[section_title title=”Conclusion”]Conclusion
So has the Zibal 60 met my expectations, or left me a bit disappointed?
Starting off with the design, it’s a mixed bag for me. I love the look of the keyboard itself, the matte black finish looks superb and the green backlight really does look sexy in contrast. At the same time though, turn the backlight off and it’s just a keyboard as far as the uninitiated might be concerned, and that stealthy look is something I really go for in peripherals.
Contrasting that though is the frankly ridiculous cable which is so thick and inflexible that moving my keyboard around on the desk lead to things falling off on more than one occasion. It is of course better than multiple smaller cables to feed the USB/audio hub, but at the same time if it is the compromise required to implement said hub I think I’d rather go without one to be honest.
Falling under design and performance equally I feel is the fact that Mionix only offer the Zibal 60 with MX Blacks, I know they have a hardcore following but that doesn’t stop them being the least popular switch; honestly the lack of Browns/Blues in particular is a decision I have a hard time understanding. For me personally as a huge fan of Mionix it is disappointing as the no-nonsense performance approach they represent is somewhat diminished by offering a gaming keyboard without the option for a gaming-oriented switch.
It is tricky to quantify value in a luxury product, but I definitely couldn’t say the Zibal 60 doesn’t earn its price tag; the keyboard is simply gorgeous (apart from the cable!), the build quality is top notch and despite its compromising effect on the design the USB/Audio hub is a value add nonetheless. The Zibal 60 is definitely priced well according to what is on offer.
Ultimately what it comes down to is that I think either the ‘Gaming’ association here is a misnomer for a keyboard that only comes with MX Blacks, or Mionix need to have a bit of rethink about the switch options it offers with the Zibal 60. I am quite sure that a version of this keyboard without the USB hub (and its fat cable) packing MX blues would be one of the finest keyboards I’ve ever used, but in its current state I can’t help but feel the Zibal 60 falls a bit wide of the mark. It feels a bit harsh to give such a polished product a Silver award but there are some design choices that just don’t make sense to me; I’d still be moist at the prospect of one with MX Blues though.
As always a big thanks to Mionix for providing today’s sample, I hope to see more from them in the future.
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Performance
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Design
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Value
Summary
Pros:
– Gorgeous stealthy look
– Nice matte black finish
– Green backlight really pops
– Superb build quality
– Well priced all things considered
– One cable instead of 3 separate ones
Cons:
– Lack of switch choice is poor but comes down to personal preference
– Cable is a little thick and inflexible
