Digital Sharing Part 29: Mass-produced mechanical keyboard ceiling? Let me have a plate｜Dareu A98 mechanical keyboard experience sharing

Hello everyone, I am Zhao Huayu who loves to fiddle with digital. Follow me and keep sharing all kinds of fun little things.

I still remember that in the second half of last year, the keyboard with the Gasket structure as the main body suddenly became popular. This year, this structure has swept the entire key circle, and even many major manufacturers have begun to launch keyboards with this structure. So, what is the magic of the so-called Gasket that makes everyone so flocking to it?

Gasket literally translates to the meaning of pads, and in the field of keyboards, Gasket refers to the method of removing the traditional keyboard screws, and only uses rubber and the upper and lower covers to precisely press the positioning plate in the middle of the keyboard. The advantage of this design is that it is equivalent to adding a buffer layer inside the keyboard, which can provide a softer and warmer feel. . Or it can be understood from another angle. The traditional keyboard structure is too old-fashioned, and both players and manufacturers need new experiences. The structure of Gasket has a good degree of innovation and can indeed improve the feel. No wonder it has been popular since its birth until now.

Although Gasket has great advantages in use, it has high requirements for process details, material hardness, and mold precision. Early Gaskets were only popular in niche customization circles and were expensive. Fortunately, the key ring is now well-rolled, and the acceptance of new things is also high. In addition, the entry of major brands brings better cost control. It feels that keyboards with this structure have been completely popularized overnight. The keyboard shared with you this time is a Gasket structure, from the A98 three-mode mechanical keyboard of the keyboard manufacturer Dareu.

▼The packaging style of A98 is relatively simple, without too many fancy designs. I remember that the packaging of Dareu in the early days was more exaggerated. I don’t know if it is the reason why this keyboard is positioned as a high-end one. There is a detail in the inner box. The accessories are stored in a separate paper box, unlike many brands that directly fold the inner box to store accessories.

▼All accessories include keyboard, dust cover, supplementary keycap, type-c cable and key shaft integrated extractor. To be honest, this keyboard is not amazing at first glance. It is not as good as the rendering on the product page. The main reason is that the color scheme is too light. I regret it a bit. I should choose the mecha color scheme.

▼However, after replacing the extended keycap, the appearance value has been upgraded to a higher level immediately. The addition of bright yellow makes the whole picture more lively, which is completely the finishing touch.

▼Dareu A98 is a typical 98-arrangement keyboard. This arrangement almost retains the complete functions of the full-size keyboard. The small keyboard area is more practical for users who need to input numbers frequently. At the same time, the key layout becomes more compact, which not only reduces the occupied space but also makes the visual effect better

▼98 This configuration has many brands with corresponding models, but the layout of Dareu A98 is quite distinctive. The ALT key that is not commonly used in the lower right is directly cut off, so that the area occupied by the arrow keys is larger, and it is less likely to be touched by mistake. The picture below is a comparison between AKKO 3098 and Dareu A98, which is convenient for everyone to compare the key differences at a glance.

▼The keyboard details are well designed. The mode switch button is changed from the common top design and placed on the left side of the keyboard. The bar pick is very convenient to switch, and the white edging also makes the monotonous gray a bit brighter.

▼The power prompt screen next to the "ESC" is also a unique design. Although there are no cool lights or fancy patterns, its biggest advantage is that it can accurately display the power. Other keyboards are prompted by percentage lights. Sometimes the keyboard loses response and it is not clear whether the link is broken or the battery is out. It is undoubtedly more practical to have such a display.

▼The 2.4G receiver is more concealed. I once thought the receiver was separated from the keyboard, and finally found the location on the right.

▼ Classic ship shell design, mainstream PBT keycaps, OEM height, two-color injection molding process blessing , which is basically the standard configuration of mid-to-high-end keyboards. The surface of the keycap has a matte texture, the touch is delicate, the characters are printed clearly, and the overall visual sense is good. The only pity is that the keycaps do not use a character light-transmitting design.

▼On the other hand, look at the back of the keycap. The details of the craftsmanship are still good, and there are no obvious burrs. However, I found that the default keycaps are thinner than the supplementary keycaps, whether it is the deck or the frame. It seems that the two keycaps are not from the same production line.

▼The default axis body is the sky axis V3 manufactured by Kaihua’s Huanuo OEM. This axis is somewhat similar to the linear axis of the traditional red axis. The main changes are that the internal spring is replaced with a gold-plated short spring with a smoother feel, and the shrapnel is also replaced. It becomes a gold-plated contact, which keeps the straight up and down linear feel and makes the rebound more handy. I searched for this shaft, and it is basically more than 2 yuan for a single piece, which is considered a mid-to-high end in the shaft market.

▼Compared with the parameters of the red switch and the brown switch

▼A98's sky axis V3 supports hot swapping, and you can replace it with another axis if you get tired of playing later. The feel of the sky switch V3 is very close to that of the cherry red switch, and it also shows the smooth and smooth characteristics of the linear switch, but the overall smoothness has improved a lot, and there is no astringent feeling when pressed continuously, and the bottom is clean. It is quite smooth, and there is no noise when listening carefully. It feels a bit like TTC Quicksilver to me, but the rebound is slower. In addition, the axis stability of this axis is good, and there is almost no shaking when going up and down.

▼Translucent shaft cover with good light transmittance. It is said that Kaihua's jellyfish axis should be the most transparent. I want to try the whole set in the future.

▼Three-legged shaft body, but you can see that the base has five holes, so don't worry about the limitation of the shaft body. To be honest, the replaceable shaft really gives the keyboard too much room for evolution.

▼From the shaft seat, it can be seen that the top is a transparent PC positioning plate, and the bottom is a white high-toughness sound-absorbing silicone pad, which is completely fixed by process precision and has a proper Gasket structure.

▼The satellite shaft design used in the large key position is not crisp enough when pressed, and the sound is dull when tapping, and there is no noise. This is the unique advantage of Gasket. The cavity sound does not exist at all, and the overall comfort is good.

▼Back Two-stage height, three-way outlet, the wire is also a pluggable design , the molding process is good, the lines are clear, and the milky white color is also very eye-catching, which is completely at the level of high-end keyboards.

By the way, I will show off the A950 mouse I bought before, which is also a product from Dareu. The only regret is that when I bought it, I didn't expect to have a mecha color matching, otherwise I can make a keyboard and mouse cover with the keyboard.

▼Dareu A950 is also a mouse that supports 3-mode connection, left and right symmetrical, with a split design on the upper cover, even users who are accustomed to left-handed manipulation do not have to worry about adaptability. The one I have on hand is the starry sky black color scheme. The skin-like pure black surface is dotted with small white dots to simulate the endless starry sky. The RGB light strips on the edge have a special flavor. It is not amazing but attractive.

▼Dareu A950 uses a built-in lithium battery, so the weight is well controlled. The weight of 87g is lighter than my previous G304 + battery. It is easy to move, and the large area of ​​the foot pad at the bottom also has a clear sense of positioning when moving. Before I bought it, I was a little worried that the mouse would be too big and heavy, but I got used to it quickly.

▼The keys of A 950 are very interesting. It is equipped with KBS2.0, the black technology developed by Dareu. The biggest evolution is the use of POM material shaft device and floating hanging table. I can’t tell you the exact information of this thing. The biggest feeling is that the click is stable. Basically, any key area can be accurately triggered, even if it is the edge. Secondly, the key feedback is very comfortable, the sound is crisp, and the sense of paragraph is obvious. .

▼In terms of performance, The A950 is equipped with an AIM-WL exclusive sensor, which can provide a maximum of 12000 DPI, 300 IPS and 35G acceleration. Although there is still some gap with the top PAW3389 and PAW3360, it can be regarded as the current first-class team. In fact, for me, the performance of the office mouse can already meet my needs. After all, it is no better than when I was young. I can't keep up with the mouse moving a little faster.

▼Actually, I mainly went for this charging base at the beginning. After all, I can get a three-mode mouse with a charging base for less than 300. It’s not a loss. Not to mention the fact that it is not practical, just this elder brother is so full that it is about to overflow. When not in use, you can easily put it away, which not only makes the desktop look simple and elegant, but also can continue to charge, how good it is.

▼Take a group photo of the two flagships, and I regret it more and more.

Gasket structure, three-mode connection, pluggable keycap/switch body, sky switch V2, various lighting effect combinations, creative key layout and good appearance , These features are often combined into one keyboard, which is often expensive. The advantages of Dareu A98 have good cost control in large manufacturers, and can achieve a balance between performance and price. To put it bluntly, those who are cheaper than me are not as good as me, and those who are better than me are not as cheap as me. This is the main reason why the A98 is called "mass-produced keyboard ceiling" by players.

By the way, I found that A98 also has a single-mode version. The price in the early 500s seems to be much more cost-effective than the three-mode version, but the cable is too inconvenient. It would be great if there is a dual-mode version.

I am Zhao Huayu , an idler who likes to share the joys of life.

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