u/13saqqaw

I've been using my FreeBuds Pro 4 daily for about 9-10 months now, but a couple things have started to get to me, and I'm wondering if the Freebuds Pro 5 addressed these issues:

1. Was the fit any more secure and comfortable?
2. Is the charging case thinner?
3. When in transparency mode in a quiet room, due you hear a subtle high-pitched noise while wearing the 5's?
4. I read another Reddit thread about some users getting units with defective ANC, where noise in a certain range was actually amplified instead of being canceled out. Has this happened to you?

I've been using my FreeBuds Pro 4 daily for about 9-10 months now, but a couple things have started to get to me, and I'm wondering if the Freebuds Pro 5 addressed these issues:

1. Was the fit any more secure and comfortable?
2. Is the charging case thinner?
3. When in transparency mode in a quiet room, due you hear a subtle high-pitched noise while wearing the 5's?
4. I read another Reddit thread about some users getting units with defective ANC, where noise in a certain range was actually amplified instead of being canceled out. Has this happened to you?

I missed their call and they haven't tried calling me again for a few days already.

Thanks!

I noticed a bit of a pattern over the last several months, where several people would be calling me, but before I could answer, the call would drop. It turns out that despite successfully passing Call Control, the call was getting dropped right after.

I am looking for switches to complement my top shine-through keycaps on my keyboard with North-Facing LEDs.

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

MUST HAVE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Sound profile: Creamy/Thocky
• Initial Force: 30-40gf (the lower, the better)

MUST ALSO HAVE: light diffuser

https://preview.redd.it/2noqo0dck89h1.jpg?width=1428&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b0437052a6e11dd14cdf8ca694821778e2b2b934

I'm not sure how I never found this before. Gemini says it was released in late 2025. Keychron's website says sold out, but I was able to pick one up on Amazon.ca during the current Prime Days period.

Bottom Line: It's a heavenly typing experience with mid-to-lite switches and a very pleasing sound (for most). I tried capturing the sound on video, but the video did not do it justice. Even the videos currently on YouTube, do not do justice to how good it sounds.

Other Noteworthy Points:

1. Uses "Keychron Launcher" Software, which is browser-based and quite full-featured, including per-key RGB configuration (which is missing from "generic" VIA/QMK boards such as the Epomaker Galaxy 100).
2. Unfortunately, the 2 color options are not very Guy-friendly: Pink and Pink-Blue. However, if you change the keycaps in either one, there is very little visible pink left (unless your replacement keycaps are also...pink...).
3. The shine thru of the Sakura Milk switches is pretty great considering that the switch itself is opaque (but it has the light diffuser.)
4. The included USB cable is braided with a right-angle USB-C connector.
5. The 2.4 Ghz dongle stores inside a cavity on the bottom of the board.

My Decision:

I am leaning towards not keeping it. While the sound is quite nice, I have been conditioned by the deep thocky and/or marbly sound of these keyboards:

1. Epomaker Galaxy 100 (with HMX Feker Marble White switches)
2. Epomaker G84 HE
3. IPI Aurora 65 HE
4. AULA F75 PRO (with Star Vector switches)

So I am currently favoring a rebranded wired-only AJAZZ AK980 (more keys) with Epomaker Creamy Jade switches. Apparently AJAZZ has a reputation for packing their keyboards well to improve the sound, and I would have to agree. The Creamy Jade switches sounded deeper in the AJAZZ AK980 compared to when they were installed in the Keychron J3 SE. Yet even then, I am tempted to order a jar of Feker Marble White switches and put them in instead of the Creamy Jades.

Short rant below.

I just got my first VIA/QMK keyboard, the Epomaker Galaxy 100 (non-Lite).

It doesn't even support per-key RGB configuration and the VIA support page says they currently have no timeline for adding that feature.

This feature has been around for ages on proprietary keyboard software, and I don't know how VIA could get away with not having it for this long.

Based on watching so many YouTube keyboard videos that praise the inclusion of VIA/QMK support, I almost took it for granted that every "basic" feature would be present in VIA as well.

My work bench:

Monitors: Dell S2725QS x 2 connected via DP to dock below.

Dock: PrimeCables (kind of like a Canadian Monoprice) TB3 Dock (EOL in 2022). Connection to host via Cable Matters USB4/TB4 cable.

The following laptops and scenarios were not capable of outputing 4k120 according to Quickspecs:

• EliteBook 840 G8:
  • HP's claim: "No 4k 120Hz output. Period."
  • My findings:
    • Direct connection from TB4 to HDMI or DP delivered 4k120.
    • Second display maxed out at 4k60.
    • I forgot to test the HDMI port.
    • The same result was achieved when connecting to the same 2 displays via the TB3 dock.
• Elitebook X G1a
  • HP's claims: HDMI port can only support 4k60. No 4k120 through a dock.
  • My findings:
    • HDMI port definitely supports 4k120. Even in conjunction with a second display at 4k120 (via TB4 or USB-C).
    • Achieved dual 4k120 via my TB3 dock.
• ZBook Fury 15 G8 (with NVIDIA Quadro T1200)
  • HP's claims: HDMI port is 2.0b (i.e. max 4k60). No 4k120 through a dock.
  • My findings:
    • HDMI port definitely supports 4k120. Even in conjunction with a second display at 4k120 (via TB4 or mini-DP).
    • Achieved dual 4k120 via my TB3 dock.