YUNZII QL75 Vintage Retro Typewriter Mechanical Keyboard
| 75% | Hot-Swappable | Wireless/Wired | QMK/VIA | North-facing RGB|
We have been refusing to review all the typewriter-styled keyboards that we have come across as they all seemed of cheap manufacturing, with awful switches and construction quality but when we saw the YUNZII QL75 Vintage Retro Typewriter Mechanical Keyboard we thought that this was the perfect model to give “typewriter” styled keyboards a chance.
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YUNZII QL75 Vintage Retro Typewriter Mechanical Keyboard Review
Tests & Scores
A
ACCESSORIES & PACKAGING
4.25/5
The YUNZII QL75 Vintage Retro Typewriter come very well presented with a packaging that makes justice to the upper-tier model placement.
Inside you will find a good amount of protection and a nice envelop that holds inside the documents of the keyboard (and user manual)
With the keyboard you also get:
- 2x extra switches
- Soft cloth
- Switch/keycap puller
- USB-C cable
D
DESIGN
5/5
Without doubt, the brand really nailed the aesthetics of the YUNZII QL75 Vintage Retro Typewriter, from the wood style of the case, retro keycaps, shape and design of the shell up to the knobs and color choices; that really reflect the intended spirit of this keyboard. To be honest, the YUNZII QL75 is simply enchanting with its graceful retro typewriter looks.
The QL75 comes exclusively as a 75% keyboard with an ANSI US layout including 84 keys, 2 knobs and a toggle. One knob is placed on the left edge of the case and is pre-programmed to control volume (mute if pressed) and the 2nd knob sits on the right panel of the case with its default functions being connectivity selection and scrolling up/down; the top toggle is programmed as an Enter key – all 3 can be reprogrammed through VIA.
Another characteristic detail of the Yunzii QL75 is a cascade aligned board that results in diagonal flow design where each switches and keys rows have a very defined different layer level in a much steeper downward flowing style than any classic keyboard.
As you might appreciate from the photos, the shell has a large gold-colored slot on the top, this serves as a tablet/phone holder; allowing the YUNZII QL75 to transform into a fully standalone mobile setup in a compact but highly usable format. When we tested it as a mobile system with an iPad we were delighted with the usability and comfort as a mini-computer setup.
Seeing that the brand was able to fit 5 dedicated status LED lights on the top cover, without disrupting the retro looks is quite noteworthy. These LED inform the connection mode used, BT bank, Caps Lock and battery status.
If any, what we could criticize is the fact that the arrow, navigation keys and F number row does not have the typical separating space from the main keys and could introduce some unintended pressing of them, until your muscle memory reprograms to the new layout.
It is worth highlighting that the QL75 is far thicker than any other keyboard, in part to preserve the retro typewriter design but also to add a ergo-tilted placement as the keyboard does not have adjustable kickstands. If you are interested in the specific dimensions of the YUNZII QL75 Vintage Retro Typewriter, the keyboard measures: 12.92×8.44×2.52 inches.
CB
CONSTRUCTION & BUILD
4.25/5
We might be spoiled since we have reviewed hundreds of keyboards in the last 10 years with some premium ones with jaw-dropping construction quality and materials used; yet we could not help it but felt kind of disappointed when we discovered that the Yunzii QL75 was not actually made of wood and, instead, was built with a plastic shell.
The “heftier” detail in the build department is the “typewriter-handle” that is actually made of metal unlike the knobs that are made of plastic and the built-in tablet holder that is also made of plastic.
To its benefit, the plastic construction allows it to be fairly light weighted given the large and thick footprint – exactly 3.22lb.
On the other hand, internally, the keyboard packs some features that are found on more premium keyboards, like a hot-swappable board compatible with 3-pin and 5-pin switches without any soldering needed, a top-mounted design with north-facing RGB LEDs; the brand does not specify too much the sound dampening/enhancing layers that are hidden inside – beside a silicone pad and metal plate. This metal plate has a special multi-section cascade manufacturing in order to accommodate the cascade design of the board.
Another well appreciated construction detail is that this is a QMK/VIA compatible keyboard that can be freely programmed through the web-bases VIA platform, thus not needing any installable and background running software to program and apply the customizations done by the user.
KC
KEYCAPS
4.5/5
We were afraid that the rounded keycaps with less body size to get stabilized than normal keycaps, could be a wobbly mess, instead, the brand did an excellent job with the YUNZII QL75 Vintage Retro Typewriter. In fact, the keycaps sit firmly in place and show nearly zero wobble, unlike some of the most popular mainstream mechanical keyboards on the market.
The construction is not PBT but ABS but Yunzii assure that they will not fade away like other cheaper ABS keycaps as the legends are laser engraved instead of printed. The keys, actually have a 2 piece design with an outer section made of gold-colored electroplated plastic.
Since the keyboard uses mechanical switches with standard Cherry MX-stem, you can easily replace the keycap set and use any other that you prefer but you will lose part of the seamless retro vintage typewriter aesthetic that the brand is packing with the QL75.
Fair to mention that the keycaps are not shine-through and as the RGB backlit board is north-facing and not overly bright, the LED backlighting will not be very visible and just adds a subtle RGB effect.
Pre-programmed Fn functions are well-labeled over the F number row, which will surely be a welcomed feature for mobile users.
As we mentioned in previous sections on this review, the QL75 has 2 plastic knobs, the knobs are quite large and easy to grab with, only, the left knob being at times more difficult to access as the “lever/toggle” can get in the way – though an acceptable drawback given the neat design and usability. Both knobs have a silent but tactile feedback per notch and, also, they have a multi-function press button function.
SW
SWITCHES
4.5/5
When buying the YUNZII QL75 Vintage Retro Typewriter you will have the possibility to choose 2 different switches that include a linear switch and a tactile one.
The specific switches available to choose from are:
- Cocoa Cream V2 linear switch
- Onyx tactile switch
Both switches are choosable for all the color options of the YUNZII QL75 Vintage Retro Typewriter.
The specific variant of the YUNZII QL75 that we are reviewing came with Cocoa Cream V2 linear switches, which exhibited a clean, smooth travel without any scratchiness and felt nicely balanced in force, travel, pre-travel and activation as to be a versatile switch to cover any typing and even gaming usage with good proficiency.
Cocoa Cream V2 switch specifications
Type: Linear
Pre-lubed: Yes
5-pins
Max force: 55gf
Operation force: 50gf
Total travel: 3.3mm
Pre-travel 2.2mm
Onyx switch specifications
Type: Tactile
Pre-lubed: Yes
5-pins
Max force: 60gf
Operation force: 43gf
Total travel: 3.9mm
Pre-travel 2.0mm
CON
CONNECTIVITY
4.5/5
The keyboard has a triple-mode connectivity system that can be combined to connect with up to 5 different devices.
With the YUNZII QL75 you are able to choose to use it through a detachable wired connection, 2.4G wireless connection (dongle included) and 3 independent bank with Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity.
On the bottom case, you will find a dedicated storage slot for the 2.4G dongle while on the rear shell you will find 2 switches and the connection port for the detachable USB-C wired system. The switches serve to power on/off the unit and to set it in Win or Mac mode.
In order to select the connectivity mode, you need to press the right knob and long press to set it in pairing mode.
The tech-specs of the YUNZII QL75 do not detail the polling rate, latency and other specific features that might be of interest of gamers but from our tests we can tell you that it supports anti-ghosting.
S
SOUND
4.5/5
The YUNZII QL75 Vintage Retro Typewriter also surprised the team with a remarkable sound profile that has nothing to envy highly praised mechanical keyboards. The QL75 with Cocoa Cream V2 switches, responded with a refined and unspoiled clacky personality with, even, some thocky seasoning – the thockier keys are perceived over the first two key rows and the spacebar.
The pre-lubed stabilizers perform as immaculately as on top-tier premium stabilizers showing zero rattling noises and not showing traces of being neither over-lubed nor having a mushy feel.
A sidenote, we would not mind seeing in the future a “pro”/”premium” version of the YUNZII QL75 Vintage Retro Typewriter using a true wood case – it would come with a saltier price but users with a fatter wallet might not mind it.
B
BATTERY
4/5
The keyboard is equipped with a 4000mAh battery to power the device when used in wireless modes; the capacity of the battery is within the most common standard of what you can find on modern keyboards, giving a long, usable runtime per charge and having to worry less about recurrent recharging cycles.
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