NuPhy Halo96 vs Keychron K4 Pro vs Keychron Q5 - 96% Keyboard Comparison

[@Bivs_setup]

Informative video. 👏🏻👏🏻 Just received the Nuphy Air96 with the Wisteria switches. Feels and sounds great straight out the box. Will look for other switches in due course.

[@donut3110]

I think for what it's worth, having that 2.4ghz wireless capability is the winner when comparing usability. I wish there was direct support for Linux for the Nuphy but I believe it can be worked around with third party programs such as macros and connectivity.

[@MyReviews_karkan]

Man, the Linux compatibility is a major deal breaker for me. I've run into so many nice keyboards, but no Linux support, or there is just unofficial support which could be a pain to get working. Had to stick to keychron because of that.

[@Ramesiel]

The 2.4 GHz capability is a bit of a dead feature in my opinion, as these keyboards don't use any encryption for thee connections - keystrokes are just transmitted as plain text for all to see. Better to go with a brand that's confirmed to use encryption, such as Logitech, Razer, SteelSeries, or Corsair.

[@trippleaj]

I actually just got the k4 pro. I was looking at the nuphy halo 96 but didn't like how everything is "cramped". I switched the keys from reds to gateron inks. Good experience so far.

[@semiprotech]

I bet the Gateron inks improve the sound and feel quite a bit!

[@calarahilbaggins1928]

One very interesting thing to note the Nuphy 96 has the print screen key which is normally not included with 96 percents and keychron doesn't have the print screen key on there 96%.

[@bj0rnen]

I have the Keychron K4 Pro with Boba U4t switches as my daily driver. I also bought a NuPhy Air96 but I was already spoiled by the vast array of options for normal profile switches and I was frustrated by how often I would press the wrong keys when there is no gap between the numpad, arrow keys, and alphanumeric keys

[@semiprotech]

It definitely is an adjustment going from normal/high profile to low profile because of the limited options. I bet the Boba switches made a big improvement in your K4 Pro! I thought the K Pro switches it came with were pretty scratchy considering they are supposed to be factory lubed.

[@bj0rnen]

@@semiprotech yeah. The switches make a big difference, and they just don’t make all those nice things in low profile. 🙂

[@little_boy_blue]

This was also my main frustration when I first switch from a full size keyboard to 96% Royal Kludge RK 100, which have no gap around the Arrow keys.

[@aaronmichelson5510]

Yeah, the NuPhy spacing is really bad design imo. Plus, it's not hot swappable like Keychron. That's a definite no-go for me. I personally own the GMMK 2, which is a great 96% so far for me.

[@bj0rnen]

@@aaronmichelson5510 The Nuphys are hot swappable but the low profile switches simply lack options compared to full profile. The other issue is that the v1 Nuphys didn’t support QMK but that was fixed in v2. I still prefer my Keychron overall and I am trying to avoid spending more money on keyboards.

[@roskelld]

The new Keychron Q5 Pro does have the double sized Numpad 0 key as it's slightly longer with extra keys added above the arrow keys.

[@rachelkim7710]

This was very thorough and helpful! Thank you!

[@BudaSuyasa]

I hope nuphy release v2 of their Halo series with QMK support. That's gonna be perfect.

[@waffle911]

I think in this roundup, the V5 might be a better contender than the Q5. V5 is a down-cost Q5 with a plastic case instead of aluminum, making it the most affordable option and the one I think makes a lot of sense if wireless isn't necessary.

[@WishIKnewMyName]

Completely agree. The Q series is a higher end line.

[@MyReviews_karkan]

That's why I have the V6 and V5. I couldn't justify paying an extra $100 for just the aluminum case and no adjustable stand on the Q5/6. Plus, on the plastic case, I don't have to worry about any metal pinging. I love my V series.

[@nebulazykbs]

Do plan on picking up the Monsgeek M2 and comparing it as well? I appreciate what Keychron is doing, but Monsgeek beats it in so many ways, not just the price. I own the M1 and I'm seriously considering on picking up the M2 for work. 96%/1800 is my preferred layout for work. Very handy as well as space saving.

[@thisjustanother]

great video. your video productivity is top tier. keep up the great work. you deserve more subscribers.

[@semiprotech]

Thank you, I appreciate it!

[@MyReviews_karkan]

I'm still struggling to know the difference between keychron's K4 pro and V5 beside the wireless connectivity on the K4 pro and the V5 having a knob.

[@wahebbenzaid543]

Im using the Nuphy halo 96 for a year now, I can say it's an amazing keyboard, but in the last 3 days, i had an issue with the 2.4 USB, it doesn't work anymore and i don't know why! 😢

[@DaveAlkema]

Nice video! I've owned the non-pro K4, and it was decent, but at least for the non-pro the BT signal quality was really bad. It worked OK with my Windows desktop, but I couldn't get a good signal when using my Mac Mini. I'm a sucker for an aluminum board, but I need wireless for my setup, so the Q5 is out for me. If I had my choice right now I'd pick the NuPhy!

[@gustasram1070]

Not one channel that I have seen covered this - I would be really thankful to know if it's possible to reroute the cable of K4 Pro? By that I mean are there hidden compartments under the keyboard for the cable (so I can reroute it to the right of the keyboard)? Thank you in advance:)

[@bhcbhc]

Got the Q5 pro. Freaking amazing keyboard. Only problem is that it is so heavy, I can't bring it with me during my travels. Going with the K4 pro and switching to Oil Kings.

[@dieselbaby]

I scooped the Q5 Pro and it's fantastic, I love it. I don't think most people could justify the extra cost between the Q5 and Q5 pro (let alone the V5 vs the Q5/pro), but to me, it was worth it...I really like the default color that the Q5 pro comes in, and more importantly, the layout is slightly different with the arrow keys and the 0 number key on the numpad for the pro model of the Q5 pro vs the Q5. The V5 is a total bargain IMHO, but the non-translucent version of the V series boards seems to be a bit difficult to come by, regularly, as it's frequently out of stock. I think the translucent versions look pretty hideous, and no way I could ever be using them, so that's not an option for me.

[@Jimothy.Halpert]

Thank you for your work, I've decided to give Halo75/BBK a try, I hope it's going to arrive this week.. I've cheaped out on the wristwrest however, I reckon I can make one or improvise somehow - Even I've always regretted such decisions 😅

[@semiprotech]

I hope you like it! While I like the look of the translucent wrist rest from NuPhy, I didn't get one myself. I use a Kensington soft gel rest that I've had for a couple of years. It's not the nicest looking thing, but I find it very comfortable.

[@Jimothy.Halpert]

Wow, I understand now why you have the Halo as your daily driver, it's excellent 🎉 I hope nobody is going to complain in the office, I would say it's right on the edge of being too loud. I was also pleasently surprised by the sample Rose Glacier, I see that the force diagrams can be somewhat misleading.

[@PanHouba]

Hello, I would be interested in the comparison of these keyboards with the Akko PC98B Plus. Do you have any experience with this keyboard?

[@amanchaure5584]

why are the switches opaque?

[@gamesushi]

How do these perform for gaming? Is the rollover decent? I have been looking for another gaming keyboard, preferably wireless, but Corsair and Razer are so expensive. The fact you can customize these just seems like a better deal and some of these are even cheaper.

[@waffle911]

You won't want Bluetooth wireless for gaming. While all these have N-key rollover, the NuPhy is the only one with a 2.4GHz dongle for lower-latency wireless. Otherwise, stick to wired for gaming.

[@gamesushi]

@@waffle911 Awesome! Thank you for the reply and info.

[@Digable.]

I've been kinda disappointed with my Q5. Out of the six boards I own it was the most expensive and the only one where the stab keycaps have a see-saw effect. I even upgraded the stabs and the issue still persists, It drives me nuts

[@oatmilk9918]

Most likely an issue with your keycaps and not stabilisers, the holes where the spacebar stems insert could be slighly too large and so don't grip onto the stems. You can fix this by putting some smal pieces of thin fabric tape or plastic bag over the stablisers stems and push the keycaps onto them, should fill the gap and hold the keycaps tight onto the stab stems

[@austinmitchell2746]

What other boards do you have?

[@Digable.]

@@austinmitchell2746 GMMK Pro, Akko MOD006, Akko 3068B Plus, Iqunix A80, Iqunix OG80, and Iqunix L80. I have since upgraded the Q5 keycaps to a DCX Camillo set and that seems to have significantly helped. Although a pricey fix, it's worth it, the stabs feel as solid as the GMMK Pro/MOD006 now. I have GSV2 stabs in both the Q5 and GMMK Pro

[@CThienV]

i returned the keychron Q6 Pro TWICE. if only nuphy made a 100% size keyboard. BBK switch option, north facing leds, 2.4ghz wireless, non weirdass profile keycaps AND cheaper!

[@BookClubDisaster]

wow you want the world

[@CThienV]

@@BookClubDisaster haha i didn't get the world. Got a Q1 pro instead with OEM profile keycaps, tried the BBK and didn't like them and settled for the keychron mints. Now looking at the Q5 Max for its numberpad and 2.4ghz wireless. BT isn't great on the Q1 pro.

[@ewaldsteenkamp2659]

Its a compact 1800 layout, not 96%. 96% has no space between the keys. The royal kludge rk100 is 96%

[@semiprotech]

You're correct regarding the K4 Pro and Q5, but strangely Keychron advertises them both as 96% on their website. Thanks!

[@ewaldsteenkamp2659]

@@semiprotech true, the nuphy is a funny in-between though. First time i saw that layout. Great video though, really enjoyed it! 💪

[@m4nc1n1]

Halo 96 is 3.28 pounds (4.58 pounds shipped). I have it and can confirm it is nice and heavy. I actually have all three of these and the Q5 wins hands down.

[@Krishnakumar-wl7ih]

Putting Mac and Windows as M and W is the worst way to name them. Its super confusing considering they are vertical mirrors of one another

[@Uncaught_in_promise]

Which one goes better for Windows?

[@semiprotech]

They all work great on windows, it's really a matter of preference with the spacing of the arrow keys and num pad.

[@sodathief]

while aluminum might be a premium build, i think that metal doesn't sound as good for case material

[@semiprotech]

Very fair! I personally think that in order for all-metal builds to sound their best, you need really good isolation of the PCB & plate from the case because metal will resonate and amplify any ping. I had to add some extra insulation around contact points in my Q5 to reduce that issue, but once I got there I was happy with the sound (except the space bar which still annoys me).

[@manmohan18]

@@semiprotech I'm actually in a dilemma whether to get Nuphy 96 as it's tempting visually and value wise but at the same time I wish they made a version with a knob like Q5. At last I don't think the right ctrl would bother me much. But yeah that's me, just about investing $200 plus (I'm from Canada and Nuphy shipping costs is also somewhere around $47) to really look for a perfect 96 layout but sadly one thing comes and other doesn't Great review 👏 👌

[@cyberlizardcouk]

at those prices you may as well purchase a unicomp model M.

[@ornge9621]

Halo 96 the best❤

[@BookClubDisaster]

The K8 Pro smells like someone spilled beer on it. Is it the lubing? Does it use alcohol?

[@vijayakumarm]

Keychron is just hype. My K2 Ver 1 started to malfunction. In BT typing 3 will produce 34 or 43 . If I switch over to cable all keys from = to 9 will have 4 as prefix or suffix. Keyboard is out of warranty. Customer care initially showed some interest in listening. When I sent a few videos of keyboard malfunction, they too are silent.

[@julianweiser9985]

The K4 pro does smell a little bit funny, not aggressively chemical, just like some weird perfume.

[@Rayu25Demon]

Look like a mess to many compact key and you have to keep lowering your hard to make sure youre pressing the right key

[@liowyew]

You must buy extra switches for Keychron keyboard because the switch(es) that come with your new keyboard may be faulty. Keychron does not give you extra switches.

[@julianweiser9985]

Had no problems. All Switches work.

[@mixeddrinks8100]

Q5 Pro that is coming will trump all 3.

[@WishIKnewMyName]

I think the Q series is in a different league entirely than the Halo or K series.

[@mongo2121]

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