6 ms·

There are now quiet Cherry MX switches, dampened in both directions of travel: https://www.cherrymx.de/en/mx-original/mx-silent-red.html https://www.cherrymx.de

There are now quiet Cherry MX switches, dampened in both directions of travel: https://www.cherrymx.de/en/mx-original/mx-silent-red.html https://www.cherrymx.de/en/mx-original/mx-silent-red.html They're no louder than a regular membrane keyboard, and much quieter than just using O-rings.

StavrosK 7y ago
Reds aren't that new, they've been around for years. No tactile feedback, though, which is why many people (including me) don't prefer them.
- jmiserez 7y ago
  No these are the "silent" reds. They don't make a sound when bottoming out and also not when coming back up. Regular: https://www.cherrymx.de/en/mx-original/mx-red.html https://www.cherrymx.de/en/mx-original/mx-red.html Silent: https://www.cherrymx.de/en/mx-original/mx-silent-red.html https://www.cherrymx.de/en/mx-original/mx-silent-red.html
  - StavrosK 7y ago
    Oh huh, I hadn't noticed that, thank you.
  - moondev 7y ago
    They are still linear switches though. So silent in tactile feel as well
    - Symbiote 7y ago
      There are some silent, tactile switches, but I think they're a bit more obscure. I made my ergonomic, split keyboards from a kit[1], and chose Aliaz Silent switches [2]. It's around the same noisiness as everyone else's keyboard (Apple, cheap Dell one etc). (There are almost certainly other options — the choice was a bit overwhelming when I decided to buy a DIY keyboard — but I'm not in the hobby of collecting many different keyboards. Various Reddit groups can advise.) [1] https://github.com/omkbd/ErgoDash https://github.com/omkbd/ErgoDash [2] https://kbdfans.com/products/pre-orderaliaz-silent-switch-tactile https://kbdfans.com/products/pre-orderaliaz-silent-switch-ta...
      - moondev 7y ago
        Beautiful build! Those GMK caps look amazing.
  - ldarby 7y ago
    I have these, for an office. Yes they are silent if you slowly push and release a key, but thumping away at 50-60 wpm still makes a huge amount of noise, even with o-rings installed (although a lot quieter than blue switches which I used to have).
    - p_l 7y ago
      I have topre switches, so a bit different experience, but a friend of mine had "shown off" that indeed, you can type silently on them. It's the art of not bottoming out which is something like 90% of the noise.
psweber 7y ago
Check out Zilent switches, too. Quiet and tactile. Sound test: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWU9Sd_z9T0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWU9Sd_z9T0 Purchase: https://zealpc.net/products/zilents https://zealpc.net/products/zilents
- orionstein 7y ago
  Seconding this, I use Aqua Zilents from Zeal and they're perfect for meetings and work as they make very little noise.
jackewiehose 7y ago
But the sound is part of the better experience. // sent from MX blue
- mtu9001 7y ago
  clackity clackity clackity This has been the biggest complaint from my wife since the "work from home" started.
- detaro 7y ago
  car engine noise model: get an app that plays clicky sounds and headphones?
  - p_l 7y ago
    Emacs got selectric mode :)
- nogabebop23 7y ago
  About to say the same thing! I'm sure there are some people who use a mechnical keyboard to "show off", but for me (and I assume the vast majority) the noise you endure is pollution while I enjoy the tactile & audio dopamine hit.
- fenwick67 7y ago
  I use Greens, which are even louder, but nothing compares to the volume of the buckling spring "PING" noise
Havoc 7y ago
I've got red silents - they're not as clacky but silent isn't quite right either
Doxin 7y ago
Linear switches are basically already silent compared to tactile or clicky switches. If Cherry starts making quiet blues or clears I'll start getting excited. Honestly the biggest source of noise for basically all mechanical keys except buckling spring or cherry-blue style keys is the noise of the keycap or key stem hitting the bottom and subsequently the top of travel. Half of that is fixable with o-rings but that still leaves the noise at the top of travel which doesn't currently have any solutions as far as I know.
- jmiserez 7y ago
  That is exactly what the Silent Reds (not regular Reds) fix! Seems their marketing and my comment above isn't clear enough. They have built-in dampening for the top of travel and for bottoming out. It's far more effective than o-rings and has a much better feel to it.
  - ygra 7y ago
    Red are linear, though, so as a replacement for blue switches you may need brown or a hypothetical more silent version of them.

StavrosK 7y ago

Reds aren't that new, they've been around for years. No tactile feedback, though, which is why many people (including me) don't prefer them.

jmiserez 7y ago
No these are the "silent" reds. They don't make a sound when bottoming out and also not when coming back up. Regular: https://www.cherrymx.de/en/mx-original/mx-red.html https://www.cherrymx.de/en/mx-original/mx-red.html Silent: https://www.cherrymx.de/en/mx-original/mx-silent-red.html https://www.cherrymx.de/en/mx-original/mx-silent-red.html
- StavrosK 7y ago
  Oh huh, I hadn't noticed that, thank you.
- moondev 7y ago
  They are still linear switches though. So silent in tactile feel as well
  - Symbiote 7y ago
    There are some silent, tactile switches, but I think they're a bit more obscure. I made my ergonomic, split keyboards from a kit[1], and chose Aliaz Silent switches [2]. It's around the same noisiness as everyone else's keyboard (Apple, cheap Dell one etc). (There are almost certainly other options — the choice was a bit overwhelming when I decided to buy a DIY keyboard — but I'm not in the hobby of collecting many different keyboards. Various Reddit groups can advise.) [1] https://github.com/omkbd/ErgoDash https://github.com/omkbd/ErgoDash [2] https://kbdfans.com/products/pre-orderaliaz-silent-switch-tactile https://kbdfans.com/products/pre-orderaliaz-silent-switch-ta...
    - moondev 7y ago
      Beautiful build! Those GMK caps look amazing.
- ldarby 7y ago
  I have these, for an office. Yes they are silent if you slowly push and release a key, but thumping away at 50-60 wpm still makes a huge amount of noise, even with o-rings installed (although a lot quieter than blue switches which I used to have).
  - p_l 7y ago
    I have topre switches, so a bit different experience, but a friend of mine had "shown off" that indeed, you can type silently on them. It's the art of not bottoming out which is something like 90% of the noise.

psweber 7y ago

Check out Zilent switches, too. Quiet and tactile. Sound test: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWU9Sd_z9T0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWU9Sd_z9T0 Purchase: https://zealpc.net/products/zilents https://zealpc.net/products/zilents

orionstein 7y ago
Seconding this, I use Aqua Zilents from Zeal and they're perfect for meetings and work as they make very little noise.

jackewiehose 7y ago

But the sound is part of the better experience. // sent from MX blue

mtu9001 7y ago
clackity clackity clackity This has been the biggest complaint from my wife since the "work from home" started.
detaro 7y ago
car engine noise model: get an app that plays clicky sounds and headphones?
- p_l 7y ago
  Emacs got selectric mode :)
nogabebop23 7y ago
About to say the same thing! I'm sure there are some people who use a mechnical keyboard to "show off", but for me (and I assume the vast majority) the noise you endure is pollution while I enjoy the tactile & audio dopamine hit.
fenwick67 7y ago
I use Greens, which are even louder, but nothing compares to the volume of the buckling spring "PING" noise

Havoc 7y ago

I've got red silents - they're not as clacky but silent isn't quite right either

Doxin 7y ago

Linear switches are basically already silent compared to tactile or clicky switches. If Cherry starts making quiet blues or clears I'll start getting excited. Honestly the biggest source of noise for basically all mechanical keys except buckling spring or cherry-blue style keys is the noise of the keycap or key stem hitting the bottom and subsequently the top of travel. Half of that is fixable with o-rings but that still leaves the noise at the top of travel which doesn't currently have any solutions as far as I know.

jmiserez 7y ago
That is exactly what the Silent Reds (not regular Reds) fix! Seems their marketing and my comment above isn't clear enough. They have built-in dampening for the top of travel and for bottoming out. It's far more effective than o-rings and has a much better feel to it.
- ygra 7y ago
  Red are linear, though, so as a replacement for blue switches you may need brown or a hypothetical more silent version of them.