It’s here! Akko’s first south-facing keyboard: MOD 007S v2 review

Akko makes a lot of different keyboards. I have covered some of these different boards on this website. Most keyboards Akko sells have a polycarbonate housing and come complete with keycaps and switches. But the company also has a DIY line-up. These boards are made with customization in mind and come without keycaps or switches. The MOD 007 and its Improved brother, the MOD 007 v2 have been among the bestsellers in this line-up. Now Akko has introduced the MOD 007S v2 which is Akko’s first keyboard with a south-facing switch layout.

North vs South

Up until now Akko has produced all of it’s keyboards with a north facing switch layout. This means the LED’s in the switch sockets are on the upper side. Some people like prefer this because this way the leds don’t shine in your face. But many enthusiasts are specifically looking for keyboards with a south facing layout. The main reason for this is that the populair Cherry-style layout of keycaps can interfere with a north facing layout. Akko answered the call and made an updated version of the popular MOD 007 v2.

Youtuber Romsicle made a very informative about the differences between North- and South facing boards. You can check it out here.

Specifications of the Akko MOD 007S v2

The specs according to Akko’s website:

  • Plate: aluminum and polycarbonate plates;
  • Gasket Mount: the aluminum plate comes with silicon gasket (to avoid misplacement) by default with spare poron gaskets for users to pick;
  • The MOD007v2 will not come as pre-assembled (screws provided), making it easier for users to mod;
  • Comes with both poron plate foam and bottom case foam, specifically the case foam is pre-cut against the hot-swappable sockets to reduce unnecessary space for improved sound profile;
  • Poron switch pads added to the kit;
  • Reduced PCBa thickness to 1.2mm to increase the softness, and be compatible with more screw-in stabilizers;
  • Black Coiled Cable.

Unboxing

Exterior

The first thing I noticed, this box was a lot heavier then the previous ones I had on my desk from Akko. Akko’s headphone wearing alien-cat (or whatever it is) is once again up front next to the companies name. The exterior looks like there is a reason to celebrate with all the colored dots. So I decided to find out and remove the wrapper.

Under the wrapper is a chique and sturdy box with Akko Designer Studio printed in silver. I cannot read the symbols above, I presume they say the same.

Taking a look inside the MOD 007S v2

Inside the box the top of the keyboard is bundled with the metal plate, plate foam and the silicon gaskets attached to it. , bags which include the knob, the optional poron gaskets, screws and manual can all be found here. Diving deeper inside we find the polycarbonate plate and the bottom housing with the optional lower case foam and switch pad.

Assembling the MOD 007S v2

Plate, foam and tape

I chose to build the board with the polycarbonate plate as this is my preference when it comes to sound and feel. The first thing I did was adding some screw in stabs, also from Akko. These are of very good build quality and come with sound dampening stickers as well. I lubed the housings gently with some g205g0 and the wires with dielectric grease.

Next up I added the switch pad material and plate foam. I went with three layers of painters tape on the back of the pcb and went without the lower case foam. I added pieces of bandaid on the lower part of the case next to the screw holes to avoid any pinging sounds.

Switches and Keycaps

The Jelly black switches (review) were my choice for this build. They compliment the screw in stabs from Akko very well as they both have a dark-smoke housing. For the keycaps I chose the Akko Black and Cyan kit. Personally I find this a very stylish combination. Please take a look at the pictures I made and judge for yourself.

Using the MOD 007S v2

Build

The board feels and looks premium from every angle. And as far as build quality goes, there is really nothing to complain about, it is built like a tank.

I really liked the feel of the Jelly blacks (which also come as a pre-lubed option) in this board and paired with the I was very satisfied. Eventually I did remove the layers of tape and instead added the included case foam and changed the rubber gaskets for the porron versions. This was for me a more satisfying typing experience. All this is very personal ofcourse and that is what the MOD series is all about. I was thinking of getting the Macaw keycaps as an upgrade myself.

Software

Akko is still using its own software; Akko cloud. While this works fine for the most part, I still hope they will add VIA support to their boards in the future, especially for the MOD series. For the most part Akko cloud is easy to use and intuitive but I wished for total control of customization. The knob can be used to adjust the level of lightning on the board and after pressing it once, it will control the volume of your pc. I would have liked to adjust it for other purposes like zooming or scrolling.

South facing LED’s

Ok, VIA support isn’t here yet, but another highly requested feature finally is! Akko has implemented a south facing layout in this board which ensures perfect compatibility with Cherry-style keycaps. The LEDs themselves are of great quality and shine bright and vivid when needed. At first I was a bit worried of having a burst of light shining in my eyes, but fortunately this was not the case. I don’t have any cherry-style keycaps myself so I never had the problem of incompatibility but it is sure nice to know this won’t be of any issue in the future. All the usual lightning settings can be found on the board.

Verdict

The MOD 007S v2 is a very nice board which can compete with boards like the Keychron Q1 and GMK. While I personally would choose the MOD007S v2 over the GMK, the Keychron Q1 is a tougher nut to crack. Its biggest pro is the VIA and QMK support which Akko doesn’t have. Akko does win with the build quality though as the MOD series do seem to have a nicer finish with their aluminium. I have also read numerous reports of not so great after sales from Keychron which do concern me. It is up unto the end-user to decide which of these things are the most important of course.

I do wish Akko they included screw in stabs as a standard, the included ones are not that bad and come pre-lubed. I still prefer the screw in version though. I am very curious to see if the board will come available in other colors, but trust me, the product pictures don’t do the board justice, it’s even more beautiful in real-life! Overall I am very impressed by the MOD 007S v2. You can order the keyboard directly from Akkogear.eu.

unfortunately the Akko MOD 007S v2 isn't wireless
My Chromebook loves the board too…. If only it was wireless 🙂

Disclaimer

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.