DROP + The Lord of the Rings TKL Wired Black Speech Mechanical Gaming Keyboard - Black

You have probably never heard of Drop. But if you examine the box a little closer you'll discover the mention of Corsair being the manufacturer behind these highly customizable keyboards. This should inspire confidence in these products as the company has been creating gaming components and accessories for a long, long time. The DROP + The Lord of the Rings TKL Wired Black Speech Mechanical Gaming Keyboard is a fascinating piece of hardware whether you're a LOTR fan or not. Let's have a look at what's good and what could've been better. This Drop keyboard comes with a custom paint job reminiscent of Sauron. The caps are printed in elvish (there are tiny little letters for those who still need to look at the keyboard to type) and it really looks gorgeous. It comes with additional key caps (red) which can replace the keys that are pre-installed. There are some more keys and accessories available to purchase, but in my humble opinion, it's pretty cool looking as it is. The box also contains a USB cable (Type C to USB-A) and a keycap puller. I would have loved a braided cable instead of the regular cable, but you have to buy it separately. If you've been around long enough, you'll realize that the keys feel more like an old-school keyboard from the '90s, which is very cool. I really like the circular indentation which helps to keep your little fingers on the right keys. The keyboard is mechanical and it sounds fairly well. I find it a bit loud but I'm also using opto-mechanical switches on my other keyboards. Now, the box says that the switches are Holy Panda X Tactile and respond without any lag at all. The housing of the Drop is aluminum, which spells quality and sturdiness. It's got a nice weight to it. After a week of using this keyboard, I found it to be very comfortable to type and game with and it gives off a lot of flair. But not everything is fine in the Shire and Drop has (and I apologize for this pun in advance) dropped the ring. The biggest issue comes in form of the app used to control most features. It wouldn't detect the keyboard no matter how or which USB port I plugged it in to. This led to hunting down tutorials and videos explaining how to flash the firmware. This is a problem and I hope that Drop will fix their app soon. It simply isn't great. You can use the function key to adjust many settings, but a software option is always the better choice. The next one is more of a personal gripe. The keyboard features lighting, but the keycaps are opaque. It would have been so much better to see the elvish light up. I game a lot at night and I rely a lot on the keyboard to offer enough light to see the keys. As I mentioned before, it's just a minor thing but if you're like me, you kind of expected to see the elvish symbols light up in a classy, shimmery style. All in all, the DROP + The Lord of the Rings TKL Wired Black Speech Mechanical Gaming Keyboard is a hit and miss. It is great looking, it works and feels great. The price is justified by the quality of the build and the content of the box. Alright, now back to play Return to Moria.

This is a very niche gaming keyboard but yet a really cool niche keyboard at that. Being a LOTR fan makes this keyboard that much cooler for me.... Out of the box, this keyboard is hefty in weight, moreso then I was expecting, but in a good way. The keycaps are very elegantly done in black speech type and the aluminum case everything is housed in, also features a raised (textured) eye of sauron image which adds to the uniqueness of this keyboard. This keyboard was easy to setup as no software was needed, the usual gamer keyboard quick commands exist built in (ie. turn off windows key etc). Other quick keys do exist (volume up down etc but no customization of any keys outside of that exist, that i am aware of. but thats okay) The keys themselves feel really good, from the texture of the keys to the actual switch presses, everything feels really smooth and precise. The unit houses Holy Panda X switches, that are soldered in. Pros: beautifully unique keyboard that will draw attention really good gaming switches that have a good tension heavy weight to help keep the unit in place during gaming sessions Cons: for me the white backlighting seems too bland, it doesnt really add to the keyboard and provides nothing of value/use in a dark room (my opinion) soldered switches, leaves heavy tasks later if any upgrades are warranted Overall this keyboard is solid, graphically visually its very nice, if you are a LOTR fan you will enjoy this keyboard, from the very fine details of the keycap art to the eye of sauron will keep you satisfied. The functionality of this keyboard is good too, playing games of cod feel good, with solid key presses as i would expect for this caliber of keyboard. If you are a fan of LOTR and looking for a unique gaming keyboard i would definitly give this a look.

The DROP + The Lord of the Rings Black Speech Keyboard bring Mordor to the home. This LOTR inspired keyboard is one of the few versions DROP currently has available from the series and both this and the elvish keyboard spoke to me with Black Speech taking the lead. Initial impression out of the box is a sturdy, strong presentation. The keyboard comes with an all grey-tone keycap set along with the red accent keycaps that may be interchanged. There is a tool to assist in keycap removal which was a little flimsy overall but did the job to allow for quick swapping of the keycaps. The keys themselves are brilliantly labeled with Black Speech and having small denotations of the actual key if one is not fluent in Black Speech yet (or at least knowing the alphabet). This denoted key is either in the bottom right corner of the top of the keycap or the anterior surface of the keycap that is easily seen. I love the letters being in the LOTR language, and it is slowly letting me learn it casually. Also, the inscription of the one ring as the space key is a prime touch for a LOTR fan! The biggest flaw to overall presentation in my opinion is that the backlight is only white. This is not an RBG keyboard, which I have grown accustomed to, but that is OK. However; I feel not having red as a backlight color option is a missed opportunity. Otherwise, a beautifully presented keyboard design. The keyboard itself has a aluminum case that is quite sturdy. The keyboard is powered with USB-C to USB-A (computer connection) which does not take up a USB-C computer connection, appreciated. The Holy Panda X Tactile Mechanical Switches are quiet, making a slightly audible sound with a keystroke, requiring mild/moderate pressure to press and a clear tactile response. The switches are soldered on, which is another aspect of the keyboard that is clearly stated but sad to me, decreasing the ease of changing mechanical switches out if desired. They are a solid mechanical switch though and I expect to get fantastic use out of them. Swapping out the accent keys took about 2-minutes, a quick an easy process. There is no specific software to be added to use this keyboard which is nice and otherwise, the biggest thing to note is Fn+Up/Down arrow adjusts LED brightness. Overall, this keyboard has a sturdy feel, good tactile response and a collectors presentation with a couple details that I believed were overlooked; however, when thinking about DROP, these keycaps themselves are available as a set outside of a keyboard. So, ultimately if one desired to have certain switches, backlighting, etc, then this is not necessarily the correct product for you. This is the product for someone who wants a higher quality, custom keyboard completed and ready for use out of the box.