INTRODUCTION

   RGB illuminated devices may be among the hottest selling products in the electronics industry right now but as we've pointed out many times already not all people are into it and yes that even includes gaming peripherals. Of course people can always choose single colors for their RGB illuminated gaming peripherals but on one hand price is always an issue (RGB models usually cost more compared to their single color counterparts) while on the other some gaming peripherals don't really go hand to hand with many different colors. The typewriter inspired classic edition of mechanical keyboards by Azio is a perfect example of this and after having tested their somewhat impressive RETRO model we decided to take a thorough look at their Armato CE gaming model.

   Azio Corp. is a manufacturer dedicated to providing innovative tech gear to make everyday life more engaging and fun. We believe that design has the power to alter not only perceptions, but also emotions. Through superior design, we are driven to provide a better experience for people of all ages from all walks of life, no matter what your hobby, profession, or need may be. Technology can simplify complicated things, or complicate simple things. Our design goal is to create cutting-edge products that are intuitively easy to use, provide maximum comfort, and leave a minimal environmental footprint. Through the use of color, material, and finish, we strive to design our products with the perfect blend of elegance and ferocity. Our brand, Azio®, is an acronym for "A to Z, Input-Output". This reflects the core of our business as a manufacturer of computer and electronic peripherals. The Azio brand logo employs a simple, geometric typeface to resemble solidity, efficiency and forwardness. This simplicity and cleanliness avoids all decorative and nonessential elements to demonstrate that Azio aims to only offer succinct products that have the optimum balance between aesthetics and functionality.

   The Armato CE Mechanical Gaming Keyboard is actually the typewriter inspired classic edition of the Armato Mechanical Gaming Keyboard and so it basically combines the typewriter style keycaps of the MK RETRO model with the "regular" Armato. This however means that although both keyboards are extremely similar they have but one serious difference, the type of switches used. So although the regular Armato model features Cherry MX Brown switches (gold plated - tactile feedback - 50 million keystrokes) the Armato CE comes with the not so popular OARMY Blue mechanical switches (tactile and clicky feedback - 50 million keystrokes - probably manufactured by Kailh). Other features include a brushed aluminum top plate with silver aluminum mesh pieces (the regular Armato comes with red), dedicated rubber media control buttons with an aluminum volume control wheel, 5 dedicated programmable macro keys, N-Key/6-Key rollover, ambient white backlight for the keys (3 modes including per key illumination) and a removable magnetic palm rest.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

Both the Armato and the Armato CE are packed in the same black box that has a drawing of the right side of the regular Armato at the front.

The product features are listed at the rear right next to a large sticker pointing out which keyboard version is in the box.

Packaging is pretty much excellent with the Armato CE placed inside a soft plastic bag and between two foam spacers and a piece of cardboard.

Along with the Armato CE Azio also packs a keycap puller, happy/sad rating card and the user guide.

THE ARMATO CE

The Armato CE is a medium to large keyboard that measures 482.6mm in length, 165.1mm in width and 30.5mm in height.

Just like the other Classic Edition models the Armato CE features a floating keys design.

The aluminum mesh pieces placed all over the keyboard look nice and fit nicely with the brushed aluminum top plate.

All of the dedicated media keys are placed on the upper right corner of the keyboard (previous/play-pause/next/mute/volume up-down).

On the left side of the keyboard we find the 5 dedicated macro keys and the record key.

Once again via the Fn key F1 through F4 can also be used to launch the default internet browser, email client, add page to the favorites bar and open the search menu.

F5 through F8 can also be used to launch the windows calculator, media player and to decrease/increase the keyboard brightness levels.

Finally F9 through F12 also control the backlight modes (breath/reactive/per-key custom/on-off).

You can switch between Full N-KRO (N-Key Rollover) and 6-KRO from the insert and delete keys.

The volume control wheel has a large A engraved on the side (from Azio no doubt) and since we liked it i thought it would be nice to show it.

Here we can see the OARMY blue (although these are clearly olive in color like the ones used in the MK RETRO model) illuminated keys.

At the base of the Armato CE we find 6 rubber feet and 2 height adjusters (rubber coated).

These height adjusters can raise the top end of the keyboard roughly 15mm from the desk.

The 1.8 meter long braided cable has a gold plated USB plug at the end.

The magnetic palm rest has two rubber feet beneath it and once attached it boosts the width of the keyboard to 236.2mm.

In the three above pictures we see the minimum/maximum brightness levels and the per key illumination mode.

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

   When the Armato CE first arrived here we were already in the middle of testing several RGB gaming keyboards so I have to admit that at least at first its single backlight color did seem as a bit off to us (as did the just 3 available modes). However we forgot about all that the moment we started using it not only because of its looks but also because of its very high build quality and of course its dedicated macro keys (although recording macros via the REC key is not as easy and “complete” as it could be via software). Unfortunately just like with the other members of the Classic Editions (MK RETRO / RETRO) the keycaps are once again made out of plastic and although once again we all realize that using aluminum ones would raise the cost of the unit considerably we feel that they would be ideal for this type of model. The rubber media buttons with the aluminum volume wheel not only look nice but are also far easier to use (primarily due to their size) compared with many others we’ve seen to date. The magnetic palm rest left us with mixed feelings since although extremely easy to attach it's not as steady as the more commonly used clip-on models. Of course the lack of a USB passthrough is something that could disappoint potential buyers although we expect that most people will base their decision on the looks and quality of the Armato CE.

   Currently the Armato CE (Classic Edition) Backlit Mechanical Gaming Keyboard by Azio retails for USD129.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 112.36Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de) a price tag which is a bit higher than what it should be. Yes you are getting a very high quality gaming keyboard that stands out thanks to its typewriter inspired keys (and its looks in general) but the fact remains that this is a single color backlit keyboard and for many gamers RGB is a one way. That being said the Armato CE is a very impressive gaming keyboard and although it’s not perfect (we expect Azio to release an RGB variant eventually) it’s still worth our Golden Award.

PROS

- Very Good Build Quality
- Design (Reminiscent Of Vintage Typewriters)
- OARMY Blue Mechanical Switches (50 Million Actuations)
- 6/N Key Rollover
- Strong Ambient White LED Illumination
- Dedicated Macro & Media Keys
- Per Key Illumination
- Magnetic Palm Rest

CONS

- Plastic Keycaps
- No USB Pass Through
- Price (For Some)