INTRODUCTION

   Although i may have assembled countless PCs in the years i was working as a PC technician (i still do just not as much since I only do it for myself and friends) one thing still continues to puzzle me and that's the reason behind the why people always place the keyboard and mouse last when they decide their new system configuration. Granted these are peripherals that people can swap at will whenever they feel like doing so but at the same time these are two devices that pretty much do the same as the wheel and gear changer inside a car so it's always good to spend money on them if you can (even though your real life doesn't depend on them). Mechanical keyboards are still in their infancy compared to the "classic" membrane ones but they have won the hearts of both gamers and professionals all around the world due to their superior durability, tactile and audio feedback and today we're going to be testing the Lobera Spectrum RGB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard by our friends over at Tesoro.

   Established in 2011, Tesoro Technology USA Inc. is a team of multinational gaming enthusiasts with over 30 years industry experience with one objective – make ultra-durable products that give the best gaming experience. To achieve this, Tesoro conceptualizes products from the input and feedback from the gaming community, and then builds them using the highest grade components. As a gamers company, Tesoro continues to expand into new horizons and push the limit further with each product unveiling. To learn more visit Tesoro's website: http://www.tesorotec.com.

   A while back we reviewed the very good Lobera Supreme RGB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard by Tesoro (in case you're wondering Lobera means wolf slayer) so some of you may wonder as to why Tesoro released yet another Lobera RGB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard and the answer is rather simple. You see the first RGB keyboard to bear the name Lobera (the Supreme) did have RGB illumination for the keys but it lacked individual key illumination something which left some gamers wanting for more especially since that feature was available from other manufacturers. Luckily it didn't take Tesoro but just a few months to release this new model which not only features individual full RGB key illumination which can be used with various different modes and levels but also Full N-Key Rollover, dual USB powered ports, 512kb of onboard memory for the 5 available profiles and gold plated mechanical switches by Kailh (available in black, brown, blue and red) rated for up to 60 million keystrokes.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

Tesoro sells the Lobera Spectrum inside a large cardboard box (glossy surface) that has a product image at the front right next to the model name and company logo and above its main features.

A few words about the product are placed at the base of the box in 13 languages.

The keyboard layout, some of its features and the mechanical key selection are all placed at the top.

A large product picture is placed at the rear of the box and used to showcase its main features.

As you can all see packaging inside the box is excellent and consists by two black foam spacers, pieces of cardboard and a fabric cover.

Unfortunately aside the keyboard you're only getting the USB power cable, quick start guide and a product catalog.

THE LOBERA SPECTRUM

Although it has some areas where they seem like they're made out of aluminum the 498mm long, 183mm wide and 25mm thick Lobera Spectrum is almost entirely made out of plastic.

Tesoro has placed their logo on the upper right corner above several activity LEDs (Num/scroll/caps lock and gaming/macro recording LEDs).

The Lobera Spectrum doesn't have a wrist wrest but thanks to its design the lower section doesn't allow your hands to slip easily.

You can use F1 through F5 to switch between available profiles.

Tesoro has placed an all-key lockout feature via the F6 key while the F7 through F12 double as the multimedia keys always with the help of the Fn key.

6-key and Full/N-key rollover can be controlled via the insert/delete keys.

Via the arrow keys (and the FN key) you can control the different illumination levels for the LEDs (up/down) and you also have the ability to turn them off entirely (left/right).

The FN (function) key has the Tesoro logo on it so it's not easy to miss.

Here we see the Kailh black mechanical switches.

At the front right we find two USB ports, DC in port and the usual microphone and headphones ports (the DC in can be used with the bundled cable just in case you connect a USB device that requires more juice).

At the base of the keyboard we see 5 rubber feet.

Tesoro placed two height adjusters (legs) beneath the Lobera Spectrum (the tall ones are rubber coated on their end).

If you decide to use the tall height adjusters the keyboard will get 22mm over the desk. However if you choose the short ones you will only gain around 11mm in height.

All available connectors are gold plated and connected to the keyboard via a 1.55m long braided cable.

The very first time you connect the Lobera Spectrum to your system this is the default illumination color.

USING THE LOBERA SPECTRUM

Since just like with the Supreme version the Spectrum comes without a software CD in the package you will need to download the latest control software version from the official Tesoro support page.

The control software is almost identical to the one we saw with the Lobera Supreme so once again although we all feel the design needs to slightly change to make it easier to navigate it does allow you to remap the keys (or assign them to program executables), record macros, select the LED color you want to use with each key/keys, choose the lighting effect you desire (rainbow wave is quite unique), assign macros and/or commands to the H-keys and finally you can assign each of the 5 profiles to specific program executables.

I tried to take a picture of the rainbow wave (clearly not possible in a still picture) and some of the other effects along with the min/max LED level (the sides also light up like in the Supreme model).

AUDIBLE FEEDBACK

Many people ask my opinion on what keyboard they should get for their needs. Some want a “silent” model for use in their living room or even in their bedroom while others ask for a model with good audible feedback for use in the office or for gaming. Because of this I decided to test all the keyboards we use in the office currently by placing our ExTech HD600 vertically over each keyboard (5cm distance) and typing NikKTech a total of 6 times with each (after that the max recorded number - max hold - is placed in the graph). I have to admit that this may not be 100% accurate (only a robot could use the same exact force each time) but it does give a good idea on what you can expect from each model since aside the type of switches used keycaps and keyboard material also matter.

CONCLUSION

   When the Lobera Supreme arrived in our lab we all liked the new illumination system but much like many people out there we wished for more and more specifically a more “advanced” lighting system allowing for individual key RGB illumination and several different effects. The Lobera Spectrum brings that on the table and more since the gold plated Kailh RGB switches used can withstand up to 60 million actuations, 10 million more compared to the silver plated Kailh switches used in the Lobera Supreme. Tesoro did decide to “ditch” the three thumb macro keys found in the Supreme version but personally I don’t use macro keys that much and so I don’t really have a problem with their decision. Of course I still do think that the control software needs a revamping and i would like to see a wrist wrest but in the end what matters is that the RGB black switches by Kailh offer good audible (without being annoying) and tactile feedback (although red and blues could be best for hardcore gamers who don’t care about the extra noise).

   The Lobera Spectrum RGB Gaming Keyboard with Kailh black switches is not available currently so we don’t have a specific price tag for it. However the other versions (featuring brown, blue and red switches) currently retail for USD139.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 160.84Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de) a price tag which is more or less on par with what other manufacturers ask for their own RGB models. Overall the Lobera Spectrum is a very good Mechanical Gaming Keyboard hindered just by the “outdated” control software something which obviously isn’t enough to deny it our Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Design
- Full RGB LED Illumination (16.8M Colors)
- Individual Key Illumination
- Gold Plated Kailh Mechanical Switches (60M Actuations)
- 6 N-Key/Full N-Key Rollover
- 2 USB Ports (DC Powered)
- Headphones And Microphone Mini Jacks
- Braided Cable / Gold Plated Plugs

CONS

- Control Software Design
- No Wrist Rest