Beyond Typing: The Epomaker TH80 Pro Experience [Review]

Why is everybody mad about mechanical keebs these days? You boot up your computer, ready for another day of work or leisure. One of the fundamental tools you’re about to engage with is the keyboard. Mechanical keyboards, which once catered solely to the niche crowd of gamers and enthusiasts, have burrowed their satisfying “click-clack” into the mainstream, and for good reasons. In a world inundated with technology, the retro-chic sometimes brings nostalgia and genuine usability. In this review, we’ll dissect the DNA of the Epomaker TH80 Pro. Keystroke craftsmanship that seeks to redefine your interaction with digital systems.

Thanks to Epomaker for providing us with a test unit of the TH80 Pro keyboard with ISO layout and Monet—MDA V2 keycap theme. For things like typing, first-hand experience is still the best baseline for a product review, and I used the product for weeks before completing this review to ensure I could give the most realistic impression of how it works and performs.

The mechanical rebirth

Mechanical keyboards are enjoying a renaissance. The type that employs sturdy, spring-loaded switches under every key, ensuring a tactile, audible response that is as much music as it is input. Their robustness and longevity eclipse the membrane flatlands of yore. The claim is simple yet profound: these keyboards might just be the best thing to happen to your fingers since opposable thumbs. The typewriters of our grandparent’s generation were onto something good, after all. This revival, more than a fad, signifies a return to a more pronounced, more satisfying type of input.

But we’re not talking about any mechanical keyboard; we’re talking about a particular specimen. Enter the Epomaker TH80 Pro, a wireless mechanical keyboard that challenges the stereotype of clunky, corded leviathans adorning the desks of programmers and wordsmiths. Epomaker positions itself at an intriguing crossroads: high quality without a high price. This isn’t just a tool for the tech-obsessed; it’s a touchstone product in the intersection between value and performance in a market that can often become a cacophony of the extravagant.

Enter Epomaker

Before we pound away at the keys, it’s worth peeling back the lid on Epomaker or “Epoch of Makers” in long format. A relative newcomer, the brand bursts out of the Shenzhen factory with a simple mode of operation to provide innovative input devices that resonate with all levels of users. Their reputation, still teething, assures a forward trajectory, not just in capability but in design. This isn’t the mechanical keyboard of the ’80s.

This is a contemporary, minimalist appendage to your interactive stations. With a product suite that ranges from full-sized home fortress typewriters to portable monoliths, Epomaker is setting a new standard for expectations about what a keyboard can and should do. But we’re not here to dote on their entire range. We’re dissecting one, the Epomaker TH80 Pro. This isn’t merely a typing tool; it’s a centerpiece that can sync with your every mood. I type a lot for a living, so I am not entirely new to using keyboards, either.

Talking about the Epomaker TH80 Pro mechanical keyboard

The Epomaker TH80 Pro is more than the sum of its RGB-lit parts. It is designed with modularity in mind and offers a keyboard for everyone, not just the majority. Swap out the key switches to customize the feel, sound, and very soul of your keyboard. Mechanical Puritans laud this as a game-changing feature. It’s the jack-of-all-trades, with a few aces up its sleeve or under its aluminum backplate.

Epomaker TH80 Pro tech specs

Here are the specifications for all who love to take a deep dive into the tech.

• Layout: 75%, 80 keys
• Hot-swappable: Yes, 3-pin or 5-pin switches compatible
• Keycap material: PBT keycaps
• Keycap profile: MDA Profile
• Case material: ABS plastic
• Connectivity: USB-C, Bluetooth 5.0, 2.4 GHz
• Battery capacity: 3800mAh (Pro: 4000 mAh)
• Programmable: Yes
• Software OS: Windows & macOS
• Anti-ghosting: Supports NKRO in all modes
• Dimension: 328 x 142 x 40mm
• Weight: 1 kg
• Inside the box:
  • 1 x Keyboard
  • 1 x Type-C Cable
  • 1 x Instructional Manual
  • 1 x 2.4G Dongle
  • Mac-Modifier Keycaps

In a world rife with keyboards, the Epomaker TH80 Pro glows, literally, if you choose. The brilliance isn’t in its thousands of shades; it resides in the everyday radiance of a tool that does its job well and looks good doing it whether it’s about gaming, emails, chatting, drafting documents, or late-night coding, the Epomaker TH80 Pro stands firm, its switches echoing its quality.

It’s a budget-friendly contender with features that could whisper “premium” in the dark. And that tick, that tactile-affirming tick you feel with every press, that’s the pulse of productivity in the palm of your hands.

Pros

There are more pros than cons, really, but just to make sure we include a fair overview, here are the pros.

• The Epomaker TH80 Pro has a high-quality key feel and typing sound.
• The volume controller sphere is rather special and feels nice to use.
• The RGB effect lighting never gets old (I always have it on).
• Fair pricing by Epomaker. Not cheap but fair.

Cons

These might not be full-on cons for all, but just for the sake of transparency, very few aspects did not fit the pros here.

• The battery lasts only about a single workday if you keep the LEDs on, making it almost mandatory to use a cable.
• A numpad would have been nice, but this type of keyboard usually comes without one. If you really want to use this keeb, you can purchase an optional numpad like the Epomaker EK21 and place it next to the keyboard or wherever it suits you on your desk.
• Only QWERTY layouts in ISO and ANSI standards are available, which makes it a harder choice for regions of the world that do not use this key layout. More inclusivity would be nice.
• Some of the keys have uneven circles on them, which might stem from the molding process. It’s not a tactile issue, and you would need to look really close to see it, but it’s there.
• The effect backlight of the keys does not illuminate the key label, so you would not know which key is which in the dark.

Is the Epomaker TH80 Pro worth buying?

Long story short: Yes. You could argue about what kind of style, colors, or effects you prefer, but the switch and key quality really suited me. The compact design allows even small or cramped desks and workstations to host the TH80 Pro and cool RGB effects, which never hurt anybody either, or they could switch them off if they really did.

The current price for the Epomaker TH80 Pro on Amazon is 89.99 USD, which is not bad pricing for a keyboard like this. This particular model has many color and styling options, but if you feel like you want another style, you should also check out alternative keyboards from Epomaker, as they surely have a good variety for everybody who wants peripherals only in the style and color that supports their setup.

YouTube: Epomaker TH80 Pro promotional clip and overview video

Photo credit: All images shown are taken by Christopher Isak for TechAcute.
Editorial notice: We received the Epomaker TH80 Pro mechanical keyboard test unit but were not paid for this test and review article.