ZealPC Clickiez switches review (GMMK Pro)
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- Опубликовано: 28 янв 2022
- Skip to 17:33 for a typing demonstration.
They sell 'em here: zealpc.net/
Go here if you're interested in the ProWorld switches: Vintkeys.ca
Today we look at the new click leaf switches, "Clickiez", by ZealPC! A very interesting combination between Alps and Cherry MX. Hope you enjoy the video! :)
Intro by Kyle Carter
Outro by Facundo Cabanne
My keyboard reviews: bit.ly/1TbOtft
My switch teardowns: bit.ly/2C1QGHz
My TOP X videos: bit.ly/2FmpZfd
My XL typing demos: bit.ly/2OoAW3w
My tutorials and featurettes: bit.ly/2OrkLUh
My unboxing videos: bit.ly/2TSrr0m
I'm Thomas and I do videos and reviews on mechanical keyboards ranging from the most sickening modern RGB gaming keyboards to vintage hardware relics, or sometimes keycaps or keyswitches ranging from Cherry MX to Alps SKCM to IBM buckling springs and anything in between.
Follow me on Twitter for updates on my keyboard videos! / chyrosran22
The practice sentence was: "Hello my name is Thomas and I'm typing on some ZealPC Clickiez switches right now. These things are quite something, they are so tactile that it's pretty amazing!" 
Наука
6:40 that feeling when Chryosran says your name in a video 🤩
Thanks for the force curves mate, they were extremely important for the video, I think :) .
Happy to help!
This confirms what I was expecting from the force curves: the crispness of alps but too heavy to be alps. It's a shame that the tactile variant is so tactile, that has been MX's weakest spot for a while but nearly 100g of peak force is just too much in my book. I still think this is a good start to be honest. I'd really like to see Zeal cut the tactility by a third or a half for a next run. I think the weight of the 60g (now 40g) variant spring could stay the same.
I think these are a great first shot to be honest. The right kind of tactility, smooth (while being pretty stable), and even a nicer sound profile than click bars (without the double clicking). They sound great with the SA caps too, but I think that was expected. I kind of wish Zeal would just get over using a clear PC for the housings and switch to nylon, which to my ear tends to sound deeper when used for MX switches. The housing material doesn't lend itself to the mass produced soldering techniques used in prebuilts anyway where RGB seems to be a requirement and in the custom market, backlighting (thankfully) seems to becoming less of a focus.
It's possible to open MX switches that are mounted provided the plate has the little cutouts around the legs, but those aren't exactly common. I don't know why though.
Now it's time see opinion on r/mk and geekhack change from disgust at paying basically the same unit price per switch as people do for any given GMK keycap in a set that's hardly distinguishable from any number of the other hundred sets ran so far this year to unbridled hype.
Agreed on all points, except I'm kinda hoping for the hype. Maybe we'll have other companies start making 'clones' to cash in the trend and we'll finally see something usable for people who actually type for a living.
@@WhenDoesTheVideoActuallyStart Agreed. Kailh/gatreon/outomeu could do that kind of things quicker and cheaper for the mass market.
@@sir0herrbatka gateron manufactures zeal switches, so it may be unlikely for them to sell similar switches without the zeal name (and tax lol). could be done by the others you mentioned though, (unless there’s some sort of patent in the works by zeal?)
regardless, i’m also hoping to see others make similar switches for a cheaper price. pretty cool stuff imo
@@AlfredoS117 I think I read something about him trying to get a patent for the 3-in-1 design, but I assume pure clicky or pure tactile (and ofc you can always remove the leaf for linear regardless) should probably be fine. I hope it does as I love love clicky switches and would love to have more options with different tactility that is also compatible with all the custom PCBs, plates and keycaps.
40g bottom out (73g peak force, 32g actuation) for the 40g switches. The 75g switches are 75g bottom out (95g peak force, 58g actuation)
That’s it, I’m buying them. Clicky switches get a bad name in modern keyboards because the darn click jacket, but I love the Kailh click bar design and it seems these may be even better. Love innovation.
I want to show everyone the comparison at 12:39, you can almost FEEL how bad the blues are compared to the click bar. I'm really glad we're seeing this sort of innovation instead of 90 different combinations of materials and spring weights in linears like we've seen for the last couple years.
Same! I’m getting these too!
Let’s all hope these live up to the expectations!
Buying them for what? Are you guys soldering together your own private keyboards here, or are you some kind of industrial designers or product developers?
@@herrbonk3635 Yup, soldering our own custom mechanical keyboards!
Great sound. If these hold up as reliable, I'd argue that maybe more "typing" focused keyboard companies like Matias and Das could make use of them.
The bottom housing of these can't be used in the factory soldering process, assuming they use the same material as the other zeal switches. But yeah, if das wants to use these, zeal is definitely going to get them made with something like pa66
this keyboard purrs. I like it
Matias is already deeply invested in Alps style switches and I doubt they’d want to reinvest in new tooling to make Cherry-compatible boards.
As for Das, who knows? But they seem to have dropped Cherry style switches as well. It looks like Das wants to reel in their customers and have them use the products as designed, customizable only as designed.
I have only seen people having issues with matias quiet click (the tactile version). I would say that a regular matias click is probably a better choice if you want a typist keyboard because they are available in a very nice keyboard already.
@@kylekwong9772 factory soldering compatibility does not matters like it used to for switches. This is due too a lot of boards now comes with hotswap sockets. So the switch itself are not soldered to the board.
I was waiting for these switches for a long time. I'm glad they seem to have turned out well.
Fascinating, im glad you took some time to make a note about the price! I actually was someone who whined a bit about it in the teardown, so the explanation that the parts are truly that different was genuinely enlightening to hear!
These sound great and seem like a fun and exciting development! Glad to see they have your stamp of "neolithic" approval!
Really gotta hand it to Zeal with this one, this is the most interested I've been in an MX-like switch since the Kailh BOX series. They're a little out of my price range, but I can appreciate that the cost is justified and it'll be exciting to see what developments come from it.
It definitely sounds like the "tactile mode" would scratch that chonky tactiles itch I like to indulge occasionally, too.
i have the box purples in my board and love them
Kailh BOX switches aren’t MX switches. Yes, they’re compatible with MX compatible boards and keyboards, but they are, well, BOX switches.
Excellent review, Thomas. Thanks! It's also so nice to see a clicky review.
I'm so happy these came out to be better ten I thought.
I really hope now that they bring them a little less tactile also.
Such a nice and detailed review, as always, Thomas!
I was so excited for this review!
This is exactly the type of switch I'm looking for. Can't wait to get some to try, currently use Box Jades.
been looking forward to this one!!!
On net I'm EXTREMELY happy with how these are shaping up. But it's frustrating that all the good MX-compatible clicky switches seem to be locked in a tactility arms race. If the tactile event is well-defined, a 10- to 20-gram drop is plenty for most typists, especially those who prefer lighter switches. Thankfully, these look like they're JUST within my threshold of comfort. But if I were ZealPC or one of their competitors, I'd try to make something like Cherry-mount SMK Whites-50-gram actuation and a 20-gram drop. I'm sad no other super-tactile switch quite has that force profile, as I think it's something a lot of keyboard enthusiasts would enjoy.
In the long term, these look like they'll be a modder's delight. I'm sorry to see that the springs aren't compatible with other MX switches. I hope Sprit or some other company will make lighter weightings (if return force allows). I also wonder if standalone replacement leaves might hit MVP, assuming those don't encroach on Zeal's patent.
Some very good points. Regarding lighter springs and return force, I'm almost positive this will be possible. Alps-style click leaf designs usually do not suffer from the "insufficient return force during the upstroke" problem. I've previously spring swapped e.g. Alps SKCM Whites to 30g springs with no problem (except an overwhelming sense of tactility ;-) )
@@Bjerrk 30 grams!? I've put 40 g springs in Salmons but didn't dare to try anything lighter than that. I'll have to give that a try some time.
If you want an MX-compatible clicky switch that doesn't go overboard on tactility then try good old box whites. They're very light switches with a sharp but quite mild tactile bump.
If that's *too* light then I think box pinks are a nice middle ground. They're actually my favorite of the clickbar switches. The jades and navies always felt like overkill.
Honestly clickbar switches aren't bad and I think MX really has some decent clicky options these days. What's really missing are good tactile switches...they're all kind of terrible. Which is why the fact that the tactile mod goes ludicrous with the tactility is so disappointing...
@@kevadu Box whites are actually great. They are a joy to type on, and that sharp tactile event is what I am looking for. Even noise is actually kinda cool. The only drawback is that they double click which is a little bit annoying.
@@kevadu You’re right to give Kaihl credit for offering their customers options. I actually prefer Box Jades to Box Whites. The sound can be grating, but they’re probably my favorite switch currently in stock, and I’d use them as my daily driver if I had to stop using Alps for some reason. The lightness of Whites is great, and the sound can be very pleasing in the right chassis, but they’re too weakly tactile and uninterruptedly linear for my tastes. They’re kind of what Cherry MX Brown dreams of being, for better and for worse. But Box Pinks do sound interesting. Do they have the same thinner click bars as Box Whites?
Anyway, I guess I’m more of a tactility junkie than I let on in my initial post. What annoys me about these is that Zeal seems to be so hell-bent on competing with Jades/Navies that he lost sight of the balance between tactility and weighting that makes Alps SKCM switches so pleasing. I suspect I personally would prefer Amber Alps (which I haven’t tried) to Blue and White Alps. But it’s frustrating that something even more excessive than Amber Alps is going to be the only first-gen option, as I don’t think that serves most customers well.
As soon as I finished your initial video, I immediately jumped on the bandwagon since this ZealPC Clickiez will be the bridge for me to the Alps switches world. Really glad you included the comparison between click jacket, click bar and click leaf. I really like Box Jade but since the click bar is too thin and produces very high pitch sound when pair with aluminum case keyboard like Keychron Q1, so I would often use Box Navy instead and use them in plastic case keyboards like NCR80 or a hollower keyboard such as Saturn 60. Already ordered 110 pack of the 100g variant (yes I'm one of those people who would use 100+ grams springs, tried 210g but they are too heavy) and excited to see how it's turn out!
Excited for this one
i remember in my old workshop at highschool it was telling me to cut 15 5/17 inches into wood and it was awful. i cant wait until we adopt the metric system
You dont have to throw away imperial system they just need to teach you to convert. We use both here in the Philippines (officially we are metric)
I think I finally found my perfect modern mechanical switches. Alps clicker with MX Mount used to be the dream but now it’s here.
I'll have to pick some of these up for sure. Thanks for the review 🙂
Chyro, I know you tend to like older switches and boards, but you might consider reviewing the new Kailh BOX Mute Jades. They’re a click bar MX-style switch that has a muting pad for the click bar. They’re supposed to have a similar tactility to the Jades and Navies but without the loud click. It could be a very nice tactile switch if it lives up to its promises.
The tactility is even weaker than pale blue, and there is some inconsistency from switch to switch. I got rid of mine.
@@1fareast14 Oh, that’s too bad. The pitch was promising. Hopefully they get improved.
@@1fareast14 pity, i wanted to try them as i like the box jades (but hate the sound).
@@dakevinmg Well I got news for you
@@nknguyen2877 Lol yeah I watched the video! Sad to see that they don’t live up to the Jades or even most decent tactiles.
Thanks for the detailed review. Buckling springs have always been my favorite switches. A friend of mine just built a keyboard with these Clickiez switches. As I typed on it, a flood of nostalgia struck me, the sound and feel of the Clickiez switches taking me back to typing on VT-320 terminals in college. I built a few of his spares in clicky vs tactile mode, lubed and dry. Clicky-dry is my favorite, though I'll set up the spacebar as tactile since it's a bit heavier. Now I'm building my own keyboard with these Clickiez switches and wondering what kind of switches those VT-320 keyboards had.
Most underrated Keyboard enthusiast - super graphical with awesome information to educate anybody.
He's got 125k followers and an average of 60-100k views on every video!
What are you talking about "under-rated"?
Do you even know what that term means?
@@MaffeyZilog relax buddy. I am simply stating he should have more follows and viewers....not rocket science on what I meant, buddy. Obviously he has followers and viewers, but more people should be exposed to him because of his great content is what I'm saying.
@@alexlee6993 He's a good reviewer, I agree!
I also agree it's not rocket science to put across a simple point.
This is why I'm confused it took you two whole paragraphs to make your point without it sounding like you thought he was underachieving.
I apologise for my comment as I think you do struggle a little with communication.
Like your passive-aggressive comments that I'm sure to you, sounded clever and witty.
It's not my place to say this but, are there any good libraries near you?
Brushing up o English never hurts.
Good luck!
what a sick video, very well done. got all my questions answered. :)
Fantastic review! I would love to give these a try, but at this stage I've spent so much on set ups based on Glorious Pandas, which I tried and fell in love with, that I'll need to wait a while. I love your style of reviewing though and feels like I actually get the next best thing to a new switch 'fix'.
This is great. The heavier one with the tactile mod seems like what I've been looking for many years.
Thanks for imperial conversion. Not many content makers take the time to provide this valuable information
Great stock condition, custom mod choices: lube, spring, click leaf.
Last 2 still open for grab market.
Zeal & Chyro could cooperate to develop a variant of click leaf tho.
Leaving this switch to a single “click profile” option seems omit it from market potential as different people has different preferences.
Tactile mode seems very interesting. Pricing is still a dealbreaker for me, very interesting review thanks!
The implementation seems a little... not great.
But when the end result is still a usable switch I'm still very impressed.
I'm sure plenty of people wanted the absolute mega tactile experience but for something more normal it's still gotta be a full spring swap. The bright side of that is I don't see their convertibility patent being a killer for competitors.
But I'm sure variations of this design will see development.
$1.30/switch. Oof
@@CodeXCDM Yeah, never bother purchasing from Zeal, they're not even remotely worth the price
This will be an interesting one to watch!
Good review as always! As you youself alluded in the video, I was quite surprised that you’d review these switches on a GMMK Pro and not a roomy/other vintage boards. Amber alps are my absolute favorite switches and considering the increasing difficulty of procuring them, I’m very happy that the MX world finally has a good clicky.
I was under the impression that amber alps were just heavier blues, but apparently I was wrong!
I have no roomy hotswap chassis. The original GMMK isn't as heavy, but has an open top, hence why I used the GMMK Pro instead.
Also plastic chassis in vintage Alps keyboards. Gmmk has aluminium one and would sound different.
Finally found someone who actually used right shift when’s typing
Exclusively! Never use left shift while typing. While gaming it's the exact opposite.
Anyone know if the top housing can be swapped? I disliked clear tops due to light bleed through the key gap. Had to swap them on my Durock mediums.
hi chyro i cant wait to see what imperial unit you tell us about next :)
damn only a minute in and you already delivered. love the reviews man :)
I think Zeal went a bit too far with the tactility, but this is a great switch design with a huge amount of potential.
Agreed. If in the future they make a less tactile version, I'll buy it in a heartbeat, but currently this seems like a little too much for me.
Hope to see more switches trying to use mechanisms from older types that aren't just all MX clones, but keep the compatibility. Sound interesting, and I actually like higher tactility too so... The cost is a bit high for my budget presently, however.
Nice review. I think I'm going to get these for the upcoming Vortex M0110 clone that's coming out. Might be a good match for a total vintage nostalgia keyboard trip.
I really want to try this in a new build but maybe newer iterations might come out. Also when they bring the price down slightly.
I'm excited to see something closer to Blue Alps in the future. This is an amazing start though!
These are some very interesting switches. If they make some that are around the same weighting as BOX Pinks, I may have to pick some up and give them a go in my original GMMK. These are the first new switches I've been hyped for in a while.
0:45 That joke earned you a sub in 45 seconds flat! 😀 I'm pretty sure that must be a record for me across the hundreds or thousands of channels subbed to over the years! EDIT: I think I'll build a NUM-Pad with these and use them for my ESC and DEL keys! I run my DEL "bareback" (no recycle bin, no confirmation dialog), so having a heavy clicky switch or even a shroud over it is beneficial... 😀
Got my clickiez in the other day, definitely an improvement to mx clicky switches, I do wish that they were a bit clackier and had the more rounded feel alps get from the contact plates as well as much less tactile variants but over all I think these switches have amazing potential
Does the linear version of clickies feel like a regular mx regular or do they feel different?
Do these have PCB mounting plastic nubs? Asking as my kbd doesn't so I'll need to clip a bunch of them if they do have the mounting posts.
Yes they do.
My only issue with going for this switch is that I happen to bring my keyboard to work. Would these be the type of switch that has a "when I type everyone else in square kilometer knows I'm typing" kind of sound? Would the Kailh Box Noble Yellows be better for my scenario?
I currently run a GMMK Pro with Kailh Red Linears(I like them for gaming but I find my self not being as precise while typing at work all day).
Great review Chyros! These look very interesting and indeed an exciting development. Agreed that hopefully less tactile versions would be made available as even as a tactile junky the tactility of these seem like they'll barely meet my maximum tactility tolerance level lol.
One request I'd like to make though: could you provide a small, clear sound clip of the "non-click tactile" version of the switches on the WASD cluster? Unfortunately the only sample we're getting at 9:30 mark was quite muffled by your comments on this mode. Based on what I was able to hear, this "tactile" mode sounded a bit rattly which worries me a bit. But a separate, short clip of this "tactile" mode would be great to provide a clearer picture of how the switch sounds like in this mode, and whether it's sound profile is up to our liking, especially for those who also are sound junkies as well haha.
Thanks again for the review mate. Cheers 👍
Yes, tactile sound test please!
second this comment. optimally, would really love the tactile version lubed. I'm really curious about the potential of this switch, especially since it looks like the stem and MX leaf are linear. I wonder if you could go even more tactile with a different leaf and stem.
So I have no idea if this would work, but have you tried exchanging the click leaf in a clickiez switch with that of one of your proworld ones? I'm curious if that might simulate what an updated version of the clickiez could potentially feel like. And also if the sound is different with the corners intact.
Can we get a full typing demonstration with tactile mod? I’m actually more curious how it sounds with tactile mod than clicky.
I also think they’d be interesting in a vintage MX based chassis. There are some nice old chassis’s with MX switches.
Which feeling do you prefer? These, or Kailh box pinks?
Listening to your voice almost makes me feel im on a crime documentary channel. Subbed!
The only crime here is the price of these switches. Fingers crossed MKB enthusiasts snap enough of them to convince ZealPC to continue toying with the design to match the different Alps varieties.
How compatible are the switches with thick Cherry-profile keycaps?
I don't think the GMMK Pro uses quite as low keycaps, but the Caps Lock key at 17:25 does not look good.
@Chyrosran22, can ALPS leaves be transplanted into the Clickiez?
what if you lubed the tactile variant to make it smoother and lighter?
Does the tactile mode feel close to orange alps?
My Kailh speed bronze have a significant amount of double typing issues, so I might have to pick up some of these Zeal clickies!
Since theses are cap switches I wonder what would happen if you replace the contact leaf/stem with cap brown parts and then also do the tactile mod
will there be a mute jade review?
Those are very interesting switches, I was interested in them since that little teaser video with them.
But yeah, I'll have to agree about that tactility, if Thomas is saying they're a bit too tactile chances are I'd reckon that would also be the case for me.
And at what they're being priced at they're a bit steep for me to just buy 90 or so of them just to mess around. If anything I'll be waiting to see if ZealPC does more variants or if there's any thing to take that tactility down a notch.
🤔 I do have a leading edge keyboard with blue alps, and I’ve always gone back to my box jades on SA. Since I’m a clicky fan, I may try this in a setup to compare to my box jades
I agree I think thd jaded still sound better
I think these will be the very first clickiez I use. never liked the sound of the common clicky switch, but these ones sound good
To note, clicky keys are usually louder irl + if you bottom out a lot when you type it'll be very loud. I like clicking swiches and have a matias tactile pro but they certainly require more specific tastes.
Could you please do a sound demo of these in tactile mode?
Hyped!!!
I went ahead and ordered a set. I too would like to see a version with a less aggressive click leaf. I'd like a 75 g bottom out force but the nearly 100 g peak force is just too much.
Had you done a Box Jade review? I found out that the "Box Crystal Jade" sounds a lot different than the normal Box Jade, you should do a comparison video
How do they compare to capacitive buckling spring?
The size of the tactile event in tactile mode is nuts. I like my BOX Jades but that is far too much even for me. These would be so much better with a less tactile leaf, as it would be more in line with clicky Alps in clicky mode and tactile junkies would still get their hit by setting it to tactile.
Perhaps it's overcompensation for decades of depressing options for tactility in the MX range but more tactility ≠ good.
BOX Pinks for the win!!
For me idk my hands literally don't feel the tactile bump( I used to use a mebrane keyboard so my typing style is prone to slamming against the keyboard)
Nice. Need to get these. I owe it to myself since I went and got builds with all the MX Clicky, BOX Clicky, restored ALPS switches builds.
Pricing I think narrows the build with these to a only 60 percent build. 😆
Imperial unit memeing always gets me a good laugh
Would love to know your take on the new Kailh line of switches, including the muted jades, white owl and arctic fox, and possibly how they compare to alps!
I wonder how these would sound with much hollower boards like the NCR-80.
The great thing now is that all it takes to modify the tactility is to alter the click/tactile leaf design slightly.
Maybe you could even try modding the leaf by slightly "flattening" the teeth to reduce the harshness of the tactility, of course the issue is to be able to consistently do it with all the switches.
where did you get alp switches?
Yo now I'm even more super-excited for my order of these switches to come in. I have a Keychron Q1 (aka "we have GMMK at home") that these should feel and sound great in - and, before i get accused of casting pearls before swine, i de-pinged the hell out of the case and its quite solid now
I would argue that Q1 is a better keyboard compared to GMMK Pro. Especially version 2 where they try to mitigate the case ping. This is true especially in the gasket mounting department. GMMK Pro is so stiff that it is almost like tray mounted or top mounted board, while the Q1 has a soft type feeling.
We shouldn’t care. Yet we care! And thank you for this absolutely complete review of these products
The SA keycap sound test was interesting:
Cherry MX Blue: *annoying click jacket rattle*
Kailh BOX Jade: the click bar was louder then the keycap hitting the bottom
Zeal Clickiez: sounded balanced, making it the best sounding
ProWorld Cherry Clone: sounded ever so slightly scratchy, but not unpleasant
I'm wondering how these switches compare to a "better" Click bar switches with the one that has bassier sounding like Arctic fox and White owl switches because the housing materials are different from the usual ones from typical Box clicky switches like Box whites, jades, etc. making the click bar sound a bit fuller and deeper IMO.
Also, looking forward with these switches because I wanted to collect every single clicky switches out there in the market that uses MX-Mount ^^
It seems like a great switch. One thing I hated about Cherry MX switches were bleak tactile feel and its click jacket. It is bit pricy though. I could consider to get one when it's a lot more cheaper than current price.
about the click-actuation alignment, you said that it's "close enough", im assuming you meant that you didnt notice it outputting the typed character noticeably before or after the click, but does the "close enough" also go for the keyfeel? the issue ive always had with matias switches is that there was a distinct double bump from the clickleaf and contact leaf being *so* disconnected, and im hoping these dont have that issue
The contact leaf is MX style, so there shouldn't be a noticeable second bump.
It shouldn't considering this doesn't use the same switchplate as an alps design.
DAMN it sounds better than the jades, how does it feel in comparison?
They really do sound good. I hope this idea gets picked up by other manus, especially in a more subtle tactile design.
its getting patented though, whichll make it a zeal only thing
@@NautsuJJR [citation extremely needed] so it's okay for Zeal to copy and then patent for themselves the prior art of ProWorlds which are themselves based on Alps switch designs? From what I understand, their patent is for the movable clickleaf, not the overall design.
I asked Zeal to show me his patent application and I got no answer.
Design looks good.
Thank you for comparing against Kaihl Jade, I LOVE Jades but god these sound yummy. I need to get a new portable keyboard, I think I'll have to get some of these to go with it.
Is the iRocks keyboard still available?
This is actually the best sound I've heard come from an otherwise unmodified GMMK Pro, somehow the lifeless sound profile the case has seems to allow the nice click of the Clickiez to shine
Gmmk pro sounds lifeless cause it comes with tons of foam , super tight gasket mount screws . I have that i tape moded, took the foam out, added more gasket foam, used a sa double shot profile keycap with lubed akko jelly black. Let me tell you, the thock reverb i get from it amazing. Not too loud but i can clearly hear the thock from the board. Ill try to change the plate to a polycarbonate one to see if i can get an even thockier sound.
That's a really interesting design. They seem to have a lot going for them. I was wondering though, are they factory lubed? Are they sliding smoothly?
They are smooth but not pre-lubed.
hope they come out with non-clicky tactile versions in the future
I'd appreciate an elaborative comment on the linear mod also since it's a 3-in-1 switch.
Clicking before actuation: no prob
Actuation before clicking: H O R R O R
How hard would it be to adjust the tactility just by bending the teeth on the leaf spring a bit?
Difficult to do it without snapping the teeth off, 100% impossible to do it with any consistency.
Typing demonstration on the non-clicky tactile version please!
im really interest with these switch since it can do tactile,click, and linear in the same time
If zeal cut the tactility to make them light-mid tactile then they've got my money. I don't even care how expensive they are at that point
Same, I'm actually kind of shocked they went through all this work and didn't even release a lighter version along side of it. It it had a peak of 58-63g I would pre-order a full set!
If there are different variants, I hope the stem colors are in line with alps or kailh clickbars, there's enough to memorize already.
the stem and housing looks to be like from molding of the gateron cap series, so hoping that in the future gateron can release a more budget oriented verision of this lol
@15:02 "and the lack of the ability to open the switches while they are still mounted in the board"
If the mid plate has the proper cutouts, there are tools to open MX type switches in situ. Most modern custom boards are designed this way, so it's likely not to be an issue aside from boards with particularly beefy mid plates.
I guess one (maybe me? 🤔) will have to try these on the roomy plastic NCR-80 to see if that brings back the 80's clicky Alps magic back... But $130 in switches (with shipping) for a TKL will definitely hurt!
If the tactility wasn't so overbearing, the option of the silent tactile mod would be extremely appealing. I've been looking for a quiet-ish board with decent tactility for ages to use in an office for example and I pretty much always ended with rubberdomes, because I really don't like any of the quiet tactile mechanical designs I've used. A quiet switch with alps like tactility and cherry compatibility would be amazing. I also think the price isn't too bad, at the end of the day a keyboard is something you're probably going to use for the better part of a decade if not more unless you're collecting them in which case you're probably used to paying fairly high prices.
Consider the Boba U4, best silent tactile in my opinion. Also worth considering Topre Type-S
I think i'll love them (40g)!
I'm a bit confused, is the linear version different from mx switches at all? Or is it essentially a gateron linear if you take the click leaf out?
It would essentially just be a linear Gateron cap switch with the click leaf removed, yeah.
One thing though is that zealpc have great tolerances and very smooth plastics.
@@cheeks5388 they're still made by Gateron
@@iNViSiBiLiTimanufacturers can still provide different specifications. Especially clear within gateron linear lineup.
Great review and run down.
In Australia the switch price works out to $1.95. so to deck out a full sized board is a shade over $200AUD. For a premium product you coud make the case. But when boards like the Wooting hall effect come in in the mid $200 range. over $200 just for switches is a tuff pill. If they can pull that price closer to $0.90-$1.00AUD per switch it becomes a much more compelling buy.
For now I'll continue to use my Matias Tacktile Pro when I want that crisp click leaf feel.
Jordan
This is Zeal we're talking about, no way the price ever drops.
There has to be some way to being that classic Alps sound to modern boards. Perhaps a case built to specifically amplify the switches? Modern boards are smaller but not so small that you can't get clever with acoustics.
hmm the clicky doesn't sound quite as full as i expected,
maybe its just the board, but still a very interesting mechanism.
Tbh i'm almost tempted to buy just because of that leaf thing inside, really fascinating to see something like that.
The board it’s in plays a role. Modern keyboards don’t lend themselves to full sounds particularly well.