Budget Black Friday Combo Review- I Put The Keychron K6 to the Test with XVX Keycaps

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After highly rating both the Keychron K2 (Aluminium Bezel version) and the Marshmallow keycaps, I decided to test a budget pack of the mysterious yet popular XVX profile keycaps, paired up with a similarly budgeted Keychron K6 65% board (Hot Swappable, Plastic Bezel version).

Keychron k6 unboxing
Keychron k6 unboxing
Xvx purple keycaps on keychron k6
Xvx purple keycaps on keychron k6
Keychron k6 replacement keycaps
I don’t actually have a photo of the original board setup- the keycaps were so terrible I had to take them off immediately. I really don’t like the stock K6 Keycaps.

The Keychron K6’s stock keycaps did not look as stylish as in the photos, and sadly the keycaps were very thin, lacked weight and generally looked quite cheap and tacky.

But luckily I had the Purple gradient XVX profile keycaps from Amazon to test out to see if a better (albeit also budget) set of keycaps could redeem this board.

I also ripped out all of the Keychron Blue switches from the K6 as I personally do not like blue switches. I fitted them with a variety of switches- mainly tactile panda switches- I got sent from Royal Flush gaming instead.

Panda switches on Keychron k6
I tried replacing the stock Keychron Blue switches with some better Panda switches to see if I could breathe life into this board.
Testing Purple XVX Keycaps with Panda switches and Keychron k6

So how’d the XVX Profile stack up?

I think the XVX keycaps are pretty nice considering they are a budget set with a difficult to pull off gradient fill. They present nicely enough and I didn’t mind the XVX profile at all- it has some feel to it without being too crazy and larger spacings for people who prefer their keycaps a little more separated. I’d probably give them a 3.5-4/5 for looks, a 3/5 for feel and quality (in terms of the plastic of this set), and a thumbs up to the XVX profile in general.

XVX Profile and Cherry Profile are fairly similar- this seller has listed this set as cherry.

Sale
dagaladoo Upgrade 132 Keys Gradient Purple Keycaps, Cherry Profile PBT Double Shot Keycaps Full Set…
  • Full 132 keys custom keycaps set, including 104 standard keys and 28 modifiers keys, suitable for most ASIN US and UK layout 61/64/66/68/84/87/96/98/100/104/108 mechanical keyboards.
  • Cherry profile keycaps, ergonomic shapes design and curved layout, provide a lasting and comfortable experience of typing to you.
  • Double shot design keycaps, made from two colors material molded into each others, make the keycaps characters maintain the vibrance and saturation, clear and not fade.

The Keychron K6 Board Review

Because the Keychron k6 is case mounted in essentially just thin plastic, it does have quite a hollow feeling to it. Adding tactile switches and somewhat weightier XVX keycaps did help though and I thought the overall sound wasn’t that bad. Without these upgrades, the board was probably not for me. The Aluminum frame I imagine would add some weight to it so I’d have to recommend going for that one.

The Board itself is a pretty cute, compact lightweight desk companion and even though I’d rate the K2 much higher for a marginally higher price point, it’d be a fine starter board if you just wanted to fool around with some cool looking keycaps and fiddle with some switches. It does have 2 mode connectivity, boasting both wireless and wired connection which is always handy.

Keychron K6 Verdict

Rating/DescriptionStockModded
LooksThe stock keycaps are just too cheap and nasty to be aesthetic or add any visual value2/54/5
FeelThe board is quite lightweight so it has a very light feel to it- kind of suits blue switches but personally for me defeats the purpose of a mechanical keyboard2/52.5/5-3/5
ValueIt’s one of Keychron’s cheapest boards but it’s not significantly better than generic ones from amazon/aliexpress- with the wireless considered there is some OK value for money. By all means go for the Aluminium frame version (I Tested the plastic version and found it to be lacking). The keycaps will need replacement.3/5
You may want to check out the Keychron K6 Pro- I haven’t tested it out myself but I think it would solve a LOT of the shortcomings of this little unit. I think they’ve set it up to function as a hybrid of case mounting (steel plate), and gasket mounting (foam pad )

Keychron K6 Pro Wireless Custom Mechanical Keyboard, QMK/VIA Programmable Macro, Hot-Swappable…
  • The Keychron K6 Pro is an innovative custom wireless mechanical keyboard advancing typing experience to a new level. QMK/VIA allows anyone to customize any key and macro with ease. Together with an…
  • Upgraded Typing Experience – Redesigned from the inside out with screw-In PCB stabilizers on “big keys”, added sound-absorbing foam, a thick silicone dampening bottom pad, and steel plate provide…
  • Program any key with QMK/VIA – Anyone can master any keys, macro commands or combination keys through VIA with ease. Simply connect the K6 Pro to your device with a cable, drag and drop your favorite…

If you still want to give the Keychron K6 a go, here it is! I daresay the Aluminum one would have much better feel.

Keychron K6 65% Compact 68-Keys Aluminum Frame Wireless Mechanical Keyboard for Mac, Bluetooth,…
  • The Keychron K6 is a 65% Compact 68 Keys Bluetooth wireless mechanical keyboard (Aluminum Frame) made for Mac and Windows. The K6 is crafted to maximize your workspace and enhance productivity
  • With a unique Mac layout, Windows compatibility and dedicated arrow keys, the K6 is offering convenient accessibility to all the essential multimedia and function keys through the combination of key…
  • Connects with up to 3 devices via the reliable Broadcom Bluetooth 5.1 chipset and switch among them easily for multitasking needs. The K6 is best to fit home office and light gaming use while…

Last update on 2024-02-02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API