INTRODUCTION

   No matter how many times we've thought about it over the years how rapidly the PC market can change is quite impressive even for us. Take keyboards for example, up until roughly 4-5 years ago every single person i know had been using membrane keys based ones for decades (like myself since the very early 90's) but in such a short time this has changed and so mechanical keyboards are now selling more than twice in number compared to regular membrane ones to professionals, gamers and enthusiasts alike. That's not all however and so although Cherry started it all with their excellent MX switches several years back (around three decades to be exact so it did take a while for the main consumer base to actually see them used in keyboards) the overwhelming demand allowed many manufacturers to make their very own models like Kailh (red/blue/black/brown), SteelSeries (QS1), Razer (green/orange), Matias (Quiet Click) and Logitech (Romer-G). Mionix has only released one mechanical gaming keyboard to date called the Zibal 60 and although it took quite a while for us to get our hands on it we finally did.

   Mionix was founded in Sweden 2007 by Peter Nygren with the mission to create the world’s best performing and most ergonomic gaming mouse. We proved that a small dedicated Swedish clan could do this. And it was just the beginning... Today, our complete gaming range is crafted with the same level of innovation and attention to detail.

   The Mionix Zibal 60 uses Cherry MX Black 18k gold plated backlit mechanical switches (60g actuation force and a lifespan of up to 50 million keystrokes) and unlike most similar models in the market it's not available with red, blue and brown ones. This is somewhat strange and will certainly disappoint some serious gamers since Cherry MX red switches offer a much better tactile feedback compared to their black brothers (always at the cost of extra noise however) but I’m certain that Mionix chose that path for a good reason (if i had to guess this decision was most likely taken to in order to reduce costs). Also since the Zibal 60 is not one of the latest mechanical gaming keyboards to hit the market instead of full N-Key rollover it features a 6-key rollover but since to date the maximum number of keys any of us here has ever used simultaneously is 5 i think that 6 although certainly not as good (at least not in terms of marketing) should be more than enough. The Zibal 60 also features three different lighting modes for its keys (On/Off/WASD) with three different lighting levels, two powered USB 2.0 ports, 3.5mm audio ports and a thick steel braided cord.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

We received the Zibal 60 inside a large box that has a product picture at the front and the company logo.

Another product picture is placed at the rear of the box and is used to showcase the product features which are printed in 12 languages.

As expected the keyboard is placed inside a piece of fabric and a piece of cardboard.

The bundle is limited and so aside the keyboard itself and its wrist rest you are also getting a keycap removal tool and a get started guide.

THE ZIBAL 60

Mionix decided to keep things simple so no macro keys and no bells and whistles. Instead the Zibal 60 is built like a tank and without the wrist rest it measures 444mm in length, 44mm in height and 158mm in width.

Without the wrist rest the Zibal 60 is just a tad smaller compared to most mechanical gaming keyboards including our lab reference keyboard, the Lobera Supreme by Tesoro.

Mionix has placed their name right above the lock LEDs.

Mionix has placed their logo on the function key instead of the usual Fn we see with most keyboards.

The arrow keys have large arrows printed on them and although a bit strange we all liked that touch.

F1 through F3 and F5 through F8 also double as media navigation keys.

Via F11 and F12 (and the function key) you can choose between the three lighting levels (F11) and the three lighting modes (F12).

Cherry MX Black switches are very sturdy and the number one choice for people who are looking for quiet mechanical switches but unfortunately not the most ideal for some serious gamers.

Two powered USB 2.0 ports and the usual microphone and headphones 3.5" ports are placed at the right front of the keyboard.

Four rubber feet are placed at the base of the keyboard along with two height adjusters.

The height adjusters lift the highest end of the keyboard roughly 11mm from your desk.

With the wrist rest attached the width of the Zibal 60 increases 47mm (206mm total).

Mionix has used the 2nd thickest and toughest braided cable we've ever seen used in a keyboard and it's quite impressive really.

At the end of the 1.55m long cable we find two gold plated USB plugs (one is used to provide power to the front USB 2.0 ports) and the microphone and headphones 3.5" plugs (also gold plated).

Here you can see the two lighting modes (the third is just the off mode) at full illumination strength.

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

   Before we proceed with our conclusion it’s very important to keep in mind that Mionix released the Zibal 60 roughly 4 years ago and back then there weren’t as many mechanical gaming keyboards in the market as they are today (not even close). Back then most mechanical gaming keyboards didn’t even feature backlight illumination for their keys so the Zibal 60 was quite unique. Fast forward to today and although the Zibal 60 doesn’t feature RGB key illumination and Full N-key rollover (NKRO) it’s still one of the sturdiest keyboards to arrive in our lab and to professionals and hardcore gamers this is obviously something that matters quite a lot. With that out of the way the green LED illumination for the keys is not bad (especially since it goes hand to hand with the color Mionix has chosen for their brand) even more so if you take into consideration both the available profiles and illumination levels. Personally I also liked the very thick braided cable (although it may not be easy to bend near the keyboard) but at the same time I found once again that the Cherry MX Black keys are just too soft for my taste (the others here seemed to like them more). As for the detachable wrist wrest well to my surprise that’s a feature we don’t see much lately and although I don’t know whether or not Mionix will have one with their next keyboard I think it’s a fine addition.

   If there’s one good thing about the age of the Zibal 60 that’s its current price tag which is set at USD99.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and at 122Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk). Now I do think that it should be slightly lower inside the EU (almost to the levels of the USA) but at the end of the day you’re getting a mechanical gaming keyboard which is built like a tank, features three level and three mode backlit keys, has two powered USB 2.0 ports and pass-through 3.5mm audio ports and also features a removable wrist rest. True we do all think that it should be revamped soon to directly compete with all the other mechanical keyboards out there currently but even so it is well worth our Golden Award.

PROS

- Excellent Build Quality
- Three Level, Three Mode Backlit Key Illumination
- 18k Gold Plated Cherry MX Black Mechanical Switches (50M Actuations)
- 6 N-Key Rollover
- 2 USB Ports (Powered)
- Headphones And Microphone Mini Jacks
- Military Grade Braided Cable / Gold Plated Plugs
- Removable Wrist Rest
- Price (USA)

CONS

- Price (EU)
- Needs A Revamp