In the spirit of 100% transparency, the keyboard featured in this video was supplied by EPOMAKER and not personally purchased. My goal is to review this product objectively. I accepted something of monetary value to produce the article, the product itself.
EPOMAKER is a company that I have featured on the channel before. They have made some good keyboards that I have had the opportunity to test.
They asked me to test their Dynatab 75 which comes in a standard and a dot matrix display. While I didn’t get the chance to test the dox matrix display, I did see something that caught my eye: the EPOMAKER Sea Salt Silent Switches.
I hadn’t tested a keyboard built for silence until now, so I agreed to give it a spin.
In the box
Inside the box we have the keyboard, a dust cover (yes, do not throw out the plastic cover, it is supposed to stay with the keyboard), a USB A to USB C cable, a combination key cap and switch puller and instruction manual.
Key Features
The Dynatab 75 sports a variety of features, which I have summarized below:
- Integrated Slot for Devices: The keyboard features a built-in slot designed to hold iPads, tablets, or phones,
- Compact 75% Layout: The 75% layout includes 84 keys.
- Gasket-Mounted Structure: The keyboard incorporates a PC plate, Poron sandwich foam, IXPE under-switch padding, and bottom base foam.
- Hot-Swappable Sockets: Compatible with most 3/5-pin switches.
- RGB Backlight: The keyboard features RGB backlighting.
- Connectivity: Users can connect seamlessly using Bluetooth, 2.4GHz wireless, or a Type-C wired connection.
- Fast-Charging Chip & 5000mAh Battery: Equipped with a fast-charging chip (supporting up to 2A rapid charging).
- Double Shot PBT Keycaps: The keycaps are made of durable double-shot PBT material, sporting an MDA profile.
User Experience
The keyboard feels the sum of its parts, which is plastic. The board feels light in the hand despite the 5000mAh battery. Thankfully it doesn’t move around the desk.
Unsurprisingly this is the quietest keyboard I’ve tested so far, likely due to the several layers that make up the keyboard coupled with a very quiet switch. It was very comparable to the silent switch offerings from other companies like Cherry. The feeling of these switches has been compared to a premium membrane keyboard, but membrane keyboards tend to have a tactile bump whereas these switches are smoother. Some may find them a bit spongey without that firm, bottom-out feeling to them but I didn’t mind them.
The absence of several keys may put off individuals that use every key on their keyboard and I am one of those people. I have a separate numpad so I am not missing that functionality when I am testing other keyboards. At the very least I have Print Screen on this keyboard. The software allows for rebinding but with no additional keycaps in the box, it means I have to keep track myself. Speaking of keycaps, while it is compatible with Mac machines, it does not feature Mac keycaps to swap out, which are often included with other keyboards I have tested.
Typing speeds were a bit slower for me. 52 WPM was the average I was getting. I’m not too surprised by this result as I’m not used to a keyboard that feels like this or sounds like this and I suspect that the audible queue that I am used to from my other keyboards being absent impacted my experience.
A view of the support for the “Enter” key and the EPOMAKER Sea Salt Silent Switch.
The EPOMAKER Sea Salt Silent Switch.
There are some nice touches on this keyboard beyond a very quiet typing experience. The 2.4 GHz receiver is stored behind the cover plate on the top right of the deck. It is always nice to see a manufacturer think about where this can be safely stored and not leave it up to the user to keep track of it.
The panel on the top right has controls to turn off the backlight and switch between the three connectivity modes: USB, BT and 2.4 GHz.
Lifting the panel reveals the 2.4GHz dongle.
Another nice feature is the adjustable feet with two positions on the bottom of the deck, giving you three angles total to tilt the keyboard.
The tray that is designed for tablets will fit an Apple iPad Mini on its side or a standard Apple iPad in portrait orientation only, neither of which I own. Other reviewers pointed out that portrait mode for the larger tablets led to them tipping over. The Samsung tablet I had to test with fit vertically (portrait) but then it blocked my desktop screen. I was also unable to touch the tablet at all without it tipping over.
It fit my Google Pixel 6a with its case but stood nearly vertical making it difficult to read from many natural angles. I also worried that a few vibrations in that upright posture would have it fall onto the keyboard. If my phone did not have a case, I suspect this would be a non-issue. I’m not alone on the mixed feelings around the tray with several reviews on their website citing devices not fitting due to cases or dimensions. In short, if this is a selling feature for you, measure twice, and buy once.
Perhaps in another version of this keyboard, they can provide a power pass-through so you can plug in a charging cable so your device can at least be getting a top-up while wedged into the slot at the top of your board.
Conclusions
When not on sale, this keyboard is priced at $89.99 USD which doesn’t make it the cheapest board out there. With the most unique feature being the tray at the top of the keyboard not being able to accommodate all devices, it needs to be a perfect match for your setup in my mind to be worth the price of admission. The dot-matrix variant clocks in at $139.99 USD. While the keyboard has a good feel going for it in terms of the silent keys, so long as you don’t mind the unique feel, this can probably be achieved on other, less expensive boards. It has certainly raised my awareness of the possibilities of silent and softer switch profiles, but I won’t be switching to this keyboard full-time unless I can repurpose the tray at the top.
