Azio Levetron L70 LED Backlit Gaming Keyboard - Black (KB501)

This Azio Levetron is an awesome keyboard. Well made, affordable, and versatile, this keyboard is a good fit for many different tasks/needs.I do want to note on two things:1) I am not a gamer so I cannot say exactly how well this keyboard works if purchased solely for the purpose of gaming. I purchased this keyboard for work and home usage. I did so because I like LED backlit keys as well as the feedback gaming keyboards provide.2) I have only used this keyboard for a short period, and so I cannot speak to long-term reliability. I will update this review down the road to report back on how the keyboard holds up.------------------------MY NEEDS & USAGEI recently purchased a Dell IPS display so that I can run it as a secondary monitor next to my 15-inch MacBook Pro Retina, as this allows me to run Windows 8.1 via a virtual machine on the display, and OS X Yosemite on the MacBook’s display. As I use software that runs better on one OS over the other, this allows me to run whatever software does best in what OS. It also gives me easy access to legacy OS’ if I need to test something like code.I have apple’s wireless keyboard and think it is excellent. However, it favors mobility over performance. I find gaming keyboards tend to do the opposite…they are built for heavier usage, heavily favor accessibility and performance, and use features that make this possible (I own an unusually large amount of gaming gear.)------------------------DESCRIPTION: THIS KEYBOARDThis keyboard is the Azio Levetron L70, a wired, entry-level gaming keyboard that is LED backlit via blue colored LEDs. You can toggle these LEDs on and off, but you cannot change the color or the intensity.The layout of this keyboard is pretty standard, plus it has a massive volume knob and a switch dedicated specifically to turning the LEDs on and off. Each side of the keyboard has an LED light. The keys themselves used oversized letters, and these markings are clear so the LED light can shine through. A removable palm rest is included and the cord length is about 5 feet. The bottom features non-skid, non-marking rubber feet as well as retractable feet to increase the angle.I have used this keyboard with: OS X 10.10 Yosemite, OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion, OS X 10.7 Lion, Windows XP SP3, and Windows 8.1 (current build as of 2015.) They keyboard works reliably on all of these, but note that this is technically a Windows keyboard and so with OS X you may want to use a keyboard control suite to modify some of the commands.The interface used is USB and it works on both USB 2 and USB 3 computers (can’t speak to USB 1.1 as I do not have computers that old anymore.) It does NOT seem to generate the harmonic distortion that some USB 3 devices can which can result in interference with 2.4 GHz signals.------------------------WHAT I LIKEThe light intensity is perfect…bright enough to see when lights are on, but not so bright that it is an annoyance in darker environments. Another LED backlit keyboard I had was so faint that the LEDs did not really increase visibility.The lettering used is very large, making it easier to see and making it better display with the LEDs. If someone has trouble seeing most keys, this is an outstanding choice.Typing itself is comfortable, and I find the palm rest makes typing even more comfortable. Like many other gaming keyboards, you get more pronounced feedback than the standard free keyboard that comes with desktops. I strongly prefer this feedback when typing as I find I can type faster and with fewer errors. Also like many other gaming keyboards, I find that the physical force required to push a key and have it register is very, very consistent. With keyboard without this consistency, it is easy to subconsciously start pressing certain keys with more force than others, and this can result in more mistakes while typing (least for me anyway.)The cosmetic fit and finish of this keyboard is outstanding for the price. The numbers are neat, the patterns are sharp, there are no sharp spots from molding overspray, and the keyboard wire is quite beefy.So while I cannot speak directly to how well this works for gaming, I can say it is a great keyboard for general usage. It is also great for data visualization, which I suppose in some ways has similarities to gaming needs.------------------------WHAT I DO NOT LIKEAt this price, I have zero dislikes with this keyboard.------------------------CONCLUSIONOverall, this is a whole lot of keyboard for 20-25 bucks. It’s well made, it has fantastic visibility, it gives a very consistent typing experience, and its LEDs are perfectly balanced in intensity so that they contribute to better performance (rather than detracting from.)

Prior to buying this i was using a razor keyboard which was great but wasn't back lit. That proved to be a pretty big problem, given that i type in the dark like most people. Another issue of man is that i wanted something that made my rig look good as well. I have a custom built PC with a black and blue theme partnered with 3 ASUS 21.5 inch monitors. As you can tell i take my rig's look very serious and i would love to have good looking keyboard(s). I've done my research and i am not to caring for the type of mechanics of a keyboard. I don't have too high standards, as long as i can play tomb raider and CS:GO and OSU, then i am fine. so my main target was something good looking and back lit. I saw several designs models and basically things that were not needed. Then i came across the beautiful price of $20 for a gaming keyboard that is back lit and has a volume wheel as well. AZIO took all the credentials i wanted and put them into a great priced, good looking, back lit, efficient gaming keyboard... With a Palm rest!!!! This thing is so comfortable. So first out of the amazon box i saw not one but my Two Keyboards (loved the price so much that i got two). The Manufacture's boxing was perfect, Not bulking or filled with useless space. It was also a cool looking box, plain flat black with a logo in the center. Plug the boards in an automatically knew my hard nights trying to find my AWSD Keys were over. Some complain the brightness of the lights isnt too good. Well you aren't directing traffic with them so as long as you can see then your fine (Need i remind you these are 20 bucks). Second the volume nob works great. No more navigating the mouse over to the volume mixer. Lastly the feel and loudness of the keys are just fine. The keys arent too noisy neither too quiet. On another note although this isn't a mechanical keyboard the AZIO Levetron L70 Provides a smooth typing and gaming feel. I love these two and i am a very satisfied customer. Thank you Amazon for the quick shipping and more importantly Thank you AZIO for coming up with a great product.