Keyboard Builders' Digest / Review
Chosfox Fox65
I reviewed the amazing Fox65 by Chosfox x Masro – a versatile keyboard packed with features, and layout options including ISO and split spacebar support for those who prefer these. E.g. me. ;)
Published November 22, 2024
Woo-hoo! What's going on here?! Another week, another gorgeous board tempting me as my new daily driver: the Fox65 kit or prebuilt Fox65 by Chosfox x Masro. Wireless PCB housed in a sexy aluminum case, QMK/VIA, ANSI/ISO and split spacebar support! Oh, and did I mention the modular slider? Nice touch!
If I ever switch back from splits to a more classic keyboard layout, the Fox65 would be my top contender.
TLDR; The Fox65 is a CNC aluminum keyboard with lots of color, weight, and plate options, designed in collaboration by Chosfox and Masro of Basekeys. Wireless, hotswap, VIA-support – with clever details like hidden screws, magnetic connector extension for the battery, a cool slider (or 3 extra keys), etc. The layout options, especially the ISO and split spacebar support, make the Fox65 probably the very first quality keyboard in my 120-strong collection that will win my wife's approval, which says a lot! :)
Disclaimer
Chosfox sent me this stunning Fox65 in white (thanks so much!). As always, I'm not being paid to write these reviews, but receiving a free sample may introduce its own biases – both positive and negative, based on my experience. Take everything I write with a grain of salt.
Variants
My 3-mode wireless Fox65 with the perl white (electrophoresis) aluminum case, brass weight and slider is one of the most expensive combos, but there are much more affordable variations, e.g. a barebone wired-only kit.
- barebone kit or prebuilt
- wired or 3-mode wireless
- 5 color options: pearl white (electrophoresis), polar blue, dark night black, snow green purple, and starlight silver (anodized)
- weights: stainless steel, brass, red brass
- plates: the bundle came with an FR4 plate, but you can order PC or POM extras
- slider/button: the default slider can be swapped for an extra 3-key button module
Specs
- 60/65% keyboard kit (63-69 keys), 65% form factor
- three-mode wireless (switch beneath the CapsLock key)
- case: aluminum, hidden screws, 7° typing angle
- hotswap
- PCB: 1.2mm, no flex cuts
- plate: FR4 with flex cuts (PC+POM options)
- gasket mount
- South-facing RGB
- dimensions (case): 322x114x31mm
- weight: 1.431kg
Unboxing & Contents
Inside the sleek black hard-shell case, you'll find the seemingly assembled Fox65. That said, to mount the stabilizers, you'll need to disassemble the case first. :) My keyboard came with a bag of Chosfox White Fox V2 switches (which are very nice linears by HMX) and a dye-sub keycap set. While these two aren't part of the barebone kit, the creamy coiled cable with aviator connector, tools, wireless dongle, quickstart guide are! Just a small thing, but I especially like the tiny screwdriver. Very handy!
The coiled cable looks top-notch. In addition to the aviator connector, the end connectors are protected with a transparent film, adding an extra layer of care.
Design language
Smooth, curved design with soft edges, said to be "corner-free" design.
The Fox65 is a keyboard that combines sophisticated beauty and functionality with its streamlined, rounded design. This design fits naturally in the user's hand and provides comfort even when used for long periods of time – Chosfox.
Layout
The form factor is 65%, while the layout is 60/65%. Tricky, isn't it? Basically, the case takes up the place of a 65% because of the right slider. In this default case, there's no extra switch column, so the layout is closer to a 60%. However, the slider can be swapped for an optional 3-key module (not part of the default bundle), resulting in a 65% layout.
Meaning, you either have a pretty classic 60% board, or can snap an extra column to its right side.
Number row but no dedicated function keys. The arrow cluster is offset a bit, I like this a lot. That small gap makes so much difference! However, the best thing about the Fox65 is the flexibility of the layout: stepped Caps Lock, ANSI/ISO, and 3-part split spacebar option.
ANSI/ISO: Everybody builds the ANSI one, so I had to try the ISO variant you can see in the photos. It works perfectly.
Split spacebar option: Sure, you can use a regular spacebar, but why the heck would you? As someone who uses split keyboards all the time, the split option was the most exciting feature for me, so I went with the split ISO build right away.
FYI, you’ll need caps in the following sizes and order: 2.25U, 1.25U, and 2.75U – contrary to what’s shown in one of the illustrations on the product page. ;)
Keycaps
Keycaps are not included with the kit, only with the prebuilt Fox65. The set I received, which you can see in the photos, arrived in a plain cardboard box with no additional details. According to the product page, it's the BOW Snowfrost White keycap set: a large dye-sub set fully compatible with my ISO layout.
Perhaps the overall quality of the Fox65 deserved something more premium, at least a double-shot keycap set. However, given the price difference between the kit and the prebuilt version, the current option makes the offer relatively affordable.
Switches
Again, switches are not part of the barbone kit, but if you want something cool, than the V2 Chosfox White Foxes I received are definitely something to consider. (Other options are the linear Yichu, tactile Poison Gas V2, and clicky Arctic Fox – some of these are Chosfox's best-seller switches.)
Manufactured by HMX, the White Fox V2s are not simply nice light (45g) linears, but also very affordable, and their light diffuser perfectly matches the Fox65's RGB capabilities.
Assembly/Disassembly
The board is very easy and straightforward to disassemble, which is not often the case.
You can replace your keycaps and switches without touching any screw, but the stabilizers coming separately, you have to start with opening up the case and getting to the core anyway.
Case
Milled aluminum, typing angle: fixed 7 degrees (no adjustable feet).
The screws are hidden, similar to the Synth Labs x Keebwerk Synth 060 I reviewed earlier. Btw, the clean and simple metal artisans (Esc) in some of the photos are from keebwerk too.
PCB
The PCB is MX compatible, hotswap, and of course supports wireless modes. It's perfectly ANSI/ISO compatible, and as already told, supports slit spacebars as well.
What I like a lot is the magnetic pogo pin connection of the battery extension cable. In theory, you could open up the case and remove the PCB without unplugging the battery cable, since it has this nice magnetic connection. Too bad that the slider module is attached by a cable, so you have to juggle with these tiny connectors anyway.
Plate
The default plate is FR4 with plenty of shorter flex cuts. There are optional PC and POM plates available too.
Mounting
Gasket mounting, but there's not much room in the bottom case, so I had the feeling that instead of the silicone gaskets, the plate/PCB sandwich core was sitting on the bottom foams. I may be wrong though.
Stabilizers
The bundle came with 3x 2U stabilizers, and a long one for the one-piece spacebar, said to be Chosfox JWK screw-in stabs. Which is enough for a normal ANSI/ISO with a single spacebar, but definitely not for the split spacebar layout options. I had to grab an extra 2U stab from another set.
By the way, the PCB is 1.2mm thick, I'm not sure if that's why the inner edges of my split spacebars feel a bit rocky.
Sound & Sound dampening
Plenty of foam: 3mm poron plate foam, thin IXPE(+PET?) switch foam layer(s), another thick poron beneath the PCBfoam, and there's a last thin layer in the bottom case.
Despite the gaskets and flex cuts, the typing feel is very direct and snappy.
Slider/Pusher/Putter :)
This thing is called by various names on the product page, but basically it's a nice slider.
It moves very smoothly, and the cap can be reversed too (two directions).
The ridged piece beneath the slider feels aluminum too, and the whole thing is modular.
RGB
The RGB lighting is great, or maybe it's the effect of the White Fox V2 switches with their fancy light diffusers. The board comes with per-key RGB backlighting, and lots of preset animation modes. So many that I had a hard time to get back to the one I liked the most. :)
Software
The Fox65 is VIA compatible. Yay!
Reproducing my custom layout should have been easy, and it's completely my fault that I spent so much time on it.
I had to use the Fox65 JSON file provided by Chosfox, and then select the options reflecting my build from VIA > Layouts. These are: ISO Enter, Split Left Shift, and 7U bottom row.
Swapping some keys and functions is easy, and setting up SpaceFN should have been straightforward too. (Don't forget to set your split space keys to transparent on your non-base layers if you'd like to use them as modifiers…)
Wireless
The Fox65 is a three-mode wireless board (2.4G Wireless/Wired/Bluetooth 5.1) with 3,000mAh battery.
The switch to turn the battery on/off, is hidden beneath the CapsLock key.
Portability
Based on the wireless features and the relatively compact 65% form factor, the Fox65 could even be portable, however, the hefty aluminum case makes me think twice before dropping it into my backpack. (OK, there is the nice hard-shell case, but anyway.) Lighter than the beefy alu boards reviewed earlier (MoeeTech Glitter, Akko YoD, Whitefox Eclipse – about 2kg each – but still relatively heavy with its weight of 1.4kg.
In my opinion, it excels as a stationary device on your desk.
Conclusion
The Fox65 is my first keyboard from Chosfox, and it has set the bar very high. It's beautiful, it's flexible, I love it – especially the split spacebar and the ANSI/ISO compatibility. The Chosfox White Fox V2 switches feel nice and ensure top-notch RGB effects. Quality and performance even for the most serious typer and keymap wizard – thanks to the VIA support.
Pros
- Solid aluminum case with hidden screws, magnetic connector, etc.
- Layout variants: ANSI/ISO/split spacebar options
- VIA
Cons
- Maybe the height and weight vs. portability aspect – if I had to nitpick.
- One more 2U stab would be nice
Availability
There's a 5% discount in effect with the KBDNEWS coupon code, so the Fox65 kit or prebuilt Fox65 can be yours for $161 and $190, respectively. The most affordable option is the wired version, however, you could flirt with a $200-230 total if you choose the most expensive color and weight, plus add some extra plates and the 3-key module.
Also keep in mind that for the barebone kit you'll have to add switches and keycaps.
- Fox65 keyboard kit from
$169-195$161-$185 with the KBDNEWS coupon code. - Fox65 prebuilt keyboard from
$200$190 with the KBDNEWS coupon code. - Extra weights
- Extra 3-key module
Published on Fri 22nd Nov 2024. Featured in KBD #180.
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