Since its debut in 2022, the Aria has been one of Fantech’s most popular gaming mice – likely due to egg-shaped mouse not being very common. With the gaming mice market seeing lots of improvements, the new Fantech Aria II is here to keep egg-shaped mouse fans something to look forward to. Fantech Aria II is priced from S$67, but you can use discount code ‘TECHJIO‘ to enjoy 10% off!
Unboxing
In the box, you’ll find the following:
- Fantech Aria II / Aria II Pro Wireless Gaming Mouse
- Extra set of skates (2 types – Full / Dots)
- Grip tape
- USB-C to USB-A Cable
- USB Wireless Receiver
- USB Extension Adapter
- Quick Start Guide
Tech specs
| Aria II | Aria II Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | Length: 114 mm Height: 39 mm Width: 65 mm | Length: 114 mm Height: 39 mm Width: 65 mm |
| Weight | 53 grams | 53 grams |
| Sensor | PixArt 3395 | PixArt 3395 |
| MCU | CX52850P+ | NRF 52840 |
| Polling Rate | Up to 1000Hz | Up to 8000Hz |
| Buttons | 1. Left click 2. Right click 3. Back button 4. Forward button 5. Scroll click 6. DPI button | 1. Left click 2. Right click 3. Back button 4. Forward button 5. Scroll click 6. DPI button |
| Switches | HUANO TBSPD (M1/M2) HUANO Black Shell White Dot (Side) HUANO Black Shell Blue Dot (Scroll) | HUANO TBSPD (M1/M2) HUANO Black Shell White Dot (Side) HUANO Black Shell Blue Dot (Scroll) |
| Feet/Skates | PTFE | PTFE |
| Connectivity | 2.4GHz Bluetooth Wired | 2.4GHz Bluetooth Wired |
| Battery life | Up to 70 hours | Up to 70 hours |
| Charging port | USB-C | USB-C |
Build quality and weight
The Fantech Aria II comes in three colour options – (1) white, (2) black, and (3) red. Build quality is good with largely tough plastic shell used in the overall construction. There are some slight design change vs the predecessor, such as the large plastic tab with the ‘Aria’ branding on the right side is no longer seen on the Aria II.
No rattling sound was heard when I shake the mouse nor any creaking when squeezing the sides of the mouse tight. Slamming the mouse also did not trigger any accidental clicks of the main and side buttons. Despite not adding any holes to the shell, Fantech had managed to further reduce the weight of the Aria II, now coming in at around 53 grams. There is no option to swap a perforated top cover now but it doesn’t matter since the weight is now low enough, and I much prefer the feel of a solid shell mouse.
Coating / Texture
There is an improved coating on the Fantech Aria II and I can feel the difference. Even if my hands are slightly sweaty, I can still manage to get a good grip of the mice. The black colour shell does leave some fingerprint stain especially if your hands tend to sweat when gaming. Fantech also included grip tape in the packaging which is always a great option to have.
Buttons & Scroll wheel
Aria II uses the popular Huano blue shell pink dot switches which I also personally prefer. Both M1 and M2 buttons have largely similar feeling when actuating. There is minimal pre-travel and post-travel. The implementation of the Huano blue shell pink dot switches are done well such that the actuation force required feels the same even if your finger is at the tip of the button or at the back. Both buttons are snappy and is well-tensioned as well.
Maybe I got lucky with my copy of the Aria II, but there is almost no pre-travel and very minimal post-travel on the side button. Actuation weight is on the lighter side making them good for spamming.
You can check out the clicks and scroll wheel sounds below:
Scroll wheel feels well tensioned with nicely defined steps. I did not experience any roughness and scrolls getting stuck when gaming with it. The scroll click feels a little stiff compared to other mice but it is very much usable.
Shape and fit
The Fantech Aria II retains the same shape as it predecessor, so if you’re planning to upgrade there won’t any surprises. This also means that the Fantech Aria II will still be the widest egg-shaped mouse in the market. It is wider than the Logitech G305, Razer Orochi, and the Zaopin Z1 Pro.
The left side of the Aria II has a slight recess to create an ergonomic curve for your thumb to rest. On the right side of the mouse, the edge has a slight curve as well instead being flat. The hump of the Aria II is positioned right in the middle with a gentle gradient as it approaches the tail.
Despite being the largest egg-shaped mice, I found the Fantech Aria II fit my hand size of 18cm * 8.5cm, well. I mainly use a relaxed claw grip so the slight flare of the tail offer additional contact and grip when I pull back the mouse for a more locked-in grip. Logitech G305 is slightly longer and slimmer, and not to mentioned much heavier so the feel is quite different. The most comparable in terms of feel would be the Zaopin Z1 Pro. The Fantech Aria II just feels larger so if you prefer a more dense feeling, the Fantech Aria II is more suited for you. The Fantech Aria II is best suited for claw grip, and for those who favour a wide side-to-side grip distance.
Performance
The stock feet of the Fantech Aria II are PTFE and they feel consistent. The overall glide feels to favour control over speed. So if you’d like something with more speed then third party options like Tiger Ice will offer that. It is nice to see Fantech providing two types of skates (full size / dots) in the box for customisation and future replacements.
Fantech Aria II uses the Pixart 3395 sensor that supports up to 26,000 DPI. Out of the box, the Aria II comes programmed with four DPI stages: 400, 800, 1600, and 3200. You can add or remove stages with the accompanying software. Speaking of software, it is quite a surprise that Fantech still hasn’t developed a dedicated software for their mice yet. You’d still have to download a dedicated software for the Fantech Aria II in order to access customisations. It would be nice to have a web-based app that can save custom settings to the mouse directly. The app for the Fantech Aria II feels the same as for their other mice – you can adjust usual settings such as buttons remapping, DPI adjustments, macros, sensor tweaks, etc.
New to the Aria II family is that you can choose between the ‘Basic 1K’ option or the more expensive ‘Pro 8K’ version. The ‘Pro 8K’ version is almost twice the price but it offers 8x the maximum polling rate (8000Hz vs 1000Hz) wirelessly. I’ve been using the ‘Pro 8K’ version and the performance of the Fantech Aria II is great when playing FPS games like Valorant. I did not encounter any lag, and all movements were snappy and precise and responsive.
Conclusion
The new Fantech Aria II is still relatively affordable at S$67 if you get the 1K polling option. You still get nice updates such as better coating, slightly lighter weight, and a cleaner design. If you’re want the latest polling tech then the Pro 8K version is going to set you back S$122, and while it costs almost twice more it’s still affordable compared to the other 4K/8K mice in the market.
TECHJIO
Use code for 10% off
Besides if you haver a preference for egg-shape mice then the Fantech Aria II is probably the only one available now with an 8K option. But of course why spend more when you can save 10% when you can use discount code ‘TECHJIO‘!