Angry Miao Cyberboard R2 Le Smoking
MSRP $670.00
“If you want a keyboard like no other, the Cyberboard R2 is for you, assuming you can afford it.”
Average
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Stamp carrier provides a superior writing experience
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Highly adjustable LED grid
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Bluetooth and wired support
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wireless charging
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Hot swappable key switches
Against
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extremely expensive
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Adaptation requires some effort
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You will probably need to bring your own switches
Angry Miao released Cyberboard R2 over a year ago, at least in spirit. Incredibly low performance rates and unprecedented demand forced the Chinese tech fashion brand to cancel the project, but after more than 400 days of waiting, the Cyberboard R2 Le Smoking marks a comeback. It’s easily one of the best keyboards you can buy, assuming the excruciatingly high price of at least $670 doesn’t immediately put you off.
Redesigned and arriving on July 10 (at 8pm PT in case you want to get the F5 key ready), the Cyberboard R2 Le Smoking is finally getting its moment to shine, and that’s a great thing. If you missed out on the Wes Anderson-inspired Cyberboard R3, you have another chance to pick up one of the most unique keyboards money can buy. And it’s pretty good too.
Shape
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
You’d think design means everything to the Cyberboard R2 Le Smoking, but the best typing experience takes center stage. However, that doesn’t mean the keyboard doesn’t look good. With an aggressive angular design and a distinctive LED grill on the back, the R2 Le Smoking might just be the most unique keyboard you’ll ever see.
As its name suggests, the R2 Le Smoking was inspired by Saint Laurent’s Le Smoking suit, a similarly angled suit with a streamlined look that the brand introduced in 1966. The resemblance is certainly there. The four angled edges give it a retro-futuristic look that somehow manages to feel powerful and small at the same time; like the suit that inspired it.
Even after almost two weeks of using the Cyberboard R2, I’m still amazed at how premium it feels.
However, it is far from being a small keyboard. This is probably the heaviest keyboard I’ve ever come across, weighing in at over seven pounds with a full complement of switches and keys. The weight comes from a bunch of extras on board: both an aluminum body and plate, three separate PCBs, and a built-in wireless charging jack.
It also comes from a massive 200-LED grid on the back of the keyboard. You can do almost anything with a sequence – I went with the Tetris animation that was available on the Angry Miao website. This includes custom animations, static colors, and useful information like time and battery life, as well as an indicator of the Bluetooth connection you’re using.
Build quality is second to none, making traditionally high-end keyboards like the Logitech G915 TKL look like cheap options by comparison. Even after almost two weeks of using the Cyberboard R2 as a daily rider, I’m still amazed at how premium it feels.
Connectivity and connections
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
Cyberboard R2 Le Smoking has two connections: USB-C or Bluetooth. The USB-C connection is the fastest and the one I used during testing, even though the Angry Miao doesn’t include a cable in the box. I would assume that anyone spending $700 on a keyboard has at least a few spare USB-C cables, but an extra one wouldn’t hurt.
Bluetooth works on three devices that you can easily switch Fn+1, 2, either 3. The grid LED lights up to show which connection you’re using, and you can keep all three devices paired at once. Windows is the only supported operating system, there’s no MacOS layout switch like on the KeyChron Q1, but I don’t think many people carry the Cyberboard R2 with an Android tablet.
With a wireless charging mouse pad, you don’t need to worry about charging the battery.
While it’s easy to pair Bluetooth devices, it’s not intuitive. Unlike conventional keyboards like the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless, the R2 doesn’t offer a switch. Instead, it automatically switches to Bluetooth when you turn it off. It’s weird when you’re setting up, especially without an “on” switch anywhere on the board.
The battery drains quickly with blinking LEDs (I was down to around 10% over the course of a few hours), but not a big deal. The R2 Le Smoking has a wireless charging pad built into the bottom of the keyboard that will turn on when the battery reaches 85%. With a wireless charging mouse pad, you don’t have to worry about recharging and you don’t have to worry about running out of battery because the mouse pad turns off when it’s full.
switches
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
You can completely disassemble the Cyberboard R2 Le Smoking and replace the switches and keycaps, but the basic keyboard kit doesn’t come either; you must bring your own. The bundle, which is around $150 more expensive at $823, comes with Gateron Ink Black linear switches and Angry Miao Glacier keycaps, and it’s a winning combination.
Ink Black switches are heavy, requiring 60 grams of force compared to 45 grams for a traditional red linear switch. This makes them extremely smooth to type on, especially if you like to hit the keys like I do. The sound is soft and hollow on the high end, and I found myself typing random sentences into the seek bar just to hear the keyboard in action a bit more.
The seal bearer feels like you are hitting the cloud with a hammer.
While you can swap any switches you like, it’s not the seamless process you’d find on a regular keyboard like the Asus ROG Strix Flare II. And with good reason. Unlike most cheaper keyboards that use a top mount where the switch panel sits directly on top of the rest of the frame, the R2 Le Smoking uses a gasket mount.
The difference is that a small amount of material sits between the switch panel and the rest of the frame and it makes a world of difference when typing. You’ll never actually feel the pad move, but the microscopic give and take it offers when typing makes you feel like you’re hitting a cloud with a hammer. Consequently, this also means that you will have to disassemble the keyboard to replace the switches. That commitment is well worth it.
Games and typing
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
If you’re looking for the best gaming keyboard, the Cyberboard R2 Le Smoking isn’t it, and you wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s too bulky to move into a comfortable position, the switches in the package are too heavy for snappy response, and the keys don’t stick to your fingers due to their glossy acrylic finish. However, I am happy that it is.
The typing experience is too good, especially with the Ink Black switches. Of all the keyboards I’ve reviewed and used, this is the first ever that I brought friends to my office and said “you have to try this”.
Much of your experience will come down to the switches and buttons you use, but the Cyberboard R2 sets you up for success with its mounting board. Unfortunately, the different switches do not solve the game problems. Moving the keyboard around is a hassle due to the weight, and hitting the bezel with your thumb with a flick of the mouse is a fast route to a bruise.
I like to use it for keyboard gaming only like union of isaac, however, and tried to start it on my beloved destiny 2 just because of the great keyboard feel. However, if you’re primarily a gamer, save yourself the trouble (and money) and get something like the Razer Huntsman Mini. This is a typing keyboard, despite its retro-futuristic aesthetic.
Software
The software has to control the hardware, which Cyberboard R2 doesn’t. Rather than a dedicated lighting and macro program like you have with the Corsair K70 RGB Pro, you have to design your effects on the Angry Miao website, download the file, then load it onto the keyboard. You cannot see real-time updates and you must be logged in to download community files.
This is a bad system, especially when the Angry Miao website is prone to slowdowns and crashes. You get a lot of options – three layers of lighting on an LED grid including animation support, automatic translation of images to the grid, and endless remapping layers – but the trial and error of even running a website will help you experiment. .
Angry Miao has the right idea with community-driven effects – I saw a picture of Gengar that I liked in a minute, but the effects installation system is holding back community efforts.
The good news is that Angry Miao has increased the number of custom lighting slots to three compared to the original design, and the editor is powerful enough to offer unique and vivid animations. I wish it was a little easier to investigate.
Our opinion
Should you spend $700 on a keyboard? No, there is no reason for that. The Cyberboard R2 Le Smoking is beyond the point of diminishing returns, and you can get something just as good for less money (especially if you build your own keyboard). What you can’t get is the outstanding design, exceptional build quality, and clear attention to detail that has gone into the Cyberboard R2 Le Smoking, and for the die-hard keyboard enthusiast, it’s money well spent.
Are there alternatives?
Counterfeit Cyberboard models are floating around the internet, but nothing quite matches the unique look and build of the Cyberboard R2 Le Smoking.
How long will it last?
Like a custom keyboard you build yourself, the Cyberboard R2 Le Smoking is just a foundation that you can continue to customize and improve over time. It will last as long as you want.
Should you buy it?
Yes, but only if you are very entrenched in the world of custom mechanical keyboards. The customization isn’t for the faint of heart, and the price is obscenely high compared to mainstream options. In short, you don’t need this keyboard. It’s just a matter of if you will want he.
editor’s recommendations
Categories: GAMING
Source: newstars.edu.vn