Huion has definitely made its way into the competitive editing/drawing tablets market. For a long time, people only tended to mention Wacom, but it’s a fact that this brand reached the top, as we’ve seen on the latest reviews of the KD200 and the Giano. And today’s review will testify or not if the Inspiroy Dial 2 is also up to it.
The brand tells us that this model is a step to “Dial in Efficiency” and we will see that it seems to be accurate. The combination between technology and aesthetics is another of the slogans. Is it true? Let’s find out!
Specs The Huion Inspiroy Dial 2 Q630M offers 8,192 levels of pen pressure, 5,080 LPI of resolution, 300 points/ second pen accuracy, and around a 60-degree pen tilt angle. Connections-wise, devices from Windows, macOS, ChromeOS, Linux, or even Android have connectivity assured. So no worries on that side.
Display of the box content - press to move forward the images
We have at our disposal dual dial controllers and 6 programmable press keys, a quite handy PenTech 3.0, all connected with your devices via Bluetooth 5.0, and a 1,300 mAh battery that will work for an impressive 18h wirelessly. The cable connection of the Dial 2 is via a USB A to USB C cable. It also is used to recharge the battery.
Design and Build Quality
The first thing that comes to our eyes is the simplicity and ergonomics of the Dial 2. In our case, we only use Apple products the aluminum look and the dark areas marry perfectly with the studio environment. Also, it has the Cupertino style, clean and catchy to the eye.
A big plus of this model is the symmetry design, which allows it to be used by right or left-handed users. You just need to rotate it and all the dials are just in place. Cleaver!
The only 8mm slick body, with round corners and a metallic finish has a matte surface with a very papery feeling that invites us to use it right away. Touching that area reveals how smooth it really is.
The vast working area of 266.7 x 166.7mm（10.5 x 6.56 inch) the shape and those two dials give us that reassuring feeling that we only get on good products. It weighs only 710g so it's light enough to carry around if we need it.
Like we are already used to, the built is solid and the surface seems to last thousands and thousands of hours of use without too many scratches. No bends on the materials, while using the pen it's quite silent. The buttons feel solid as well.
The Usage After downloading and installing Huion’s straightforward software it works right away without needing to reboot your computer. The app is very easy to use due to its simplicity and in a couple of minutes we have all figured it out.
We were really excited about Dial 2 due to what we read about it. Huion told us that the surface cover had an additional 20% coating to ensure a better sliding pen experience, being even more papery feeling than in the past models. And it's correct, we really can feel it. Sliding the pen over the generous area is an enjoyable experience.
Also, the battery-free Digital Pen (PW517) is light, balanced, and ergonomic enough not to be uncomfortable while using it for large periods. And talking about it, the table auto disconnects if ain’t used for 15m. Like on other models the pen stand has on its interior 5 standard nibs and other 5 felt nibs. Those last ones are just amazingly soft to use.
The pressure settings and a test are available via software on the Digital Pen options. The only con is the absence of an eraser on the top. It would be perfect because sometimes it is a must-have for certain tasks on illustration. On retouching not that much.
At your disposal there are six programmable press keys, enabling the user to address it for various app shortcuts. This eases a lot the usage, creating a very welcoming faster workflow. We also highlight that the keys are silent with very short traveling.
The working area of the Dial 2 is adjustable via software. You can scale it to accommodate the whole screen area of your device to whatever your needs are since you have several choices available - Full Area, Screen Ration, and Custom Area. In our case, we use the Full option for comfort use.
Our trade is to edit images, in Lightroom and Photoshop that were generally made especially for clients, so every single detail counts. And here is when the Dial 2 shines. The responsiveness, smoothness, and level of detail that we can achieve are remarkable. Combining the dials, 6 hot keys, and a comfy pen is like we were retouching over a paper with a lightning-fast workflow.
Example of a finished image retouched with the Dial 2, on Lightroom
Here we used the Huion Dial 2 to edited our new Youtube Tutorial, on Photoshop
We still can’t get why some people seem still doubtful to use it for editing, drawing, or retouching. I have to say that we even used it for normal web tasks despite having the almighty Logi MX Master 3 over the desk.
On the pen tests, the lines are sharp, with a smooth transition when we make them thicker. This proves how sensitive the pen is. Another positive is the consistency while retouching vaster areas of dodge and burning that need accurate pressure.
Again the tablet’s surface invites us to use it due to that paper-like feeling. We denote the right amount of resistance to the pen gestures.
Final Words The Huion Dial 2 Q630M was even better than we previously thought. The dials seemed to be a gimmick but both are useful and yet are perfect for using left or right. It was a really clever move from the Brand.
The editing experience gets richened with this sort of gear since you have not only more accuracy but yet the comfort of use was also Huion concern.
We highly recommend the Huion Dial 2 if you are a drawer or an editor. Overall Score: 4,85/5 The Huion Dial 2 Q 630M can be purchased directly at: Huion Website