Mionix Zibal 60 and Black Widow Ultimate Stealth Edition Reviewed and Compared

Mionix Zibal 60 and Black Widow Ultimate Stealth Edition


Given that recently we've had threads pop up about mechanical keyboard and that i'd say i would do it, here is the mini review/comparison of the those two mechanical keyboards. I will be referring to the Black Widow Ultimate Stealth Edition as the BWU Stealth, Black Widow and Black Widow Stealth often given that name is insanely long ad it will make a little variety and better readability for those of you on lower res screens.

So without further ado, here is a short list of the specs of both keyboards:

	Zibal 60	BWU Stealth
Switch Type	MX Black	MX Brown
Backlight color	Green	Blue
Finish	Black ABS	Black Rubberized Coating
HUB	2 USB2.0 + Audio	1 USB2.0 + Audio
Key Rollover	6KRO	"Anti-Ghosting"
Price	$120-$150 USD	$139.99 USD

Packaging and Unboxing



Zibal 60: There isn't much to be said about the Zibal 60’s packaging and unboxing. Mionix went with a Spartan approach, the box contains the keyboard, warranty card, the palm rest, a key puller and that's it, no fancy manuals, no driver disc as the keyboard is plug & play and no superficial packaging materials. I like that approach as it is a bit more environmentally friendly.

BWU Stealth: The Black Widow Stealth comes with a little bit more in terms of packaging, there is a plastic cover to protect the keyboard inside the box which is completely unnecessary, manual, warranty card, Razer stickers. In short what you'd expect to see packaged with a Razer product, it did not come with a driver disc however and Razer can’t make claims about the environment for that given that the packaging is slightly overkill. The way the keyboard is fitted into the box makes it a bit finicky to pull out from the box, but since you won’t be putting it back in anytime soon, that isn't an issue.

Overall, I prefer the simplistic packaging of the Zibal, it gets the job done with the bare minimum without feeling cheap. The Black Widow's packaging on the other hand feels a bit overdone.

Here are some pictures of the packaging and unboxing of the Black Widow and Zibal 60:

Spoiler

First Impressions

When I first got my Zibal 60 and I pulled it out of the box, I thought man that’s one heavy keyboard. I was also impressed with how sturdy it felt, it felt built to withstand those frustrating moments that can happen while gaming or intense gaming sessions. I was also surprised by how thick the cable for it was, you won't believe it until you see it, it must be at least half an inch thick.

My impressions of the Black Widow were slightly different. First I had both shipped form the US to Canada and while the Zibal 60 arrived in pristine condition (shipped through UPS), the BWU Stealth had some keys that got detached during transport (shipped via DHL). It might just have been the carrier being rough. However, when I pulled the keyboard out of the box, despite it being larger than the Zibal, it felt lighter and slightly less sturdy. It might not feel that it’s built like a tank, but it still feels quite sturdy none the less. When I saw the rubberized coating, two things crossed my mind, first that it would have a great tactile feel and second that it would be a finger grease magnet. For those wondering, it is indeed a finger grease magnet, but it doesn’t show unless you look closely.

Appearance and Build Quality


I will be dividing this by category rather than discuss each keyboard separately and will compare both as I go.

First overall looks, I do prefer the look of the Zibal 60, I am somewhat of a sucker for peripherals that have a simplistic look and the Zibal 60 definitely falls into that category. It is a full sized keyboard, but it doesn’t have any extra macro keys and it takes the same space on the desk as a basic keyboard would. The black ABS plastic isn’t glossy, but it isn’t entirely matte either. It doesn’t pick up fingerprints or finger grease and that is what really matters though. The keys on the other hand like any ABS keys will develop some shine rather quickly. Again, this doesn’t really show unless you’re looking at it. The Black Widow on the other hand doesn’t have the same simplistic yet elegant feel to it. That isn't to say that it ain't nice, but it does have a different vibe to it. For once, it is much larger which makes it a no go for those of you with limited desk space. It has the telltale Razer rubberized coating on both the keys and the body of the keyboard itself. I like that as there is no glossy plastic to attract fingerprints compared to the non-stealth versions of the Black Widow. The keys don’t pick up shine in the same sense as the Zibal, but they do pick up a bit of shine due to finger grease and it is very hard to remove. Also after 6 months, the texture of the coating has started to wear off a little, but that was to be expected.

On to overall build quality and sturdiness. The Black Widow doesn't feel cheap or anything, but the Zibal 60 feels like it is build better. The ABS plastic is thicker, the keys are spaced apart a little more. Overall, this is more of a feeling than an actual comparison, but if I had to pick a keyboard for its durability between the two, it would be the Zibal 60. Don’t let that deter you from getting a Black Widow though, it still feels like a well-built keyboard. I did not experience any of the quality control issues that Vicious did with his Black Widow. That is to say no key got stuck together, keys were held firmly in place, etc. However, I’d be a little wary since it looks like Razer has some quality control issues on the Black Widow so I’d get one form a place where you can return it if it turns out to be a bad unit. The Stealth Edition is exclusive to the Razer store, so you will have to deal directly with Razer for those issues. Both keyboards have flip-up legs, i find they put the keyboard at too much of an angle since it is already slightly angled, but they don't feel like they would break up under heavy use. The black widow has no palm rest included while the Zibal has one that is fully detachable, but is made of the same black ABS as the rest of the keyboard. I don't use it as i prefer not having one.

Some pictures of both keyboards side by side and in broad daylight:

Spoiler

Finally, the backlighting, the Zibal 60 has green backlighting while the BWU Stealth has blue backlighting. The Zibal 60 suffers from almost no light bleed between the keys while it is rather noticeable on the Black Widow Stealth at any but the lowest backlight intensity. That said, the Zibal 60’s backlight is a lot weaker than the one on the Black Widow to the point that the highest intensity on the Zibal is equivalent to the Black Widow’s lowest. That means that the Zibal 60 won’t look all that backlit during sunny days, but will be easier on the eyes should you use it in very low light environments. The backlight on the Zibal can be set to off, WASD cluster or the whole keyboard and has three intensity settings. The Black Widow on the other hand can be set to off, has three intensity settings that light up the whole keyboard or can be set to pulsing (the most useless setting I’ve ever see on a backlit keyboard).

Some pictures of the keyboards with the backlight on in complete darkness:

Spoiler

Note that the backlight looks a bit uneven on the Zibal, it is the same for the Black Widow, it isn't entirely even, but it shows more on the Zibal than the Black Widow. Also, the light bleed of the Zibal is slightly recessed in the pictures while that of the Black Widow is slightly accentuated. However, the differences between the photos and reality are minor.

Gaming and Typing

I will start with gaming first since those are gaming keyboards and I’m sure that’s what will interest most of you reading this. Let me start with this, I prefer the Zibal 60 for gaming, I have absolutely no doubt about it. In this case, it isn’t a matter of switches. It is the damn macro keys of the Black Widow. They are locate on the left and as I tend not to look at my keyboard when I game, I go with tactile feel and the macro keys throw off my left hand’s placement. Now this is something that can be corrected with enough practice, but out of the box the Zibal 60 is easier to work with. I also have no real uses for the macro keys, I think it’s nice to have them should I need them, but I feel their placement is far from optimal. I also prefer the feel of the MX Blacks when gaming, but the MX Browns are perfectly acceptable and I have no problem gaming with those switches either. Another thing to take into account is the windows key lock. The Zibal 60 doesn’t have such a function because it doesn’t need one. If you look at pictures of the keyboard, you will see the left win key is replaced by the fn key, the one with the Mionix logo, If you accidentally hit the function key, nothing will happen. Another simplistic approach that works and you won’t forget to turn on the win key lock when you start a game. The Black Widow has a win key lock feature that serves the same purpose (it will deactivate the left win key); it also has a fn key that replaces the right win key. Both approaches work, but I prefer Mionix’s approach to the problem. In the end, it is a matter of personal preference though. A note on the Anti-Ghosting feature of the Black Widow, while the Zibal has 6KRO across the whole keyboard, i have a feeling the Razer doesn't. I haven't tried every combination, but the Black Widow does have enough KRO where it matters so it won't be a problem, but i would have liked Razer to be more clear on what their "Anti-Ghosting" feature actually is.

Typing wise, I prefer the Black Widow, in fact it is the keyboard i’m the most comfortable typing with. The MX Black switches due to the amount of force required aren’t switches that I’d like to spend a whole day typing on. That isn’t to say they are horrible, they are just fine for light workloads and most of my activity on NBR is carried on my Zibal 60, but I wouldn’t write an essay with them if I have the option of using MX Brown switches instead. I also like the fact that you don’t have the distinctive click of the MX Blue switches on the brown, they are far from silent making the Stealth name on the Black Widow a bit silly, but they won’t drive others nuts because of the noise.

HUBs


I decided to dedicate a small section to the hubs on both keyboards since I feel that they deserve to be discussed a little. Both keyboards have pass-throughs for a mic and headphones. A feature that isn’t that useful on a laptop, but with a desktop it can come in pretty handy. The Zibal 60 has two USB 2.0 ports that connect to the same port on your computer, when using only one port, you will get full USB2.0 speeds, but with multiple devices, you won’t. The Black Widow only has one port operating at full USB2.0 speed. None of the two keyboards provide enough power through the hub to run a 2.5” external drive, the drive won’t start. This was the case with every 2.5” external I tried and I tried 5 different drives. This isn’t a complaint, merely an observation. Now I’ll be going through one of the main gripes I have with the Black Widow Stealth, the hub is on the right side of an already larger than normal keyboard. For most of us, the right side is where we put our mouse so if you have any device plugged in, it can get in the way. The hub on the Zibal are at the back of the keyboard, it requires a bit more work to reach, but it is out of the way when you are using a mouse. I seriously don’t know what Razer was thinking, but this can get prey annoying. You also won’t be able to plus a fat flash drive on the Black Widow since the USB port is very close to the mic jack. You will have to unplug said jack to plug something like a Corsair Voyager or one of the fat Kingston flash drives. On the Zibal, you have two ports so a fat drive might allow to use only one, but at least you won’t have to unplug the mic.

Pictures of the hubs and cables:

Spoiler

Final Words

In the end while I have some issues with the Black Widow Ultimate Stealth Edition, they are rather minor things. As you probably already figured out, my preference overall goes to the Zibal 60, but I wouldn't hesitate to recommend any of those two keyboards based on my experiences with them. The Black Widow does have a few minor flaws that would prevent it from being used by some, especially people with limited desk space. I've owned both keyboards for more than 6 months now and i haven't run into any issues yet.

If i had to give a score for both keyboards:
Zibal 60: 8/10 It could be better in some respects and no keyboard is perfect, key shine for example.
Black Widow: 7/10 Not quite as sturdy as i would have liked, but still feel durable if you don't go berserk on it.

Also note that i ran both keyboards as plug & play, i didn't go out of my way to try the Black Widow's drivers and the Zibal 60 has no drivers, it is purely PnP.

Manufacturer's websites:
Mionix Zibal 60 - Iluminated Mechanical Gaming Keyboard - Mionix? - Light-Years Ahead Of The Game - Ultimate Gaming Experience
Home | Razer BlackWidow Ultimate Stealth Edition | Razer™ | For Gamers. By Gamers.™

 

Johnny told me that it lacked pictures in the main body so i will be adding and moving some pictures outside of the spoiler tags to make it less a bunch of text. Let me know if there are other improvements to be made.

Now this shows well enough on my 1080p monitors, but if some images end up being too large for lower res screens, let me know and i'll adjust in consequence.

 

My BW Ultimate had flaws and was very unimpressive for a keyboard in that price bracket.

But given it was like $140ish after you take away the $60 razor tax it is only a $80 mech keyboard and thus why its so "cheap"

The most solid keyboard for the money so far is the Das Keyboard, stock it has very nice build and keycaps and its built like a tank.

I was going to get the Zibal 60 as my 2nd choice after sending the BW back but it was not easy to get in the states. Luckily since then back lite mech keyboards have become easier to find and new brands/options have shown up.

The KBC Race I have on the way would be ideal for laptop users due to its reduced size it will fit in a bag easy and fit on a small desk.

 

Yeah, i was in the same boat as you when i ordered mine. I should clarify that while i had no issues with mine, i can definitely see where the issues are coming from. The Black Widow doesn't feel "weak", but it certainly doesn't feel all that well built either and just by looking at the way the keys are made, it's obvious that razer went cheaper on the injection molding of the keys compared to the competition. The keys are also thinner than those on the zibal. I still like my black widow, but if there had been another blue backlit mech keyboard at the time with non blue switches.

The zibal, has less features, but costs a little more and it shows in overall build quality, not entirely sure the price is justified though. The keys did develop shine pretty quickly on the other hand. The Das i haven't tried, so i can't compare though, backlit was non negotiable and we didn't have options like we do now. Hell at the time of ordering, the only backlit mech i could get in Canada was the Black Widow Utimate non stealth so i had to import from the US. If the K90 had been available at the time...

EDIT: Here's Vicious' unboxing of the Black Widow: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmpGA40fwvM.

Finally found the video about the defect warning: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gl3qgBoW3F4&list=PLDB0CD02241816BF9&index=10&feature=plpp_video.

 

Never actually got to review the BW sent it back first.

I did review the Das & KBC Poker though.

 

Hmm, my bad then, fixed by edit. I still remember you saying something about stuck keys though, was it in a video or on this forum? Honestly, if you have a unit that doesn't suffer form upfront issues, it is hard to see the lower build quality at times, at lest i can't see it on mine unless i remove the keys. After removing a few keys i saw a few shortcuts taken here and there as well as more average quality polymer/injection process (i studied polymers at uni and did some injection molding myself).

I watched both reviews and subscribed to your youtube channel some time ago I wish i could do reviews like you do, but i'm nowhere near that yet.

I was looking at the CMStorm quickfire rapid myself, but good luck finding the version with reds or browns in Canada...

 

Im getting better over time with the reviews. When I look at my older material I almost cringe at my presentation quality sometimes.
I upped my audio hardware significantly recently, so the next thing is better video camera. But of course its presentation and information that is key.

I have always had informational skills, the presentation part is the hard one for me since I am pretty shy by nature and also impatient so I hate taking 25 takes of a recording

I hope the next Nikon DSLR has a flip out screen like the Canon 60D does then I can upgrade my camera and camcorder at the same time.

But yeah looking at my newest unboxing of say the Diablo 3 CE, compared to the Razer BW unboxing its night and day.

 

Well, i ran into a keycap wear issue on my Zibal 60. I contacted Mionix to order a replacement and they told me that there was a keycap wear issue with the first batch of Zibal 60 and that they would send me a set of keycaps free of charge. Just received it today, nice gesture on their part even though it likely didn't cost them much to do it. Some manufacturers would likely have brushed the issue aside.