E-Blue Mazer K727 Mechanical Keyboard Review

Layout and Feature Overview of the E-Blue Mazer K727 Keyboard

Out of the box the first thing that jumps out at you is the brushed aluminum panel that makes the top of the Mazer K727 keyboard. The Fn key is located on the right side where the right Windows key usually is, in between the ALT and Context keys. Pressed and held in combination with other keys results in accessing some secondary functions as printed at the back of the keyboard. There is however, no height adjustment with just four rubber spots on each corner for surface grip.  Total size is a comptact 365 x 142.5 x 33mm (LxWxH).

The layout is an 87-key tenkeyless ANSI 75% with floating plate mounted white keycaps. Although the font legends are subjective per person, the use of side-by-side legends is notable on the main cluster as the secondary remains visible with the backlight on compared to some keyboards. Not all the legends are side-by-side however as the secondary options for the top row function and the right side cluster have top-bottom legends.

Unlike most keyboards in its price range, the keycaps are doubleshot with a Cherry MX compatible mount so they last a lot longer and do not have the “soft-touch” coating that wears off quickly.  The K727 uses wire-stabilizers and has the LED mounted at the top of the Kailh mechanical switch.

Keycap sizes:

• Tab and \ = 1×1.5x
• Caps lock = 1.75x
• Enter = 2.25x
• LSHIFT = 2.25x
• RSHIFT = 2.75x
• Spacebar = 6.25x
• Rest of Bottom Row R1 = 1.25x

The connector uses USB and the 1.8 meter long cable comes wrapped in a grey paracord and hardwired to the K727.

Once you plug it into a USB port the keyboard springs to life with multiple color LED’s on the keys and the entire bottom glows blue from back lighting. The colors on the keys can not be changed and it is only “RGB” in the sense that each line has a different color LED.

There are 6 effects you can set the lighting to: off, always on, breathing, marquee, ripple, and single key fade. Various shortcuts with the Fn key can be used to cycle the lighting effects:

• Fn+ESC: Always-on lighting 3-way switch
• FN+Page Down: Marquee(with a trailing), ripples speed up, single lighting-on function switch
• FN+DEL: Custom area lighting mode switch
• FN+END: Custom area lighting mode recording and confirm
• FN+Up Arrow: Brightness strengthening, breathing faster,marquees acceleration, ripples speed up, single light closed off speed up
• FN+Down Arrow: Brightness weakened, slowed breathing rate, marquees decelerator, ripples slowdown, single light closed off slowdown
• Fn+Pause Break: Lighting control keys
  

There is no software for reprogramming the functions or remapping keys but custom area lighting mode can be recorded via shortcuts. The rest of the secondary functions include quick shortcuts to My Computer and mail for mouse-less navigation as well as multimedia controls. Reaction rate can also be adjusted up to three levels: 2ms, 4ms and 8ms. For gamers, the Windows disabling option is accessed by pressing the Windows key while holding down the F key to toggle.

• Fn+F1: My favorite
• Fn+F2: My computer
• Fn+F3: My mail
• Fn+F4: Home
• Fn+F5: Stop
• Fn+F6: Previous song
• Fn+F7: Pause/Play
• Fn+F8: Next song
• Fn+F9: Music player
• Fn+F10: Volume –
• Fn+F11: Volume +
• Fn+F12: Mute
• Fn+Pring Screen: Restore factory settings
• FN+Insert: Reaction rate 8ms
• FN+HM: Reaction rate 4ms
• FN+Page Up: Reaction rate 2ms
• FN+Win: Windows lock open/close