NuPhy Nos75 review | Tom’s Guide | usagoldmines.com

Do low profile keyboards have to be light-weight? Primarily based on most different low profile (LP) boards on the market, the reply could be sure. And for comprehensible causes. Most individuals need an LP board for portability, the place small dimension and low weight convey apparent benefits. 

For those who had been to ask NuPhy, nonetheless, the reply could be no. Its newest low profile keyboard, the Nos75, is heavy by design. In truth, NuPhy initially named it the Krypton75 on account of the ingredient Krypton being heavier than air — for context, the model’s different LP keyboard is known as the NuPhy Air75 V2 ($119). 

However why? Properly, low profile keycaps and switches boast sure virtues: faster typing speeds and better accuracy for a lot of; cleaner styling; and preferable ergonomics for some. However by tethering these benefits to the notion of low weight, producers sacrifice heavier case supplies and inside dampening, negatively affecting sound, affect absorption and kind really feel. NuPhy’s goal with the Nos75 is to untie the notions and create an ostensible oxymoron: a heavyweight, low-profile board, with all some great benefits of each. 

A number of years within the making, the Nos75 has been beset by manufacturing points, however now that it’s right here, may this hybrid be one of many best mechanical keyboards round Discover out in my full NuPhy Nos75 overview.

NuPhy Nos75 overview: Cheat sheet

What’s it? A low profile, heavyweight customized mechanical keyboard
Who’s it for? Deep-pocketed people wanting low-profile typing however standard-profile sound and really feel
‘Deep pocketed’? Yup — $223 with keycaps and switches, ‘nuff mentioned
Is it any good? Yeah: it appears to be like, sounds and kinds nice, plus it runs on open supply QMK firmware…
… However? However swap decisions are at the moment restricted (there’s actually one swap in existence that matches the board), it’s expensive, and the RGB is somewhat disappointing

NuPhy Nos75 overview: Specs

NuPhy Nos75 overview: The ups

Lighter isn’t essentially higher. The NuPhy Nos75 combines the advantages of low profile switches and keycaps with the refined acoustics and really feel of heavier boards. It appears to be like, sounds and kinds nice, and runs on open supply QMK firmware. Briefly, there’s loads to love.

Cruiserweight

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Labeling the Nos75 a heavyweight in my introduction was a tad unfair. At 2.7lbs, it’s round two-thirds the burden of different metal-clad customized boards just like the TKL Keychron Q3 Max (4.4lbs). Cruiserweight could be extra acceptable. 

Don’t get me incorrect, the Nos75 continues to be heavy for a low-profile: the NuPhy Air75 V2 and Lofree Flow84 ($159) weigh a paltry 1.3lbs and 1.25lbs respectively. However is {that a} dangerous factor? I don’t assume so: the Nos75 is meant to lie in state upon your desk, and that reaps sure rewards.

Clackety clack

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Whereas the additional weight brings apparent downsides for portability, it additionally comes with some critical advantages. As I discussed earlier, to make a board lighter, ounces are often stripped by using thinner or lighter case supplies, and by decreasing the quantity of inside damping. This naturally impacts acoustics, affect absorption and kind really feel. 

The Nos75, alternatively, suffers not the slings and arrows of outrageous weight reduction, as a result of it hasn’t misplaced any. Its case is strong aluminum, enclosing 5 layers of acoustic insulation. On the base, its ft are usually not ft — as an alternative, board meets desk by way of one more honking nice slab of aluminum, with a silicone gasket for grip. Every ingredient helps channel, take up and dampen vibrations to create a resonant sound and cushioned sort really feel.

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The tone is deep and wealthy, and far nicer than the Air75 V2, which sounds hole and plasticky by comparability. Of be aware, NuPhy’s low profile nSA keycaps used right here (and on the Air75 V2) lend the board a barely empty prime be aware, leading to a light-weight clack — this isn’t my desire, and I favor the tone of the NuPhy’s heavier mSA commonplace profile keycaps (used on the Gem80 and Halo75 V2), or the low profile Lofree Flow84, which sounds deeper and creamier regardless of being half the burden. ‘Horses for programs’, as we’d say right here within the U.Okay., that means every to their very own.

The sound will not be mounted, thoughts. Keycaps will be swapped, and beneath them sits an FR-4 fiberglass-epoxy plate — interchangeable with totally different supplies must you need totally different acoustics. Included within the field are additional units of gaskets for high quality tuning the texture and noise, too.

Kind and play away

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The Nos75 is obtainable solely with Gateron x NuPhy Low profile 3.0 Nano linear switches (a disadvantage I’ll focus on later). In use, the Nano switches really feel nice, with a comparatively agency 50g actuation power, a 3.4mm complete journey and an extended 18mm spring for a agency bounceback. The result’s a cushty typing expertise and a really feel nearer to plain profile switches, with out sacrificing the sort pace and accuracy advantages of low profile. 

I used to be in a position to obtain increased than common sort speeds utilizing the Nos75 on 10fastfingers.com, though my accuracy was decrease than common — a problem I additionally skilled with the nSA caps on the Air75 V2. 

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I’m extra correct utilizing NuPhy’s mSA profile caps, which sit (solely very) barely increased than nSA within the heart, however function shaping that higher fits my typing type — I’d count on mileage to differ. On the whole, the switches, keycaps and hefty ranges of affect absorption end in a fast, correct and cozy typing expertise.

With its 1,000Hz polling fee, the Nos75 must also be greater than appropriate for gaming.

00s Apple vibes

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The Nos75 is at the moment solely obtainable with a silver case. There have been initially extra colours deliberate, however NuPhy has determined to carry off on these as a consequence of manufacturing bills and, it says, reducing keyboard gross sales typically. 

I feel the silver case is especially fetching, giving off main 00s Apple vibes, with the rounded metallic edges paying homage to the first-gen iPod Mini. It positively falls barely behind the Halo75 V2 or Gem80 when it comes to sheer cutesy allure, however there are many keycap decisions so that you can spec from NuPhy itself, permitting you to maintain issues minimal or add bursts of colour or enjoyable as desired. We examined the Maya-themed keycaps, which I feel look fairly rad.

QMK, correctly

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The Nos75 runs QMK open supply firmware, permitting a excessive diploma of customization over the board’s workings. You’ll be able to assign macros, rebind keys and tweak lighting all although the Via web app, so no must obtain any third get together software program. By way of isn’t as slick as Keychron/Lemokey’s Launcher QMK net app, for boards just like the Keychron V1 Max ($94) and Lemokey P1 Pro ($129), nevertheless it does the job nicely sufficient.

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NuPhy’s implementation of QMK typically isn’t as refined as different producers like Keychron. NuPhy boards require JSON code downloads to entry the firmware via By way of — an additional step not required for Keychron decks — and I skilled freezing and lagging points on each the Air75 V2 and Gem80. That mentioned, NuPhy now appears to be like to be moving into the swing of issues QMK-wise (it switched from proprietary firmware comparatively just lately), and I’ve had no points with the Nos75 or Halo75 V2.

In addition to, QMK in any taste is preferable to having no companion software program in any respect, as with the Lofree Block ($169) and Lofree Flow84 ($159).

NuPhy Nos75 overview: The downs

My complaints in regards to the Nos75 needn’t essentially be deal-breaking, however might provide you with pause for thought when you’re taking a look at this board for modding, particularly given its steep value.

Single swap choice (actually only one)

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The NuPhy x Gateron LP 3.0 is, whereas writing, a model new swap, which isn’t even listed on Gateron’s web site. This implies selection is proscribed: there’s just one swap to select from NuPhy, and it’s linear. 

What’s extra, whereas the Nos75 is technically hot-swappable, there isn’t really something to sizzling swap into it in the meanwhile. The socket used for the Nano switches makes use of a standard-profile pin structure. In line with NuPhy, that is supposed to prepared the ground for the “total low-profile market to undertake a normal-profile swap socket, thereby resolving the problem of incompatibility between totally different producers’ low-profile switches.” Noble certainly, though this virtually nerfs the board in the meanwhile: this pin structure will not be one you see in different low profile switches, so there are not any switches to swap in (successfully rendering it non-hot-swappable). I checked with NuPhy, which confirmed the Nos75 isn’t appropriate with different switches in the meanwhile.

Whereas there may be the plain potential for extra switches from Gateron down the road, I can’t suggest any product based mostly on what it may grow to be, so this has to go down as a con.

Steeply priced

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The Nos75 prices a whopping $223 with switches and keycaps from NuPhy. I perceive that NuPhy has prices to recoup given the lengthy improvement interval (a number of years) and the prime quality supplies used within the board’s building, however the pricing feels very steep for a wired-only board obtainable with one swap sort.

You’ll be able to seize a wi-fi Lofree Flow84 or Air75 V2 for a hell of loads much less and remedy all these points. It is not that I fully resent the worth alone, both — there are many boards on the market that value an analogous quantity, they only do extra. If low profile isn’t a problem, there’s the less-moddable Halo75 V2 (the place my $149 would go), or the Keychron Q3 Max and NuPhy Gem80 ($199, totally assembled), which each value an analogous quantity, are wi-fi and supply larger modding potential because of their much less uncommon switches.

A bit of dim

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In comparison with different NuPhy boards just like the Air75 V2 and Halo75 V2, the Nos75’s RGB lighting is somewhat disappointing. In low gentle it’s satisfactory, however in daylight the RGB is barely seen, even at its brightest setting. This stems from the switches — opaque save for a small LED cutout — which obscure a lot of the sunshine.

NuPhy Nos75 overview: Verdict

Oddly sufficient, regardless of being a number of years delayed and wired-only, the Nos75 continues to be forward of its time. In a nasty method. I respect the ambition to prepared the ground in bringing larger compatibility to low profile boards via a standard-pin swap socket, however sarcastically, via doing so, NuPhy has made a board that’s much less appropriate than its competitors (proper now, a minimum of). Somebody needed to soar first, and once more I love NuPhy for doing so, however the lack of any appropriate switches successfully renders the board non-hot-swappable on the time of overview, which is a let down.

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Nonetheless, if you may get over the exorbitant worth and present lack of switches, the Nos75 is known as a respectable keyboard. I recognize NuPhy pushing via its improvement points to launch one thing it believed its viewers would worth. The Nos75 is constructed and styled brilliantly, varieties nicely, and proves low profile needn’t come on the expense of sound and really feel. Positive, there’s just one swap, however I’ve gotten on very well with the linear Nanos. Whereas it’s removed from good, I’ve loved having the Nos75 on my desk, and that’s what actually counts. When you have the finances, that is positively one for the shortlist.