Thoughts on Keychron Q6 Max

So, I got the Q6 Max in mid-December. I keep thinking about doing more hall effect, or other types of keyboard that feature contactless switches like that. I even have one, an Epomaker HE68, that I used for a while. But, I’ve also still got a soft spot for these old mechanical switches, as flawed as they are in comparison to lights and magnets. I still want to grab one of the newer Razer boards with their optical switches but haven’t yet. Still, something for the future!

Which brings us to the Keychron Q6 Max. Firstly, I’ve been kind of itching for a full sized keyboard. I don’t typically use the number pad but every so often it’s fun to punch in some numbers using one. I still have the muscle memory for touch typing the number pad so, like all typing, it’s fun for me. I did consider doing a, say, 98% layout to reduce the size a bit whilst retaining the number pad but those were out of stock when I was looking and I thought, “Why not?” with getting a full board.

So, the Q6 Max is one of Keychron’s flagship boards. Fully aluminum, ANSI layout (ISO would have been preferred but due to tariffs would have been more complicated to order and more expensive than one that was shipping from the US), and with Bluetooth and 2.4GHz wireless mode via a dongle. That aspect was largely a non-factor to me. The keyboard is large and heavy. I’m not popping it into my lap and I’m not connecting it to multiple devices. Wired works just fine for me though I am using it in 2.4GHz mode currently to do this writeup to make sure it works smoothly. And it does.

It also works with VIA using the web configurator from either usevia.app or Keychron’s own from their website. My biggest complaint there is that it requires a Chromium-based browser to work which is annoying given I primarily use Firefox. So, given I don’t have Opera or Chrome installed I’m stuck configuring it using Edge and only because it’s forced to be there in Windows. I’m currently looking into nixing Windows entirely from my primary system so I will have to keep that in mind for the future, might have to have another browser installed just for that.

As for Keychron Launcher, it works quite well. It’s minimal, clean, but looks pretty too without being overdecorated. If you’ve used VIA, you’ll be largely familiar with how it works. I was able to update the keyboard firmware and wireless firmware with it quickly and easily as well. I’ve come to really appreciate VIA over QMK with how easy it is to use and it’s been great seeing Keychron utilize that so heavily with their keyboards.

The construction is quite reminiscent of my older Q7 ISO board. They have been able to dramatically reduce the pinging with this one which I love. It still uses the same solid aluminum case with brass-colored hex screws. Internally some of the daughterboards are secured using Philips 0 screws while the aforementioned hex screws are H2.5. The stabilizers are also improved between the two, with less rattle and no ticking to be found with any of the stabilized keys. Inside there is a 4000mAh lithium battery.

Opening the keyboard you’ll find dampening to account for the improvements to keyboard sound. Under the PCB are three layers, including a thin, PET film sheet and two thin, foam pads of latex and acoustic foam. Between the PCB and switch plate (polycarbonate) is another layer of foam. Between the two case halves are several, small, clear rubber pads to ensure there is no metal-on-metal pinging. There are also soft foam strips that act as internal gaskets for the board giving it a slight give and softer typing feel, though still on the firmer side. The battery, for reference, is under the PET sheet in the center of the bottom case. If you do disassemble the board, take care to not rip the cable or socket for the battery as it is rather short and delicate, with the socket being particularly stubborn to disengage on my unit.

For my unit I went with the white body with black-on-white alpha and numeric keys, black-on-grey function keys, and black-on-pine accent keys for return and escape. They are KSA profile, double-shot PBT. Home keys are more strongly concave with tiny, round homing bumps found on F, J, up arrow, and 5 on the number pad. Aesthetically, it feels rather retro with the subtle colors and largely white and grey with black legends. Out of the box the layout is set for Mac but included are non-Mac legend keycaps as well as a switch on the rear of the board to swap the layout, basically reversing Option and Command for Mac and  Super and Alt for Windows/Linux.

I opted for the Gateron Jupiter switches. They’re a factory-lubricated medium-weight switch. They’re 45g and 2mm for actuation with a 4mm bottom out depth. The other switch options are Jupiter Brown and Jupiter Banana both of which are tactile with the Brown being lightly tactile and Banana being more heavily tactile with Keychron comparing them to “Panda switches”. While the keyboard itself is compatible with 5 pin switches, the Jupiter switches are all 3 pin switches. The switches feature a red POM stem and housing of polycarbonate for the clear top and nylon for the white bottom housing. There is a clear diffuser for RGB as well which works well for ensuring the south-facing backlight goes through. They feel smooth, have minimal N-S wobble and a gentle E-W wobble. Due to the factory lubrication they feel even and I have had no issues with spring ping.

As for how I would describe the sound profile I think of it as quite pleasant to listen to when typing. The thicker, higher profile PBT keycaps will offer a slightly deeper and more resonant sound versus shallower ABS caps, such as double-shot Cherry profile. The foam also dampens the pingy nature of aluminum, smoothing out the tones. I don’t think I’d describe it as a thock, more a gentle smooth sound that I think is most similar to the sound of gentle rain on a window. With the weight of the board, nearly 2.2kg fully assembled, there is a lot of material to both resonate and absorb the typing sounds and I think it has a very pleasant sound.

As a standard 108 key layout it should work with any keycap set designed for ANSI layout. The additional 4 keys are defaulted to F13-F16 and are above the number pad. As with any keys they can be reprogrammed to other functions and macros as you choose. To the right of F12 is the programmable knob and three keys that are typically Print Screen, Scroll Lock, and Pause. Here they are defaulted to Print Screen, Cortana, and RGB cycle for Windows and Screenshot, Siri, and RGB cycle for Mac.

Included with the fully assembled keyboard are a few accessories. Firstly is a braided USB-C to USB-C cable as well as a USB-C to USB-A adapter as well as a small extension adapter for the USB-A type receiver for 2.4GHz wireless. There is also a small Philips screwdriver and an L-shaped hex wrench for board assembly and disassembly. Also included is a switch and keycap puller tool. The screwdriver is better than the one that was included with the Q7 but it’s still a cheap option and easily outclassed by nearly any other screwdriver. Nice in a pinch but likely relegated to your junk drawer.

Overall, it’s been fun to see Keychron learn and grow from their previous generations of keyboards. They’ve clearly taken a lot of the criticism and suggestions from keyboard enthusiasts to heart producing a better product than the ones that came before. The original Q line was already a nice keyboard. Full aluminum case, hot-swappable, some basic acoustic treatment, and highly customizable. The Q Max line has clearly been the product of iterating upon what worked, and improving what didn’t. For those who want a great keyboard with a premium sound and feel out of the box it’s clearly a winning option. If you want to build and tinker you can do that with this but I still think you’d be happier with a fully custom board rather than a factory keyboard, even with the barebones kit leaving you to choose switches and keycaps. It’s a nice board for typing and gaming but doesn’t do anything to really stand out from smaller vendors who are more willing to do more exotic choices in materials and design. It’s a BMW 3 series. Sturdy, easy to use, pleasing, but nothing wild. It won’t stand out but it won’t disappear into the background either.