IQUNIX has quietly been making some of the best premade mechanical keyboards you can buy for years. We’ve looked at quiet a few of them here at MMORPG, so when the company reached out to let us know about its new line of SUPER custom mechanical keyboards, we knew we had to take a look.
The IQUNIX SUPER 1+1 is one of the very first projects from this new series. It offers a unique take on the classic TKL layout with an aesthetic three-part layout, 2.4GHz wireless connectivity, and all of the enthusiast features you would expect from a custom mechanical keyboard in 2023: layers of foam, hot-swappable switches, PCB-mounted stabilizers, gasket mounting, and more. Available for group buy between now and September 25th with prices starting at $349, it’s an expensive but unique keyboard and an exciting new chapter for IQUNIX.
Specifications
- Current Price: $349 (IQUNIX)
- Typing angle: 6.5 degree
- Front height: 22mm
- Size: 377mm * 128mm
- Case Material: Aluminum
- Structure: Gasket Mount
- Stabs: PCB-Mount Stabilizers
- Connection: Wired / Tri-Mode
- Software: QMK/IQUNIX firmware
- Interface: USB-C
- *Keyboard kit does NOT include switches and keycaps
IQUNIX Super 1+1 - What Is It?
You might recognize IQUNIX from its number of other popular keyboards: the F96, F97, Q66, ZX75, or OG80. Over the several years I’ve been covering it, the brand has consistently produced some of the very best premade mechanical keyboards you can buy. But then something happened. During COVID, the custom mechanical keyboard hobby took off and more people than ever became interested in building their own keyboards and taking their typing and gaming experiences to the next level.
That’s where the IQUNIX SUPER line comes in. With this new series of mechanical keyboard kits, IQUNIX is presenting its own take on the DIY mechanical keyboard, bringing with it the prominent personality injected to all of its projects. Each of the keyboards on its Group Buy page (the Tilly60 and Zonex75 just completed their group buys while the Ardbeg 65 is now available as an in-stock purchase) are unlike any other kit on the market. The wider selection on the Home Page is just the same, including some stunning minimalist options like the Nature 80 and Ray 80.
The 1+1 is anything but minimalist. It has one of the most unique designs I’ve ever seen on a tenkeyless keyboard. The chassis is all metal but visually, it’s split into three sections: the main keyset and function row, the navigation and editing cluster, and the arrow keys. Each of these has its own colored metal frame, though the red and blue are joined together with an inset IQUNIX badge, so it’s really one piece. Though IQUNIX will have multiple colors available, the most iconic model used throughout the product page is red, white and blue with matching keycaps, with plus, minus, and multiplication symbols along the left edge that act as indicator lights.
Though it’s a TKL, IQUNIX has taken some liberties with the layout to add compactness and achieve a more unique visual identity. There are no spaces between the function buttons and there’s no gap above the numbers, creating as solid grid akin to a 75% keyboard. The same was done with the navigation and editing cluster. It’s a look and layout all its own.
In fact, this partitioned layout may just point to future models to come. 1+1, in this case, stands for IQUNIX + YOU, where the design is intended to deliver just what you need. Though the TKL is the only model available currently, you can see in the mock-up above some other options that may be coming down the line.
Flipping the case over, you can see that there several other layers to the case. A black bottom frame makes up most of the lower half. A smaller white angled foot attaches to the bottom, complete with a mirror-finished weight engraved with the 1+1 monicker for some added visual flair. I love this design. It looks simple at first but setting the foot in from the edges gives the impression that the keyboard is floating on your desk.
Like any good custom keyboard, the 1+1 provides you with plenty of options. It comes with your choice of three different plates: aluminum, POM, and FR4. You can opt to have a Windows key (WK) or have a blocker there instead (WKL). Wired or wireless PCBs are available, including support for both ANSI and ISO. The PCB supports hot-swappable switches, per-key RGB, screw-in stabilizers, and if you’d rather purchase everything at once, IQUNIX is ready to sell you keycaps and switches too. Note that stabilizers are included with this kit.
The 1+1 also comes with a complete foam kit to dampen keystrokes and tune its acoustics. This kit includes a layer of PORON plate foam to isolate keystrokes, IXPE switch foam to add pop to the sound profile, PCB foam, and thin layer of case foam to remove any hollowness from the typing experience. You don’t have to use any of these but the acoustics of the keyboard benefit from it, so I would suggest using everything included.
The keyboard also uses a gasket mounting structure. It’s the go-to mounting style these days, so it’s not a surprise, but is a welcome decision nonetheless. Unlike tray mount or top mount structures that secure the plate to the case, the 1+1 utilizes strips of soft PORON foam around the plate that are then sandwiched between both halves of the case. This rounds out the sound, removing any sharpness from keystrokes, and adds softness to the typing experience.
Depending on the PCB you choose, the keyboard will be wired or wireless. The wireless version supports Bluetooth 5.1 with up to three devices or high-speed 2.4GHz wireless using an included dongle, providing a wired-like gaming experience. This version uses two 2,000mAh batteries allowing “up to 3,000 hours of battery life” (though assuredly with lighting off). If you opt for the wired version, you can utilize QMK for remapping and programming, while the tri-mode wireless PCB supports custom remapping software.
Taken as a whole, the IQUNIX Super 1+1 is the best-built keyboard I’ve seen from the company yet. It’s as solidly built as any custom keyboard I’ve built yet but has the kind of visual flair IQUNIX has built its brand on. You won’t find anything else like this and that’s absolutely to its credit.
IQUNIX Super 1+1 - Assembly (or Lack Thereof)
The Super 1+1 is a perfect keyboard if you’re new to customs and are nervous about building it yourself. Though early prototypes on YouTube required users to assemble everything themselves (and it’s a pretty complicated process), retail units come almost completely assembled, right out of the box. The only thing you’ll need to do is add extra lube to the stabilizers and press in your keycaps and switches. Our unit even had the switches installed!
With that said, the whole idea of a custom keyboard is that you’ll be opening it up and modifying it to create the perfect typing experience for your tastes. For example, my unit was built with the FR4 plate but also included an extra POM plate. If I wanted to use that, I would need to completely disassemble the keyboard, and that’s a challenge.
While the 1+1 is very unique in many good ways, it’s also the only custom keyboard I’ve tested that feels like you’re not supposed to open it again after it’s first built. It uses lots of screws — 17 just to disassemble the case, not including the many holding the plate and PCB together — and goes so far as to hide four screws under the case feet. That last point is very concerning because the adhesive on bump-ons begins to fail after only a time or two of being removed.
If you do need to disassemble the keyboard, I would recommend watching IQUNIX’s assembly guide for step-by-step instructions.
IQUNIX Super 1+1 - Performance, Quality, and Impressions
With the background out of the way, I’m pleased to say that the completed build offers the best typing experience of any IQUNIX keyboard I’ve tested to date.
My kit was built using the Moonstone switches and matching doubleshot PBT keycaps. The switches are lightweight and factory-lubed, offering an exceptionally smooth yet light typing experience with a rounded, yet deep sound profile. Typing on them sounds thocky but not foamy. It is rich yet smooth. They’re lightweight with a bottom-out force of only 47 grams, so are easy to actuate and potentially typo but are great for gaming. I got used to them after about an hour and now really like them.
They also include a lens to better show the RGB backlighting.
The keycaps are fantastic. They’re thick enough to enhance the deep sound of the switches and doubleshot so the legends will never fade. The legends themselves are clean crisp, and there’s light texturing on the top of each keycap that gives your fingers a bit of extra traction. IQUNIX has been making great keycaps for a long time and these are a good example of the quality you can expect.
The gasket mount structure works well at isolating keystrokes and creating a satisfyingly smooth sound signature. There’s some flex but not a lot. When typing normally, you can see the keys depress just a hair, so it’s clear that the gaskets are doing their job and creating its soft and forgiving typing experience.
Wireless connectivity was stable and reliable whether I was typing over Bluetooth or gaming using the faster 2.4GHz dongle. Even side-by-side with one of my wired gaming keyboards (the ROG Azoth), I wasn’t able to tell any difference between IQUNIX’s wireless and ASUS’s, so it’s safe to say you won’t be at any disadvantage compared to true gaming keyboards in responsiveness.
Having disassembled and rebuilt the keyboard, the build quality of every component is top notch, befitting its price. There were no machining marks that I could find, the foams were cut with precision, the PCB nicely laid out with clean solder joints. If you’re happy with using all of the foams and the included plate, there really is no reason to open this keyboard. From construction to assembly. IQUNIX has done an excellent job.
Value and Final Thoughts
Value is a subjective question, but there is no mistaking the fact that this is an expensive keyboard kit. At $349 to start, it’s much more expensive than some of its prime competitors, like the QwertyKeys QK80 or Meletrix Zoom TKL. Purchased with keycaps and switches at the same time, and that jumps to $457 for the wired kit. That’s… a lot.
But while IQUNIX has definitely learned a lot from the custom mechanical scene, it’s also clear that one of its core takeaways is that custom keyboards are always subjective. People fall in love with the look and design of limited-run keyboards and are willing to pay extra for them. They’re not made to sell in the tens of thousands. Fewer are made, fewer are sold, and they instantly become collector’s items. It’s that middle-tier of custom, group buy keyboards IQUNIX is targeting, right alongside products from Owlabs and Gray Studio.
It won’t be for everyone, but it’s a strong first showing for IQUNIX Super and the start of a new era for the brand. If you love its multi-part aesthetic and crave a keyboard that can become an instant conversation starter, the 1+1 may be for you.
Find out more at the official Group Buy page here!
The product described in this article was provided by the manufacturer for evaluation purposes.
