Another day, another Epomaker keyboard. Over the years, the brand has produced a significant lineup of all-purpose keyboards. Whether you want something quiet, thocky, super-performing or understated and simple – you can bet they have a keyboard just for you. The TH80 Pro is also a keyboard that embodies a lot of what Epomaker’s diverse lineup has to offer. It has all the features you’d expect from a wireless mechanical keyboard and is definitely one of the pretties offerings from the brand, but is there more to it than meets the eye?
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DESIGN
The Epomaker TH80 Pro comes in two variants – the retroish Theory MDA and the creamy Monet MDA v2, which we received for this review. Regardless of the variant you choose, you’re getting a wireless 75% keyboard with a total of 80 keys. While the Theory variant offers a slightly broader range of switches to choose from, in my opinion, Monet is definitely the way to go. As you can see from the pictures, it’s a beautiful keyboard with creamy gradient tones of yellow, green, and blue that blend seamlessly onto the smooth white chassis. It’s undeniably one of the most aesthetically pleasing, clean keyboards, and it’s easy to envision it seamlessly fitting into a cozy, white or even a darker setup.
Absolutely beautiful design
The chassis itself exudes minimalism, whether from the top or the bottom, where you’ll find only a few noteworthy features. Apart from the rubber pads to prevent slipping, there are two-level adjustable feet, a power button, and a small compartment for the wireless USB dongle to prevent accidental misplacement. Beyond its gorgeous color, the otherwise straightforward design on the top is complemented by the addition of a truly unique volume knob. Not only is it round, but its plastic construction gives the impression of metal, seamlessly enhancing the overall aesthetics of the keyboard. It’s also a pleasure to use, providing quiet, tactile transitions when turned, while pressing it creates a fairly satisfying “thump.”
In addition to the beautiful color, the keycaps boast several distinctive features. Firstly, they are crafted in a custom MDA profile, slightly lower than the standard MDA profile. In translation, the keys have a slight inward curve and smooth edges that make them feel exceptionally pleasant to the touch. In addition, they are made from thick and highly durable PBT plastic, the font is minimal, sharp, and without any irregularities. I argue that the keyboard doesn’t necessarily require RGB, but it’s a feature present for those who appreciate it. Despite the keycaps not being shine-through, the lighting is sufficiently visible, and there’s a standard array of effects that smoothly play out across the keyboard.
A dongle compartment and feet break the minimalism
As for what’s underneath, the TH80 Pro supports both 3-pin and 5-pin switches and is entirely hot-swappable. The Monet version comes standard with a choice of one of three switches – Gateron Pro Yellow, linear Flamingo, and the tactile Budgerigar switch that we received in this unit. These switches feature a POM stem, full nylon housing, 47g of actuation force, and total travel of 3.8mm. The tactile bump at the bottom is sufficiently loud and somewhat satisfying, which should satisfy most tactile switch enthusiasts.
Unfortunately, out of the box, the TH80 Pro may not be the ideal keyboard for these or any other switches if you are specifically seeking an enthusiast level, highly satisfying sound. While the sound profile is decent compared to many mechanical keyboards, it still sounds relatively hollow overall. A look inside reveals a very thin layer of foam that does little to assist with the sound profile regardless of the switches, necessitating adding further padding if you wish to mitigate the hollowness and create a better sounding experience.
The knob shape really is the standout feature
Additionally, similar to the Epomaker RT100, the TH80 is labeled as a gasket-mounted keyboard but doesn’t quite behave as one. The typing surface here is in fact rock-solid, almost as if it’s a tray-mounted keyboard, thanks to the four little standoffs holding the internals of the keyboard firmly in place. This is not something that can be rectified through modification if you specifically desire a softer typing surface, and adding Poron foam or something similar will likely make things even firmer. It’s not a significant issue, but it’s something to keep in mind if gasket mounting is a critical factor for you when considering this keyboard.
If nothing else, the sturdiness of the typing surface translates to the rest of the keyboard, making it as solid as they come. While entirely constructed from plastic, there’s no doubt that this is a well-assembled piece of hardware, as there are no creaking sounds, and typing or even vigorously shaking the keyboard produces no rattle whatsoever.
PERFORMANCE
The TH80 Pro offers three connection modes – wired via a USB-C cable and wireless through Bluetooth 5.0 or a 2.4GHz receiver. As with most Epomaker keyboards, the wireless functionality is remarkably reliable and the connection is generally rock solid making the keyboard a good choice for portability. Even the 2.4GHz connection is entirely suitable for use in online gaming, and in several rounds of Apex Legends, I didn’t experience any noticeable lag or input latency.
Creamy in appearance, hollow in sound profile
Maintaining a wire-free experience is largely effortless, courtesy of the 4000mAh battery. A week of mixed daily usage is achievable with RGB enabled in part thats to the automatic sleep feature which turns the keyboard off after a period of inactivity. Without the RGB, I’ve successfully extended its usage to three times that duration, making it genuinely one of the standout features of this keyboard.
The keyboard utilizes Epomaker’s proprietary software for the customization of some of its aspects, so you pretty much know what to expect. The software itself may not be the most aesthetically pleasing, but it gets the job done. Creating profiles, adjusting key functions, creating layers with different key functions, defining macro key combinations, and customizing RGB are all present, and everything works quite well. The software can be a bit slow when navigating between menus and applying customizations, leaving room for improvement in future versions.
CONCLUSION
Ultimately, the TH80 Pro’s greatest strength lies in its beautiful design, and I can confidently say that the Monet variant is one of the most stunning 75% keyboards. Additionally, it boasts a range of commendable features such as performance, wireless capabilities, and excellent battery life. It’s a shame that an otherwise excellent typing experience is somewhat diminished by a relatively hollow sound, preventing this keyboard from entering the absolute keyboard hall of fame. Nevertheless, at a modest $99, it’s hard not to recommend, especially if you’re willing to peek under the hood for a little DIY action.
