CONCLUSION

   The Excalibur Spectrum Mechanical Gaming Keyboard is yet another example of what mechanical keyboards aimed towards both gamers and professionals should be like. It’s not that different compared to the Excalibur RGB which we tested a while back (more modes and improved per-key illumination) so if you have that you need not look at this but if you’re looking for a new keyboard the advanced spectrum key illumination is well worth your attention. I still prefer the Lobera Spectrum in terms of design but it goes without saying that if you don’t have a large desk the Excalibur Spectrum could be a better fit. As for the keys well Kailh red switches provide good audible and tactile feedback and although they are slightly harder to press compared to Cherry MX Reds (50g vs 45g actuation force) I can hardly tell the difference between the two. Still if one thing applies for both that’s the fact that they are not really ment for typing so if you type a lot I strongly recommend getting the blue switches version. Once again I have to point out that the control software still needs some work since it may look nice but it’s not very easy to use.

   With a very large number of mechanical gaming keyboards in the market price plays a very significant role. Fortunately there aren’t that many mechanical gaming keyboards in the market currently capable of RGB key illumination so the current price of USD99.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and 114Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk) set for the Excalibur Spectrum Mechanical Gaming Keyboard with Kailh Red switches is actually well justified. In the end design and lack of dedicated macro keys are the two things that may push some gamers away but other than that we see nothing wrong with the Excalibur Spectrum which is why it gets our Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Size
- Full RGB LED Illumination (16.8M Colors)
- 7 Modes / 4 Brightness Levels
- Individual Key Illumination
- Gold Plated Kailh Mechanical Switches (60M Actuations)
- 6 N-Key/Full N-Key Rollover
- Braided Cable / Gold Plated USB Plug
- Price (For Some)

CONS

- Control Software Design
- No USB/Headphones/Microphone Ports