INTRODUCTION

   Since the late 90's early 2000 it almost feels like the entire PC market revolves around gamers of all ages and types and that goes double when it comes to input devices like keyboards and mice. Manufacturers like Microsoft and IBM did try to cater to the needs of the professional community all around the world in the 90’s with high quality ergonomic keyboards and keyboards offering good tactile and audible feedback but now that i look back at that time that didn't really pan out since most manufacturers turned towards gamers really fast. There are still however some manufacturers that go against the "flow" of things and although their solutions are obviously aimed towards professionals they are also chosen by gamers all over the world. Das Keyboard is one of the leading companies in that field and today we're taking a look at their latest keyboard model the Das Keyboard 4 Professional.

   Das Keyboard, a brand of Metadot, makes high-quality mechanical keyboards, along with RFID blocking gear that protects user privacy. Das Keyboard is a privately held technology company headquartered in Austin, Texas dedicated to delivering innovative technology products to increase productivity and lower costs. Developed in 2005, Das Keyboard has been praised by major media outlets, techie magazines, geeks and regular people who use and rely on keyboards to be productive throughout the workday. For more information, please visit www.daskeyboard.com.

   With us we have the Das Keyboard 4 Professional model that features Cherry MX Brown switches but the same model is also available with Cherry MX Blue switches for people who want louder audible and higher tactile feedback (both types of switches are gold-plated). The Das Keyboard 4 Professional keyboard however has many tricks up its sleeve so it also features a top anodized aluminum panel, UV coated key caps, two USB 3.0 SuperSpeed ports, dedicated media controls, sleep button (power saving feature), full n-key rollover (NKRO), single USB 3.0 connector (no extra power is required for use of the front USB 3.0 ports) and a magnetic foot bar which also doubles as a ruler. The question we're here to answer today is whether or not the Das Keyboard 4 Professional can be the one stop for both professionals and gamers alike so let's move forward with our review.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

The keyboard arrived inside a long white/brown box that just has a large product picture at the front.

Both the model name and switches used are printed on all 4 sides.

Moving at the rear you can see the features list and another product picture.

Packaging may not be the best we've seen to date but no problems here.

The bundle is very basic so aside the Das Keyboard 4 Professional you'll also get a long red ruler and a piece of paper with information on the keyboard.

THE DAS KEYBOARD 4 PROFESSIONAL

The Das Keyboard 4 Professional features a nice black matte paint and is available in 104 and 105 key configurations (US/UK/NO/DE layouts). Size-wise it's much like a regular keyboard and so it measures just 457.2mm in length, 172.7mm in width and 20.3mm in height.

All the dedicated media controls along with the sleep button can be found on the right upper corner just beneath the company logo.

The volume control knob is what makes the Das Keyboard 4 Professional standout when compared to other models (the black & red color combo sure helps) and although at first i thought it was just another marketing gimmick i actually found myself using it quite a bit not only when in Skype calls but also when watching movies and playing games.

Das Keyboard has used a new font with the 4 line and has also used their logo on the windows keys.

Two USB 3.0 SuperSpeed ports are placed just in front of the media keys and can support even 2.5" portable hard drives without issue.

The Das Keyboard 4 Professional uses Cherry MX switches with gold plated contacts but unfortunately not the backlit ones.

At the base of the keyboard there are just 4 rubber feet and a aluminum label.

As expected the 40cm long ruler was not a bad choice by Das Keyboard since it did come handy on numerous occasions.

Since it's magnetic you just need to place it between the two rubber feet as seen above.

Das Keyboard claims that the 4 degrees the ruler raises the keyboard are optimal for long use.

The 2 meter (not braided) cable ends on a regular USB 3.0 connector.

AUDIBLE FEEDBACK

Many people ask my opinion on what keyboard they should get for their needs. Some want a “silent” model for use in their living room or even in their bedroom while others ask for a model with good audible feedback for use in the office or for gaming. Because of this I decided to test keyboards by placing our ExTech HD600 vertically over each keyboard (5cm distance) and typing NikKTech a total of 6 times with each (after that the max recorded number - max hold - is placed in the graph). I have to admit that this may not be 100% accurate but it does give a good idea on what you can expect from each model since aside the type of switches used keycaps and keyboard material also matter.

CONCLUSION

   The Professional Model S which we reviewed by Das Keyboard roughly 3 years ago is still in our lab and good as new so naturally we expected even more from the brand new Das Keyboard 4 Professional. On that account build quality is roughly identical although you can see that Das Keyboard has paid more attention to some details like the top anodized aluminum panel, dual USB 3.0 ports with plenty of power for even 2.5” PHDs and the dedicated media controls. The Cherry MX Brown switches also work like a charm and are actually more silent than expected although they do offer good audible and tactile feedback. Unfortunately the new model also lacks backlit illumination and that’s what may discourage some gamers from purchasing it. True in many case backlit keys may not offer much and that’s why we still use the Model S in the lab but I realize that gamers also check looks when out to get a brand new keyboard. As for the ruler well I don’t know if Das Keyboard chose the right path by ditching the usual height adjusters but we had no problem with it during testing and as already mentioned it did come handy on several occasions (it would be nice to also have height adjusters however).

   The Das Keyboard 4 Professional Mechanical Keyboard is available all around the place but the best way to get it if you live inside the USA would be to order it through the official Das Keyboard online store for a price of USD169. The best option for European customers on the other hand would be Amazon.de for a price of 172.95Euros. Now I do have to admit that the Das Keyboard 4 Professional is not the lowest cost mechanical keyboard using Cherry MX Brown switches but if there’s one thing Das Keyboard excels at that’s build quality something which matters a lot especially to professionals like ourselves and that's why it gets our Golden Award (we do hope however that Das Keyboard releases a gaming oriented model in the future).

PROS

- Excellent Build Quality
- Cherry MX Brown Switches (Soft Tactile Click/50.000.000+ Operations/Gold Plated Contacts)
- 2 USB 3.0 Ports (Powered Via USB 3.0)
- Full N-Key Rollover (NKRO)
- Dedicated Media Controls
- Foot Bar / Ruler
- Size (For Some)

CONS

- Price (For Some)
- No Backlit Illumination