4 Professional Wired Mechanical Keyboard, Cherry MX Blue Mechanical Switches, 2-Port USB 3.0 Hub, Volume Knob, Aluminum Top (104 Keys, Black)

The following review is regarding my experience with the Das Keyboard Professional (w/ Cherry MX Blue switches), which I’ve owned for several months now. I also own the Cherry MX Brown version of the same keyboard. SPECIFICATIONS Cord Length: 6.5’ Top Panel Thickness: ~ 1 mm Top Panel Material: Anodized aluminum (matte), though feels similar to powder-coated finish BUILD QUALITY The build quality of this keyboard is its strongest attribute. It’s extremely solid – there is no flexing of the keyboard at all. The keyboard is also perfectly stable on my desk as I type. After using it daily for several months now, the keyboard looks brand new. There hasn’t been any fading of the text on the key cap labels, and the black finish of the key caps hasn’t changed either. While the top panel of this keyboard is made of a solid piece of metal, the bottom is plastic (though a pretty solid feeling plastic). I suppose if the bottom of the keyboard was also made of metal that may be better, though it is possible that the plastic bottom is more effective in absorbing vibrations. DESIGN & FEATURES This keyboard is very well designed. The non-flashy approach looks great to me, particularly compared to so many of the mechanical keyboards that look maybe a bit over the top. The font of the key-cap labels is traditional looking, which I prefer to the extra-large stylized font found on many gaming keyboards. The media keys are, in my experience, useful and well-placed. The inclusion of a dedicated “sleep” button is also very useful to me, and many other mechanical keyboards I looked at didn’t have one. In the Windows power settings, I set the sleep key to put my display into standby rather than put my computer to sleep. The volume knob is also useful to me, and I think the way in which it is placed (where it hangs over the right edge of the backplate slightly) makes it easy to adjust. The knob appears to be made of plastic, with a rubberized finish along the side and a red (looks like anodized) ring accenting the top. While I’d prefer to have the volume knob be entirely black, the red accent doesn’t stand out too much and I imagine some people would actually like it. The das keyboard logo is, in my opinion, cool and it looks good on the top-right of the backplate. Just under the logo are the blue indicator lights for num lock, caps lock, and scroll lock. The indicator lights do the job and look great from a normal typing position, though they do put out quite a bit of light straight up – in a dark room my ceiling is illuminated in blue light just above the keyboard (I keep num lock on always). The magnetic stand / ruler of this keyboard actually seems to work pretty well. It provides a nice even support across the entire keyboard, and I never have an issue with the keyboard sliding on my glass desk. I admit that I haven’t yet had a need to take the stand off and use it as a ruler, but maybe to some it would be more useful. The USB 3.0 hub (two ports) along the top right of the keyboard is very useful to me. I have my wireless mouse adapter plugged into one of them. These USB ports are an actual hub as opposed to a pass-through, so the keyboard only requires one port on the computer. Regarding the keyboard’s cord – it does seem to be attached to the keyboard securely, though it is pretty darn thick. It attaches right in the back-center of the keyboard. It is nice having an extra long cord – though for my particular setup I still need to use a USB extension cable with it. I would definitely prefer to have a cord that isn’t operantly attached. Also this keyboard doesn’t have a backlight, which hasn’t been an issue for me as my monitor provides enough light to illuminate the keyboard, but for the price a plain white backlight would still be a nice option to have. Additional features include NKRO (which does work – supposedly it is disabled by pressing shift + mute), and Das Keyboard claims this keyboard’s firmware can be updated (though not sure what could really be changed). This keyboard requires no software or drivers, which I definitely prefer compared to keyboards from many of their competitors (like Corsair, Logitech, Razer – all of which want you to have their own software always running). CHERRY MX BLUE VERSION I purchased the cherry MX Blue version, and this is the version that I have been using most the time since I bought it several months ago. I personally like the “crisp” feel of the blue switches, though I will admit that I worry about them being too loud at times. This worry led me to also purchase the same version of this keyboard with the brown switches. CHERRY MX BROWN VERSION I purchased the cherry MX Brown version of this keyboard as well, and I tried it off and on over the last few months, as well as exclusively for a few weeks. Well I did like many aspects of the brown switches; overall I have concluded that I prefer the blues. The brown switches were quieter than the blue switches, but I never got over the way they felt more “mushy” compared to the blue switches. PRICE So, I like the keyboard - so far, it’s the best of any mechanical keyboard I’ve owned. The price is steep, and if it perhaps had backlit keys the price would seem more reasonable. That being said, a keyboard like this should last a very long time, and I would recommend it all things considered. I would give it a 4.5 star rating if I could, but I feel that a five star rating is more appropriate than a four star one.

Best keyboard I've ever used ... at least since the early keyboards of the 1980s. On the keyboard market today, there is a plethora of keyboards produced ... with profit margins driving their design. I just threw one of those away. Then there are keyboards in which the brand is keenly focused on quality construction, superior design, and UI. The Das product fits tightly into the latter category. The keyboard is weighty and solid. It doesn't slide around your desktop when you inadvertently smack it with a book or whatnot. The tactile feedback of the keys is superb ... eliminating uncertainty from off-tempo or incidental key strikes. The Media Control system is nothing short of brilliant. Volume control: it is such an obvious solution ... put a volume knob on the keyboard rather than those infernal (+) and (-) buttons. I've seen no volume solution on other products that is as elegant as on this keyboard. The knob is even side-exposed, for better ergonomics. The media control buttons on this keyboard are low profile, but provide similar feedback when pressed. Slick! I have yet to use the USB ports, but I will use them eagerly when opportunity presents. The keyboard incline bar on the back of the keyboard doubles as a ruler ... also great outside-the-box thinking, though in truth I'll likely never use it as a ruler. (Given my druthers, I'd probably incline the keyboard more ... and Das Keyboard might be well to offer a higher incline bar/ruler in the future.) Top marks.

I was a little bit worried when I made the decision to purchase a Cherry MX Blue keyboard because of the noise factor. However, after receiving this keyboard and typing on it for several hours, I must say that the Das Keyboard is no louder than my employee's who are using XArmor keyboards with Cherry MX Browns. Make no mistake, this keyboard has no frills, no blinking lights, no special software macros for gaming but that's ok. The keyboard has weight to it and typing on it just feels right. I like the added touch of the ruler as a stand - it may sound strange but oddly enough, I found it useful in less than a day. The two factors that made me choose the Das Keyboard over everything else was that this keyboard has two USB ports as well as great placement of a volume knob. It's more convenient to plug in to the keyboard than to reach under my desk to get to my computer's ports. The volume knob and media keys are also a nice touch. I have heard people say this keyboard slides on a smooth surface but my desk at home and at work is wood and this keyboard doesn't budge. Maybe on glass? I don't know. I do know the Das Keyboard 4 Pro has some significant weight to it. Nothing "cheap" about it. Overall, this keyboard feels like it will last several years which is why I bought it. It's a minor investment for a tool which I use on a daily basis and typing on it simply feels great. You never know what you are missing in a mechanical keyboard until you actually own and use one. So for those looking for a solid keyboard with zero gimmicks and a purist typing experience - I recommend the Das Keyboard Professional 4.

When I am paying nearly $200 for a mechanical keyboard I expect it to be the best there is which this one claims to be. Although I agree what could have been a great keyboard has been ruined by a major flaw. For the reasons that behoves me they decided to make the keyboard stand to be a gimmicky ruler. I wouldn't mind the the stand doubling as a elementary school ruler, which I can never phantom using it, as long as it served its primary function. It is made of hard plastic and only inch of it from both corners come in contact with the surface which makes it extremely slippery. My desk is not very slick by any means, just a regular office desk, yet this keyboard slides all over it. When I remove the "ruler" it sits where it supposed to like a tank, on rubber feet. My personal preference is slight tilted, not flat, which makes it difficult angle to type on. So, when I put the ruler back on its like putting the ice hockey shoes and stepping on the ring. I can't tell you how disappointed I am as I was looking forward to the typing experience. What makes the problem even more ironic is that the company boast having the no frills, no bells, no whistles just rock solid keyboard. Yet they somehow decided to save the user .50 cent by turning the stand into the cheesy ruler. I wish I could smack the german engineer who thought this would be a great idea in his head with this keyboard. Unfortunately I have to repack it and send it back. The USB cable is also very hard, plastic and thick. I would expect braided or more elegant cabling for a keyboard of this grade. I am giving a solid 1 star as I haven't been able to type on it.

Great feedback from the buttons and volume knob. It reminds me of the old keyboards I grew up with in the early 90's but, MUCH more refined. I love the noise it makes when I'm typing quick. It's such a pleasant sound. "The perfect amount of noise, the perfect amount of feedback, the perfect WEIGHT." The construction is what you would expect from a keyboard in this price-point. It's extremely solid, stays planted on my glass desk. Nothing feels cheap about it. It's fairly heavy. There is a magnetic ruler that is under the keyboard that is used to prop it up. I wish there was more adjustability for keyboard angle but, I can't knock a star off for that. It's such a great experience. Also, the cord is slightly ridgid and has a fairly large diameter. To some this may not mean much but, it doesn't appear to be something fragile. As in, my 3 year old could drag the keyboard around the house by the cord and I doubt the cord would be damage at all. One thing I can add (that may be something to look at in future revisions of this keyboard) is about the 'sleep, mute, previous, play/pause, next' buttons. It would be nice if they had more of a mechanical feel too. I would love to try the different mechanical buttons from Das Keyboard just to compare them. If you are on the fence, you won't be disappointed. This is worth the price of entry.

I've had this keyboard for a little under a week, and so far, it's been awesome. Coming from a rubber dome keyboard, albeit a fairly high quality one (Logitech G110), the typing experience on this board is absolutely phenomenal. The tactile and auditory feedback the cherry MX blue switches provide is not only extremely satisfying, but it has also helped me improve my typing accuracy. I can actually feel and hear when my keystrokes have successfully registered. I'm also starting to be able to type for longer periods of time without fatigue because I no longer have to bottom out the keys to actuate them. I do good amount of gaming, and I haven't noticed any difference in my performance after switching to this board. It's serviceable for video games, but if you need macro keys, you best look elsewhere, because you won't find any here. As far build quality go, this board is mostly top-notch. It's got a lot of heft to it and it's built like a tank. I'd wager it could probably take a significant amount of abuse and still work like a charm. Aesthetically, the board is sleek, slender, and sexy. It doesn't attract too much attention to itself, but when you look at it, you know it's of excellent quality. There are a few things about this keyboard that irk me though: First, I wish they would have opted for a braided cable. It's not really a huge issue, but at this price point, I don't know why they couldn't have included that. My $60 Razer Deathadder has a braided cable, and this thing is almost three times that price. Second, some of my keys are showing signs of fading already, particularly my M key. This is after having the board for less than a week. Das Keyboard claims that the keys on their professional keyboards are laser-etched and resistant to wear, but if my keys have faded this much in such a short period of time, I'll probably end up with something more closely resembling the Ultimate edition before this time next year. Third, while I do think the footbar ruler is a pretty neat idea, the fact that it doesn't have rubber feet makes the keyboard more prone to sliding around on my desk. Luckily, the board is so heavy that this doesn't happen too often, but every once in a while, I'll accidentally push it out of position. Lastly, there is no back-lighting. Of course, I knew this before I purchased the board, but I think it's a little ridiculous that it's not even an option for a keyboard that costs so much money. It would be nice to see a third model of Das Keyboard along with the ultimate and professional models that includes back-lit keys. Overall, this is an excellent board. If it was 30-40 dollars cheaper, I wouldn't hesitate to rate it five stars. Typing on the Das Keyboard 4 is an incredible experience, but one you could probably approximate in a more competitively priced board with the same switches. For the price of this product, I'm a little underwhelmed.

While it didn't work for me with windows 7 64 bit, this keyboard oozes quality all around and frankly I knew that there might be problem as I had seen online. There wasn't a fix all solution out there but I was willing to take a risk. Before I buy something this expensive, I go online and i search (product name) problems and it showed up. It didn't happen to everybody just a few but oh well let's chance it. The keycaps are high contrast and there was a problem with a few of the switches but I believe that's cherry's fault because the difference was noticeable even after pulling the key cap so it's not the keyboard itself and I have chosen not to downgrade it because it is just as likely on any other keyboard. Either way the fit and finish is minimalistic, It looks like a very high quality version of a generic keyboard like a dell or something. When you walk up and press a button, you think oh it's mechanical it must be around $80. Then you see the contrast of the keycaps which indicate quality materials and processes and you think hmm nice keycaps and solid base $110 maybe. Then you see the features and realize there's a volume wheel and media keys THAT STILL KEEP ALONG WITH THE MINIMALISTIC DESIGN and you realize this keyboard was extremely well designed when you step back and look at everything as a whole. And after that you realize there's usb ports and it's in a league of it's own. Obviously it's at the top of the price range.As sad as I am to say that I am returning it, I will remember Das' quality and the fact that Das is more than willing to stand by it's products and repair/refund the price. Bonus Nachos: Pull the space bar keycap with the included ruler/keyboard stand and invert it backward, SOOO MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE. Just slide the end of the ruler under the space bare and wedge it up or use a keycap puller and take it off and then just turn it around so it angles down instead of up.

***EDIT*** Changed from 5 star to 3 star based on customer satisfaction. As of February 2017 I had noticed that the "F" key has lost its "click". The key didn't stop working, it just lost some of its tactical feel and is now noticeably mushy-er than the rest. So, of course I sent an email to Das Keyboard support and explained the situation and they had me reply with my receipt. Apparently, if you buy from their website you get a 3 year warranty, however if you buy it from Amazon, or any other place, you only get a year warranty. So, despite the fact that I was only a couple months out of warranty (since I purchased in Dec 2015) they offered to fix it for a fee of over $40. To fix one key. No thanks. For a keyboard that costs over $150 you would think their customer service would be top notch, but that isn't the case. I am going to buy a replacement cap myself and do the repair for much cheaper. Another problem to watch out for is the keys fading. Now, this doesn't at all hurt the function of the keyboard, however for a keyboard of this price you would think they would use a method that would keep them from fading. They are "laser etched" but will still fade. Be wary of this if it will bug you, because down the road you may be investing in a keycap set replacement. I was eager to recommend Das Keyboard to just about anyone who wanted a nicer typing experience but after this situation has unfolded I am reluctant to mention them anymore and will be taking my future business elsewhere since there are plenty of mechanical keyboard manufacturers out there who would love to take my money. ***END EDIT*** I purposefully waited quite a while to write a review so that I could get past the "honeymoon" phase and get some decent all around experience with it. Before the Das, I had a Razer mechanical board so this wasn't my first mechanical board technically. Razer used their own cherry style switches, so there really isn't a fair comparison to be made between the two. Impressions: Right off the bat, the Das seemed way more sturdy and almost "stiff" with the keys. After a while though, you get used to it and there really is nothing like typing on the cherry blues. I've gotten a chance to try other color switches and knock offs, but honestly the best overall cherry switch color, for me, was definitely the blues. The responsiveness and clicky sound is very satisfying. Typing: I'm a fairly heavy handed typist and certainly don't claim to be the fastest, but the Das board definitely increased my wpm and accuracy by a noticeable amount. For years I had used membranes, so the transition wasn't overnight, but eventually I adapted to the feel of blues and now have a really hard time typing on membrane boards, when forced to. If you work at a job where you spend a lot of time typing, you should seriously put thought into investing in a mech board of some sort, if that can be allowed. You may need to get quieter cherry switches though, as the blues will be pretty annoying for anyone working close-by. The browns would probably be preferred in that situation. Features: There are certain touches to the keyboard I really like too, mainly the volume knob. Once I got used to having it, it is really annoying not to have one on other keyboards that I use. The other media keys are useful, but standard. They have included a USB hub on the keyboard with 2 inputs and it is greatly appreciated that they go towards the back unlike certain boards that may interfere with the mouse when using the ports. I really don't utilize them much, but it is still a great thing to have handy. The only thing it's missing that I would have really liked would have been a calculator button. I had one on an old Microsoft keyboard and actually used it a lot. The whole ruler thing is kind of a gimmick, but has come in handy a few times. I sort of wish they just saved some money and went with a standard incline solution, but oh well. Design aesthetics: Overall I love the design they chose, and some might even complain that there's no back-lighting but after a while I kind of appreciate the total professional look of it compared to those gaudy "gaming" keyboards. Some are nice, don't get me wrong, but certainly don't come across as "professional" and I happen to think that counts for something. I was close to getting the "ultimate" version with blank keys because of how nice it looked, but decided not to and I'm glad because even though I don't look at my keyboard 90% of the time I type, there are some situations where I need to look and find a key quick which would get annoying fast with the ultimate. Flaws: I personally haven't experienced what I've seen in some of these reviews as far as sticking keys or a mushy space bar. All of my keys are crisp and responsive, including the space bar. I can see why the cherry blues are the most popular cherry switch, simply because they feel so nice to type on. I even use them for gaming. I know there are far better switches for gaming, but don't let anyone tell you you can't game with blues. It just takes some getting used to and it's fine. I suppose the only gripe I have is with the lettering on the keys... they seem to be printed on somehow and I think over some years they will eventually rub off... I have seen keys that have them injected into the key itself to avoid this, and on a keyboard this expensive I would have thought they would have only used the most durable key printing process. So far though, no keys have rubbed off, and this isn't truly a negative for me yet. Pricing: Let's not beat around the bush though. This thing is expensive. Are you paying for the name? Yeah. Is it worth it? Yep (Imo). Are there boards out there for a fairer price with comparable features? Absolutely. Overall Das has created a solid, professional looking, and functional full size mechanical keyboard and I think it's worth a try for anyone looking to step up their typing game. I would definitely buy again. I only wish they will offer a board with cherry mx greens in the future for people like me who always type heavy handed.

I have never owned a mechanical keyboard before. This one seems great. This is day 1 and I am enjoying typing on it. I am a professional and I think this keyboard suits my just fine. I think the music controls are well constructed and positioned. MX Blue is loudish, but not too bad if you have your own office with the door open. I can see that if you shared an office you might want to try a quieter key such as MX brown, but it may not even be necessary to do that - it is just another form of background noise.

Tastiera che fa il suo dovere e con pochissimi fronzoli. La qualità costruttiva è ottima, tranne che per i tasti. Dopo poco più di due mesi di utilizzo si vedono già i segni delle dita e la stampa inizia a sbiadire. Ciò dà fastidio visto il prezzo pagato, per il resto la consiglio

I'll admit that I'm rather new to the mechanical keyboard world. So far, I've only tried about three mechanical keyboards, but I must say this is definitely "the one", right off the bat. Build quality is great, key caps feel good and have a nice texture. The Cherry MX Blue switches feel super responsive, although I don't think this keyboard would be suitable for an open office type setup given the amount of sound the key switches make. I only really mention this as the name "professional" might imply this product is suitable for office use, but I really don't see that being possible with any keyboard that sports Cherry MX Blue key switches unless you have your own office or work in an area secluded from others. If you're somewhat unsure about the sound these things make, I'd recommend passing by a Canada Computers or a Best Buy as there is a good chance that they have a floor model on display that you can try out. The volume knob is very responsive and ticks as the volume increases, which I personally prefer to that linear feel. The two USB 3.0 ports located on the side of the keyboard are well positioned and convenient -- they are no longer placed on the side like the old model, meaning that there is no possibility that the attachments will obstruct your mouse movements. One thing to note, unlike most of the other mechanical keyboards I've owned, the cable to plug the keyboard into the computer is not detachable. The wire itself is also very thick, probably due to the two USB 3.0 ports. I've included a picture in the review which showcases the wire's attachment to the keyboard (just ignore the key caps, I switched the defaults caps for my own.) This is not an issue at all for me though, as the wire seems sturdy and unlikely to break. To be honest, besides being able to route the wire to different sides of the keyboard, I never understood why the detachable cable is such a selling point. Overall, this is a fantastic keyboard, one looking for a quality build need look no further!

I was a bit scared that the keyboard will be too loud but fortunately it's not that bad (MX Blue), even my wife likes it. I'm using it with my rMBP 2012 and it works like a charm. I didn't have to install anything extra to get the media buttons and USB working. So if you are a programmer, you shouldn't get definitely one of these :)

I've typed around 150 wpm on this keyboard; its switches make all the difference. I believe there to be an ever stiffer and harder to press switch that exists but perhaps the easier Cherry MX Blues are all I need. They actuate and give great tactile feedback. I really like the one cord into USB 3.0 and it splits into two USB ports somehow, accessible for charging various peripherals, speakers and fans etc in the top right. That in itself makes it way better than anything I have ever owned, including Overwatch edition Razer BlackWidows, Corsair K70 RGB Mk 2 SE (although the volume roller on the Corsair is quite nice compared to the das keyboard but the cord is atrociously thick and annoying, double pronged), MadCatz STRIKE 7s, PS/2 various membrane keyboards etc etc etc. If you don't need RGB backlit keys, this keyboard is for you.