Yeah, I bet the GK61 could sound amazing with a few mods. I have no complaints with it in stock form with the silent Alpacas, but it’s not anything a keyboard enthusiast would be impressed by. Comparing it to the Huntsman Mini w/ damped Optical Reds, Corsair K65 with MX Reds, and a Cooler Master QFR with MX Browns though… it sounds great. The spacebar could use a little lube on the stabs, but I enjoy the sound of the board over all. When I had the Drop PBT caps on it the backspace was the best sounding key I’ve heard, but it doesn’t quite have that sound now that I’ve put the Ducky PBT’s back on (the Drops were a tiny bit thicker & double shot).
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Massdrop do them sometimes too. If you don’t mind the wait, aliexpress is a thing too.
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I know everyone likes to hate on Cherry MX Browns, but I personally like them a lot. Two things though…
- I’ve typed on them for the past 8 years, so they’re a very familiar feeling key to me.
- I’ve never typed on other tactiles, so I have nothing to compare them to // don’t know what I’m missing potentially.
My original plan was to get the Holy* Pandas (*Drop or Glorious’ version of them at least), but then I impulse bought the Razer Huntsman Mini a few months ago after trying it out at Micro Center, and thought the damped Razer Optical Reds were the best thing I’d typed on (feeling, not sounding). Linear gang convert.
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This is what I run as a DD. Been very happy with it and all the backlight control is built into the keyboard using a Fn key.
I have the browns which I have been very happy with but I am thinking of getting a tactile typing board that is quieter. Maybe I need to try typing on a keyboard with linears but when I have pushed them in a store for a few seconds it didn’t really enthrall me.
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The silenced U4 Boba or the Zilents are nice silent tactiles.
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I’ve tried friends reds, I can’t get into linear, I gotta have that snap.
Hearing so much about theses lately, hopefully some under $1 a switch options come from this.
Hearing about these too.
@Zibob the clears hadn’t been coming up in my searches but thanks for mentioning them, they sound like the ticket at a much better price than Boba and pandas for now.
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Yeah the OG clears are the basis for all the boutique mods and versions thereafter, the zelio, the boba, panda…
Really nice and from there well you have seen the community…
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Seconding clears over browns. This is what I went with my leopold keyboard.
I have a big switch tester of many of the standard commodity switches and here are my thoughts:
Browns have a little bit of pre-travel before their hard to notice bump. The clears bump has to be overcome in order for it to move, as soon as the key falls it’s making a letter immediately every time which is the exactly the consistency that my brain likes.
The clears bump is slightly more noticeable, but you don’t typically notice it when typing, which is what I like.
Clears are slightly firmer than browns so I don’t bottom out as hard with them.
Clears feel more stable and less wobbly. Somehow has a more professional feel overall.
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I didn’t think I liked linears either because my only experience was Cherry MX Reds.
I guess a heavier spring linear with a soft bottom out and/or forgiving PCB could feel good.
WTF have I gotten into…
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This write-up seems pretty good and being a visual person I feel the animations REALLY nail down why the switches feel and sound certain ways.
I see clears in my future, though their price point makes me need to look into boba, panda and all the others. Too bad gateron doesn’t seem to make an cherry MX clear clone. Strangely that make a clear, but its linear.
Keyboard sound profile I’m finding I really like keyboards described to sound like moving rounded pebbles around. Turns out thats not the tofu’s strong point, it tends to be gasket mounted mega $$$ boards lol. And the switches reviewed as being very tactile but not clicky, alos the high side of switch prices. Why you do this to me taste?
Me about a week ago- messes up $20 used apple keyboard. Look I donno, I do like their scissor switches…
Using a membrane best buy keyboard from over a decade ago. Cringing.
A few days ago of light research- “meh I’ll run a $50-100 Amazon RK, Epo etc keyboard, run it stock at first. Maaaaybe start to mod acoustics with tempest mod, re-used packing foam etc”
Sees reviews of sketch software, annoying hickups of not being able to wake sleeping machines, auto shut-offs even when set not to, bluetooth hickups etc. Looks at my three PC setup with lvl1 KVM, one being a work setup already finicky with keyboards. Imma have to pass…
Sleepless days and nights of binging later- "Imma reluctantly buy this tofu cause I’m not ready to $$$$ into gasket setup or want to wait a year for affordable ones to come up. I’m going to get gaskets, lube, band-aids, various foams, keycaps… probably go through hand fulls of different switches… "
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I love a heavier spring with my switches but tactile in general are really well suited to them. 80g for me is the spot.
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that sounds heavy. I’ve had accidental clicks with blues (I guess 60g?) so I think I’m a heavier sping peep myself.
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Haha I do have a set of linear switches with 100g springs.
Oh standard blues are in the 45-55g range I think.
I’m pretty sure I’m going to find browns to be both too soft and not tactile enough. My gosh though, all these Zealious this, panda that etc are in the $1.00 a switch territory.
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I found the Gazzew Boba easier to swallow on that front.
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4:00, drool. Love how this sounds so much. I don’t think a tofu has any chance to get like this.
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Interesting. I have moved away from the sharp clack even in muted. It can be nice but not for me. I like a much quieter board.
This dude is selling me on box royals
And their price is great in comparison!
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Yes boxes are something I have not tried and really amt to try too. Their click is really different and I actually like the click on principal/in theory but want to try them.
And of course the usual tactiles too.
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