「 The Creamy Brown Switch Experience On A Budget 」
Around this time last year, I wrote a review on a budget friendly mechanical keyboard, Fantech ATOM Mizu series which was 60% and was available in 2 switches, red and blue. This time around, I decided to get another keyboard with the brown switch that sounds a lot more creamy and less noisy than red switches.
I used to have a love and hate relationship with Rexus until I learned that to actually get some quality from them, we have to invest a bit in their products. While with Fantech, it was a lot cheaper to get a similar experience from the same brand.
It felt like a bit of a gamble honestly to get a product from Rexus but I am willing to have an open mind that they do produce some good builds as long as we’re not buying their cheapest products on the shelves.
Since I was in the market for a brown switch, this series offered one of the most affordable brown switches from Outemu. Before I was actually buying it, I also researched how it would sound, the typing experience as well as the delay that it might have. If you want to watch the in-depth review, this is the link to a youtube video.
Let’s do unboxing through pictures!
This New Ayaka series from Rexus has a massive long box that has a japanese aesthetic to it. There are 3 variations with different colors and switches but I decided to get a brown one because it looks a lot more muted and soft than blue or the deep blue ones as it also doesn’t match in my room.
There’s not that many inside the box except this keyboard also comes with a mousepad sized 80x30 cm with thickness about 3 cm. It features anti-slip and is well-stitched. The deskmat also features aesthetic pictures and some Rexus logo thrown into the background. Overall, this is a good no-nonsense bundling if you’re currently building a gaming/work setup.
Unfortunately, for a mechanical keyboard, they do not come with an extra switch and keycap puller. So, you have to buy them separately in case you want to give it more lube or even change the switch as this one features removable outemu 5 pins.
Keyboard build
This Ayaka series is a TKL (ten keyless) version that is 80% but without all the numerical. Unlike their cheaper build that I used to have, this one is extremely well-spaced and very comfortable to type on. Their bigger keys such as shift and enter are well-size and not too big.
The keys are embossed so that you don’t have to worry if it’ll disappear. It doesn't feature the RGB which makes it a bit tacky. So, if you’re someone who doesn’t like RGB and finds it tacky, this keyboard is just perfect. It also comes with keyboard adjustment which helps if you want to level the position of the keyboard.
Unlike Fantech entry level mechanical keyboards, this one comes with an attached cable which can be quite a disadvantage, if you’re prone to twisting cables It could be a bit irreparable compared to Fantech which could easily replace it.
While the main board is plastic, it’s thick enough to ensure some durability. Most importantly, it doesn’t feel cheap at all. If you try to pull out the keys with the puller, you won’t have to struggle to do it.
Typing experience & Sound.
One of the biggest differences from my previous typing experience with the blue switch is that this one is a lot creamier and nicer. It doesn’t sound too clicky and if you’re someone who gets easily distracted with loud clicky sound, this is perfect. It provides a softer sound and typing experience while also adhering to aesthetics.
Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to upload the typing sound but once I do, I make sure that I am also sharing it here.
If you’re someone who types for a living and does a lot of typing, this is pretty comfortable and as the caps are a lot more leveled. To me, when compared to atom mizu that I have, I get tired easily with it because not only it wasn’t well-spaced but also it wasn’t as leveled as this one.
My final verdict!
For entry-level brown switches, this is already good enough. It provides comfort, good typing experience as well as within the price range that isn’t too expensive. This is also for those hybrid users like myself who use a desktop to work from but also to play some games. While it has some minor problems such as no key puller and the cable that isn't braided, considering it also comes with a deskmat bundle that’s properly made, it’s well-worth it. Rating it 5 to 10, I’d give it 8 within the same price range of an entry level TKL mechanical keyboard.