The lovely people at Epomaker have sent me not one but two incredible new keyboards to try out: the Dynatab 75 and the Dynatab 75X. Much like the Akko 3084 and 3068 which I reviewed together back in February 2021, the Dynatabs are siblings with a lot in common. So, I’ll start by talking about characteristics which they share, and then I’ll move on to what makes them different to each other.
The Dynatab 75 and the Dynatab 75X are both 84 key / 75% keyboards. Available in both ANSI and ISO-UK layouts (I ended up with ANSI in both cases), they’re compatible with mac, windows, iOS, and Android. Both keyboards connect wired via USB-C or wirelessly via 2.4Ghz wireless (dongle hidden under a little liftable panel in the upper right of each board) or Bluetooth. Mode selection is done via a three-position switch at the upper right of the board. Up to three Bluetooth devices can be stored and switched between using Fn+Q, W, or E.
The dimensions of both boards are the same and they’re pretty unusual: 345 mm wide x 181 mm tall x 42 mm deep. These are pretty chunky keyboards and, for those of us of a certain vintage, they definitely bring back memories of some of those home computers of the 80s and early 90s.
The Dynatab 75 and the Dynatab 75X are both gasket-mounted, with layers of poron sandwich foam, padding, sound-absorbing foam, and more. In Epomaker’s own words, each has an “ultra-resilient framework, ensuring that each keypress is consistent, stable, and remarkably smooth while optimally distributing pressure, enabling tactile precision on every stroke”. Both have triple-position flip-out feet with silicone pads, meaning you can adjust your typing angle to suit you.
The Dynatab 75 and the Dynatab 75X both have south-facing RGB backlights whose presets can be cycled through using Fn+Ins, and whose colours and brightness can also be altered using keyboard shortcuts. Further customisation and control are available via the free Epomaker software. This does even more with the 75X, but we’ll come to that shortly.
The Dynatab 75
The Dynatab 75 comes in a choice of Blue and White or Red and White colourways. I got the Red and White, which is actually more of a burgundy/maroon and off-white/beige, and looks wonderfully retro. It’s taken me a good while to work out exactly what the Dynatab 75 reminds me of most, but I think it’s the Amiga 600 crossed with a weirdly specific droid.
Keycaps are double shot PBT and are cherry profile (though the Blue and White set are MDA profile). The letters/characters on the white keys are chunky and bold, again enhancing the retro-ness of the aesthetic.
The Dynatab 75 comes with a choice of Epomaker’s own Wisteria Linear, Wisteria Tactile, Flamingo, or Sea Salt Silent switches. I got the Wisteria Linears, which are absolutely lovely to type on. The switches are hot-swappable, meaning that they can be easily swapped out for most other 3 or 5-pin switches with no need for soldering or unnecessary messing about.
The Dynatab 75 has a 206 mm wide x 16 mm deep slot which can act as an integrated stand for a phone, tablet, or similar device. Naturally, my first thought was how well this could work with the SuperNote Nomad, and I was not disappointed. My only real issue is that, because I can’t type on my SuperNote in landscape orientation, the Nomad is a bit unstable when I have to touch its screen with my finger or pen.
The Dynatab 75 has a more than decent 5000mAh onboard battery, and is equipped with a fast-charging chip. Fn+Backspace displays the amount of charge across the numbers 1 – 0 (1 = 10%, 1+2+3 = 30%, etc).
The Dynatab 75 is lovely to type on and it’s a great-looking keyboard. The Blue / White colourway is probably the more sophisticated and less quirky-looking option of the two, but I really like the retro look of the Red / White board.
The Dynatab 75 is available from Epomaker for $89.99 USD.
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The Dynatab 75X
The Dynatab 75X comes in a choice of Black and Grey or Purple and White colourways. I got the Black and Grey, which looks like it came directly out of the cockpit of Knight Industries Two Thousand.
Keycaps are side engraved see-through PBT and are cherry profile. The letters/characters are all on the front edges of the keys (their tops are blank) and are only really visible because of the south-facing RGB backlights.
Like the 75, the Dynatab 75X comes with a choice of Epomaker’s own Wisteria Linear, Wisteria Tactile, Flamingo, or Sea Salt Silent switches. I got the Flamingos, which have a bit more resistance and “spring” to them than the Wisteria Linears. The switches are, of course, hot-swappable.
The big difference between the 75 and the Dynatab 75X is that, in place the tablet/phone slot, the 75X has an RGB dot-matrix LED screen. The Dynatab 75X comes with a few pre-installed animations (plus the option to display time/date, mode, etc), and there is also the option to create your own custom logos or animations using the free Epomaker software. Unlike the TH80-X and other LCD-screened Epomaker boards, however, there is (currently) no additional library of pre-made animations accessible via the software.
The Dynatab 75X has TWO 5000mAh batteries, giving it a whopping total of 10,000mAh onboard. So, if you were worried that the dot-matrix screen was going to drain your battery faster, then worry no more.
The Dynatab 75X really feels like the deluxe, executive, version of the 75. From the side engraved keycaps, to the light grey to black fade, to the dot-matrix screen, everything just looks super sophisticated and high-tech.