@@morten1 I guess, though I wouldn't buy them (again) since they are a bit scratchy like all Cherry MX's. Not bad to the point where it bothers me, but still there are smoother linears out there.
recently i've discovered a neat little trick that makes matias QCs at least twice as good: take out the dampeners and replace them with the smaller ones from cream ALPS. suddenly the mushiness is almost completely gone, the sound is improved a lot while still remaining relatively silent, and the key travel is just the right length.. you have to try it if you haven't already. nothing compared to SKCM orange of course, but this transforms an okay-ish modern tactile ALPS clone into something that's almost on the same level as the vintage ones.
What if you just remove the dampener entirely? Is it still a good tactile, or does that ruin the feel? I'm asking because I might look into doing this but I don't have cream alps to use, and I don't care about the noise.
@@m_uz1244 well i found that it sounds like legos rattling that way, but the feel is quite okay. and you csn always reverse the mod. since my previous comment i've been experimenting with this a lot, and found that with matias the best (non-clicky) tactile switch combination is QC leaves in click switches.. of course you need two sets for that..
This is amazing. What a gold mine of a channel for keyboard/switch reviews. This is on a complete other level from other reviews. Seriously, how did you become such an expert at this stuff? Much respect, and highly appreciated.
@Joshua Hunter Drop is selling some in a group buy atm. I'm picking me up some Zealios v2 65g from KBDfans (Holy Pandas was my second pick.) Building a custom once I get all the parts and I'm coming from a Logitech G710+ haha, I don't even know what to expect but I'm sure I'll be impressed!
Yeah well, he uses cherry so he hasn't really used a true mechanical keyboard like most tech reviewers he hasn't tried alps. I mean fuck, the dude likes chiclet switches.
Mx browns I don't find too awful (I agree that they are not great but hey, at least its not Razer Orange) but Kailh browns, oh god no, and don't forget Romer G.
I'm currently typing on Razer Orange and I honestly love them, they are so much nicer than MX Browns, in my opinion! Kailh browns I have yet to try and Romer G feel even worse than MX Brown for me.
well, it is all up to personal preference, and of the MX style switches, Brown is the only one I've tried that I like, blue actualy feels a lot more linear than brown to me too, even though the weighting isn't all that different, and the tactile bump is supposed to be bigger, but to me Razer switches just feel like mediocre cherry switches.
PcmciaKai The razer oranges I tried were so scratchy that the tactile bump was barely noticable. They also felt loose, a lot of wobble compared to MX browns and razer greens. Is that usual or just the board I tried?
Deeply in love with Big Blue Buckling Spring, followed tightly by my beloved early SKCM "complicated" Blue Alps in my Chicony KB-5161A pressed into service on our family's first 286SX-12 PC, used well in my youth, and passed down to me :) Now.... If I only had the forethought to ask for one of the IBM 5251 keyboards my father's company removed from service IN THE 90's. There were hundreds....dawning every desk as far as the eye could see. So sad to know what their fate must have been. Thank you so much for your hard work. I really appreciate your reviews!
Man vintage apple never really let's down. Number to was cool as well. That keyboard, holy shit it's other worldly. Thanks as always for the videos man. I willing to bet so many big name keyboard makers watch your videos and read the comments on them lol. Keep up the great work.
The 3 weeks wait feels like eternity. Haven't watched the vid yet, here's my guess, from worst to best. -topre -zealio -some bizzaro ancient switch that i've never hear of -orange/salmon alps -brown alps
Maciej Pociecha yea, im basing my prediction from his review videos. I didn't think smk and fujitsu would be in this list because both of them doesn't score quite well in the review. Iirc, he said smk tactile isn't as good as the clicky one, while on his review on fujitsu he didn't really like it at all, but his opinion have changed now. zealio also trumps other mx tactile switch. That's why I'm so excited for this video, to see how every switches that he's reviewed stack against each other.
I found a BTC 5121 on marketplace for 5 euros, it was brand new, still in the box. I didn’t expect to fall in love with a simple piece of equipment but, Wow.. It made me research and find these videos, lol! I knew there had to be some reason that this particular keyboard felt so good compared to all others I’ve ever typed on. What a joy it is to type on this BTC keyboard. I practice piano for several hours a day so I have acquired quite a bit of strength in my fingers. The extreme tactility of this thing is something I didn’t even know I needed so much. And the sound is sooo amazing. Never getting rid of this one that’s for sure. Why did we ever abandon these types of keyboards again?
He really doesn't like any cherry switches, probably least of all brown, having said something like "cherry shit switches which are brown... oops, I mean cherry brown switches which are shit"
I don't know if they can make it to being in this top ten, as it will be for clicky, linear and tactile combined (and for those too shitty to fall on only one of those categories, as our beloved browns). There are also a lot of truly shitty switches, at least all the cheap clones of the cherry brown (also if truth be told the cherry should take the crown for inventing the genre!)
That was precisely the irony (and the fact they feel rough linears)! Is there really someone who likes them? I mean, somebody who at least tried something else...
He doesn't really hate Cherry Browns... he just hates how he can't really HATE it. Because its so mediocre that he can't really complain but he can't really say it's good either
recently got a board full of orange alps. It's pretty clean but I think something heavy sat on the keys for a long time because the switches are nearly linear :c
Yes, that sounds like the leaves have been bent out of shape which can be caused by such a thing. It's possible to just bend them back, though - in fact you can customise the degree of tactility yourself quite easily!
I almost hoped to see MX-stem switches like Zealios, Kailh, Cherry etc... but then I remembered this is a Chryosan video and he prefers switches that few people will ever acquire.
i have good soldering skills and have had 4 years of electrical engineering. but the closest thing to programming i know is g-code and i dont remember that to well. so my skill level is all hardware.
I wish this list took into account ease of acquisition and use. With the exception of the Topre, these are all either hard to get, hard to use (due to keycap and/or board compatibility) or both. A top five list of easy to found and use tactile switches would have been more useful, if less interesting. Note that for "easy to use", I mean will fit standard PCBs and take general (ie cherry mount) keycaps.
What is your opinion about distinguishing tactile from clicky? I think the active part to make noise is the key elemnt to make clicky switch. Other than that, like the loudness perspective, SKCM oranges are sometimes louder than MX blue.
It's very simply. If there is an element that was designed to make a clicky noise during travel, it's clicky. They're easy to distinguish; a clicky switch will make a clicky noise even when pressed very slowly, while a tactile switch will not.
Chyrosran22 So making a buzzer or solenoid hammer for keyboard to make sound while pressing the key would make the keyboard clicky. Thanks for your answer.
I'm kind of surprised that SKCM Brown didn't make the list; I've seen some people say that orange has nothing on them. I hear they're very rare, so it would be understandable if you haven't tried them, Chyros.
The other plus of oranges is that you can super easily adjust the amount of tactility and even make them click. My favourite is orange with just a hint of click. Maybe I haven't come across the right btc board, but they lack Topre's buttery smoothness imho, even mitsumi dome with sliders are smoother. Having said that, I haven't had a chance to try a NIB BTC. When I know I will spend hours typing, I keep going back to the "feeling of oneness with cup rubber," even if I like other switches better Topre is the easiest on your fingers.
Hey idk maybe its me, but i recently got a mx clear switch keybaord and they dont feel tactile at all. its the varmillo vb87md. maybe its because im heavy handed but i dont feel any tactile feed back when typing regularly. when i type slow i can feel the actuation point but it doesnt feel like a bump. maybe im just not as attuned to tactile switches as i thought i was and just need auditory feedback for that satisfaction. ive owened outemu blues, greetech browns, and jwh blacks before this keyboard.
Before I start watching-I hope there is something that can replace the abominable Kailh Blue switches in my keyboard. Unless it'd be easier to teardown my dead/faulty Chicony and re-solder the Kailh's LED
Aren't BTC domes capacitive too and therefore should allow nKRO as well (2:33)? At least thats what I thought the little black spot on the bottom side of BTC DWS domes that connects tracers on the PCB were for. Edit: Ignore that, BTC is merely conductive. Time for an electronic refresh curse on my part I guess. At least this is a positive comment for a great video ;)
Yes! My favourite tactile switch is also yours! To those interested, if you can find yourself an original AEK in good condition with Orange ALPS, you are well & truly set. :-)
I don't own a board with them! I don't put in switches I haven't had the opportunity to test properly. It's quite likely they'd have made it to the list if I had, though.
Do you think there are any comparable switches to ALPS neon green? By comparable I mean rounded, topre-esque. I love rounded tactile switches but topre has a tiny bit of that annoying rubber mushiness and mechanical topre sounds really good, but neon greens are rare and I was wondering if there is a more available alternative?
Have you acquired a board with tactile and clicky Hall effect switches in? Because the clicky switches are actually pretty good; haven’t tried the tactile switches though.
Which you prefer between alps SKCM white dampend and alps SKCM pine black? Those are the most recents alps SKCM and probably the worsts of the series. What changes from alps SKCM bamboo black and alps SKCM orange? In terms of build are the same. For example gateron brown and cherry brown have little bit different slider, much smooth in gateron and much sharp in cherry
I've previously done a very detailed overview of how the switches changed over time. The damp switches and SKCM black are from the same generation, so they're pretty comparable. Orange Alps are first-gen, so they were built quite differently when you look at the details.
Surprised at #1. I had a board with those caps and I actually didn't like them much. I use Topre 55g as my main tactile switches now; I tried a board with Brown Alps recently and actually really liked those more.
Great video, thanks! What do you think about the Matias Quiet Click switches? You seemed to like the Matias Clicky switches, but I haven't found any statements about the Quiet Clicky (I might have overlooked it, of course).
I don't have a board with them yet. I might well review one in the future, though. To clarify; switches that I haven't tested are disqualified from the list.
Like me you probably prefer to glide over the keys and expend "just enough" force to hit the tactile point, hence why Orange ALPS are king. However do you think you would be just as fast in a lower weighted clicky ALPS? Say if you took the springs out of the orange and put them into Blue ALPS?
Alps click leaves' tactile bump inherently require a greater force to overcome than that of equivalent tactile leaves, so it wouldn't be exactly equal. But yes, I think a slightly lighter weighting would have made me work on them quicker. I also type very fast on green Alps, which are similarly very fairly light.
I'm curious as to why you didn't put Brown Alps on here. I've never personally tried any Alps switches before, but I always hear really nice things about Brown Alps in particular. just not your taste?
Excluding matias if you have ever tried them it's not that much surprising. It depends on how crude the tactility works on cherry style switches, just a bump on the slider that pushes the contact leaf. The result is that you can have even a good difference in force, but it's not a sudden drop, instead it's spread on around a millimeter of travel killing the purpose. When you type fast they feel what they are: linears with ruined smoothness. Another downside of the tactile switches in mx form is that the bigger the bump, the heavier the spring must be, otherwise the switch may fail to return up. That's why the mx clears have more tactility than browns. To have a true tactile mx switch I only have hope on kailhua/novelkeys to find a way to dampen the clickbar's hammering on the box navy...
Not really, no matter how fast I type I can still very much feel the tactile bump on my stock Clears, which allows me to type without bottoming-out (Browns are a different story). Although I do admit I'd prefer a slightly sharper tactility a bit closer to the top - kind of like BOX Burnt Orange. Hopefully the new BOX Purples will achieve this. Silent thick clicks don't sound bad either. Lower weight Zealios and Ergo Clears don't have any problems overcoming the tactile bump, so the upstroke force requirement is not much of a downside as well.
Probably it really depends how you type, I tend to bottom out most of the times, if you press down with the right force to arrive with the finger to where the bump ends you may actually feel it, in fact I felt better the bump on the halo true, that have springs that gets stronger the more you go down. But at the end for how I type I prefer box whites, that feels almost linear, with a small but sharp tactility, or even the smoothness of true linears. I hope box purple would be closer to cherry clear than kailh pro purple, the latter has less tactility than box brown... For lighter springs I was thinking of those of around 45 grams of the cherry brown, but truth be told something like that probably doesn't even exist in alps form...
Clears and Zealios are still inherently limited in tactility. Matias QC are exempt from this list as I don't have a keyboard with them in (so I can't test them).
Yeah if you bottom out anyway you might as well use linears and enjoy the smoothness. As long as the new Purples are a more tactile version of BOX Browns/Orange, it's gonna sell like hot cakes. I'm really putting my faith in Novelkeys for this one, I'm postponing my next build until they come out.
Since I am still sort of new to the mechanical keyboard scene and more into clicky switches, I have not been exposed to too many tactile switches. However, I can definitely agree with you on BTC Dome with Slider. It does feel great and reminds me of how modern rubber dome keyboards can be made much better. I also have a Dell Bigfoot with Black Alps. I would say those are my favorite tactile switches so far, but I really want to explore other tactile Alps switches. Sadly, those switches tend to make my credit card cry.
I'm very much interested in switches for fast typing. Do you know of a modern switch similar to the SKCM orange one? What characteristic about the switch lets you type faster? I'm asking since it's pretty hard for me to get some SKCM oranges in my country.
Like the deep voice as always.. i don't think my FC660C Topre feels mushy i tried the Novatouch when it was sold in shops and did not like it almost gave up on topre. Until someone told me it's a whole different feel than the Novatouch. And indeed it is day and night. Also i like that i can mod my FC660C with Hyperspheres lube them with sum SuperLube oil and crease and have a awesome sounding / feeling board.. My second somewhat favorite switch are mx-clears.. i lubed them without de-soldering just the slider rails and feels and sounds a bit better but i'm afraid de-soldering is a must for a real feel...But then i would want to tryout Zealios Zilent
Has anyone tried these burnt orange switches? I got them from novelkeys, they are currently my favorite tactile switches I have tried. The operating force is 70g. They're bump is noice
Thomas, what in your opinion is the best tactile switch for a quiet office that is readily available via eBay or elsewhere? I have been using a floss-modded Model M which is pretty quiet, but not enough. It doesn't have to be as silent as a rubber dome. I'm looking for a switch with great key feel that doesn't disturb my colleagues... :)
Thanks for the response! I just unboxed my Matias Quiet Pro, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to send it back. The key feel is remarkably inconsistent from key to key. They feel quite a bit heavier than my Model F, despite both supposedly having a 60g actuation force. They also have a spongy, scratchy feeling to them. I might give Topre a try...but I'm not crazy about spending that much on a board right now (after spending over a grand this month alone on a new old stock Omnikey and a mint Model F...). What is your recommendation for linear switches that are readily available (including boards that can regularly be found on eBay). Thanks!!! ^__^
great i can find nothing in my country with skmc switches in "mainstream" shops :( you should do a list of what easily accessible keyboards on the market you think are worth a try. I wanna get into mecs, the online flee markets seem to not have them at the moment.
im wondering what your thoughts are on the "wooting one" switchs. just found out there will be a hot swapable version. i ordered my keyboard and am waiting for the arrival. once i order the hot swap-able, id be happy to send my linear wooting one board over to you! but regardless thats down the line.
Would love to see a key wobble shoot-out of the more mainstream key switches - cherry Razer .kailh etc ... - i know you don't like the mainstream switches but it seems there isnt a single key wobble shootout anywhere on youtube
Since this channel seems to be the place for keyboards enthousiast, do you know guys if exists a keyboard without directional keys but with the numpad, like the Coolermaster pro M ? The coolermaster seems fine, but only available in red/browns/blue mx switches, red seems too soft for me (black seems fine..), I heard browns were crappy, so I don't know what to do. Even a membrane keyboard with numpad but without directional keys is ok. Or I buy a 60% keyboard + an additional num pad..
Well, I didn't find a solution, why compagnies don't try this ''TK'' configuration. Or maybe I can change springs on Cooler Master mx red ? Browns are really crappy ?
I grabbed a pile of apple stuff at a bargain center recently, four of the five keyboards are M0116s and I really enjoy them so I'm very happy to see them topping this list! Thanks!
Do a top 5 or 10 of the best commercially available switches!
@@creeproot zealios for tactiles.
@@creeproot Imo its better to try and find a used older keyboard rather than a newer one.
@@creeproot new box browns turn clicky after a few months and holy pandas are overrated, get something like T1s.
@@JFK_Speedwagon what are the T1s? Are they easily available? I've given up on my beamspring dreams and just want to get available stuff haha
@@joachimcano4704 everglide Oreo - film and lube them
You could have bought my ears a drink first.
bakedbeings xD
Chyrosran22 xd
400th like
Chyrosran's voice is tactile
Agreed
I love how he does the "don't get mad if you don't see your favorite switch" while pressing on a Zealio
"Cherry MX Brown"
* Gets stabbed by Chyrosran *
He starts throwing BTC dome with slider keyboards at you
What are the best MX switches then.. Reds?
@@morten1 I guess, though I wouldn't buy them (again) since they are a bit scratchy like all Cherry MX's. Not bad to the point where it bothers me, but still there are smoother linears out there.
Morten clears and reds so ye
Gateron browns are number 1 ez
recently i've discovered a neat little trick that makes matias QCs at least twice as good: take out the dampeners and replace them with the smaller ones from cream ALPS. suddenly the mushiness is almost completely gone, the sound is improved a lot while still remaining relatively silent, and the key travel is just the right length.. you have to try it if you haven't already. nothing compared to SKCM orange of course, but this transforms an okay-ish modern tactile ALPS clone into something that's almost on the same level as the vintage ones.
what's wrong with kbparadise?
What if you just remove the dampener entirely? Is it still a good tactile, or does that ruin the feel? I'm asking because I might look into doing this but I don't have cream alps to use, and I don't care about the noise.
@@m_uz1244 well i found that it sounds like legos rattling that way, but the feel is quite okay. and you csn always reverse the mod.
since my previous comment i've been experimenting with this a lot, and found that with matias the best (non-clicky) tactile switch combination is QC leaves in click switches.. of course you need two sets for that..
This is amazing. What a gold mine of a channel for keyboard/switch reviews. This is on a complete other level from other reviews. Seriously, how did you become such an expert at this stuff? Much respect, and highly appreciated.
Thank you very much! I own a huge amount of keyboards, keyboard switches and materials, and have poured hours and hours of research into them.
Awesome, no thank you for sharing your knowledge!
Can you do best switches that are still being made?
@Joshua Hunter they are combinations
@Joshua Hunter Drop is selling some in a group buy atm. I'm picking me up some Zealios v2 65g from KBDfans (Holy Pandas was my second pick.) Building a custom once I get all the parts and I'm coming from a Logitech G710+ haha, I don't even know what to expect but I'm sure I'll be impressed!
@Joshua Hunter is Holy Panda a tactile switch?
@@stopthephilosophicalzombie9017 yes
It's always a good day when Thomas brings a new video out, thanks for this series!
Cheers mate :) .
No MX Browns? Those are the best tactile switches according to Linus Tech Tips.
/s
I love it when experts of an area make videos about it ;)
MX Browns are garbage. Scratchy as hell. I'd take a good rubber dome over it.
I don't really like mx browns , but gateron browns...AH. Writing this on my anne pro with gat. brown :D
Yeah well, he uses cherry so he hasn't really used a true mechanical keyboard like most tech reviewers he hasn't tried alps. I mean fuck, the dude likes chiclet switches.
The Gaming Titan scratchy??
top ten worst? are you sure you can rant that long about razer switches?
Or MX Browns? Or even worse - older Kailh Browns (shudder)
Mx browns I don't find too awful (I agree that they are not great but hey, at least its not Razer Orange) but Kailh browns, oh god no, and don't forget Romer G.
I'm currently typing on Razer Orange and I honestly love them, they are so much nicer than MX Browns, in my opinion! Kailh browns I have yet to try and Romer G feel even worse than MX Brown for me.
well, it is all up to personal preference, and of the MX style switches, Brown is the only one I've tried that I like, blue actualy feels a lot more linear than brown to me too, even though the weighting isn't all that different, and the tactile bump is supposed to be bigger, but to me Razer switches just feel like mediocre cherry switches.
PcmciaKai The razer oranges I tried were so scratchy that the tactile bump was barely noticable. They also felt loose, a lot of wobble compared to MX browns and razer greens. Is that usual or just the board I tried?
You hear that? That is the sound of angry topre users typing away.
a beautiful sound, like raindrops, or tears
Deeply in love with Big Blue Buckling Spring, followed tightly by my beloved early SKCM "complicated" Blue Alps in my Chicony KB-5161A pressed into service on our family's first 286SX-12 PC, used well in my youth, and passed down to me :) Now.... If I only had the forethought to ask for one of the IBM 5251 keyboards my father's company removed from service IN THE 90's. There were hundreds....dawning every desk as far as the eye could see. So sad to know what their fate must have been. Thank you so much for your hard work. I really appreciate your reviews!
Man vintage apple never really let's down. Number to was cool as well. That keyboard, holy shit it's other worldly. Thanks as always for the videos man. I willing to bet so many big name keyboard makers watch your videos and read the comments on them lol. Keep up the great work.
Haha that'd be very flattering but I don't think so xD . I can only hope they revive some of the great oldies though, stuff back then was SO GOOD!
The 3 weeks wait feels like eternity. Haven't watched the vid yet, here's my guess, from worst to best.
-topre
-zealio
-some bizzaro ancient switch that i've never hear of
-orange/salmon alps
-brown alps
Useless Dog Zealio are only good in comparison to other MX switches, they are pretty meh compared to other designs.
Maciej Pociecha yea, im basing my prediction from his review videos. I didn't think smk and fujitsu would be in this list because both of them doesn't score quite well in the review. Iirc, he said smk tactile isn't as good as the clicky one, while on his review on fujitsu he didn't really like it at all, but his opinion have changed now. zealio also trumps other mx tactile switch. That's why I'm so excited for this video, to see how every switches that he's reviewed stack against each other.
I found a BTC 5121 on marketplace for 5 euros, it was brand new, still in the box. I didn’t expect to fall in love with a simple piece of equipment but, Wow.. It made me research and find these videos, lol! I knew there had to be some reason that this particular keyboard felt so good compared to all others I’ve ever typed on.
What a joy it is to type on this BTC keyboard.
I practice piano for several hours a day so I have acquired quite a bit of strength in my fingers. The extreme tactility of this thing is something I didn’t even know I needed so much. And the sound is sooo amazing.
Never getting rid of this one that’s for sure. Why did we ever abandon these types of keyboards again?
i dont understand half the things being said in these videos but i enjoy watching them anyways. u have a nice voice and good sense of humor
When you demonstrate tactility, you should press a linear key switch directly into the key. It'll visually show the curve on camera very well
I can recommend BTC dome and slider switches; they are highly tactile and not at all mushy. You don’t need to bottom out to activate them either.
I can barely manage to find a board with Cherry Clears, how on earth do you find these switches??
I had the same problem. I found the Durgod Taurus K310 which I like very much. Also my Cherry G80-3000 has Clears.
So no cherry brown here? Or should they have been on the video about linears?
He really doesn't like any cherry switches, probably least of all brown, having said something like "cherry shit switches which are brown... oops, I mean cherry brown switches which are shit"
Don't worry, they'll probably be in the top 10 worst switches ever made video :)
I don't know if they can make it to being in this top ten, as it will be for clicky, linear and tactile combined (and for those too shitty to fall on only one of those categories, as our beloved browns). There are also a lot of truly shitty switches, at least all the cheap clones of the cherry brown (also if truth be told the cherry should take the crown for inventing the genre!)
That was precisely the irony (and the fact they feel rough linears)! Is there really someone who likes them? I mean, somebody who at least tried something else...
He doesn't really hate Cherry Browns... he just hates how he can't really HATE it.
Because its so mediocre that he can't really complain but he can't really say it's good either
Wow, I'm very happy to have a keyboard that is in this top 5. Very happy with my BTC domes with slider keyboard.
Great little mini series! Enjoyed it very much, and as always, can't wait for some colourful language.
recently got a board full of orange alps. It's pretty clean but I think something heavy sat on the keys for a long time because the switches are nearly linear :c
Yes, that sounds like the leaves have been bent out of shape which can be caused by such a thing. It's possible to just bend them back, though - in fact you can customise the degree of tactility yourself quite easily!
I almost hoped to see MX-stem switches like Zealios, Kailh, Cherry etc... but then I remembered this is a Chryosan video and he prefers switches that few people will ever acquire.
well i see im not the only one in love with a orange alps bored. i resurrected my power Macintosh G3 just so i could use it.
ADB boards are pretty easy to adapt to USB ;) .
huh, got a good link? because the premade adapters are out of my price range.
i have good soldering skills and have had 4 years of electrical engineering. but the closest thing to programming i know is g-code and i dont remember that to well. so my skill level is all hardware.
@@RockeyDAproductions Hey, did you manage to find the tutorials/wakthroughs online? I have one to link if not
im not in point in my life were i cn spend money on things i dont need. but no i h4vent
You know this is an extreme video when topre starts at #5 🤙🏿
I wish this list took into account ease of acquisition and use. With the exception of the Topre, these are all either hard to get, hard to use (due to keycap and/or board compatibility) or both. A top five list of easy to found and use tactile switches would have been more useful, if less interesting. Note that for "easy to use", I mean will fit standard PCBs and take general (ie cherry mount) keycaps.
What is your opinion about distinguishing tactile from clicky?
I think the active part to make noise is the key elemnt to make clicky switch. Other than that, like the loudness perspective, SKCM oranges are sometimes louder than MX blue.
It's very simply. If there is an element that was designed to make a clicky noise during travel, it's clicky. They're easy to distinguish; a clicky switch will make a clicky noise even when pressed very slowly, while a tactile switch will not.
Chyrosran22 So making a buzzer or solenoid hammer for keyboard to make sound while pressing the key would make the keyboard clicky. Thanks for your answer.
A keyboard, yes, a switch, no.
You’re the reason I get excited every Friday night, man! Amazing content!!
Cheers :) .
Is that a Micom keyboard, at 5:46 (Fujitsu tactile magnetic reed)?
Really nice review! Please do an update on all your list if possible.
I'm kind of surprised that SKCM Brown didn't make the list; I've seen some people say that orange has nothing on them. I hear they're very rare, so it would be understandable if you haven't tried them, Chyros.
The other plus of oranges is that you can super easily adjust the amount of tactility and even make them click. My favourite is orange with just a hint of click.
Maybe I haven't come across the right btc board, but they lack Topre's buttery smoothness imho, even mitsumi dome with sliders are smoother. Having said that, I haven't had a chance to try a NIB BTC. When I know I will spend hours typing, I keep going back to the "feeling of oneness with cup rubber," even if I like other switches better Topre is the easiest on your fingers.
I can confirm that a Topre FC660C with BKE Redux Light domes is fucking amaze.
You might want to try retrobrighting the yellowed plastic cases and keys one your vintage boards to restore their original color.
Great video trilogy! Have a request: will you do a top five vídeo with the best tactile which are more common in the market, nowadays? Thks
my favorite tactile switch (ive never used anything not mx-mount) is the gazzew boba u4t switches
Hey idk maybe its me, but i recently got a mx clear switch keybaord and they dont feel tactile at all. its the varmillo vb87md. maybe its because im heavy handed but i dont feel any tactile feed back when typing regularly. when i type slow i can feel the actuation point but it doesnt feel like a bump. maybe im just not as attuned to tactile switches as i thought i was and just need auditory feedback for that satisfaction.
ive owened outemu blues, greetech browns, and jwh blacks before this keyboard.
if you can do top 5 or top 10 the most rare switch that will be insane
Hey I dunno if you'll read this but as someone from the UK trying to.build boards where can I get most the stuff hard to.find UK sellers
Before I start watching-I hope there is something that can replace the abominable Kailh Blue switches in my keyboard. Unless it'd be easier to teardown my dead/faulty Chicony and re-solder the Kailh's LED
Awesome video! I can't wait for the next one as well!
I wonder where the upcoming BOX Royal will compare to these switches.
What about the classic home computer keyboards? TI994A, color computer, commodore?
TOP 5 TACTILE mechanical keyboard switches MX like?
Aren't BTC domes capacitive too and therefore should allow nKRO as well (2:33)? At least thats what I thought the little black spot on the bottom side of BTC DWS domes that connects tracers on the PCB were for.
Edit: Ignore that, BTC is merely conductive. Time for an electronic refresh curse on my part I guess.
At least this is a positive comment for a great video ;)
please make a special edition long typing test of your voice
Have you tried brown alps yet? Would like to see how they compare to the other switches in this video.
No, unfortunately.
How do Cream Damped switches compare to these tactile alps on this list in your opinion?
What is the difference between Orange Alps and Brown Alps? I always thought brown was the best, but I do not think so.
Brown has a more rounded tactility. The tactile leaf is a completely different design.
Yes! My favourite tactile switch is also yours! To those interested, if you can find yourself an original AEK in good condition with Orange ALPS, you are well & truly set. :-)
What about connecting it to a modern computer without spending 50 dollars on an overpriced adapter?
Aw no skcm browns :(
I don't own a board with them! I don't put in switches I haven't had the opportunity to test properly. It's quite likely they'd have made it to the list if I had, though.
@@Chyrosran22 tied with lime alps anyway
Are there any modern keyboards with any of these switches?
Cherry MX Brown
@@roei89 mx brown is not good stop
@@spacer-lx5pq why?
@@roei89 mx browns "tactility" is low,so low that the mechanical keeybs comunity jokes on it being "another linear one from cherry's mx series"
@@spacer-lx5pq ok maybe you right, they don't do their job as "tactile switches", but they are not bad
Do you think there are any comparable switches to ALPS neon green? By comparable I mean rounded, topre-esque. I love rounded tactile switches but topre has a tiny bit of that annoying rubber mushiness and mechanical topre sounds really good, but neon greens are rare and I was wondering if there is a more available alternative?
What kind of switches would be in the animated intro video
Have you acquired a board with tactile and clicky Hall effect switches in? Because the clicky switches are actually pretty good; haven’t tried the tactile switches though.
Which you prefer between alps SKCM white dampend and alps SKCM pine black? Those are the most recents alps SKCM and probably the worsts of the series. What changes from alps SKCM bamboo black and alps SKCM orange? In terms of build are the same. For example gateron brown and cherry brown have little bit different slider, much smooth in gateron and much sharp in cherry
I've previously done a very detailed overview of how the switches changed over time. The damp switches and SKCM black are from the same generation, so they're pretty comparable. Orange Alps are first-gen, so they were built quite differently when you look at the details.
Surprised at #1. I had a board with those caps and I actually didn't like them much. I use Topre 55g as my main tactile switches now; I tried a board with Brown Alps recently and actually really liked those more.
Great video, thanks!
What do you think about the Matias Quiet Click switches? You seemed to like the Matias Clicky switches, but I haven't found any statements about the Quiet Clicky (I might have overlooked it, of course).
I don't have a board with them yet. I might well review one in the future, though. To clarify; switches that I haven't tested are disqualified from the list.
0:14 Is this your Lego box?
I WISH
I wonder if this list would be different today with all of the better mx-style tactiles
Alps are so much better still
Old school switches kick modern switches ass in most ways that aren't aesthetics or ease of Acquiring.
And this is coming from a Zealios V2 user
Like me you probably prefer to glide over the keys and expend "just enough" force to hit the tactile point, hence why Orange ALPS are king. However do you think you would be just as fast in a lower weighted clicky ALPS? Say if you took the springs out of the orange and put them into Blue ALPS?
Alps click leaves' tactile bump inherently require a greater force to overcome than that of equivalent tactile leaves, so it wouldn't be exactly equal. But yes, I think a slightly lighter weighting would have made me work on them quicker. I also type very fast on green Alps, which are similarly very fairly light.
I'm curious as to why you didn't put Brown Alps on here. I've never personally tried any Alps switches before, but I always hear really nice things about Brown Alps in particular. just not your taste?
Invidious Ignoramus just not in my collection more like xD
So where could i get alps switches
Is it possible to get Alps Orange in a modern keyboard, and if not, what's the closest in feel that I can/should buy? Thanks!
Do you know if BTC sliders are topre compatible?
Thanks. I've enjoyed this series a lot. After the follow up 'top 5 worst' series, I think 'top 5 best orderable' series could be very popular.
It's very surprising that rubber domes make it past MX Clears/Zealios and Matias QC.
Excluding matias if you have ever tried them it's not that much surprising. It depends on how crude the tactility works on cherry style switches, just a bump on the slider that pushes the contact leaf. The result is that you can have even a good difference in force, but it's not a sudden drop, instead it's spread on around a millimeter of travel killing the purpose. When you type fast they feel what they are: linears with ruined smoothness. Another downside of the tactile switches in mx form is that the bigger the bump, the heavier the spring must be, otherwise the switch may fail to return up. That's why the mx clears have more tactility than browns. To have a true tactile mx switch I only have hope on kailhua/novelkeys to find a way to dampen the clickbar's hammering on the box navy...
Not really, no matter how fast I type I can still very much feel the tactile bump on my stock Clears, which allows me to type without bottoming-out (Browns are a different story). Although I do admit I'd prefer a slightly sharper tactility a bit closer to the top - kind of like BOX Burnt Orange. Hopefully the new BOX Purples will achieve this. Silent thick clicks don't sound bad either.
Lower weight Zealios and Ergo Clears don't have any problems overcoming the tactile bump, so the upstroke force requirement is not much of a downside as well.
Probably it really depends how you type, I tend to bottom out most of the times, if you press down with the right force to arrive with the finger to where the bump ends you may actually feel it, in fact I felt better the bump on the halo true, that have springs that gets stronger the more you go down. But at the end for how I type I prefer box whites, that feels almost linear, with a small but sharp tactility, or even the smoothness of true linears. I hope box purple would be closer to cherry clear than kailh pro purple, the latter has less tactility than box brown...
For lighter springs I was thinking of those of around 45 grams of the cherry brown, but truth be told something like that probably doesn't even exist in alps form...
Clears and Zealios are still inherently limited in tactility. Matias QC are exempt from this list as I don't have a keyboard with them in (so I can't test them).
Yeah if you bottom out anyway you might as well use linears and enjoy the smoothness. As long as the new Purples are a more tactile version of BOX Browns/Orange, it's gonna sell like hot cakes. I'm really putting my faith in Novelkeys for this one, I'm postponing my next build until they come out.
I got to try Orange and Salmon ALPS at the MKUK meetup. It was love at first clack.
Theo Higgins noice! Good to see people still spreading the Alps love at MKUK :D
What are the best tactile switches that have a Mx stem and are not in the video?
Mehow So in other words, the best of the crappy? :p Probably Zealios.
Love the bass boot
I actually REDUCE the bass in my videos xD .
@@Chyrosran22 hahaha I misread decrease as increase my bad lol
Since I am still sort of new to the mechanical keyboard scene and more into clicky switches, I have not been exposed to too many tactile switches. However, I can definitely agree with you on BTC Dome with Slider. It does feel great and reminds me of how modern rubber dome keyboards can be made much better. I also have a Dell Bigfoot with Black Alps. I would say those are my favorite tactile switches so far, but I really want to explore other tactile Alps switches. Sadly, those switches tend to make my credit card cry.
I'm very much interested in switches for fast typing. Do you know of a modern switch similar to the SKCM orange one? What characteristic about the switch lets you type faster? I'm asking since it's pretty hard for me to get some SKCM oranges in my country.
Tbh, that's just for me. What makes you type fast is probably quite different. Also, there are no modern switches similar to SKCM orange.
What do you think about razer's new purple switches and overall lazer switches?
I haven't tried the purple ones, or other Razer switches, in a board yet.
Does anyone know where I can get a separate Topre keyring-type switch like that?
Maybe you could dome swap Scorpius/BTC domes into a Topre board for the best of both worlds?
It's not quite that simple, I'm afraid. However, BKE domes are fairly reminiscent of the BTC feel.
Dya think you could review the hhkb and hhkb lite? No one has done a video on the lite, would be great to see one :)
BOX Royals (might) change the tactile game. Did Mike send you a sample?
Like the deep voice as always.. i don't think my FC660C Topre feels mushy i tried the Novatouch when it was sold in shops and did not like it almost gave up on topre. Until someone told me it's a whole different feel than the Novatouch. And indeed it is day and night.
Also i like that i can mod my FC660C with Hyperspheres lube them with sum SuperLube oil and crease and have a awesome sounding / feeling board.. My second somewhat favorite switch are mx-clears.. i lubed them without de-soldering just the slider rails and feels and sounds a bit better but i'm afraid de-soldering is a must for a real feel...But then i would want to tryout Zealios Zilent
Do the BKE Redux domes affect this ranking at all, now that you've tried them?
What's the balck keycaps on 5:44?
They're Fujitsu doubleshots.
Thank you :)
Has anyone tried these burnt orange switches? I got them from novelkeys, they are currently my favorite tactile switches I have tried. The operating force is 70g. They're bump is noice
Thomas, what in your opinion is the best tactile switch for a quiet office that is readily available via eBay or elsewhere? I have been using a floss-modded Model M which is pretty quiet, but not enough. It doesn't have to be as silent as a rubber dome. I'm looking for a switch with great key feel that doesn't disturb my colleagues... :)
Your best bets are probably Matias Quiet or Topre or something like that for a silent, tactile switch. Either way it's not a cheap request xD .
Thanks for the response! I just unboxed my Matias Quiet Pro, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to send it back. The key feel is remarkably inconsistent from key to key. They feel quite a bit heavier than my Model F, despite both supposedly having a 60g actuation force. They also have a spongy, scratchy feeling to them. I might give Topre a try...but I'm not crazy about spending that much on a board right now (after spending over a grand this month alone on a new old stock Omnikey and a mint Model F...).
What is your recommendation for linear switches that are readily available (including boards that can regularly be found on eBay). Thanks!!! ^__^
where are mx browns?
can't tell if youre joking or not...
@@matty4351 Glarses sent me
you had me for a second there honestly
great i can find nothing in my country with skmc switches in "mainstream" shops :( you should do a list of what easily accessible keyboards on the market you think are worth a try. I wanna get into mecs, the online flee markets seem to not have them at the moment.
I swear one of the apple shops near my place have those keyboards for display purposes (!). They don't sell it though.
You have to pay $4200 dollars for it
What is the last keyboard he uses?
im wondering what your thoughts are on the "wooting one" switchs. just found out there will be a hot swapable version. i ordered my keyboard and am waiting for the arrival. once i order the hot swap-able, id be happy to send my linear wooting one board over to you! but regardless thats down the line.
I would love to review one, but they denied me a keyboard to review.
Love your reviews - Keep it up :)
I hope my alps whites make the list... have a SiliconGraphics graphite board with the Alps white. Love this board.
Wait... YOU HAVE AN SGI KEYBOARD?!?!?!??
Gazzew Boba U4T ... I was really surprised of them.
Would love to see a key wobble shoot-out of the more mainstream key switches - cherry Razer .kailh etc ... - i know you don't like the mainstream switches but it seems there isnt a single key wobble shootout anywhere on youtube
I'm definitely looking forward to your top 10 worst switches.
+Chyrosran22 what is the best and the worst switch
"And they are all.... RUBBREH" - Thomas 2018
Luan Thomas the dank engine
Since this channel seems to be the place for keyboards enthousiast, do you know guys if exists a keyboard without directional keys but with the numpad, like the Coolermaster pro M ? The coolermaster seems fine, but only available in red/browns/blue mx switches, red seems too soft for me (black seems fine..), I heard browns were crappy, so I don't know what to do. Even a membrane keyboard with numpad but without directional keys is ok. Or I buy a 60% keyboard + an additional num pad..
This was standard issue on AT and XT keyboards in the 80s.
Well, I didn't find a solution, why compagnies don't try this ''TK'' configuration. Or maybe I can change springs on Cooler Master mx red ? Browns are really crappy ?
I grabbed a pile of apple stuff at a bargain center recently, four of the five keyboards are M0116s and I really enjoy them so I'm very happy to see them topping this list! Thanks!
matias didn't make it on this list?
No box navy?