INTRODUCTION

   Many attempts have been made in the past from several manufacturers to change the concept behind the keyboard but when you try to change something that has been used by 100% of both PC and MAC users for several decades then the odds are obviously against you. Because of that manufacturers decided to further improve the keyboard instead rather than try and replace it with something else entirely and as you all know the result of that was the introduction of the much sturdier mechanical switches that offered better tactile and audible feedback. However although mechanical switches alone are what professionals around the world look for in a keyboard the same is not the case for gamers who are always on the lookout for something unique to place on their desks. Tesoro may not be one of the old players in the market but they know very well what gamers want and their latest Lobera Supreme Full Color Illumination Mechanical Gaming Keyboard which we have here with us today may actually have what it takes to become one of the best-selling models of 2014.

   Tesoro Technology USA Inc, a team of U.S.A gaming enthusiasts. With the objective of designing unique products specially catered to the gamers. We focused on PC gaming and our mission is to create products with better design, increase and reach for peak performances. In the recent years the gaming industry has developed into the ultra-competitive market that we see today. While we are still a relatively young company, established in 2011. Tesoro will continue to strive for the best and continuously evaluate our performance against the very best of the best. Tesoro could not exist without the gaming community who inspire us to excel in the design and production of our award winning gear. As a gamers company, we will continues to expand into new horizons and push the limits further with each product unveiling. We Strive to develop innovative cutting edge computer gaming peripherals to help improve your gaming experience. We maximize our ability to meet the needs of the fast changing PC gaming industry.

   The Lobera got its name from the "wolfslayer" sword used by Saint Ferdinand the 3rd so right from the start you know that we're talking about one very interesting keyboard model. So for starters the Lobera comes wearing the same mechanical switches by Kailh (Blue/Brown/Black/Red) which we've encountered in the past with the PoseidonZ line of mechanical keyboards by TteSPORTS and features 6/Full N-key rollover, 5 different onboard profiles, 6 different illumination levels for the keys, RGB color illumination and 3 macro keys. It also comes ready with one of the best LED placements I’ve ever seen used on a keyboard to date, two USB 2.0 ports, headphones and microphone 3.5mm jacks, gold plated plugs and a DC power port (USB to DC in) which can provide even extra power to the USB ports (just in case you want to use them with 2.5" PHDs). From the specs sheet to real world use things may not be exactly the same so lets see what Tesoro offers with their latest Lobera Supreme Full Color Illumination Mechanical Gaming Keyboard.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

The Lobera Supreme arrived inside a black/purple box with a large sword at the front, the company logo and a small clear plastic window from where you can see part of the keyboard.

On the left side you will find a quick explanation regarding the name of the product and on the right side you will find 7 small shields pointing to its 7 main features.

The keyboard layout and the type of mechanical switches used are both listed at the top.

Listed at the bottom are the system requirements and bundle contents.

All of the Lobera Supreme features are listed at the rear and showcased with the help of 9 pictures (unfortunately no you can't have the keyboard illuminated like that).

The keyboard is safely placed beneath a piece of clear plastic and between two thick foam spacers.

Inside the box you will find the Lobera Supreme, USB to DC in power cord, product catalog and the quick start guide.

THE LOBERA SUPREME

I was happy to see that aside the very good design the Lobera Supreme is standard in size and measures just 444mm in length, 206mm in width and 44mm in height while it weighs 1173g.

Tesoro has placed their logo twice on the keyboard the first of which is placed on the top right corner right above the Lock LEDs (CAPS/Num/Scroll) and two LED buttons used to record macros on the fly and to lock Windows keys out.

The second place Tesoro has placed their name is on the spacebar while right beneath it we see 3 H-keys used for macros and program shortcuts (yes similar to what we've seen from Roccat in the past).

As always the F1/F6 keys also double as multimedia keys (via the Fn button) while F8/F12 can be used to switch between the 5 available profiles.

Our sample came with Kailh blue mechanical switches and once again it's the first to offer almost complete RGB LED illumination.

At the front of the keyboard right beneath the Tesoro logo we find the two USB 2.0 ports, DC power in and the headphones and microphone plugs (all were covered by a sticker warning you about the maximum current capacity of the USB ports if you don't use the DC cable that is).

Tesoro has placed 4 rubber feet/strips at the base of the Lobera Supreme and two flip out legs.

The tall leg is 23mm in height while the short one is around 12mm in height.

You will need to plug both USB ports into your mainboard to give power to the front USB ports (the DC in USB cable provides even more) and the headphones and microphone plugs if you wish to use the ones on the keyboard. All plugs are gold plated as you can all see.

USING THE LOBERA SUPREME

Since there's no software CD in the package you will need to download the latest control software version from the official Tesoro support page.

The control software is an obvious step up from the one bundles with the Durandal Ultimate but it still needs some work to make it easier to navigate. Leaving out the design part from within the software you can remap the keys (or assign them to program executables), record macros, select the LED color you want to use with each profile (out of the RGB pallet), assign macros and/or commands to the H-keys and finally you can assign each of the 5 profiles to specific program executables.

Here you can see the available LED levels and zones in blue and red (you can use the 8 & 2 on the numeric pad to adjust the illumination - looks nice doesn't it?).

CONCLUSION

   When we first received the Durandal Ultimate Mechanical Gaming Keyboard slightly over a year ago we were very impressed with the design and level of craftsmanship a brand new player like Tesoro was able to put in it although i have to admit that we weren't just as happy with the design of its control software. With the Lobera Supreme Tesoro takes things even further not only because of the RGB illumination of the Kailh switches but also in terms of design both in regard to the keyboard itself and the control software. As a matter of fact the illumination of the keyboard is amongst the best ones I’ve ever seen and although I’m not one to base my decision on such things i do believe that there many that do. The Kailh switches once again offered good tactile and audible feedback and although not as hard to press as Cherry MX ones i really think that the difference is so small that no one will ever complain (especially since both types offer 50m key actuations). The only thing i can't figure out is why Tesoro decided to skip on the wrist rest entirely in both the normal Lobera and the Lobera Supreme. I am not going to miss it but i do think that the Supreme model should have one just in case.

   Price is not bad either since currently the Tesoro Lobera Supreme Full Color Illumination Mechanical Gaming Keyboard (blue Kailh switches) retails for USD139.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 119Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de). So we have a very nice looking and sturdy mechanical keyboard that offers full RGB illumination for the keys, 6 N-Key/Full N-Key rollover, 2 USB ports (DC powered) and two audio jacks (headphones/microphone). The design of the software although improved compared to that of the Durandal Ultimate is the obvious issue once again and so we really hope that Tesoro can put more effort in designing something much easier to use (for example the size of the font used is very small). Overall we feel that the Lobera Supreme has what it takes for it to be amongst the best-selling mechanical keyboards of 2014 and that's why it gets our Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Design
- Full RGB LED Illumination (16.8M Colors)
- Kailh Mechanical Switches (50M Actuations)
- 6 N-Key/Full N-Key Rollover
- 2 USB Ports (DC Powered)
- Headphones And Microphone Mini Jacks
- Braided Cable / Gold Plated Plugs
- Price (For Some)

CONS

- Control Software Design
- No Wrist Rest
- Current Availability
- No Individual Key Illumination