Sound BlasterX Vanguard K08

The Vanguard K08 may be the first gaming keyboard from Creative, but they’re already able to stand tall, as this is easily one of the best keyboards we’ve seen in a long time. Great build quality, flawless design, and excellent performance throughout.

Editor's Choice Award

Sound BlasterX Vanguard K08

2017-01-03

The Sound BlasterX Vanguard K08 delivers phenomenal gaming performance. I’ve spent the last two weeks jumping between numerous game genres, and regardless of the title, I’ve felt a notable increase in reaction time and fluidity...Personally, this is the first lighting system that I’m genuinely excited about due to its versatility. I’m somewhat picky when it comes to my gaming/entertainment setup, so it’s nice to be able to choose a very specific color arrangement without being limited by software

Grade: A

Sound BlasterX Vanguard K08

2017-03-23

The Sound BlasterX Vanguard K08 mechanical gaming keyboard is a beautifully-designed peripheral which exudes style and good looks.The keyboard even boasts 26-key rollover technology, which should be plenty for any gamer – no matter how many actions you need to perform.

5 out of 5 stars

Sound BlasterX Vanguard K08

2017-03-20

You’ll have a choice of 16.8 million colors for each key – you can set a custom color for the WASD key cluster for example – and quite a wide selection of preset lighting effects. There’s even the option to select the beats per minute, which changes how quickly the rainbow runs across your board. In addition, the white backplate below the keys helps the lights and individual colors stand out.

4 out of 5

Sound BlasterX Vanguard K08

2017-02-15

A solid first outing for Creative's gaming peripherals. The Vanguard keyboard is feature-packed, with fast, snappy switches, and the Siege mouse is a good-looking, accurate device.

8.1 out of 10

Sound BlasterX Vanguard K08

2017-01-03

Creative again impress us with their entry into the gaming peripheral market, they have created a product that combines the best aspects of gaming specific technologies and features without over-doing it in the aesthetic design.

Gold

Sound BlasterX Vanguard K08

2017-04-05

Universally everyone that sat down to the set found the Vanguard K08 comfortable and responsive. Some of the more technical users commented on how much smoother and quieter they are compared to “insert you favorite Mechanical keyboard here”. I absolutely agree...it is hard to find fault with this first effort and I never felt any fatigue even after 12 hours of 7 Days to Die and a TF2 tournament.

Recommended

Sound BlasterX Vanguard K08

2017-05-31

The Vanguard has everything that I want from a gaming keyboard...During gaming, the Siege and Vanguard do the most important thing I want from a gaming keyboard-and-mouse: they melt into my hands and into the desk. I forget about them and am able to focus entirely on the game instead.

Sound BlasterX Vanguard K08

2017-05-31

The Vanguard K08 is a keyboard ninja. It feels fast, and fingers dance lightly across it with silky smooth keystrokes. And at a launch price of around $140, the Sound BlasterX Vanguard K08 still holds its own in overall comfort, design, and performance against competitors in the same price range, which includes heavyweights like such as Razer, Roccat, and Logitech.

8/10 — Highly recommended

Sound BlasterX Vanguard K08

2017-04-05

The Sound BlasterX Vanguard K08 is a solid and well-made keyboard, representing a strong first entry into pro-gaming peripherals. Features such as the sturdy build quality, braided sheath cabling, volume roller and minimalist aesthetics all add to that premium feel, with no hint of flex or creak even under heavy use.

Sound BlasterX Vanguard K08

2018-10-29

After testing the Vanguard Ko8 for a whole week, I can safely say this mechanical keyboard can be compared to the big names out there...The Vanguard is an easy recommendation for any mechanical keyboard enthusiast and hardcore gamer who want a high-quality performing keyboard without breaking their budget. You can even use this keyboard for professional use, like myself.

Sound BlasterX Vanguard K08

2017-09-07

This is just my first mechanical keyboard with RGB lighting and they look truly gorgeous. It does not only look good but also feel great. I feel quite comfortable when typing or gaming with this keyboard. The keycaps have a low-profile design and a matte finish. Therefore, it’s very soft when my fingertips touch the keys. Besides, the keyboard is not as loud as other mechanical keyboards, so you shouldn’t have any problem gaming at night.

Sound BlasterX Vanguard K08

2017-05-31

This is Creative’s first attempt at releasing a gaming keyboard into a marketplace full of competition, and for the most part, I think the company did an excellent job providing the basics of a quality gaming keyboard...The overall product is worthy of any Creative fans time, and makes the perfect edition to that already stellar Creative setup you might own.

9.0 out of 10

Sound BlasterX Vanguard K08

2017-05-31

One of the strongest points about this keyboard is its OMRON switches and RGB reactive lighting. The K08 has a fully customizable system with 16.8 million colors to chose from. You can really personalize your gaming and entertainment space and sync up your other peripherals. The colors are fantastic and not washed out. In fact, this has been the best color representation of RGB I have ever seen in any RGB product.

4 out of 5 stars

Sound BlasterX Vanguard K08

2017-03-27

I’m pleasantly surprised at how much value Creative managed to pack into this mechanical keyboard. Not only does this bad boy have RGB lighting, but it even packs in custom house switches, USB passthrough, multi-media panel, and programmable Macro keys—all for $140 USD. At such a low price I thought there must be a major compromise for structure or stability somewhere, but there’s none to be found.

8 / 10

Sound BlasterX Vanguard K08

2018-10-29

For Creative’s first entry into the market, they absolutely nailed it. Not only did they bring a unique keyboard to the market, the Sound Blaster Connect software is very straight forward and easy to use. The ability to save your pre-sets is a bonus as other keyboard manufacturers don’t have this feature. The backlighting is really nice and some of the strongest I’ve seen. They keyboard switches were nice to type and gaming on. I couldn’t but help notice that everything felt of really high quality.

85/100

Sound BlasterX Vanguard K08

2017-09-04

...given the performance of the custom Omron PRES switches with their lower travel distances, quality build, additional media controls, and USB pass-through port, the Creative Sound BlasterX Vanguard K08 Mechanical Keyboard is pretty fairly priced. As with the Seige M04 gaming mouse, the Sound BlasterX Vanguard K08 is a great entry for Creative into the gaming peripheral market.

9.6 out of 10

Sound BlasterX Vanguard K08

2017-09-07

Overall, the Vanguard K08 from Sound Blaster is a great, all around keyboard. It's great for gaming, content creation, editing or even for the casual user. The Sound Blaster Vanguard K08 is, by far, the best keyboard I’ve used in a long time.

Editor's Choice

Sound BlasterX Vanguard K08

2018-03-12

Both the Vanguard K08 and the Sound BlasterX Siege M04 offers gamers a nice combination of gaming peripherals for their build. Depending on your palm grip and your mechanical switches peripherals, we definitely suggest looking into Creative’s latest peripherals if you’re out in the market looking for an upgrade or replacement.

Sound BlasterX Vanguard K08

2017-11-20

The Vanguard KO8 is the first venture for Creative into the gaming keyboard market, and it is a solid first entry. The dedicated media keys and smooth-sounding keystrokes help make the keyboard stand out in a crowded market.

Sound BlasterX Vanguard K08

2017-10-23

great key board, everything it says it is :) only wish it was a uk layout