Submitted by quocbao9901 t3_127gi7b in MechanicalKeyboards

Hi everyone, I am a newbie to the mechanical keyboard scene and I just purchased my first mechanical keyboard, the Keychron Q5. I intend to use this board as my daily driver, and it sounds kinda muted and pingy out of the box with Gateron G Pro Red. Can you guys suggest some beginner-friendly mods to be done on this keyboard? Much appreciated!

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SpaceCadet2000 t1_jee1vh2 wrote

Forcebreak mod to stop the ping and tape mod to make it sound a bit more lively.

Both mods are super easy to perform. All it requires is a bit of masking tape.

Maybe consider changing switches too. I think the Gateron Pros aren't the best when it comes to sound, at least the Gateron Pro Browns my Q3 came with weren't that great. I replaced them with Baby Kangaroos.

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quocbao9901 OP t1_jee3318 wrote

Thanks for your recommendation. I’ve read somewhere that the tape mod has a chance to ruin the pcb with its adhesive or something. Have you encounter anything like that?

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nintendoenjoyer37 t1_jee9kiw wrote

My dad (he's an electronics technician) said that the tape won't necessarily ruin the pcb, but it will make the board very sticky if you ever wanted to remove the tape. All masking tape has adhesive and that adhesive will probably end up on the board, but if you're alright with a bit of a residue then go for it.

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mnmnstrd t1_jeeksbd wrote

Use painters tape for the tape mod, rather than duct tape or electrical tape. It’s not particularly sticky and won’t leave residue if you want to remove it down the road. I did 3 layers of tape on my Q5. I also put PE mod on my Q5 which is fairly easy to do.

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quocbao9901 OP t1_jeey4xx wrote

Thanks. May i ask what is a PE mod?

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mnmnstrd t1_jef9fct wrote

The PE mod is placing a layer of PE foam between your plate and PCB. It’ll give you a more marbly/poppy sound that some people like. This video shows how to PE foam and tape mod your keyboard. I like the sound of PE foam on my keyboard.

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quocbao9901 OP t1_jefc7wx wrote

Wow this is amazing but might be a little bit difficult for me. I’ll try it once I get more comfortable with my board. Thanks a lot

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SpaceCadet2000 t1_jee4alv wrote

Haven't encountered it, though I've only ever modded my Q3 this way.

There may be tape where the adhesive is conductive, or that leaves a lot of residue, but with decent masking tape it should be no issue at all.

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squirtmmmw t1_jegabnt wrote

Great, easy suggestions. I also recommend swapping the plate out which Keychron sells on their site. I believe they all come stock with steel plates, I swapped mine with aluminum and it helped the sound profile sound deeper but also made typing on it more enjoyable for me. Also pretty easy to do!

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Past-Calligrapher-11 t1_jeeo4ce wrote

I have a Q2 and the tape mod other suggested is easy mod to get started. I think the Q5 comes with some built it silicone dampeners between top/bottom case, but adding extra bits of tape near the case screws might help more too.

Getting new switches will probably make the most noticeable difference. There are some great budget switches available otherwise getting a sampler might be a good place to start too.

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quocbao9901 OP t1_jeeydew wrote

Okay everyone has been recommending tape mod so I will definitely try it along side the force break mod. And I am having some KTT Lang White V3s coming soon too. Thank you 🙏🏼

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