Das Keyboard 4 Professional Wired Mechanical Keyboard, Cherry MX Blue Mechanical Switches, 2-Port USB 3.0 Hub, Volume Knob, Aluminum Top (104 Keys, Black)

The following review is regarding my experience with the Das Keyboard Professional (w/ Cherry MX Blue switches), which I’ve owned for several months now. I also own the Cherry MX Brown version of the same keyboard.SPECIFICATIONSCord Length: 6.5’Top Panel Thickness: ~ 1 mmTop Panel Material: Anodized aluminum (matte), though feels similar to powder-coated finishBUILD QUALITYThe build quality of this keyboard is its strongest attribute. It’s extremely solid – there is no flexing of the keyboard at all. The keyboard is also perfectly stable on my desk as I type. After using it daily for several months now, the keyboard looks brand new. There hasn’t been any fading of the text on the key cap labels, and the black finish of the key caps hasn’t changed either. While the top panel of this keyboard is made of a solid piece of metal, the bottom is plastic (though a pretty solid feeling plastic). I suppose if the bottom of the keyboard was also made of metal that may be better, though it is possible that the plastic bottom is more effective in absorbing vibrations.DESIGN & FEATURESThis keyboard is very well designed. The non-flashy approach looks great to me, particularly compared to so many of the mechanical keyboards that look maybe a bit over the top. The font of the key-cap labels is traditional looking, which I prefer to the extra-large stylized font found on many gaming keyboards. The media keys are, in my experience, useful and well-placed. The inclusion of a dedicated “sleep” button is also very useful to me, and many other mechanical keyboards I looked at didn’t have one. In the Windows power settings, I set the sleep key to put my display into standby rather than put my computer to sleep.The volume knob is also useful to me, and I think the way in which it is placed (where it hangs over the right edge of the backplate slightly) makes it easy to adjust. The knob appears to be made of plastic, with a rubberized finish along the side and a red (looks like anodized) ring accenting the top. While I’d prefer to have the volume knob be entirely black, the red accent doesn’t stand out too much and I imagine some people would actually like it.The das keyboard logo is, in my opinion, cool and it looks good on the top-right of the backplate. Just under the logo are the blue indicator lights for num lock, caps lock, and scroll lock. The indicator lights do the job and look great from a normal typing position, though they do put out quite a bit of light straight up – in a dark room my ceiling is illuminated in blue light just above the keyboard (I keep num lock on always).The magnetic stand / ruler of this keyboard actually seems to work pretty well. It provides a nice even support across the entire keyboard, and I never have an issue with the keyboard sliding on my glass desk. I admit that I haven’t yet had a need to take the stand off and use it as a ruler, but maybe to some it would be more useful.The USB 3.0 hub (two ports) along the top right of the keyboard is very useful to me. I have my wireless mouse adapter plugged into one of them. These USB ports are an actual hub as opposed to a pass-through, so the keyboard only requires one port on the computer.Regarding the keyboard’s cord – it does seem to be attached to the keyboard securely, though it is pretty darn thick. It attaches right in the back-center of the keyboard. It is nice having an extra long cord – though for my particular setup I still need to use a USB extension cable with it. I would definitely prefer to have a cord that isn’t operantly attached.Also this keyboard doesn’t have a backlight, which hasn’t been an issue for me as my monitor provides enough light to illuminate the keyboard, but for the price a plain white backlight would still be a nice option to have.Additional features include NKRO (which does work – supposedly it is disabled by pressing shift + mute), and Das Keyboard claims this keyboard’s firmware can be updated (though not sure what could really be changed). This keyboard requires no software or drivers, which I definitely prefer compared to keyboards from many of their competitors (like Corsair, Logitech, Razer – all of which want you to have their own software always running).CHERRY MX BLUE VERSIONI purchased the cherry MX Blue version, and this is the version that I have been using most the time since I bought it several months ago. I personally like the “crisp” feel of the blue switches, though I will admit that I worry about them being too loud at times. This worry led me to also purchase the same version of this keyboard with the brown switches.CHERRY MX BROWN VERSIONI purchased the cherry MX Brown version of this keyboard as well, and I tried it off and on over the last few months, as well as exclusively for a few weeks. Well I did like many aspects of the brown switches; overall I have concluded that I prefer the blues. The brown switches were quieter than the blue switches, but I never got over the way they felt more “mushy” compared to the blue switches.PRICESo, I like the keyboard - so far, it’s the best of any mechanical keyboard I’ve owned. The price is steep, and if it perhaps had backlit keys the price would seem more reasonable. That being said, a keyboard like this should last a very long time, and I would recommend it all things considered. I would give it a 4.5 star rating if I could, but I feel that a five star rating is more appropriate than a four star one.

While it didn't work for me with windows 7 64 bit, this keyboard oozes quality all around and frankly I knew that there might be problem as I had seen online. There wasn't a fix all solution out there but I was willing to take a risk. Before I buy something this expensive, I go online and i search (product name) problems and it showed up. It didn't happen to everybody just a few but oh well let's chance it. The keycaps are high contrast and there was a problem with a few of the switches but I believe that's cherry's fault because the difference was noticeable even after pulling the key cap so it's not the keyboard itself and I have chosen not to downgrade it because it is just as likely on any other keyboard. Either way the fit and finish is minimalistic, It looks like a very high quality version of a generic keyboard like a dell or something. When you walk up and press a button, you think oh it's mechanical it must be around $80. Then you see the contrast of the keycaps which indicate quality materials and processes and you think hmm nice keycaps and solid base $110 maybe. Then you see the features and realize there's a volume wheel and media keys THAT STILL KEEP ALONG WITH THE MINIMALISTIC DESIGN and you realize this keyboard was extremely well designed when you step back and look at everything as a whole. And after that you realize there's usb ports and it's in a league of it's own. Obviously it's at the top of the price range.As sad as I am to say that I am returning it, I will remember Das' quality and the fact that Das is more than willing to stand by it's products and repair/refund the price.Bonus Nachos: Pull the space bar keycap with the included ruler/keyboard stand and invert it backward, SOOO MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE. Just slide the end of the ruler under the space bare and wedge it up or use a keycap puller and take it off and then just turn it around so it angles down instead of up.

I was a little bit worried when I made the decision to purchase a Cherry MX Blue keyboard because of the noise factor. However, after receiving this keyboard and typing on it for several hours, I must say that the Das Keyboard is no louder than my employee's who are using XArmor keyboards with Cherry MX Browns.Make no mistake, this keyboard has no frills, no blinking lights, no special software macros for gaming but that's ok. The keyboard has weight to it and typing on it just feels right. I like the added touch of the ruler as a stand - it may sound strange but oddly enough, I found it useful in less than a day.The two factors that made me choose the Das Keyboard over everything else was that this keyboard has two USB ports as well as great placement of a volume knob. It's more convenient to plug in to the keyboard than to reach under my desk to get to my computer's ports. The volume knob and media keys are also a nice touch. I have heard people say this keyboard slides on a smooth surface but my desk at home and at work is wood and this keyboard doesn't budge. Maybe on glass? I don't know. I do know the Das Keyboard 4 Pro has some significant weight to it. Nothing "cheap" about it.Overall, this keyboard feels like it will last several years which is why I bought it. It's a minor investment for a tool which I use on a daily basis and typing on it simply feels great. You never know what you are missing in a mechanical keyboard until you actually own and use one. So for those looking for a solid keyboard with zero gimmicks and a purist typing experience - I recommend the Das Keyboard Professional 4.