Head to head · Prices checked Nov 7, 2026

Keychron Q5 Max vs Pulsar Xboard QS

Get the Keychron Q5 Max for sound dampening.

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Sound dampening

Keychron Q5 Max

5.0 (4)5.0 · 4 reviews

from$219at MK

Compare 4 stores

Pulsar Xboard QS

No reviews

from$290at MK

Compare 2 stores

Quick verdict

Which one should you get?

Get the

Keychron Q5 Max

Sound dampening

Build quality in the top 5% of 96% boards under $300.

Rules this board out

South-facing LEDs. Shine-through legends stay dark, and some sculpted keycaps can clip the LED.
Compact full-size layout. The numpad is present, the gaps of a full-size board are not.

$219 at MK

Get the

Pulsar Xboard QS

Build quality in the top 25% of 80% boards under $300.

Rules this board out

South-facing LEDs. Shine-through legends stay dark, and some sculpted keycaps can clip the LED.
No ISO layout. ISO-DE, UK, and other ISO variants are not offered.
No numpad.

$290 at MK

What actually differs

The differences that matter

Skip the 40-row spec sheet. These are the specs that change how each board feels, sounds, and fits your desk.

Keychron Q5 Max

Pulsar Xboard QS

Layout size
96%
80%
Connection
Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired
Wired
Wireless for several devices and wired for lower latency
Mount style
Gasket Mount, PCB Mount, Plate Mount
Plate Mount
Sound dampening
Yes
No
Layout standard
ANSI, ISO, ISO-DE, ISO-Nordic, ISO-SW, ISO-UK
ANSI
ISO and JIS exist so regional layouts fit

KeebFinder scores

How we score

Keychron Q5 Max
Pulsar Xboard QS

Performance: 81
74
Build quality: 91
72
Productivity: 97
87
Customizability: 98
88
Portability: 55
60

What they share

Hot-swappable
Case material: Aluminum
Knob
QMK
VIA
Keycaps: PBT

See every spec side by side

Full specs

Keychron Q5 Max vs Pulsar Xboard QS specs

Every tracked spec, side by side. Rows marked with a dot differ between the boards.

11 of 28 specs differ

Spec

Keychron Q5 Max

Pulsar Xboard QS

Typing & switches

Switch options

Clicky, Linear, Tactile

—

Hot-swappable

Yes

Mount style

Gasket Mount, PCB Mount, Plate Mount

Plate Mount

Sound dampening

Yes

Screw-in stabilizers

Yes

Layout

Layout size

96%

80%

Layout standard

ANSI, ISO, ISO-DE, ISO-Nordic, ISO-SW, ISO-UK

ANSI

Ergonomics

Standard

Knob

Yes

Display

None

Media keys

Yes

Connectivity & battery

Connection

Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, Wired

Wired

Max polling rate

1,000 Hz

—

Battery

4,000 mAh

Wired only

USB passthrough

Yes

USB-C

Yes

Build & materials

Case material

Aluminum

Plate material

Polycarbonate

Plastic

Keycaps

PBT

Weight

2,215 g

—

Dimensions

23 x 145 x 408 mm

—

Typing angle

5°

—

Backlight

RGB, south-facing

Firmware & software

QMK

Yes

VIA

Yes

N-key rollover

Yes

Mac & Windows

Yes

Extras

Released

2023

2024

For EU buyers

ISO layouts by store

Which stores sell ISO-DE, UK, and the other regional layouts.

Keychron Q5 Max

Keychron
ISO-DE, ISO-UK, ISO-Nordic, ISO-SW
In stockShips to you
Keychron (DE)
ISO-DE, ISO-UK, ISO-SW
In stockDoes not ship to you

Pulsar Xboard QS

No ISO layout at the stores we track.

Where to buy

Compare prices

Live prices from the stores we track, cheapest in-stock offer first.

Prices in USD are converted to your currency and can change at any time. KeebFinder may earn a commission when you buy through these links, at no extra cost to you.

Lowest price across stores, Amazon excluded.

Keychron Q5 Max4 stores