Drop, a company known for producing and selling enthusiast keyboards and audiophile products, adds another mechanical keyboard to its The Lord of the Rings-licensed peripherals line. Today, the brand drops the new and aptly-named Black Speech keyboard, which is, as its name suggest, based on the Dark Lord himself, Sauron.
This pretty cool looking keyboard boasts keys featuring characters from the fictional Black Speech language and a colors cheme that reflect the darkness and the fires of Mordor. Don’t worry if you can’t read Black Speech as regular English letters are also on keycaps.
Famous iconography from the series is present on the device as well, like the Eye of Sauron on the Escape key, the Shards of Narsil printed on Enter key, and the inscription of the One Ring is strewn across the Space Bar. To complete the look, there's another depiction of the Eye of Sauron on atop the tower (custom drawn by artist OSHETART) sitting right above the arrow keys.
Customization is a little limited on the Black Speech keyboard as it isn't hot-swappable. However, just like the rest of the Drop + LOTR lineup, you can at least mod the keycaps, and Drop has several LOTR keycap sets (opens in new tab). One kit has no English letters, just the Black Speech, perfect for hardcore LOTR fans, while another has a fiery Magma orange colorway for that hellish look. Just bear in mind each set is a separate purchase altogether.
Consistent quality
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Prior to this, Drop released two other mechanical keyboards representing Dwarves and Elves of Tolkien's world. TechRadar reviewed the Drop + LOTR Elvish keyboard very recently and, spoiler alert, we really liked it.
By the looks of things, the Black Speech version is going to be similar in quality. It sports a similar ENTR anodized aluminum casing to weather a lot of wear and tear except it's black (obviously). Additionally, the keyboard will feature the same Holy Panda X Switches paired up with Drop Phantom Stabilizers, just like the Elvish model. So you can expect the same great performance. Even something as mundane as typing will feel really nice because of these components.
The only real negative aspect to the Black Speech keyboard is that the overall package is pretty expensive. It’s currently available for pre-order on Drop’s website for $199 alongside the keycap sets for $130 (opens in new tab), so together you’re looking at around $330.
You will have to wait a little while before you get the Black Speech keyboard as it won’t ship out until late March. We recommend acting fast if you’re thinking of picking this up given that Drop has a massive following. The BMR1 Nearfield Monitor speakers (opens in new tab), which we will be reviewing soon, are totally sold out until July.
And while we’re on the topic, be sure to check out TechRadar’s recently updated list on the best PC speakers.
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