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Showing 1 of 162 conversations about:
Quakemz
280
Mar 21, 2017
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Alright, so a lot of people have asked my opinion of the switches. Once I get my hands on the tactile version (I hope before the drop ends, but that's probably not likely), I'm planning to release a more in-depth review of them on r/mechanicalkeyboards. Anyways, the 3 version I do have are pretty neat.
- The Silver linear is actually fairly smooth. Not quite as smooth as Gateron, but the trade-off is the decreased wobble, in comparison. The spring is also quite interesting. It's probably due to the pre-travel, but it feels like it ramps up a lot faster, giving it that "cushion-y" feel that I enjoy.
- The Bronze clicky is one of the more unique switches I've used in a long time. It's absurdly smooth and the click is very bright and crisp. The click is actually not achieved by normal means. Instead, there is a thin metal pin on the opposite side of the switch (from the leaf) that gets triggered almost immediately in the press. This results in a click that basically lacks all tactility, so you end up with what is essentially a clicky linear switch. As a fan of linear and thing that are different, I enjoy this one a lot.
-The Gold clicky is a bit more "normal". It sounds and feels more akin to what you'd expect from a clicky MX clone. The click sounds fine, but not impressive. The tactility is okay, but oddly enough it's more tactile on the upstroke. It's pretty smooth, however.
These have been linked here before already, but HaaTa has been kind enough to measure these on his force curve machine. You can find those in here: https://plot.ly/~haata/152
One of the first things you'll notice is how light the spring seems. One the linear, for example, the switch actuates with only 27g of force, while the peak force is a measly 53g. While I'm not 100% sure, I think these numbers are skewed slightly, due to the "pre-travel". Comparing them side-by-side with Gateron Reds, the Kailh Silver actually feels a tad heavier to me, even though the Gateron Red is heavier on paper. In fact, the Silver feels heavier than all of the Red switches in my collection, from Cherry, Gateron, Kailh v1, and Outemu. So take that as you will. I'm not claiming HaaTa's graphs to be wrong, but just know that, with these particular switches, the shown weights might not tell the whole story, in terms of feel.
Overall, I'm pretty happy about the switches. I will definitely be ordering some. Kailh is here and they can finally compete with the likes of Gateron, because this new line-up is very interesting. This isn't the Kailh we knew from years ago.
Mar 21, 2017
StarPupil
183
Mar 21, 2017
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QuakemzFor the linear silver switches, how much less wobble would you say it has than Gateron? Are we to the level of Cherry's lack of wobble, or somewhere in between?
Mar 21, 2017
Quakemz
280
Mar 21, 2017
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StarPupilIn my unofficial testing, it's on par with Cherry. So, much less than Gateron.
Mar 21, 2017
HaaTa
558
Input Club
Mar 22, 2017
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QuakemzYeah, the comparison between Gateron and Kaihua speed switches isn't exactly apples to apples. The main difference is that the speed switches are 3.5 mm of travel, vs Gateron Red switches being 4 mm.
However, the bottom out force is around 50gf on each (with different preloads). This would indicate that the Kaihua speed switches are using a heavier, shorter spring vs. Gateron Reds using a longer, lighter spring.
https://plot.ly/~haata/150 Gateron Red https://plot.ly/~haata/320 Kaihua Silver
So yes, the Kaihua Silver switches *feel* heavier in terms of the gradient. But in terms of actual energy, Gateron Red switches are more work. (touch wise, I think human hands are better in tune with changes in force rather than how much work you've done; think 1 km run vs. 100 m sprint)
Mar 22, 2017
Quakemz
280
Mar 22, 2017
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HaaTaExactly. Thanks again for all of your hard work. These new switches have me even more excited for your custom switch!
Mar 22, 2017
Harms
37
Mar 22, 2017
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QuakemzThank god the linear one feels heavier than stated in the graph. The numbers made them feel too light :/ . Thanks a lot for your input :).
Mar 22, 2017
Quakemz
280
Mar 22, 2017
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HarmsI mean, it's not world's heavier than a Red switch, just a tad.
Mar 22, 2017
Vira
4117
Mar 22, 2017
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QuakemzWhen you say a tad heavier, I'm assuming from the heavier gradient feel to prevent bottoming out when it's pressed?
Mar 22, 2017
Quakemz
280
Mar 22, 2017
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ViraYeah, it feels more cushion-y than something like a Red, which doesn't ramp up as much. More like an aftermarket SPRiT spring, for example.
Mar 22, 2017
Cyphre
2708
Mar 22, 2017
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HaaTaSo is this a glimpse into the future K-type?
Mar 22, 2017
HaaTa
558
Input Club
Mar 22, 2017
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CyphrePerhaps :D
Mar 22, 2017
Quakemz
280
Mar 22, 2017
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It's rather high-pitched, though very crisp. It also clicks on the upstroke. It's not much louder than a normal clicky switch, but I feel like these might hurt my ears after a while of use. lol
Mar 22, 2017
EELAmbiense
150
Mar 23, 2017
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QuakemzInteresting. How would you say the Bronze compares to a Gateron Black in actuation?
Mar 23, 2017
Quakemz
280
Mar 23, 2017
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EELAmbienseWhen you say actuation, do you mean weight or travel distance? These switch have shorter travel than Gaterons, and a lot of that comes from the "pre-travel". So these switches will actuate sooner/faster than Gaterons. In terms of overall weight, the Gateron Black is noticeably heavier.
Mar 23, 2017
EELAmbiense
150
Mar 23, 2017
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QuakemzSorry; I should have specified! I meant more in terms of weight. Okay, cool. Thanks for the reply, man! It's appreciated. :)
Mar 23, 2017
Fresko
29
Mar 25, 2017
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QuakemzHave you tried these Kailh housings with Aristotle stems?
Mar 25, 2017
Quakemz
280
Mar 27, 2017
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FreskoI have not, though I suppose I can try that later when I get off work, if I remember. lol
Mar 27, 2017
TipsyMacScotchslurpen
379
May 16, 2017
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QuakemzI'm curious what point there is in giving a click to a linear switch the way they are supposed to have done so with the bronze... If the click is at the very beginning of the keypress, it sounds as if it isn't tied to the actuation point of the switch. For Cherry MX Blues the click and tactile feedback is supposed to notify you that the keypress should have been registered by the computer. If that is not the case for the Kaihua Speed Bronze switches then I don't understand the point, unless you just like bothering your officemates/family.
May 16, 2017
Quakemz
280
May 16, 2017
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TipsyMacScotchslurpenI do believe the switch actuates with the click. All of these Speed switches have "pre-travel", meaning they are already compressed a little bit, so you can theoretically hit the switch faster. For example, I recently got the Copper (Tactile) switch, and the bump is also immediate, right at the top. So, they should actuate almost instantly.
May 16, 2017
TipsyMacScotchslurpen
379
May 17, 2017
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QuakemzAhh, ok. That makes more sense. I might have to grab some of the bronzes at some point then, just to try them out. I chose the golds for my K-type order because I really like Cherry MX Blues (the bronze switches aren't an option for that KB, anyway).
Thanks
May 17, 2017
Quakemz
280
May 17, 2017
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TipsyMacScotchslurpenThe Golds are still nice, though. It's a better MX Blue. I strongly regret not getting the Copper in the switch drop. :/
May 17, 2017
TipsyMacScotchslurpen
379
May 18, 2017
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QuakemzHaha, yeah. I see myself grabbing a couple of these sets next time around. I actually got swayed by all the Halo True vs Topre talk and switched to the Trues. I will definitely order a set of the Golds while I'm waiting for November to get here. I like the idea of the Trues' "cushiony" feeling help prevent bottom-outs, hopefully making o-rings unnecessary. I kinda worry that thick o-rings (I love MX Blues with thick 50A o-rings) might cause problems with the speed switches.
May 18, 2017
Quakemz
280
May 18, 2017
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TipsyMacScotchslurpenOh man, the Halo switches have me so hyped. It's a shame how long we have to wait for them. :(
May 18, 2017
TipsyMacScotchslurpen
379
May 18, 2017
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QuakemzTotally. I got completely sucked up into the hype. If it hadn't been for the posts by Input Club explaining the feel of the two Halo switches to the constant onslaught of community questions I never would have thought twice about them.
May 18, 2017
_ray
39
Apr 20, 2019
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QuakemzHi! Do the Coppers have the same cushiony feel as the Silvers?
Apr 20, 2019
Quakemz
280
Apr 20, 2019
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_rayWow, this is an old thread! But yes, due to that shorter travel distance of the speed line, they all feel vaguely similar.
Apr 20, 2019
_ray
39
Apr 20, 2019
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QuakemzSorry for resurrecting the old discussion, I was googling and this came up. So would you say the only difference between the Silvers and Coppers are the bump in the Coppers? Have you compared them for typing? I'm deciding between the two for the Preonic drop.
Apr 20, 2019
Quakemz
280
Apr 20, 2019
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_rayNo problem, at all! The bump is the main difference, yeah. Not much difference, other than that. I don't think either switch is very good anymore, by today's standards. There are better options, depending on what you're looking for. Though, I guess if a speed switch is what you're after, they're some of the better ones. I made way too many mistakes on them, due to the super early actuation.
Apr 20, 2019
_ray
39
Apr 20, 2019
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QuakemzAh I didn't realize there are better switches, I'm not as experienced with them at all. I've onlye used Gateron Brown and Black. I'm looking for something close to the older Macbook keyboards, pre-butterfly nonsense, like I've gotten used to my 2012 Macbook Air's keyboard and found the Gateron Blacks a bit too heavy and too much travel.
Apr 20, 2019
Quakemz
280
Apr 20, 2019
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_rayAh, I'm not too familiar with Apple's switches, sadly, so I couldn't make a fair suggestion.
Apr 20, 2019
_ray
39
Apr 21, 2019
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QuakemzThank you very much for helping out despite the old topic!
Apr 21, 2019
Quakemz
280
Apr 21, 2019
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_rayNo problem at all!
Apr 21, 2019
Dabeasthalofan6
3
Oct 25, 2020
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HarmsLol, I swapped the springs in my kailh silvers with 35 gram springs
Oct 25, 2020
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