Mechanical keyboards typically come either in a plastic or aluminium shell, and they are usually solid or frosted. If you are looking for something novel, the KiiBOOM Phantom 81 V2 is bound to catch your eye with its transparent crystal-like acrylic case. The KiiBOOM Phantom 81 V2 retails for US$159, and comes in a fully assembled option with switches and keycaps pre-installed for you.
Unboxing
Here is what you will find the box:
- Phantom 81 v2 Keyboard
- 1.5m Braided USB Cable
- Instructional Manual
- Packing Cloth
Build quality and design
The KiiBOOM Phantom 81 V2 keyboard comes in four colour options – (1) purple, (2) pink, (3) blue, and (4) clear. The unit I have is the latter. No matter which option you choose, both offer a transparent aesthetic that lets you see the internals of the keyboard. This see-through design trend seems to be gaining some traction since products introduced by Nothing Technology.
To be consistent with the clear and transparent design, even the switches used are KiiBOOM’s Crystal which are also see through. Being a transparent design, KiiBOOM did not waste the opportunity to add RGB lighting, so those who like a light show on their desk will definitely find this up your alley.
Build quality of the KiiBOOM Phantom 81 V2 is solid. Since the Phantom 81 V2 was made from acrylic, I was expecting the keyboard to be quite light. But boy was I wrong. The KiiBOOM Phantom 81 V2 has actually quite some heft to weighing over 1kg, likely contributed by the metallic back weight. The quality of acrylic used feels high quality as well. The top and bottom case is thick and feature nice curved edges. The whole keyboard feels very premium and well built, and does not feel cheap even though it’s made of acrylic.
The USB-C port is located off center, towards to left side of the keyboard. It is housed alongside two switches, one to toggle between the three modes of connectivity, the other to switch between macOS or Windows. There is even recessed area to store the 2.4GHz USB dongle when not in use.
The keycaps feels like SA profile, which offer a gentle scoop in the middle for an ergonomic typing feel. The colour or rather the lack of, follow the same design language going on in the KiiBOOM Phantom 81 V2 – clear and transparent. The transparent keycaps are decently thick and I believe they are made from polycarbonate (PC). The legends looks to be printed since PC is being used.
Typing acoustics & experience
The KiiBOOM Phantom 81 V2 has a unique gasket mount structure, where the PCB and plate assembly is wrapped by a silicon pad which has extended edges that acts as the gaskets. KiiBOOM’s implementation of this gasket structure in combination with the new PC plate, helps to prevent a stiff typing experience commonly felt on tray mount boards. You can feel a subtle amount of flex overall, with the bottom center being the most prominent area.
The sound profile of the KiiBOOM Phantom 81 V2 has marbly-like elements reminiscent of what you’ll get with the use of PE foam on the PCB. There is slight audible clack which is rounded out by the use of the silicon layer. If you prefer to lower thockier sound, the stock sound of the KiiBOOM Phantom 81 V2 should be your cup of tea. You can take a listen at the stock sound test below:
The stock stabilizers are surprisingly well-tuned. I didn’t experience any rattling or tick sounds. But if you want to use your own, the KiiBOOM Phantom 81 V2 uses screw-in stabilizers which is a good choice compared to use plate-mounted ones.
One last point to note is that the PCB is hot-swappable supporting both 3-pin and 5-pin switches. If you do swap out the switches you may have to consider changing out the keycaps as well since they are transparent.
Connectivity, battery, and support
KiiBOOM Phantom 81 V2 supports three modes of connectivity – (1) wired via USB, (2) Bluetooth 5.0, and (3) 2.4GHz wireless. The keyboard also has a switch to toggle between macOS or Windows, which is really appreciated as I constant swap between both operating systems. This was your Alt key will work as the Command key when switched to macOS mode.
There is a 4,000mAh battery in the KiiBOOM Phantom 81 V2 but no advice on how long it lasts. I’ve used it for close to two weeks now and haven’t encountered any low battery warning. KiiBOOM Phantom 81 V2 doesn’t support VIA so if you want to do any key remapping, you’d have to download KiiBOOM’s Phantom 81 software.
Conclusion
The KiiBOOM Phantom 81 V2 offers a very unique crystal-like transparent design for a pre-built keyboard. It is incredibly well-built and feels premium. For a pre-built keyboard, the KiiBOOM Phantom 81 V2 sounds very pleasant without needing any mods. If you like RGB then this keyboard will surely be able to portray lights without any hindrance.