Josh
0:00 0:00 This video is not intended for all audiences. What date were you born? January February March April May June July August September October November December 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983 1982 1981 1980 1979 1978 1977 1976 1975 1974 1973 1972 1971 1970 1969 1968 1967 1966 1965 1964 1963 1962 1961 1960 1959 1958 1957 1956 1955 1954 1953 1952 1951 1950 1949 1948 1947 1946 1945 1944 1943 1942 1941 1940 1939 1938 1937 1936 1935 1934 1933 1932 1931 1930 1929 1928 1927 1926 1925 1924 1923 1922 1921 1920 1919 1918 1917 1916 1915 1914 1913 1912 1911 1910 1909 1908 1907 1906 1905 1904 1903 1902 1901 1900 Submit Adobe Flash Player is required to watch this video. Install Flash Player For some background, while I do use the keyboard for some gaming (mostly FPS) I am primarily a typist that transcribes hours upon hours of audio for work. Ive owned the original in blue switches, red LED for some time, but wanted an upgrade to quieter switches to hear audio better and get some nice rgb. It seems that both Cherry and Corsair have tried to cut corners in places that are less likely to be immediately noticed by customers. This will still very much yield a lesser quality, and more likely to fail over time product. -Compared to the original K70, the overall quality of this product is less. The first and most glaring thing I noticed are the stabilizers for larger keys (space, 0, shift, etc) are far looser/poorly fit on the mk2. The black retention pieces (see video) have SO much slop compared to the original. I can only really get any movement on the original if I really force it. This creates not just extra movement on the keys, but it also makes it noisey. Often times, this is part of what gives people that notorious spacebar rattle. As pieces wear over time this will only get worse. Especially for a transcriber, I have several special functions that rely on shift and combinations of shift with other keys. The extra slop is noticeable compared to the first version and I can hear it almost as loud as blue switches through headphones when transcribing audio. Already I have an awful amount of audible rattle on my backspace key, while my original is rock solid. -A second thing Ive noticed is how theyve relaxed the tolerances on the key caps and switch stems is. On the original version, it was very difficult to remove the key caps from the switches unless you had a wire puller. On the "updated" mk2, they pop off so easily and can be put back on with so little finger pressure, I almost didnt believe I had them on. This is not a good thing: it will make the caps more susceptible to wear that will create more slop, and overall just does not convey quality. If youve ever had a spacebar that had a problem where overtime if you hit one side of the key and the other side would pop up and stay there, this is why: keycaps/stems with poor tolerances. -Third, the switches themselves have more play in them than the original k70. It created a noticeable amount more key wobble. Overall, after a year and hundreds upon hundreds of hard typing and key smashing when raging, my original k70 is still a higher quality product than the new mk2. The tighter tolerances on the original almost make it feel like a newer product than the mk2 I got in the mail literally today. The overall typing experience on the mk2 is just sloppier and it does not inspire confidence in the long run. Some upgrades are admittedly awesome. The clear switches really enhance the lighting, the on-board profile storage is fantastic. HOWEVER, looking at it in terms of the functionality this piece of hardware is required/designed to perform, (TYPING) they clearly decided to throw away some quality in favor of some pretty bells and whistles. If I had never experienced another high end keyboard, specifically the predecessor, I may have given this a higher rating, but in lieu of knowing whats being lost, I cant. At some level, its almost insulting that theyre trying to pass this off as an "upgrade" when theyve reduced the essential functions of their original to something of lesser quality.