Zoom98 KLE Black
Specifications
General Specs
Keyboard layout: 98% layout
Mounting style:Gasket Mount
Typing Angle: 7.7 degrees
Front Height: 22mm
Case Material: Aluminum
Default plate: polycarbonate plate
PCB:
PCB thickness: 1.2mm, with Ai03 DB
PCB Version:Tri-mode Flex Cut or Non-Flex Cut Hotswap RGB PCB / Wired Non-flex Cut Hotswap PCB
Supported layout: Split spacebars, back space, stepped caps Lock, left shift, right shift, ISO & ANSI enter
Connection methods: Tri-mode(Wired/Bluetooth/2.4G) / Wired
VIA/QMK Support: Tri-mode PCB supports VIA, the wired PCB supports QMK/VIA.
Purchase Instructions
1. The Tri-mode version defaults with the screen module, so the 2-keys module, badge module, and knob module need to be purchased separately.
2. The wired version defaults with the 2-keys module, so the badge module and knob module need to be purchased separately (The screen module is not supported).
3. The wired PCB is non-flex cut, does not support the screen module, and has no RGB, but supports side ambient lights.
4. Barebones kit (unassembled) only includes stabilizers. Switches and keycaps are purchased separately.
5. Telescope Logo Design instead of Dot RGB Design.
6. NightLight Knobs can be installed on other Zoom98 but will not display the RGB effect.
7. Each kit has a default module (Tri-mode: LCD screen or Wired: Two-keys). In addition, please add the corresponding module base to your shopping cart if you need to purchase other accessories for customization.
8.Compatibility:
a. The knob is compatible with ZOOM65/75/PAD series.
b. All module bases are not compatible with ZOOM75.
c. The lens is compatible with the ZOOM75 series, but the screen PCB is not compatible.
d. Badges are compatible with the ZOOM75 series.
Acessories You May Need
Stability, ease of installation, durability, and long-lasting flexibility come together seamlessly.
The Tri-Mode PCB enables per-key RGB lighting, offering a diverse selection of colors and effects to enhance your visual experience. It is compatible with wired, wireless, and 2.4GHz modes, except for the wired PCB which lacks this feature.
NOTE: Telescope Logo Design instead of Dot RGB Design.
PCB and Bottom Case are made of lighter PORON material. To reduce resonance, many tests were done on the foaming material this time. We made the PORON lighter and the foam pores dense. Every minor detail matters a lot, with the current poron, the sound is more concentrated and is deeper than with normal dampeners.
Unlike traditional keyboards, you are not stuck with just one layout on Zoom98! Change things up every now and then withsplit (spacebars, back space, left shift, right shift),stepped caps Lock, ISO & ANSI enter.
Stability, ease of installation, durability, and long-lasting flexibility come together seamlessly.
The Tri-Mode PCB enables per-key RGB lighting, offering a diverse selection of colors and effects to enhance your visual experience. It is compatible with wired, wireless, and 2.4GHz modes, except for the wired PCB which lacks this feature.
NOTE: Telescope Logo Design instead of Dot RGB Design.
PCB and Bottom Case are made of lighter PORON material. To reduce resonance, many tests were done on the foaming material this time. We made the PORON lighter and the foam pores dense. Every minor detail matters a lot, with the current poron, the sound is more concentrated and is deeper than with normal dampeners.
Unlike traditional keyboards, you are not stuck with just one layout on Zoom98! Change things up every now and then withsplit (spacebars, back space, left shift, right shift),stepped caps Lock, ISO & ANSI enter.
Customer Reviews
As a beginner I really like this keyboard. A few issues with the wireless connection not beeing flawless and the screen not having any real use for me.
Love it so
On the whole, I love this product. However, because of the pricetag and my experience as an enthusiast customer, I'm going to critique it heavily.
PRO:
-nice finish on the housing.
-extremely cool PCB that accommodates many layouts and options on a single design. As a geek, this is a huge highlight for the product.
-6 different options for the top plate.
-foam layers included, optional to install (installation guide makes them sound mandatory, but that could just be a translation issue).
CON:
-a few scuffs on the inside of mine, a rough edge here and there. Nothing that shows during normal use, all visible only during assembly / modification.
-screw closure to the housing makes disassembly / reassembly more of a pain. Other designs offer ball-catch systems.
-only one option for mounting the assembled PCB+Plate, and one type of gasket.
-No way to configure the LED brightness for the Telescope Logo, which is very bright compared to the rest of the illumination behind opaque keycaps.
-product page does not include any references to the JSON file needed to configure this board within VIA at time of writing, and no link to any way to work with the LCD screen installed by default. Rumor that the software for that LCD screen may contain a vulnerability or malicious code.
-"In Stock" may not mean what they say it means. I ordered mine as In Stock (not part of a group-buy), and it still took over 2 months to arrive. Support says they had to ship me a second one using a different carrier because the first was put on a container ship and something happened in transit.
-included cable kinda sucks. Competitors color match their cables to the color of the housing, Meletrix just includes a black one. A better cable would have cost them $2-3 wholesale because they can be bought for $4-5 from competing vendors.
-stock: most colors are unavailable at time of writing. Nearly no accessories are available either. I wanted to order some of the other modules to play around with, and at no point in the past 3 months have they been available for me to purchase.
-internal cable connections: battery, USB, and LCD cables are all very short and make connecting those components to the PCB a bit tricky. This part of the design feels like a prototype and would have benefitted from pogopins or a daughterboard in the bottom half of the casing. Once the board is assembled, this will never matter again so please don't let it deter you, but I have to acknowledge it as a fault in the design.
-light leaks from bottom lighting around side of PCB. Supposedly there are adhesive foam piece in the box to fix this issue, but the build documentation does not explain where those pieces of foam should be installed. I couldn't figure it out so I left them out, and as a result I have light leaks on the left and right.
I love the sound of the keyboard. It wasn't to difficult to put together. Has some issues with the stabilizers, getting stuck around the space bar and the enter button, and the program to change the lcd screen image. Besides that its great!