5 ms·

There are many people in this thread recommending cherry mx red/brown/blue. There are also as many stating mechanical keyboards are not for them, often referrin

There are many people in this thread recommending cherry mx red/brown/blue. There are also as many stating mechanical keyboards are not for them, often referring to same switches. Those that would like to explore a bit more, in the custom keyboard world the aforementioned switches are mostly considered starters. More popular, people use switches like Gateron Black Ink V2, Alpacas, Tangerines for linear. U4T, Zealios, Kiwis for tactiles. And about 100 different alternatives available based on taste [0]. Combined with a more premium quality board that fits your typing angle and keycaps in a profile you like (you have cherry profile but also KAT, KAM, DSA, and many more to fit your liking) it may differ considerably from pre-built options. Not saying it will be for you, but discarding mechanical keyboards on base of what the pre-built market offers is not the best measure of things. It is like saying you hate scissor switch keyboards because you typed on an Acer laptop once. P.s. Be careful as you will quickly learn topre keyboards are not that expensive. [0] https://www.theremingoat.com/ https://www.theremingoat.com/ - popular switch reviewer

SECProto 5y ago
> Not saying it will be for you, but discarding mechanical keyboards on base of what the pre-built market offers is not the best measure of things. What about buying a single $25 off-brand keyboard with off-brand cherry MX keys and liking it well enough that I can't justify even considering a new keyboard with different switches that I might like more?
- bastijn 5y ago
  If you like it and are not curious to learn if there is anything else out there, stick with it. Your wallet will thank you :).
bjoli 5y ago
I have been through the whole mechanical keyboard phase and concluded that there are two keyboards I will never give up. Matias quiet click (mini) and my old trusty dome with slider of some brand I dont know (although googling around I suspect it is BTC). The matias has the nice tactility of a snappy rubber dome with the benefit of not having to bottom out. I DO bottom out, but I am such a light typer that I sometimes miss keystrokes on other keyboards. The BTC (??) is sort of a poor man's topre. I like it a lot more than my friends realforce which hardly seems to have any tactility.
- bastijn 5y ago
  Silent switches saw quite an uptake since past two years or so. Never had matias quiet click myself but based on YouTube vids I'd say you can go a whole lot quieter without losing tactility these days. I run an office setup with U4S these days, these are good to go out of the box if you don't like to mod them. They are so silent your coworkers keyboards will sound loud in comparison. Their tactility is still awesome. If you go less tactile you'd have zilents v2 which require some lubing to remove annoying spring pings but after are a good option. Silent alpacas are like a whisper when you prefer linear. With brands like keychron and ducky now providing hotswap options on Q1 or Ducky 3 entering custom builds became a lot easier as these provide big runs which allow you to buy from a shop rather than joining limited group buys with nowadays 6-12 months lead times (and selling out in minutes or taking raffles). It isn't the quality of say Monokei, TGR or Keycult but that is expected for the budget range they play. Having gone beyond entry market years back I'd say it today still brings me the most joy of any hardware upgrades I make to my computer setup. Walking up to my desk seeing a full custom is something I like.
  - bjoli 5y ago
    The matias quiet click arent really meant to be very silent. I think it alludes to the tactility of their clicky switch minus the click. Their quiet linears are dampened light linear switches, and sound less than most rubber domes. Matias boards are just no-nonsense boards for typists. I dont like fiddling with my keyboard. No keycaps. No lubing. No swapping switches. I have done that. It is a distraction for me. I like typing on my matias board. When that dies I will get another one or maybe just use my old no-brand dome-with-slider keyboard (probably BTC) that I have used since 1994.
    - susodapop 5y ago
      After five years, I gave up my Matias quiet click due to its abysmal reliability. I had three units during that period: my original and two replacements under warranty. I love the keyboard and their customer service. But the interruption and administrative hassle were too much. I use a Leopold with Topre 45g silent switches now. It’s not as nice IMO but it works all the time.

SECProto 5y ago

> Not saying it will be for you, but discarding mechanical keyboards on base of what the pre-built market offers is not the best measure of things. What about buying a single $25 off-brand keyboard with off-brand cherry MX keys and liking it well enough that I can't justify even considering a new keyboard with different switches that I might like more?

bastijn 5y ago
If you like it and are not curious to learn if there is anything else out there, stick with it. Your wallet will thank you :).

bjoli 5y ago

I have been through the whole mechanical keyboard phase and concluded that there are two keyboards I will never give up. Matias quiet click (mini) and my old trusty dome with slider of some brand I dont know (although googling around I suspect it is BTC). The matias has the nice tactility of a snappy rubber dome with the benefit of not having to bottom out. I DO bottom out, but I am such a light typer that I sometimes miss keystrokes on other keyboards. The BTC (??) is sort of a poor man's topre. I like it a lot more than my friends realforce which hardly seems to have any tactility.

bastijn 5y ago
Silent switches saw quite an uptake since past two years or so. Never had matias quiet click myself but based on YouTube vids I'd say you can go a whole lot quieter without losing tactility these days. I run an office setup with U4S these days, these are good to go out of the box if you don't like to mod them. They are so silent your coworkers keyboards will sound loud in comparison. Their tactility is still awesome. If you go less tactile you'd have zilents v2 which require some lubing to remove annoying spring pings but after are a good option. Silent alpacas are like a whisper when you prefer linear. With brands like keychron and ducky now providing hotswap options on Q1 or Ducky 3 entering custom builds became a lot easier as these provide big runs which allow you to buy from a shop rather than joining limited group buys with nowadays 6-12 months lead times (and selling out in minutes or taking raffles). It isn't the quality of say Monokei, TGR or Keycult but that is expected for the budget range they play. Having gone beyond entry market years back I'd say it today still brings me the most joy of any hardware upgrades I make to my computer setup. Walking up to my desk seeing a full custom is something I like.
- bjoli 5y ago
  The matias quiet click arent really meant to be very silent. I think it alludes to the tactility of their clicky switch minus the click. Their quiet linears are dampened light linear switches, and sound less than most rubber domes. Matias boards are just no-nonsense boards for typists. I dont like fiddling with my keyboard. No keycaps. No lubing. No swapping switches. I have done that. It is a distraction for me. I like typing on my matias board. When that dies I will get another one or maybe just use my old no-brand dome-with-slider keyboard (probably BTC) that I have used since 1994.
  - susodapop 5y ago
    After five years, I gave up my Matias quiet click due to its abysmal reliability. I had three units during that period: my original and two replacements under warranty. I love the keyboard and their customer service. But the interruption and administrative hassle were too much. I use a Leopold with Topre 45g silent switches now. It’s not as nice IMO but it works all the time.