Xcellon KU-MB100B Wired Backlit Keyboard Review @ ModSynergy.com
By: Michael Phrakaysone
When I was younger, I used to be an avid gamer, spending countless hours immersed in gaming worlds. However, as I've grown older, life has become busier, leaving me with limited time to indulge in gaming. Nevertheless, I've witnessed a remarkable transformation in the gaming industry over the past 15 years, particularly in the realm of gaming accessories. The rise of eSports, with its massive tournaments and enthusiastic fanbase, has fueled the demand for high-quality gaming peripherals. One such accessory that has gained significant traction in recent years is the PC gaming keyboard, available in a wide range of styles, sizes, colors, and price points.
In this review, I'll be focusing on a keyboard that caters to casual gamers and those on a tight budget but still want to enjoy the benefits of a backlit keyboard. Enter the XCELLON KU-MB100B wired backlit keyboard, a product priced at $29.95 USD MSRP. What piques my interest even further is that I've had a positive experience with XCELLON before when I tried out their AC and USB port Power Bank a few months ago.
So, today, I'll be diving into the XCELLON KU-MB100B keyboard to determine if it lives up to its price tag. I'll be examining its features, performance, and overall value, providing an honest assessment of whether this keyboard is a worthwhile investment for budget-conscious gamers seeking a backlit keyboard experience.
About XCELLON (http://www.xcellongear.com)
Treat your computer right with some outstanding peripherals. Xcellon specializes in creating a wide variety of wired and wireless solutions that enhance your laptop or desktop, keep you connected, stay cool and back up your precious data.
We believe that design and functionality should have equal share, so you can depend on our products to not only look good, but also do their job very well. Connect with Xcellon.
XCELLON KU-MB100B Product Overview & Features
Type in the dark with Xcellon's KU-MB100B Wired Backlit Keyboard. This keyboard features backlighting under the keys, illuminating them with a blue glow that's ideal for dark and dim environments. A toggle key lets you turn the backlight on or off with a push of a button.
- To set up, simply plug the keyboard into your computer's USB port. Its plug-and-play design removes the need to bother with installation software.
- A pair of feet under the keyboard can be extended, raising the back of the keyboard for comfort.
- This keyboard is compatible with Windows XP and newer, including Windows Vista, 7, 8, and 10.
XCELLON KU-MB100B Product Specifications
- Interface: USB 2.0
- Keys: 104
- Compatibility: Windows XP and newer
- Power Consumption: 100 mA
- Cable Length: 4.9' (1.5 m)
- Dimensions: 17.5 x 6.3 x 0.7" (44.5 x 16.0 x 1.8 cm)
- Weight: 1.35 lb (0.61 kg)
- Limited 1-year Warranty
First Impressions
To my pleasant surprise, considering its highly affordable price of $29.95 USD, the XCELLON KU-MB100B arrived neatly packaged in a vibrant color printed corrugated box. The attention to detail in the packaging exceeded my expectations, as I had anticipated a plain brown box at this price point. The front of the box prominently displayed an enticing image of the backlit keyboard, emphasizing its suitability for low-light environments and its convenient plug-and-play functionality. Notably, the KU-MB100B boasts a captivating blue backlight that can be effortlessly activated or deactivated with the push of a dedicated button located on the keyboard itself.
What sets the KU-MB100B apart is its elegant 104-key chiclet style design, reminiscent of the sleek and modern keyboards found on Macbooks. The flat and uniformly spaced keys not only enhance the visual appeal of the keyboard but also contribute to its comfortable typing experience.
Upon flipping the box to its rear, I was greeted with a comprehensive layout image of the keyboard, providing a closer look at its well-arranged keys and intuitive layout. Additionally, the back of the box featured an informative list of impressive features and detailed specifications that left me even more intrigued. I discovered that the KU-MB100B effortlessly connects to any available 5V USB port on a computer, drawing a minimal 100mA power from the port itself. This not only ensures compatibility with a wide range of devices but also makes it energy-efficient. The generous 4.9 feet or 1.5-meter cable length offers optimal flexibility and freedom of movement, accommodating various desk setups and user preferences. Moreover, I was pleasantly surprised by its feather-light weight of a mere 1.35 lbs or 612 grams, making it incredibly portable and easy to carry around.
Visual Overview & Overall Thoughts Under Operation
The XCELLON KU-MB100B wired backlit keyboard features a sleek and practical design, measuring 17.5" x 6.25" x 0.7" (44.5 x 16.0 x 1.7 cm) and is presented in an elegant black exterior. While the overall design may appear simple, there is a subtle touch of style with a depressed ridge that extends across half of the keyboard, adding a touch of visual interest. The keyboard is constructed entirely of durable hard plastic, ensuring its longevity and resilience.
The keys on the KU-MB100B are primarily painted in black, providing a sleek and uniform appearance. The painted area surrounds the letters on each key, leaving them unpainted for easy visibility. The translucent depth surrounding the keys allows the backlighting to shine through, creating a visually pleasing effect. However, upon close inspection, I noticed that some of the keys exhibit slight imperfections in the paint application. In some cases, the paint may trail off the edges of the keys, likely due to the use of a template guide during the painting process. It is worth noting that this imperfection is subtle and not easily noticeable unless examined closely. Furthermore, it is worth mentioning that not all keys display this slight paint imperfection, indicating some degree of variation in the manufacturing process.
Since the actual letters are not painted, and left for the backlight to illuminate through, this makes the keys without any use of the backlight a little hard to see depending on how available lighting hits the keyboard as the keys itself are translucent. Remember the actual keys are originally a translucent piece of plastic and the letters are shaped around the black layer of paint on the keys.
Each key on the KU-MB100B offers a satisfying travel distance of approximately 0.4cm/4mm, allowing for swift and responsive keystrokes. The low actuation force required to push down the keys adds to the overall comfort and ease of use. It's worth noting that while most of the keys have a consistent pressure requirement, the larger buttons such as the enter key, backspace, and shift key may exhibit slightly varying levels of stiffness depending on the specific area you press. Applying pressure to the edges of these keys may demand a bit more force compared to pressing down on their centers. Nevertheless, the majority of keys maintain a balanced and comfortable typing experience.
The QWERTY keys on the KU-MB100B measure a compact 0.59 inches x 0.59 inches, providing sufficient surface area for accurate and precise typing.
I really appreciate the short spacing between the keys on the XCELLON KU-MB100B wired backlit keyboard. With only about 0.3 cm of space separating each key, typing becomes quick and effortless as my fingers don't have to travel as far. This feature greatly improves the overall typing experience and helps me work more efficiently.
However, I do have one minor disappointment with this keyboard. I wish it had included some multimedia keys, especially ones for volume control and muting. Having these dedicated keys would have made it much more convenient to adjust audio settings without having to navigate through software menus. It would have been a valuable addition to the functionality of the keyboard.
On the backside of the keyboard, I noticed a subtle tilt option that provides a slight angle for a more comfortable typing position. I found this feature quite useful, as it helps reduce strain on my wrists during long typing sessions. Additionally, the rubber feet on the backside do a great job of keeping the keyboard in place, preventing any unwanted sliding or movement.
When it comes to the backlight functionality of the XCELLON KU-MB100B keyboard, I found it to be quite convenient. Upon connecting the USB cable to an available port on my computer, the backlight automatically turns on. This feature eliminates the need for any additional setup or configuration.
However, for those times when I prefer to work without the backlight, the keyboard offers a dedicated on/off button located between the Alt and Menu keys on the right side. With a simple press of this button, I can easily disable the backlight and switch to regular key illumination.
This backlight control feature adds a level of flexibility to the keyboard, allowing me to adjust the lighting based on my preferences and the surrounding environment. Whether I need the backlight for low-light conditions or prefer a more subdued lighting effect, the KU-MB100B provides the option to toggle the backlight on or off with ease.
After using the XCELLON KU-MB100B keyboard, I noticed that there is no adjustable brightness level available. The backlight is set to a single brightness level, which is not particularly bright to begin with. The keyboard features a dark blue backlight, but in reality, it appears darker and has a slight hint of purple hue. The brightness shown on the packaging image is brighter than what it actually is. Even when taking photos, my camera had to be adjusted to capture the true level of brightness.
Personally, I expected a brighter and lighter shade of blue for the backlight. The darker shade with a touch of purple makes it appear dim to the human eye. Although the brightness is sufficient, I had hoped for a brighter LED to improve visibility, especially when the backlight is off and the translucent lettering relies on available lighting. The illumination through the translucent keys is not evenly distributed, as some keys appear dimmer than others. The space bar, as well as keys like 'y', '4', 'caps lock', 'tab', 'home', and 'ESC', are noticeably dimmer in certain areas of the keyboard. Considering the price point of $29.95 USD, I understand that my expectations may need to be tempered, but I still believe there could have been improvements in the implementation.
Interestingly, I found it puzzling that the XCELLON logo on the keyboard is not illuminated. It would have been a nice touch to have their own company logo lit up. Additionally, offering different LED backlight colors could have addressed the issue of visibility by providing lighter shades. It's important to note that the translucent casing of the keys contributes to the difficulty in reading the lettering, but a lighter shade of blue would have made it easier overall. While the current backlight is sufficient, there was room for improvement in terms of brightness and uniformity. Nevertheless, considering the affordable price, the XCELLON KU-MB100B still provides a decent backlit keyboard experience.
When it comes to the typing experience, the XCELLON KU-MB100B wired backlit keyboard truly shines. As I've been using it to write this review, I've come to appreciate its performance and functionality. Coming from a larger Logitech Wave Pro keyboard, I can confidently say that the XCELLON KU-MB100B outperforms it in almost every aspect when it comes to typing.
One of the standout features of the XCELLON keyboard is its remarkably quiet operation. Compared to the Logitech Wave keyboard, which had keys that traveled a longer distance and created more noise upon impact, the XCELLON KU-MB100B keeps key travel to a minimum, resulting in a significantly quieter typing experience. Of course, the noise level can vary depending on your typing style. As someone who tends to press the keys with a bit more force, I appreciate how the XCELLON keyboard manages to reduce noise without sacrificing performance.
While I wouldn't claim that the XCELLON KU-MB100B is the quietest keyboard I've ever used, it is notably quieter than the Logitech alternative. Only a few larger keys, such as the shift key, space bar, enter, and backspace, produce slightly more noise compared to the rest of the QWERTY keys. Apart from that, typing on the XCELLON KU-MB100B has been a pleasantly quiet experience.
Using the XCELLON KU-MB100B has been an incredibly comfortable experience for me. The chiclet keys are perfectly sized and spaced, allowing my fingers to glide effortlessly across the keyboard. The reduced distance between the keys also enables me to type with greater speed and efficiency. Considering the affordable price of $29.95 USD, I am genuinely impressed with how quiet the XCELLON keyboard is. It's remarkable how well it performs and how little noise it generates. Throughout the 12-13 days that I've been using this keyboard, I haven't encountered any issues or experienced any keys getting stuck. It has been a reliable and hassle-free typing companion.
Where Can I Buy One? And For How Much?
The XCELLON KU-MB100B wired backlit keyboard can be purchased through B&H Photo for $29.95 USD.
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Conclusion
The XCELLON KU-MB100B wired backlight keyboard has truly exceeded my expectations. Despite a few minor drawbacks, which are to be expected at this price point, there's not much to dislike about this keyboard. Priced under $30 USD, it offers impressive value for money.
Although the backlight could be brighter and lacks adjustable brightness levels, and the shade of blue is a bit darker than I prefer, these are relatively small concerns. The illumination and diffusion of the keys could also be improved, and the absence of multimedia buttons is a missed opportunity. However, when it comes to its primary function—typing—the KU-MB100B shines.
One of the standout features of this keyboard is its exceptional quietness. It's a joy to type on, thanks to the comfortable spacing between keys and the reduced button travel. Surprisingly, it outperforms my more expensive Logitech keyboard in terms of typing experience.
Overall, I applaud XCELLON for the KU-MB100B wired backlit keyboard. It's challenging to find a better keyboard for under $30. With its impressive performance, comfort, and affordability, it's a worthwhile choice for anyone seeking a reliable and budget-friendly keyboard.
