iQunix Magi65 Pro Review: Low Profile, High-End Typing

iQunix is a brand that, for a long time, seemed to exist behind the scenes — you had to be in the know to recognize its name. Over the last couple of years, it has come into the mainstream in a big way, delivering some of the most interesting and high-quality pre-built keyboards available. So far its keyboards have all been full-height and fairly traditional to use, albeit with interesting designs and layouts. The Magi65 Pro breaks that trend.

The Magi65 Pro is the company's first foray into the world of low-profile keyboards. Not content to simply deliver a traditional LP that would suit laptop users and fans of chiclet keys, it instead set out to directly challenge its biggest competitors. In true iQunix fashion, the Magi65 Pro has a unique style, excellent build quality, premium components, and offers a great typing experience. Available in Standard ($119) and Pro ($139) versions, this keyboard offers great bang for the buck with only a few trade-offs.

iQunix Magi65 Pro (MG65 Pro) Specs

Design of the iQunix Magi65 Pro (MG65 Pro)

The Magi65 comes in two versions. The standard MG65 uses a traditional 65-percent layout. This means that it lacks a function row but includes dedicated arrow keys and a column of navigation and editing buttons. The MG65 Pro, however, includes an extra section on the right with a volume knob, RGB strip, a four-way media controller, and a neat magnetic storage compartment for its 2.4GHz wireless dongle.

The button layout of each version is exactly the same. It's a condensed rectangle without any space between its different sections of keys. The button area measures roughly 12 inches by 4 inches and is good for saving desk space, though if you choose the MG65 Pro you'll obviously have an extra couple of inches to consider on the right for its extra features. Like most low-profile mechanical keyboards, the keys are entirely flat for improved ergonomics, and carry a small learning curve if you’re used to a sculpted profile.

All it takes is a glance to see that the Magi65 is a unique keyboard. The keycaps are colored to match either the Shadow Black or Ochre White themes. I was sent the black version, which has white legends with copper-toned sub-legends. There's a copper colored metal accent key, and on the right in the multimedia section, the track controls are in the form of a copper-colored, rounded-off “X.” There is per-key RGB lighting as well as some stylish patterning on the dongle cover and the back. Flip it over and you'll find that the feet are small-but-chubby black X's and that the keyboard has a separate but matching weight with grid lines across its surface.

Pick it up — or, better yet, type on it — and you'll see even more how set-apart this keyboard actually is compared to other low profile options. The case is made entirely of metal, and though it's small, weighs just under 2.3 pounds. It won't be sliding around on your desk anytime soon. Given its weight and those X-styled feet, you also won't be using it directly on top of your laptop's keyboard deck anytime soon, either.

It certainly feels high quality, but at the same time its weight works against it. The keyboard supports crime-free old wireless connectivity with Bluetooth 5.1 (up to three devices), and 2.4GHz wireless for gaming-grade latency. It's not the kind of keyboard I would personally want to carry in a bag, however: It weighs half as much as many productivity laptops, and it's heavy enough that you'll certainly feel its addition in a messenger bag or backpack.

Despite these somewhat contentious choices, I see what iQunix was going for here, and I like it. It's not the most portable low-profile keyboard in the world, but clearly isn't intended to be. Instead, this strikes me as more of an enthusiast option for fans of the low-profile design.

This design inspiration becomes even more evident when you dig into its details. The keycaps, for example, are made of thick, dye-sublimated PBT plastic. This gives them increased durability over time, greater resistance to oils, and a deeper sound signature when typing quickly. The Gold Red switches are pre-lubed and are also clearly tuned for a rounded, pleasant sound profile. There are multiple layers of sound-dampening and sound-enhancing foam. Even the FR4 plate has obviously been selected for its mix of balanced sound and somewhat flexible structure.

Unlike many full-height enthusiast mechanical keyboards and the Lofree Flow, one of its key competitors, the MG65 Pro doesn’t use a gasket mount structure to soften its keystrokes. Instead, it uses a modified tray mount structure, which iQunix calls Le-Tray mount. Instead of screwing directly into the bottom case, the four mounting poles are covered with a silicone sleeve to reduce vibrations. Opting for only four mounting points seems like an intentional decision, because it preserves a bit of flex in the typing experience. Given that the keyboard is only half an inch thick, it is impressive — and, more importantly, comfortable.

The switches are also hot-swappable. This is a great feature to see, but it doesn't have the same level of utility as it would on a full-height custom keyboard. This is because low-profile switches are not as standardized, or interchangeable, as MX-style switches. But there are alternatives to be found, and more options will inevitably continue to arrive in the future.

To support its wireless functionality, the keyboard ships with a 3000-mAh battery. iQunix quotes this at 300 hours over Bluetooth, without RGB backlighting. I've been testing it for around a month with intermittent lighting use, and I haven't had to recharge it yet. Typically I would consider this kind of measurement misleading because backlighting can be integral to the appearance and low-light functionality of many keyboards. But while it certainly enhances its look, I found that the keyboard looked good enough on its own — so turning it off wasn’t such a big deal. The legends on the keycaps are also not backlit, so you're not sacrificing visibility.

Typing Experience of the iQunix Magi65 Pro (MG65 Pro)

The MG65 and MG65 Pro are only available with iQunix's own Gold Red switches. This is a linear switch with a 45-gram actuation force, making it similar to a Cherry MX Red in weight. The company doesn't share any specifics about its other specs, such as the travel distance or the material used, but they offer generous travel that I would peg at around 3mm.

A standard cherry switch has a travel distance of 4mm, while some low-profile switches, like the Kailh Choc V2s, can be as shallow as 1.3mm. This makes the MG65 Pro a middle ground between full-height key travel and typical low-profile key travel. In practical terms, it means that it feels much closer to a normal mechanical keyboard than what you might imagine a keyboard with an 11mm front height might. As someone who hates the ultra shallowness of older, low-profile keys, the iQunix is a pretty great alternative in this style.

Typing on the keyboard feels good. The keys are comfortable and reasonably well cushioned, thanks to the limited mounting points, silicone wrapping on each and the flexible FR4 plate. The switches are smooth, and the added travel made climbing the learning curve of the completely flat profile easier than I found it to be on some competitors. In smoothness and comfort to use, it is right on par with the low-profile flow and Nuphy’s latest Air V2 keyboards.

iQunix really highlights the keyboard’s construction and its impact on sound and feel. Sound-wise, I would still give a slight edge to the Lofree Flow because of its all POM switches and gasket mounting structure. It's so subjective, and the sound profiles are so close, that you would have to be an enthusiast with an ear for nuance to draw hard conclusions on which is "better."

The Magi65 Pro sits in good company. It is at least as good as the Nuphy Air V2 series, and is separated from the Lofree Flow, which is what I consider to be the best sounding, best feeling low profile keyboard available today. In a nutshell, the typing experience is excellent. It's a great middle ground between full-height and low-profile keyboards, and it both sounds and feels better than most of its low profile competitors (excepting the two named here).

Gaming Experience on the iQunix Magi65 Pro (MG65 Pro)

The Magi65 Pro is not a gaming keyboard, but it can certainly be used as one. The 2.4GHz wireless connection offers a full 1,000 Hz polling rate, which is equivalent to 1ms of latency. This is still the standard for most wired gaming keyboards, so you can game with confidence, knowing that you won’t take a loss because your keyboard wasn’t as ready as you were.

I've been playing a lot of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, as well as Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, and the MG65 worked perfectly. It's not an 8K keyboard, and frankly, it doesn't need to be. The smooth, linear switches were perfect for reacting to what was happening in the game. Allowing me to forget that I was using a low-profile keyboard and not one of my regular customs or dedicated gaming keyboards.

I'm not a big macro user, but I would be remiss if I didn't highlight that the keyboard’s gaming capabilities are enhanced by how easily and deeply programmable it is. Recording macros and creating custom layouts for individual games is easy and, if you want it to be, completely software-free.

Software for the iQunix Magi65 Pro (MG65 Pro)

The Magi65 uses VIA for all of its programming. VIA is an open-source programming tool popular within the enthusiast community. It can either be run locally on your computer or accessed through a website to make changes on the go. It provides all of the functionality you would expect without going into the same level of complexity and polish that most gaming gaming software suites do, but it's a fantastic tool that gives you plenty of options to program your keyboard exactly as you would like it, without needing to actually install anything on your host PC.

VIA offers full control over all of your keymaps, allows you to record macros, and also allows you to customize and control the keyboard's lighting. All of your keymaps and macros can be assigned across four layers. Think of these like virtual keyboards that can be accessed by holding a button of your choice.

Everything is unlocked, meaning that you can assign any key, including function keys, anywhere you like. These layers can also be accessed in different ways — for example, holding, tapping, or even assigning a dual-function key where holding it accesses a layer while tapping it sends the original function. While this does take a while to get used to, once you learn its capabilities, it offers a deep ability to customize the keyboard to your exact workflow.

It can also be quite useful for gaming. Assigning macros follows the usual process of pressing a record button, sending your inputs, and then mapping that macro to a key. We're not losing much functionality here; however, it's not quite as in-depth as something like Razer Synapse. You can't insert custom events, for example, but you can adjust the delays between commands to make sure they function properly in your game of choice.

Being able to map multiple layers of commands is very useful in games as well. Using this system, you can have custom key maps for up to three different games and applications. If you do need to make changes, it's as simple as going to the website, tapping the key you want to change, and choosing what you would like there instead.

The biggest limitation comes down to the RGB backlighting. While you are able to choose from a wide range of preset animations, as well as set your exact hue and saturation for many of them, there is currently no easy way to assign per-key lighting schemes.

Bottom Line

The iQunix Magi65 Pro is a great option for anyone considering a low-profile keyboard who also wants a top-tier typing experience. It's not exactly the most portable, which could be a deal-breaker — it’s one of the biggest reasons many people consider a low profile keyboard in the first place — but the trade-off in portability is exceptional build quality, typing, and aesthetics. It's the kind of keyboard that makes you want to keep using it, which is about the biggest compliment any keyboard can earn.

If you do need something a little more portable, the Lofree Flow and Lofree Edge are two excellent options that are thinner and lighter, and still offer great sound and feel. They’re a bit more expensive, however, so if you’re not up for spending that much, the Nuphy Air60 V2 and Air75 V2 are also great options. None of the competition offers quite the same blend of build quality and aesthetics, however, which makes the Magi65 Pro well worth a closer look all on its own.