Redragon K556 RGB LED Backlit Wired Mechanical Gaming Keyboard, 104 Keys Hot-Swap Mechanical Keyboard w/Aluminum Base, Upgraded Socket and Noise Absorbing Foams, Quiet Linear Red Switch

[Original Review: April 2, 2019 - 1 Star] The Redragon K556 RGB arrived yesterday and I eagerly connected it to my computer. Unfortunately my Win 10 computer (HP Pavilion p6710f) doesnt recognize it as being connected. Ive tried connecting to several different USB ports, rebooting each time, but the keyboard stays dead. My old keyboard works in all of these ports. Installing their driver made no difference. Ive contacted Redragon via their website, as the red card in the package told me to do, so well see what sort of response I get. Meanwhile, it gets one star since you cant give zero. [Update, April 5 - 5 stars] Shortly after writing my initial review, I revisited my Amazon order and clicked the Get Product Support button. The Amazon agent responding to the chat gave me my choice of replacement keyboard or refund. With all the glowing reviews I was seeing here, I just figured I got a defective unit and asked for a replacement. It arrived today, and the instant I plugged it into a USB port on my desktop, it sprang to life, and Im using it to type this update. Im a touch typist and have no problem with the key feel and spacing. The laser-etched keytops let the backlighting shine through nicely and will serve me well for those evening/night computer sessions, and besides they just look cool. Im bumping my rating of the hardware up to 5 stars. Meanwhile, yesterday I received an email from Redragon in response to the message I had left on their website, apologizing for my problem and asking for a video. I replied asking a video of what -- there was nothing to show because the keyboard was dead. They responded asking for my order number and address so they could send me a MOUSE. I replied with the requested information, but pointed out that I had purchased a keyboard, not a mouse, and that Amazon was already sending me a replacement keyboard. Maybe theyre sending me a mouse to compensate me for my trouble (?). I feel they really want to stand behind their product, but there might be a communication problem. Anyhow, well see what ensues. [Added later] Never received a mouse ...

This is an amazing keyboard for the price. The one I received only came with extra red keys, but I dont mind that at all. I did have some issues getting the right software for the keyboard, but some emails with support fixed it in just a short time. Works great for gaming and typing. Ton of fun with all the different modes, especially with the one that causes ripples when you type. If you can type fast, its like chaos at your fingertips.

Ngl this is my first mechanical keyboard so I’m no expert but I still really like it. I type a lot both for fun and for school, I haven’t had an issue with the keys or the board itself. It’s heavy because of the metal base but I’m not planning on carrying it around with me or travelling with it. I like the heaviness because it doesn’t feel like it’s going to break. Recommend

Highly recommend for a gaming experience. Be warned though, it’s louder than most other gaming keyboards.

Customization: 8/10 Putting this first so people can see: THIS KEYBOARD HAS CUSTOMIZABLE INDIVIDUAL RGB (16 MILLION COLORS) BACKLIGHTING. Download the Redragon DEVARAJAS software, go to any profile, select the Coastal lighting preset, and use the tiny pencil and eraser icons to add/remove any color you pick to the keys in the diagram (see pictures). You also get 4 mini profiles via drop-down menu within the Coastal preset - FPS, MMO, MOBA, and RTS. Be careful though, because switching to a different mini profile off of your customized one will delete any previous customization youve done on that and revert to its default. This is my main quibble with Redragons software - why is the individual key customization so difficult to find and so easy to accidentally delete? However, it is a big plus that it is possible on a keyboard of this low a price and quality. I am not sure why individual RGB customization is not advertised more clearly as I almost decided against buying this keyboard due to apparent lack of that feature. The product description touts 18 BACKLIT MODES: Press FN+INS-PgDn to enter Pro-gamer mode. RGB LED adjustable lighting with 6-themed backlights -18 lighting models and later mentions Multiple RGB Themes. Packaging: 8/10 Came in a solid box, things were secure. No issues. Quality: 8/10 Pretty great especially considering this kb is only $60. Not much flex, good weight. Cable is sturdy. Other reviewers have covered this area pretty thoroughly. I personally enjoy the floating switches. For those who are unaware / did not notice, the key switches sit flush with the keyboard surface instead of being recessed, which for me means it is way easier to clean (crumbs/hairs/dust dont fall into a black hole). Aesthetics: 9/10 Clean, minimal. Thin silver bezel border. No wasted real estate. The brushed steel effect is also much less apparent than in the stock pictures - very faint unless you hold it up to the light. A plus for me but if you are going for that look, you may be disappointed. I was honestly really expecting something obnoxious and glaring to pop out (you know Redragon, I know Redragon), but I am simply not offended by anything on this keyboard. This is quite a shock to me. Even the branding is a discreet Redragon logo in matching silver, allowing one to avoid any instances of the embarrassing and loud REDRAGON font. Speaking of fonts, the keycaps font is clean and readable. Both main and secondary characters are properly located in the top half of the key to maximize the LED backlighting. The only quibble I can find is the @ key which has a bit of a strange cutout in the middle that eats into the a, but it is not readily confused with any other symbol so it gets a pass from me. Overall: 8.5/10 At this price ($60 at time of review), the K556 is a surprisingly good bargain and can hold its own against kbs $20-40 more expensive. - Decent build quality - Macros and individual key RGB customization (although difficult to find) - Clean, understated, refined look...something I never thought I would say about a Redragon product.

I wanted a full sized keyboard with brown switches and this one fits the bill. I like the Outemu brown switches better than Cherry MX browns, they are so much more tactile. The package also comes with a sampler of 2 spare browns, 2 reds, 2 blacks, and 2 blues. All the switches have the dust-proof design with boxed MX stems. The keyboard plate and case are made from aluminum so the whole thing feels nice and solid. The black brushed aluminum plate mimics a wood grain and pairs nicely with the RGB. The LEDs are SMD north facing and work well with the shinethrough keycaps. I havent tried the software, but the embedded lighting options are very robust with multiple lighting patterns, colors, speeds, and brightness levels. And you can turn off the RGB complete if you want, but that makes it hard to read the legends in my opinion. The PCB is 3-pin Outemu hot swappable, is has soldered hot swap sockets for thin Outemu pins. It was quite difficult to remove some of the switches, even more so than my other Redragon board. The little tabs on the lower housing broke on a few of the switches, and many of the switches were also stuck very tightly into their PCB sockets. If both of those things happened on the same switch I pretty much had to wrench the switch out with quite a bit of force which damages the slot area of the top housing. The switches still work just fine but the damage may bother some people. Thankfully I had some spare switches from another board so I just swapped out the damaged housing. The aluminum backplate creates a lot of ping, but I never really noticed it until I lubed my switches. However, once I lubed the switches and springs, the actual switches became so quiet that the plate ping really started bothering me because it resonated like a tuning fork. I tried putting some foam in the bottom of the case under the PCB, but that didnt help much. I ended up having to cut out a custom foam pad to go between the plate and the PCB to reduce the ping. It was very tedious since I had to cut out space for all the switches, screws, and posts, but now the keyboard sounds like one of those $100+ custom enthusiast boards! For anyone looking to do this, you want to use 3mm craft foam. 4mm can work, but it will cause some flex in the plate/PCB in some places. The stabilizers have some rattle, even after lubing the stems and bars. The best method to get rid of rattle was to put some tape between the stab housings and the plate to get rid of the housing wobble. I used some black electrical tape since it wouldnt stand out. My keyboard was a little uneven and didnt lay completely flat on the table when I first got it, but I was able to fix it by tightening the screws on the riser feet. Unfortunately those screws are on the inside of the board, which means you would have to take apart the board to get to them. For reference, to take apart the board there are 6 screws on the sides and 11 screws on the plate under the keycaps. You dont have to remove all the switches to take out the plate/PCB, but you do have to remove the switches if you want to separate the plate from the PCB. I also modded my board by replacing the stock USB cable with a USB-type C female port. If you want to do this you will need a USB breakout board with VCC, GND, D+, D-. The wires from the JST connector on the PCB are red/VCC, black/GND, D+/green, D-/white. I know white is usually D+ and green is usually D- but this board is reverse. The other black wire is shield and its uninsulated once you get past the shrink tubing, I just left it disconnected. The keycaps are Cherry profile, but they do not have a crossbar around the stem, which means that the stem length is different for each row if you want to use o-rings. I had to use a mix of 2.5mm 70A and 2mm 50A o-rings to get a consistent travel distance. R1 = 2.5+2+2. R3 = 2.5. R2,4,5 = 2.5+2.

Keys not quite as clicky as Id like, other than that this keyboard is excellent.

I have used membrane keyboards for decades. I had never had the experience of a mechanical keyboard, and finally decided to get one. That was not this one. But, I wanted something a little flashier than the one I had before, so I got this one later. :) They are, of course, kinda pricy. This one however, was a decent price. So I bought it. Yes, I know there are better ones out there. And the switches on this one (in this case, the Outemu Browns) are either good enough for beginners or absolute trash, depending on who you talk to. But as the headline says, this review is from a beginner standpoint. My previous keyboard had Outemu Brown switches as well, and as I liked the tactile bump, I stuck with them when I got the Redragon. And really, Ive been quite happy with it. Now I will say, as Ive started to explore the world of mechanical keyboards, Im realizing that theres so much better. But, it looks like I can mod this thing, so thats what Im going to do. I generally like the look, and the overall feel of it. But I need that thock. Basically, if youre coming from a standard membrane keyboard, this is a decent keyboard. I dont regret the purchase at all. I went to help my dad with some computer issues he was having, and used his e-waste keyboard, and couldnt believe the difference. I dont know why I didnt switch to mechanical sooner. If you dont want to spend $100 or more on a keyboard, and want something decent and with RGB (I suggest getting pudding keycaps for an even better light show), and you dont care about the enthuiast side of mechanical keyboards and/or this is just a starter...yeah...this works.

I needed another mechanical keyboard with back lit keycaps, standard 104 layout, smooth, positive tactile action and macro capability. My prior 2 Redragon K556 RGBs continue to work great after 4 years so I got another K556 as I have had bad experiences with several other (name brand) makes (such as the keycaps easily falling off. etc.). My 3 Redragon keyboards are sturdy, quality built with great brown switches. I have had no problems with the switches in the 4 yo ones (never needed the spares) and in any case for piece of mind the new K556 version allows wider switch replacement capability if ever needed. The variable brightness is great and the key click sound level is just right - not annoying. Initially I could not program it. I emailed them and received excellent overnight customer support that fixed a problem of my own making. (The programming software for the latest K556 version was not compatible with the software previously downloaded for the old K556s.)

Use case: Ive owned this mechanical keyboard (MK) for almost three years and use it daily. Pros: Durable, inexpensive, bright RGBs, great option for someone looking for their first MK I spilled an entire drink on this keyboard. I simply unplugged it, rinsed it in the sink, and set it out to thoroughly dry. Continued to work fine once dry. This was over a year ago. All RGBs still work fine, despite being on all the time during use. Cons: After purchasing a higher tier MK, I can confirm there is a noticeable difference in quality of the keycaps and switches. This MK has more post wobble, louder keystrokes, and overall less sound dampening. This does not impact overall functionality, and is not really noticeable unless you have experience with a higher tier MK. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I would recommend this to anyone looking for their first MK, but dont want to break the bank. I would not recommend this to MK enthusiasts who may be disappointed by the less enjoyable typing experience compared to other, more expensive MKs. If ergonomics are important to you, plan to purchase or make a wrist wrest. This is really a requirement for most MKs, including those that are expensive.