FILCO Majestouch Ninja Tenkeyless Review

The newest stealthy mechanical keyboard from FILCO is here. We test it out to find if it’s worth your hard earned.

Product on Review: FILCO Majestouch Ninja Tenkeyless Tactile Action Mechanical Keyboard
Manufacturer: Diatech
Sponsor: The Keyboard Company
Street Price: £120 inc VAT

FILCO is a new brand to Vortez, and although many may not have heard the name before, in the world of mechanical keyboards FILCO has already made a name for itself in the UK. Produced in Japan by Diatech, FILCO keyboards are aimed at the high end of the market like many, if not all, of the mechanical keyboards we have seen to date at Vortez. FILCO takes a no-frills approach to making keyboards, and the range offer purely top quality build, design and components. You’re not likely to see finger cooling fans, rafts of macro keys or multi-coloured backlighting, but instead a classic keyboard design aimed at professionals and enthusiasts alike.

Mechanical keyboards have recently seen a surge in popularity in the enthusiast market, and many manufacturers have put their best offerings forward for us to test. Mechanical keyboards boast the advantage of a better feel, increased precision, faster response, n-key rollover and unprecedented durability. In this review we will ascertain whether the latest FILCO offering is worthy of your consideration.

FILCO’s take on Majestouch Ninja

Features and Specifications

This is what FILCO have to say about the Ninja:

Features

Majestouch NINJA is a whole new concept keyboard. New style of letter printing – front printing. The biggest feature of this front printing is this new look that gives a look of “almost” a blank keycap keyboard. This means, printed letters can be seen only from a user and it is seen as a blank keycaps keyboard from others. This untraditional printing method does not expose you for fading letters on keycaps as there are no letters on top face where you actually touch to cause a friction when you type in. You will never feel stress from fading letters that would make your keyboard crummy. On the other hand, as the feature of this keyboard, front printing, is hard to look at the letters. This NINJA is perfect for the users who are confident in touch typing and also for users who feel total blank keycaps keyboard is a bit of a challenge.

To make it match to our concept, we omitted the indicators of “Lock, Num, Caps, Scroll” on LED.

Also logo is different from normal lineups to go with the concept and in this way, this keyboard looks “almost” completely black!

Not only appearance but also basic functions have improved!

Double layers is adopted for a new board. Through a hole of each switch has been firmly soldered. With this, it can release any excess load or vibration that you make when you type in to a board not only to a metal plate inside. It enables you to enjoy a better typing feel!
We also brought the rate of its data transfer for PC to the highest which provides you faster response.
This function as well as N-key rollover meet for the professional gamers.

You can choose from 6 kinds to match your preference

We have 3 keys available for you to choose, Blue / Brown / Black and you can also choose 104 full size or 87 Ten-keyless version for your scene.
This model features the Cherry MX Brown Switch :
Known as tactile, there is a very soft click as you reach the contact point. With the light pressure spring, it makes typing action easy, fast and stress free. A long key stroke of 4mm and the contact point at 2mm between the key strokes.

A true N-key rollover

It is the functionality by which all the typed keys are recognized on the PC, even when many keys are typed simultaneously. All the keys typed simultaneously are recognized on the PS/2. (Limited to 6 keys typed simultaneously for the USB due to the specifications of USB.)
A completely dedicated electronic circuitry to this model! On our models a diode is soldered on the printed circuit for every key switch to prevent from countercurrency.

Compatibility with USB and PS/2

A USB cable is connected to the keyboard. Plug&Play is available on each Windows system. A PS/2 interface is also available to use the PS/2 Conversion Adapter included in the package.

Specifications

Key switch/Number of keys Cherry MX Brown Switch (tactile feel)/87 keys, US ASCII key arrangement
Key pitch/Key stroke 19mm/4 ±0.5mm
Dimensions/Weight W356xD135xH33mm(44mm raised up by stand)/980g
Interface PS/2,USB (PS/2 interface is available with PS/2 Conversion Adapter)
Cable length 1.5m
Accessories Windows key (Printing on front face type), FILCO Key Puller

Packaging and First Look

The front of the box

The front of the packaging doesn’t give much away, but this is perfectly in line with the design ethic of minimalism and stealth that the Ninja exudes.

The rear of the box

The rear and side of the packaging offer a bit more information on the contents, including the type of layout and switch, as well as connectivity and features.

The bundle

The contents of the box include:
– FILCO Majestouch Ninja Tenkeyless Mechanical Keyboard
– FILCO Cherry MX Key Pulling Tool
– USB to PS/2 adapter for n-key rollover
– 2x additional Windows Keys with blank tops
– Clear rigid plastic dust cover (not pictured)

This is a reasonable bundle, and although extras such as the USB-PS/2 adapter are quite standard, the plastic dust cover and key pulling tool are very useful and welcomed additions.

First look

Looking at the Ninja from the top, you can see why it is thus named. The front-printed keys create the illusion of a blank keyset and a stealthy, professional look. Strangely, the printed windows keys are fitted by default and not the blank versions, which I think buyers of this keyboard would probably expect and prefer.

Closer Look

The underside with the legs extended

The underside of the keyboard is fairly unremarkable, but there are two legs to elevate the angle – we’ll look at this in more detail later. The keyboard has four rubber pads to secure it on the desk and prevent it from moving around. Coupled with the fairly weighty mass (around 1Kg), this means the keyboard won’t move unless you want it to.

Close up of the arrow keys

The Ninja is made of high quality materials – this is apparent from appearance and touch. Here you can also see the front-printing on the keys in more detail. The FILCO logo is also embossed into the front of the keyboard, but is quite discreet, in keeping with the theme.

This is the first time the Ninja has been available as an 88-key UK model

Most of you will also have noticed this is the Tenkeyless model, and as such there is no numpad area. These keys aren’t essential as they are duplicated on the rest of the keyboard, but those who use the numpad extensively for data entry will miss this or at least have a difficult transition. On the other hand, the benefit is that you will gain desk space, especially around the area where you keep a mouse if you’re right handed. There’s always still the 105-key UK full size version with a numpad also available from the same vendor though, so fear not if you can’t bear to live without it! The scroll lock and caps lock lights have no labelling to keep the look stealthy, and illuminate with rather bright blue LEDs. You’ll definitely know that you’ll be typing in CAPS before you hit any key.

Closer Look cont’d

You have the option of USB or PS/2

The Ninja comes with a thick 1.5m cable that is not braided, but terminates in a regular USB connection. Via USB, 6-key rollover is possible, that is, you can actuate up to 6 keys simultaneously with no issues. This is a technical limitation of the USB. If you use PS/2 however, which I would recommend, you can have full n-key rollover. There is no advantage to USB as the keyboard has no features such as USB hubs or special functionality seen on other gaming keyboards. Also, because of this, compatibility, ghosting and blocking should never be an issue.

Removing the Windows key to reveal the Cherry MX Brown switch

Using the bundled key pulling tool, it’s easy to remove key caps. Above we can see the Windows key cap has been removed to reveal the Cherry MX Brown mechanical key beneath. The Cherry MX Brown is a silent tactile switch with 45g spring resistance and a peak of 55g at the actuation point. We’ll look at what this means over the page, in the context of performance and comfort.

The Ninja is beautifully finished

Performance

Looks smart, but does it cut it where it counts?

General Usage

The Cherry MX Brown is by all means a compromise, or a happy medium. It has an average amount of force required to actuate, between the Cherry MX Black and Red, but also has tactile feedback. This means that you can feel when the switch passes its actuation point due to a slight increase in resistance. The effect is subtle, but defined. It allows for a better typing experience as delicate touch-typers can feel for the actuation for increased speed and accuracy. Those used to normal membrane type keyboards will probably find that you will be bottoming out on the keys a lot until you get used to the new feel of the mechanical switch. This isn’t a problem, but it does increase noise and decrease your speed, if you are so concerned. The Cherry MX Brown doesn’t offer any audible feedback, unlike the popular MX Blue, which gives a ‘click’ when pressed, therefore it does not offer complete feedback, but sits somewhere in the middle of the Cherry MX offerings. This perhaps makes it best placed to be the ideal type of switch for a typical enthusiast user.

The feel offered by the keyboard compared to a normal rubber dome type is far superior – each press is well defined, but light. Keys move only downwards, without much sideways flex, which gives a definite feel to each press, but even with a small travel (2mm downwards), keys are registered. There is no ghosting or blocking due to the n-key rollover, though these problems are seldom experienced in today’s cheapest keyboards. For typing over extended periods, there is no fatigue that might be associated with the weightier Cherry MX Black switches, and in practice, even less than a traditional rubber domed keyboard as you can be fast and accurate with even a gentle press. One feature that I do miss is dedicated volume keys and play controls, as I use these on a regular basis.

Gaming

Before having used the keyboard at all, my expectation was that it would not match the likes of a dedicated gaming keyboard due to the omissions of macro keys, backlighting, LCD screens and other customisation features. The perceived notion in the gaming keyboard market is that these features should be standard on any keyboard that can market itself as being suitable for gaming, and certainly on those priced at over £100 of your hard earned. Whether you miss the complete omission of these features on the Ninja will depend on what kind of games you play. For example, MMO fans are much more likely to use macro keys than FPS players. Personally, I play a real mixture of games, probably like most people, and I haven’t found these omissions a limitation at all, even after having previously had a macro-enabled keyboard. That was because I never made use of the extensive features the gaming keyboards offer, even though I considered them when purchasing mine. I think, realistically, gamers should re-assess the value of such additions and decide for themselves if they will really use them or if they are just there for product differentiation and marketing reasons.

So how does it actually perform? In a word, excellent, however there’s no doubt that because of the tactile response, extremely fast movement using WASD might feel more laboured than with a linear, non-tactile switch such as the Cherry MX Red or Black, and fast presses around the tactile point aren’t as smooth as you would get with the linear switches, for obvious reasons. This can be disconcerting at first in FPS games (e.g. Far Cry 2) when moving around, but you quickly get used to the feel of the keyboard and understand that bottoming out on the keys isn’t a bad thing when gaming. It’s something that will happen. With MMO games (e.g. Star Trek Online), the lack of function and macro keys is a limitation, but only if you’re accustomed to using them. I would estimate that most users are not. Actual gameplay feels great, the feedback from the keyboard is strong and each press is a firm commitment. Compared to a rubber dome keyboard though, the same advantages in general use also apply here. Presses are more defined, there is less mushiness in the key action and all in all you feel more in control. With the Tenkeyless model you also free up that space to the right of the keyboard where the mouse is, making mouse control also improve – a nice side effect of the smaller form factor.

Concluding thoughts

Overall the benefits in performance should be the main motivation for purchasing a mechanical keyboard as they are so pronounced over an inferior rubber dome alternative. It is very difficult to convey the difference in feel in words – I urge that if you get the chance to try one, jump at it. Perhaps one way to describe the difference would be that it feels more like what you might imagine an old typewriter to feel like, but with a feather touch. In both general typing and gaming, the Cherry MX Brown switch is a great performer. The only improvement in typing would be the tactile click of the Blue switch, and the only improvement in gaming would be the linear nature of the Black or Red switch. If you don’t want two keyboards on your desk, the MX Brown has to be right choice.

Comfort

We’ve established that the Ninja performs admirably, but for many people, comfort is as much, if not more, of a consideration in purchasing a keyboard. Perhaps not as much for enthusiasts but it would be a dramatic oversight to simply ignore this factor.

The legs provide an extra elevation that we should expect on all keyboards today. I find the elevated typing position preferable, but this will depend on how you sit in relation to your desk.

The key caps look smooth, but are finely textured plastic for grip

The feel of typing greatly aids comfort, as in using the mechanical keys you’re prompted subliminally to adopt an efficient typing position where you move your hands as little as possible. The feedback from the tactile bump of the Brown keys also aids in comfort – there’s no need to bottom out on the keys to know that you have actuated, so even a light, but measured press will result in your character being presented on screen.

However, the layout of the keyboard doesn’t prompt any more comfort than any other standard offering, and there is no included wrist rest. The FILCO leather wrist rest is a rather sobering £43.20 addition, and whilst no dispute can be made over its quality, a bundled or at least cheaper alternative might be better suited to allow this keyboard to remain competitive in the UK enthusiast market. The layout will still allow for generic wrist rests of course. For this review and the last week I have been using the Ninja, and I haven’t felt the need for a rest, but I know that many will miss that as a standard addition. There’s not much more to comment on regarding comfort as other than the mechanical nature, the Ninja is fairly unremarkable in its layout.

Conclusion

In its relative simplicity, the FILCO Majestouch Ninja is beautiful. The quality is very impressive, with a solid build and intelligent construction. The design and finish are minimalistic, but sophisticated and stylish in appearance. Side printed key caps not only look the part, but also offer a clear advantage in longevity of the finish, and are the perfect balance for those who want stealthy looks but not at the cost of a complete loss of information associated with blank key caps. Of course, you are always free to purchase FILCO blank key caps afterwards when you progress to being super-proficient, if only to impress those who lack this skill. The performance associated with the Cherry MX Brown switch and it’s mounting to the rest of the board provides an unrivalled quality of feedback and typing feel. This keyboard really shines when it comes to typing out large amounts of text, whether that be forum posts, work assignments, reports, reviews or whatever you happen to use your PC for! However, being a site for the enthusiast, we must comment on the gaming performance, and this is also excellent. You won’t get as great a feel as a linear switch keyboard using Cherry MX Black or Red, but the difference is minimal and the advantages in everyday use outweigh the minor disadvantage in gaming. Remember though that the feel still wins hands down over a non-mechanical keyboard. Also in reality, even most enthusiasts have to type for general use, probably more often than gaming, so as a choice for a primary keyboard the Cherry MX Brown is the switch for the balanced user.

However, the Ninja won’t be for everyone. If backlit keys are essential for you, look elsewhere. This product doesn’t even have obvious letters on the keys, let alone illuminated ones, so is clearly not aimed at this demographic, but rather those who want a more subtle finish. If macro keys are what you need for gaming or otherwise and you can’t live without them, look elsewhere. This isn’t a pure gaming keyboard by any means, but more of an all-rounder. If you want outlandish styling, USB hubs, audio pass-through or even dedicated media keys, look elsewhere. The minimalistic nature of this keyboard isn’t just in appearance, but also in features. However, what it does do, it does right, and probably better than almost anything else out there.

Overall, it’s difficult not to be impressed with the FILCO Majestouch Ninja, especially if you’re new to the world of mechanical keyboards. This is top quality peripheral, and has the price to match. It’s also slightly different to the other mechanical keyboards we’ve looked at so far. This board isn’t directly aimed at the enthusiast gaming market, but rather the general enthusiast and professional segments. This doesn’t mean you can discount it if you game, as it still performs extremely well here. It’s more of a jack of all trades when it comes to performance, but certainly very meagre when it comes to features, although the bundle does include a key puller and two extra key caps. The question the enthusiast must ask themselves is ‘do I need these ‘gaming’ features?’. If the answer is anything other than a definite yes, then the Majestouch Ninja might be just the ticket. Your typing will improve, the feel and feedback is simply excellent and the keyboard is extremely smart and compact, yet still it has proper full-size keys and enough weight to ensure stability and convey a high quality feeling. At £120 it’s certainly not a decision to take lightly, but if you’re in the market for a stylish high quality mechanical keyboard, I would urge you to consider what the Majestouch Ninja brings to the table.

Pros
+Cherry MX Brown switch is a great all-rounder
+The build, feel and performance are of extremely high quality
+The finish is stealthy, stylish and compact
+Full n-key rollover
+Bundled dust cover and key puller

Cons
+At £120, it’s one of the more expensive mechanical boards
+There are few, if any, additional features over basic functions

Although fairly basic in features, the Majestouch Ninja excels so greatly in performance and finish that I have no choice but to deem it worthy of a Gold award.