared to regular switches. 2. Regular Keyboards have a large variety of customizable keycaps. Very few for Low Profile. You also need to consider 1. South Facing RGB, or North Facing RGB ? 1a) Will you be getting shine-Through/ custom keycaps? 2. Do you have enough desk real estate ? 3. Do you need a dedicated Volume Nob ? Both keyboards are great in their own realm, but you need to understand the difference in feel - if you go to a local best buy and try the Razer mechanical keyboard (Regular), and the Logitech MX Keys (Low Profile) on display, you will know what you like better. Good luck ! :)

[@Vaip3rr]

​@@cavanpintoThank you for the detailed answer, I think I will go next week and buy the Logitech mx keys S. Happy new year!

[@lesnacke]

hi bro what is the modding capability of the k17 pro? like it doesnt even say what plate it uses. is there foam inside? how many screws you gotta remove to take off the frame? thx

[@michalsvihla1403]

I only agree with him 96%

[@useduction]

The numpad zero key size is a deal breaker for WFO. So, I went with the K17 Pro for the regular size zero keycap.

[@xomm]

I thought this wouldn't bother me at first, but now having used the Air96v2 for a month I'm surprised how many times I still fumble hitting numpad 0 (and numlock, but that would be the same between the two boards).

[@Stinger913]

@@xommyeah that’s what makes me hesitate to Nuphy. I really think it sounds better and has slightly better keycaps than keychrons but I’m not a big fan of 96% format smushing numpad and arrow keys together. Keychron cleverly left a single space between the two which I do like

[@alexanderwatson]

I have been shopping for a keyboard for a week now and could not make up my mind. Just spent a couple hours watching your videos and this was the nail in the coffin to get the Air96 V2. Thanks for all your help and the discount code!

[@leekevin337]

Great review! I have keychron K17P and I tried Nuphy Air96V2 from my friend. They are quite similar except the layout with wider 0 keys / space above the arrow keys, and the key-caps are tilted 1mm forward and downward for keychron. I personally prefers the Keychron where I get used to the wider 0 key and locating the arrow keys easily. For the knob, I twist it with one finger only at the side so you won't accidentally hit other keys. If you doesn't like the keychron tilted key caps, I highly recommend using the first typing angle so that the key-cap surface will be parallel to the desk surface.

[@Jskins]

Getting my Air96 V2 tomorrow influenced by your review. Can't wait to use it!

[@singularitywash]

How is it?! 😄

[@Jskins]

@@singularitywash Love it, however I need to see at night so I ordered the shine through caps yesterday. Overall I'm very happy with it!

[@singularitywash]

@@Jskins been down this rabbit hole for last week to choose 1 for a friend. Kinda sucks I don't really need another board with options so compelling these days 🤤

[@Jskins]

Been using this for 4 months and every piece of rubber on this keyboard has fallen off, as soon as two weeks after receiving it. Now it slides all over the place. Not good!

[@uaChuk]

@@Jskins Which shine through caps did you get?

[@selkenshin]

Got a Nuphy Air 96, I love the keyboard feels, sound and looks. However, after 1 month I'm still having a hard time getting used to it's layout. I come from a full-sized MSI Vigor GS50, a low profile, wired, very loud and metallic sounding, but extremely ergonomic keyboard. Nuphy Air 96 V2 is great for typing chats and mails, but it has been quite the challenge for coding, where you use home, end, pg up, pg down, arrow keys and numpad a lot more. I may have made a mistake by getting it with Cowberry switches, they are very soft and ideal for light typing. However, I tend to release my strees by typing fast and strongly, so, I get way too much mistypes due to my typing habits, as Cowberry switches actuate with the weight of a feather. So I might get stiffer switches with longer travel later. Also, I strongly considered Keychron, but the lack of a 2.4 GHz dongle was a dealbreaker for me, as I don't trust bluetooth for gaming, but I wanted a fully wireless desktop setup. I still don't regret my buy, and your review was influential to decide my purchase. Thanks for that!

[@dspserpico]

Despite the superior specs of the Nuphy, a full sized double width zero trumps a single width zero.

[@StevoHDA]

for accountants, yeah

[@selinachhay]

Just bought the Keychron k17 one and love it! I found the knob works best when you use one finger to spin it on the side versus trying to spin from above the knob and accidentally hitting the nearby keys.

[@toleeteam]

Enjoy your comparisons between NuPhy and Keychron keyboards. Both excellent keyboards for my needs. Thank you!

[@JeanNezMarre25]

The NuPhy sounds so indredibly good. I guess I've never heard a keyboard sounding that satisfying. It's just that I am not a fan of the layout, else I would have bought one since a while already.

[@1q3er5]

i like the extra space on the k17

[@ntduyphuong]

Thank you for this very detailed comparison, including K17 Pro's cons while being put in travel bag. This is what I was exactly looking for. Having used the Air 96v2 for nearly two weeks (it's also my very first low-profile keyboard), I've always been wondering how it's compared with the K17 Pro. After watching your video, I'm assured NuPhy was a right choice of mine :D Love the sound, the build quality and the lights. I however ordered a bespoke walnut wrist rest at a local carpenter. The Mono Wrist Rest is somewhat expensive for me. Great video, keep up the good works.

[@Vaip3rr]

Hello @ntduyphuong, How is the experience with a low-profile keyboard vs a regular? Even with NuPhy Air96 V2 you need a wrist rest? What do you suggest for a person that not tried a low-profile keyboard? Do you recommend it?

[@ntduyphuong]

​@@Vaip3rr Hello. Coming to the low-profile as a long-time traditional and one-year mechanical keyboard user (mostly Keychron products), my typing experience with low-profile keyboard is comfortable and finally, I was able to get rid of the wrist rest :D My Air96 v2 came with Wisteria switches (the same as in this video). I love their tacticle bumps and operating force. "Even with NuPhy Air96 V2 you need a wrist rest?", absolutely not, low-profile keyboards have this advantage in general. This is my personal preference not to touch the table while typing and want to lift my hands up a little bit. That's why I ordered a wrist rest but you're fine without it as well. TL;DR: NuPhy Air96 v2 is worth trying for a experienced typist as well as new comers like you and I.

[@Vaip3rr]

@@ntduyphuongThank you for the detailed answer, I think I will go next week and buy the Logitech mx keys S. Happy new year!

[@lordeross4870]

i think that knob is meant to roll from the side with 1 finger ....not a 3 finger gorilla grip lol

[@andrewcatubig9239]

I like Air96v2 overall. Except for the LAYOUT! A lot of mistypes due to the arrow key positioning. Also for knob rotation, you might wanna show 1 finger on the side to rotate it, instead of showing us two fingers to rotated while hitting those keycaps😮

[@Stinger913]

Yeah it’s called 96 for a reason-the 96% layout is basically always this. Arrow keys and numpad smushed together like all the other keys. No zone or spatial differentiation or separation.

[@andrewcatubig9239]

@@Stinger913 Yeah, good point. However, for some reason, there are people who prefer the exploded 96% layout like with Keychron K4 Pro (96%) where there are spacing from the arrow keys, at the very least to improve touch typing.

[@mattm7220]

So one big problem I noticed with the K17 Pro is the lack of an End key... Like, they bothered including a Home key, but just forgot to include an End one? 😅 As someone who is constantly using Crtl+Shift+Home and Ctrl+Shift+End to fill in templates at work, the lack of an End key was the deal breaker for me on the K17 Pro

[@andrewcatubig9239]

I would prefer remapping those Page Up/Down to Home/End respectively. I would transfer UpDown to the top keys

[@xShamr0k]

Appreciate the video. I was waiting on a comparison of the two before I bought either, but I went ahead and tried the keychron. The only dislike i have for the k17 is the slightly slanted caps and it's incompatibility with my own low profile caps I was attempting to correct that issue with. Otherwise it's a fantastic keyboard. I'm probably going to try and grab nuphy soon.

[@flarierza33]

Let us know which one you prefer if you do end up trying the nuphy!

[@JakeSteffan]

I've been looking at the NuPhy 96 keyboard for a while as i want a 'subtle' mechanical keyboard for work. my main hesitation is the layout as I work on windows and am from the UK so would take a while to get used to and would also be different from my home keyboard but hoping this wont become an issue. There really doesn't seem to me much out there for a nice and subtle mechanical keyboard that isn't really loud in both sound and appearance

[@ThatMarkGilroy]

Interesting idea to buy Nuphy switches and put them in the Keychron…! Might have to try that. I agree with that slight rattle you get with the Keychron- the last few Keychron boards I’ve tried have had this from the Pro to Max. Might try adding some d-rings to customise them a little.

[@aleksitanninen]

always appreciate your videos and reviews. Happy New Year!

[@semiprotech]

Happy New Year to you as well!

[@staticvoidmain]

i wish keychron went away with the knob and added an end key (that tiny unused space is killing me). that's a big reason for me to look at NuPhy's. the only thing i hate about the NuPhy is the non-floating design, which is significantly harder to keep clean. also, i do not understand why keychron abandoned their much more competitive optical switches in favor of gateron alone.

[@RafBalTech-or2nu]

It is written in the Keychron's website that optical switches do not support QMK. I think that's the real problem.

[@potterj09]

If the nuphy had zero frame across the top I probably would have gone with it, but I am now typing this on the K17 with brown switches and its like butter. This will be my 5th keychron. The Q1 custom is my favourite but this one is probably now second, especially with the same knob. Happy with the choice.

[@ThicccJim]

Can you put Nuphy air key caps on the k17?

[@cmedeir]

The knob. Gotta have a knob.

[@InvidiousIgnoramus]

The K17 Pro's layout is most similar to the 1800 CP layout, which is pretty uncommon these days, and I don't think I've ever seen a prebuilt use it.

[@masumchoudhury]

Can you swap the NuPhy key caps to the Keychron board since they are both using gateron switches? I would like to get the pass through keys for the RGB lighting

[@alsacs3635]

I have been using the Air96 for 8 months and decided to give the Keychron K17 Pro a try. I discovered that the K17 does not work well with the TESmart KVM switch. So, if you are wanting to switch between your work PC and your personal PC via a KVM, the K17 will not work. To be clear, I am able to type some text with the K17 but none of the function keys work. The volume knob does not work. Any key combinations that you press i.e (Windows + R) do not work. The K17 is unusable when plugged into a KVM. The Aire96 works flawlessly when plugged into a KVM. I did connect the K17 directly to my PC and it worked great with all key functionality. It just doesn't work with KVMs.

[@austinwitthuhn5155]

How did you get the NuPhy software to run? I cannot get it to work. It just keeps saying no device connected as a popup. Tried a handful of troubleshooting tricks and nothing worked.

[@alsacs3635]

Which type of keys are the quietest on the K17?

[@semiprotech]

The red linear switch option will be the quietest on the K17, followed by brown and then blue. Brown is only marginally louder than red, but blue (clicky) is quite a bit louder.

[@alsacs3635]

What does hot swap mean? I know on HP servers, you can hot swap the power supply but I don’t understand Hotswap on a keyboard.

[@semiprotech]

hot swap refers to the switches being non-soldered, so you can easily pull them out and change them without disassembling the keyboard

[@barrenaedu]

I have both and although I like more the Nuphy96, I have to say in my opinion you sound like you sold (objectiveness in the comparison) your soul to Nuphy (I hope they pay you enough). Nobody whatsoever would use/take/rotate the knob as you did in the minute 5, the know is sensitive enough to be rotated by just using a single finger an slinding it by its side in a very gentile way.

[@droneforfun5384]

Can the K17 RGB be backlit with just solid white color? (I usually do not like rgb and the white backlight version is sold out)

[@ejschrip]

yes, it can, white is an option :)

[@droneforfun5384]

@ went with lofree

[@OldKingMaple]

Surprised at how much more I liked the Keychron (K3 Pro) than I did the Nuphy Air96 (I own both) had Gateron Blues (they felt horrible) but swapped them to Wisteria. The Wisteria to me, doesn't feel as nice as the Gateron Browns on the K3 Pro. If I could go back to the beginning I would probably have just gotten 2 Keychrons, a K3 Pro (75%) and another K13/K17 Pro (96%/100%) for my laptop/desk setup. Nuphy will have to do for now though. Not that the Nuphy is bad, it's a nice keyboard, I just don't like how the Wisteria's 'feel' more than I like how the Keychron's Browns 'feel.' Ultimately, they are both great choices IMO. But definitely don't buy Nuphy's with Gateron Blues... horrible feel.

[@voidmind]

I really don't like the K17 not having a key between the home button and right arrow key. What a waste of space. Why not have an End key there? Also, why does Keychron still sell non-hotswap versions of its keyboards in 2024?

[@airixxxx]

I fail to understand why make a backlit keyboard without see trough key caps. Between the two I like the design of the Keychron better, the non symmetrical borders bug me on the other one.

[@CinnamonBlu3]

great video!!

[@Monarchbee1]

I have the K17 and had no idea it wasn’t hot swap. I always assume Keychron is! I was about to buy switches for it but you make good points. For some reason my hand cramps either the K17 - more than usual. I’ve been debating about the Air96, this may have sold me. Definitely getting the white though.

[@arkadiuszkornacki3559]

Thank you for your review. Especially since there are so few reviews of the K17 pro. I bought K17 pro rgb myself and I wanted to write about its disadvantages compared to Logitech MX mechanic. The caps lock and num lock indicator lights up very dimly. It's generally invisible during the day(even by installing a keycap from Logitech). The legs are poorly adjustable. The first level does not change much in the height of the keyboard(4mm), while the second level (9mm) is much lower comparing to Logitech - I'll have to put something under keyboard legs - I'll probably print an extension.

[@anoir1115]

neither, K17 Pro has no "End" key, and Air96V2 has no full size "0" key

[@andrewcatubig9239]

Because keys can be easily remapped with VIA software, you can add lot of END keys around K17 pro. Lolz

[@aquarius9685]

Again where's the SOUND? jus mio.

[@semiprotech]

03:00

[@omgitsbats]

The Nuphy has 1000hz over 2.4ghz so, it wins.

[@williamshevr]

Sadly the NuPhy is QWERTY only, meaning not suitable for hundreds of millions of users. I wanted to buy a French azerty keyboard but nope, it doesn't exist so i'll have to buy another keyboard like the lofree

[@eStalker42]

isn't it can be relayered in qmk/via whaterver you like (and change keycaps)? (never used it tho, just asking)

[@FakePlv]

Чики брики!

[@AlainKapture]

I would get the Nuphy instantly but I’m a ISO-DE typer 🥲