Tag hot-swap

Akko is one of the most popular brands in the custom keyboard scene. They make beautiful keycaps, great switches and very nice keyboards. A few of these products have been tested and reviewed here but there are a lot more nice products for sale on their website. One of these unique keyboard designs is the new Akko Kuromi 5108B plus keyboard.

Specs of the Akko Kuromi 5108B plus

• 5108B Plus with Beken Plus Multi-modes Chip that Supports BT5.0/2.4Ghz/Type-C (3000 mAh Battery );
• 5-Pin Hot-swappable;
• Comes with Both Plate Foam and Case Foam;
• RGB Backlit;
• Programmable with Akko cloud
• Dye-Sub PBT JDA Profile Keycaps.

About the keyboard

The Akko 5108B Kuromi is a full-sized mechanical keyboard with triple connection modes. It supports high-speed Wireless 2.4GHz, Wireless Bluetooth 5.0, and Wired USB Type-C connections supporting a variety of devices straight out of the box. The keyboard uses premium JDA profile, PBT material keycaps. They are not only durable but also have a rich finish to them. The keyboard has a combination of three colors for the theme, elegant white, sweet purple, and lovely pink. Akko has featured Kuromi design elements on both the keyboard chassis and the keycaps.

Hot swappable sockets

The Akko 5108B uses a 5-pin hot swappable socket which also supports 3-pin switches. This ensures most aftermarket switches will fit on the board. Of course Akko also sells many great switches like the tactile Jelly Purples or the light and beautiful Crystal switches.

The Akko Kuromi 5108B is not afraid to show its true colors

The board comes with built-in RGB which is easily configurable with the Akko clous software. If you want to change keys around or use macros, you can do this with the software as well. But if you are one of the people who prefers to do without software, no problem! It is possible to change the RGB lightning modes on the keyboard itself as well.

Want to take a closer look at the specs or order the board right away? Check it out on Akko’s official website for Europe here.(worldwide shipping)

From brown and yellow to Jelly Purple

In the past I have used Cherry brown and Gateron brown switches. Personally I found the Gateron switches better to type on and a bit smoother overall. After a while I wanted to change things up and I tried Gateron yellow switches which I used for quite a while. When I recently bought my Akko 3098B (review here) I had a couple of options to choose from. After having a hard time deciding what switch I wanted, I eventually went with the CS Silver switches. Unfortunately I discovered myself making a lot more mistakes while typing. This is mainly because the silvers are very light to press and a lot faster then what I was used to. Great for gamers, but not so for me. After Akko offered me to test some of their other switches and share my findings I decided to try out the Akko CS Jelly Purple switches.

Unboxing the Akko Jelly Purple switches

The packaging itself has tape with the purple Akko logo on it. Inside I found two boxes each contains 45 switches. The little boxes come with a wrapper covered with a plastic bag. There is no mistaking the switches that are inside with a nice looking picture of the switches and matching color. When opening the box the switches are found in an easy to open plastic container. Personally I appreciate this as it reduces the chances of getting bended pins. Other switches I ordered in the past on sites like Ali-express came in a jar or plastic bag and usually some switches had bend pins. Because of the excellent packaging absolutely zero of the Akko Jelly Purple switches had this issue.

Another Purple switch?

The Jelly Purple switches are part of the CS line of switches. The CS line are switches created after feedback from customers. Mostly these are upgraded versions of existing Akko switches. The Akko Jelly Purple is an improved version of the Lavender Purple switch. The biggest difference is the operation force which went from 36gf to 40gf. The tactile force as also increased from 50gf to 56gf.

Both switches are of the tactile kind which offer a subtle “bump” while pressing the switch. Personally I really like feeling feedback while typing as it helps me make less mistakes. Other differences between the two purple switches are the fully transparent housing and the dustcover. Apart from keeping dust and your nasty eating habits away from the switch it also helps against wobbling.

Using the Jelly Purple switches

After testing the switches for about two weeks I can say I absolutely love these. They are great for typing but I don’t mind gaming with them either. I am no pro gamer but for my casual sessions I have no complaints. Comparing the jelly purple switch to my Gateron brown these feel smoother and have less ping. I did lube the switches which I usually recommend but the effect was not as big as with the Gateron switches.

Compatibility and RGB

Akko uses 3-pin switches which makes them usable for almost any hot-swap board. The CS switches do not cause interference with Cherry profile keycaps which is great. For those of you who can’t get enough of that rainbow puke there is some good news! Because the bottom of the switch is transparant colors really pop. If you want to go all Akko also sells clear keycaps! The Silver switches have the same transparant top housing but a solid bottom. I have added some pictures which show the difference side by side.

Lubing the Jelly Purple

Many enthusiasts recommend lubing switches. Not only does this make switches feel smoother it can also reduce unwanted ping. For lubing tactile switches I can recommend using Trybosis 3203. If you want to retain the tactile feeling of the switch you should avoid lubing the legs. You can find many tutorials online to help you out. When examining up close I noticed the switches having a bit of oil on them. After contacting Akko this was confirmed. They told me all switches have some factory lube on them but the pre-lubed versions get an extra more precise lubing treatment by hand.

Conclusion

I am very pleased with the overall feeling of the jelly purple switches from Akko. In fact I liked them so much that they are my daily driver for the moment and I ordered some extra ones myself. I find myself making less mistakes while typing compared to the CS Silver switches. This is of course very personal but if you like tactile switches I don’t think you can go wrong with the Jelly Purple switch. Want to order the switches right away and support our site, click here.

This review was originally posted in Dutch on Tweakers.net

Disclamer

This product was send to me by the Akko. Opinions are my own. This review may contain referral links. By using these links you support this website and allow us to get products in for review and testing.