Noppoo Electrostatic Capacitive EC108 Pro Review

[njbair]

Got my 45g from massdrop a couple days ago. Here are my thoughts:

More

Show Image

-Seems like good build-quality, solid feeling-although time is the only true test
-Keys feel very smooth (and lighter then 45g imo because of this)
-Has a soft pleasant sound
-Keys are fantastic quality, although I wish in a different color, but easily replaceable because of cherry mx stems
-Hard coded program keys work great (toggle 2mm to 3mm trigger is an interesting option, I prefer 3mm)
-Has space for LED's, might be a good future project later if you want a full LED board instead of just caps/num lock etc
-Love the track at the back for the cord, I know quite a few other keyboards have this as well.
-Fully programmable: this I have yet to experience because so far I can't find the software. It's been referenced in a few places with this picture

Show Image

If anyone has any info on where to get this program please let me know!

This is my first 'topre' keyboard so can only compare to Mx switches brown/red/black/blue. That being said, I love it, switches feel much much smoother then Mx but it still has a good tactile 'bump' for feedback (important since browns are my fav Mx switches).

I see you must've had as much fun as I did flipping the spacebar.

[inanis]

Here are the pictures of my Noppoo and Poker with the Noppoo caps. http://imgur.com/a/f6wVC

After using the Noppoo for a few days I do find it is really nice to type on, but it is just too big for me at this point. I love the caps though, and they have a nice home on my Poker for now. If anyone does know where to find the software to program it please post it! I'd love to play around with it.

[SilverFlurri]

Got my 45g from massdrop a couple days ago. Here are my thoughts:

More

Show Image

-Seems like good build-quality, solid feeling-although time is the only true test
-Keys feel very smooth (and lighter then 45g imo because of this)
-Has a soft pleasant sound
-Keys are fantastic quality, although I wish in a different color, but easily replaceable because of cherry mx stems
-Hard coded program keys work great (toggle 2mm to 3mm trigger is an interesting option, I prefer 3mm)
-Has space for LED's, might be a good future project later if you want a full LED board instead of just caps/num lock etc
-Love the track at the back for the cord, I know quite a few other keyboards have this as well.
-Fully programmable: this I have yet to experience because so far I can't find the software. It's been referenced in a few places with this picture

Show Image

If anyone has any info on where to get this program please let me know!

This is my first 'topre' keyboard so can only compare to Mx switches brown/red/black/blue. That being said, I love it, switches feel much much smoother then Mx but it still has a good tactile 'bump' for feedback (important since browns are my fav Mx switches).

I see you must've had as much fun as I did flipping the spacebar.

Haha, it wasn't that bad took 30 sec. My other keyboard has the same thing, but then again once I find a nice keycap set I don't change em very often.

[njbair]

Here are the pictures of my Noppoo and Poker with the Noppoo caps. http://imgur.com/a/f6wVC

After using the Noppoo for a few days I do find it is really nice to type on, but it is just too big for me at this point. I love the caps though, and they have a nice home on my Poker for now. If anyone does know where to find the software to program it please post it! I'd love to play around with it.

Those both look fantastic! The Granite colorway works really well with that white case. And you don't see very many Pokers with legends.

Now you just need 4 clacks or brobots for keys 105-108 on the Noppoo.

[Latin00032]

Got my 45g from massdrop a couple days ago. Here are my thoughts:

Show Image

-Seems like good build-quality, solid feeling-although time is the only true test
-Keys feel very smooth (and lighter then 45g imo because of this)
-Has a soft pleasant sound
-Keys are fantastic quality, although I wish in a different color, but easily replaceable because of cherry mx stems
-Hard coded program keys work great (toggle 2mm to 3mm trigger is an interesting option, I prefer 3mm)
-Has space for LED's, might be a good future project later if you want a full LED board instead of just caps/num lock etc
-Love the track at the back for the cord, I know quite a few other keyboards have this as well.
-Fully programmable: this I have yet to experience because so far I can't find the software. It's been referenced in a few places with this picture

Show Image

If anyone has any info on where to get this program please let me know!

This is my first 'topre' keyboard so can only compare to Mx switches brown/red/black/blue. That being said, I love it, switches feel much much smoother then Mx but it still has a good tactile 'bump' for feedback (important since browns are my fav Mx switches).

What does it mean to change between 2mm and 3mm? Is that when the trigger activates in each switch?

[njbair]

Got my 45g from massdrop a couple days ago. Here are my thoughts:

Show Image

-Seems like good build-quality, solid feeling-although time is the only true test
-Keys feel very smooth (and lighter then 45g imo because of this)
-Has a soft pleasant sound
-Keys are fantastic quality, although I wish in a different color, but easily replaceable because of cherry mx stems
-Hard coded program keys work great (toggle 2mm to 3mm trigger is an interesting option, I prefer 3mm)
-Has space for LED's, might be a good future project later if you want a full LED board instead of just caps/num lock etc
-Love the track at the back for the cord, I know quite a few other keyboards have this as well.
-Fully programmable: this I have yet to experience because so far I can't find the software. It's been referenced in a few places with this picture

Show Image

If anyone has any info on where to get this program please let me know!

This is my first 'topre' keyboard so can only compare to Mx switches brown/red/black/blue. That being said, I love it, switches feel much much smoother then Mx but it still has a good tactile 'bump' for feedback (important since browns are my fav Mx switches).

This software is impossible to find! I've tried everything. Reverse image search using the image above, and even some searches of Chinese sites via Google Translate. Noppoo's own site has nothing. This kind of blows my mind, really.

[dante]

If Noppoo wants to take a bite out of Topre's business they need to come out with a EC108 55g.

[njbair]

If Noppoo wants to take a bite out of Topre's business they need to come out with a EC108 55g.

Seriously. My 45g is my first Topre-style board and I am happy with it, but if I knew then what I know now and a 55g option were available I would have gotten that.

[SilverFlurri]

What does it mean to change between 2mm and 3mm? Is that when the trigger activates in each switch?

Exactly.

If Noppoo wants to take a bite out of Topre's business they need to come out with a EC108 55g.

Seriously. My 45g is my first Topre-style board and I am happy with it, but if I knew then what I know now and a 55g option were available I would have gotten that.

Same situation here, I really like this keyboard, switches are sooo smooooth-because of that 55g would be nice.

[MPZ]

Is there an instruction manual somewhere for this board? When I first got it my left control wasn't activating control- had to use the right one for control-alt delete. Now the LED under the top right key (has an M with a circle around it) is on, pressing said key doesn't turn it off, and left control  functions as normal. I'm not worried about it because the board is working great, but I would like to know what's going on (and how to change the actuation point etc.)

[greentomatoes]

Is there an instruction manual somewhere for this board? When I first got it my left control wasn't activating control- had to use the right one for control-alt delete. Now the LED under the top right key (has an M with a circle around it) is on, pressing said key doesn't turn it off, and left control  functions as normal. I'm not worried about it because the board is working great, but I would like to know what's going on (and how to change the actuation point etc.)

If you hold down the the "M with a circle" key for 3 seconds the LED should turn off. I don't know what it's purpose is however. I'm also looking for an instruction manual and the programming software. Checked some Chinese forums and the people there were also having trouble finding the software, it's definitely not a language issue that's making this hard to find.

[njbair]

Is there an instruction manual somewhere for this board? When I first got it my left control wasn't activating control- had to use the right one for control-alt delete. Now the LED under the top right key (has an M with a circle around it) is on, pressing said key doesn't turn it off, and left control  functions as normal. I'm not worried about it because the board is working great, but I would like to know what's going on (and how to change the actuation point etc.)

If you hold down the the "M with a circle" key for 3 seconds the LED should turn off. I don't know what it's purpose is however. I'm also looking for an instruction manual and the programming software. Checked some Chinese forums and the people there were also having trouble finding the software, it's definitely not a language issue that's making this hard to find.

Maybe Mac compatibility mode? I'll have to try that at work tomorrow. I'll let you know what I discover.

[Esoterodactyl]

Hi, I've been interested in a cheaper Topre alternative and this appears to hit all the notes! I'm really keen to get in on this for the next MassDrop, but I was wondering if anyone can shed a little more light on nuances between the 35g and 45g switches. Coming from a Cherry MX red board, I'm looking for something around its sensitivity but with the satisfying "thock"s. The various videos of 35g don't seem to be consistent (some are more higher pitched than others). At this point, I'm leaning toward the 35g just because I prefer lighter switches and reviews indicate that there's more upfront resistance so I can actually rest my fingers. Open to any insights!

[njbair]

Hi, I've been interested in a cheaper Topre alternative and this appears to hit all the notes! I'm really keen to get in on this for the next MassDrop, but I was wondering if anyone can shed a little more light on nuances between the 35g and 45g switches. Coming from a Cherry MX red board, I'm looking for something around its sensitivity but with the satisfying "thock"s. The various videos of 35g don't seem to be consistent (some are more higher pitched than others). At this point, I'm leaning toward the 35g just because I prefer lighter switches and reviews indicate that there's more upfront resistance so I can actually rest my fingers. Open to any insights!

I've never used reds but I bought the 45g Noppoo and it is easily the lightest touch I've used. Even compared to blues, which are pretty light. And I definitely get a nice thock with the 45g, although obviously not the same as with a 55g Realforce or something.

[SilverFlurri]

Some glorious person found the software, its in the discussion tab pg. 5: https://www.massdrop.com/buy/noppoo-ec-108-pro
Direct link: https://onedrive.live.com/?cid=3e16b3e5d185827e&id=3E16B3E5D185827E%211049

Can confirm it looks like the print screen I posted previously. Haven't had enough time to mess around with it though, but let me know if you guys figure it out before:D

[inanis]

This is great! Thanks for letting us know, I look forward to trying this out.

[njbair]

Some glorious person found the software, its in the discussion tab pg. 5: https://www.massdrop.com/buy/noppoo-ec-108-pro
Direct link: https://onedrive.live.com/?cid=3e16b3e5d185827e&id=3E16B3E5D185827E%211049

Can confirm it looks like the print screen I posted previously. Haven't had enough time to mess around with it though, but let me know if you guys figure it out before:D

Wonderful! I've downloaded a copy so feel free to PM me if the share link dies or exceeds the limit or something.

I won't have a chance to check this until Monday, but it goes without saying that if you download this be very careful to check for viruses etc.

[SilverFlurri]

This software is awesome, and there's an english button which makes life easier. (Ofc virus check was the first thing I did, looks clean). Here's a break down of how it works:

1. hit 'readall' and it will read what you're keys are currently programmed to do
2. select a key, program box will open up, select what you want it to do
3. hit 'writekeys' and it will write it to you're keyboard

-levelup/leveldn switch on the top right of the software is to program normal layer/fn layer.
-hold circle M button on the keyboard (until light turns on/off) to turn on/off programmable keys.

Lastly, ofc this writes over the firmware, so it stays if you move from pc to pc. I love this keyboard.

[njbair]

This software is awesome, and there's an english button which makes life easier. Here's a break down of how it works:

1. hit 'readall' and it will read what you're keys are currently programmed to do
2. select a key, program box will open up, select what you want it to do
3. hit 'writekeys' and it will write it to you're keyboard

-levelup/leveldn switch on the top right of the software is to program normal layer/fn layer.
-hold circle M button on the keyboard (until light turns on/off) to turn on/off programmable keys.

Lastly, ofc this writes over the firmware, so it stays if you move from pc to pc. I love this keyboard.

Awesome! I can't wait to try this out, and it's nice to know what that M button is for. Thanks for sharing.

[MAR82]

I just wanted to give a big thanks to SilverFlurri for posting a link to download the software. I had tried contacting Noppoo but they never sent me a reply or anything, thenI tested the RK version (https://www.keychatter.com/2015/03/12/review-royal-kludge-rc930-87-rgb/#programmability) of it but it didn't work. So once again a big thanks to SilverFlurri for sharing his find

[Latin00032]

Does anyone know if these domes can be used on other topre keyboards and vice-versa?

[njbair]

Does anyone know if these domes can be used on other topre keyboards and vice-versa?

Are you referring to the stems?

At a glance they appear to be just like the Cherry-compatible stems in the NovaTouch. That fits with China's M.O., to reverse-engineer something that already exists. And if they're NovaTouch-compatible, they're Topre compatible.

However, I do not have another Topre board to test this with.

[Latin00032]

Does anyone know if these domes can be used on other topre keyboards and vice-versa?

Are you referring to the stems?

At a glance they appear to be just like the Cherry-compatible stems in the NovaTouch. That fits with China's M.O., to reverse-engineer something that already exists. And if they're NovaTouch-compatible, they're Topre compatible.

However, I do not have another Topre board to test this with.

Well I'm talking about the stems as well as the domes.

[MAR82]

Does anyone know if these domes can be used on other topre keyboards and vice-versa?

Are you referring to the stems?

At a glance they appear to be just like the Cherry-compatible stems in the NovaTouch. That fits with China's M.O., to reverse-engineer something that already exists. And if they're NovaTouch-compatible, they're Topre compatible.

However, I do not have another Topre board to test this with.

Well I'm talking about the stems as well as the domes.

I don't own a real Topre board to be able to see if they are exactly the same size or what. But I really see no reason to use these domes with a real Topre board. I have this board and was able to test some real Topre boards over the weekend (45g and 55g), and can clearly say that the dome quality of the real thing is so much better. With these you have almost no "tactile" feedback from it, where as on the Topre I could clearly feel a little something extra

[tylmad]

This software is awesome, and there's an english button which makes life easier. (Ofc virus check was the first thing I did, looks clean). Here's a break down of how it works:

1. hit 'readall' and it will read what you're keys are currently programmed to do
2. select a key, program box will open up, select what you want it to do
3. hit 'writekeys' and it will write it to you're keyboard

-levelup/leveldn switch on the top right of the software is to program normal layer/fn layer.
-hold circle M button on the keyboard (until light turns on/off) to turn on/off programmable keys.

Lastly, ofc this writes over the firmware, so it stays if you move from pc to pc. I love this keyboard.

Great! This works perfectly for my 108EC-Pro as well. Thanks a lot!

[berserkfan]

I wonder how long it will take before some gher designs his own capacitative PCB and starts buying these boards for the sliders. I just tried one out, and must say that I rather like the feel. Dunno why but Topre never did it for me.

[MAR82]

I wonder how long it will take before some gher designs his own capacitative PCB and starts buying these boards for the sliders. I just tried one out, and must say that I rather like the feel. Dunno why but Topre never did it for me.

I'm going to go ahead and guess that you're normally a bigger fan of MX Red or MX Black switches (maybe MX Brown)?

[combataran]

Would you recommend this for someone who wants a Topre-like feel for cheap?

[njbair]

Would you recommend this for someone who wants a Topre-like feel for cheap?

That's the idea. I own one of these (45g) and while I haven't tried genuine Topre for comparison's sake, I do like the Noppoo just fine. I'm sending mine to Melvang's house for the Midwest Meetup this weekend, because I want to get the opinions of other GH'ers who have actually used genuine Topre. I'm eager to hear everyone's feedback.

There is also the Royal Kludge RC930 which is another MX-compatible Topre clone made by the same OEM, but with backlighting. Massdrop is selling one now, 5 days left to join: https://www.massdrop.com/buy/royal-kludge-rc930-87

[combataran]

Would you recommend this for someone who wants a Topre-like feel for cheap?

That's the idea. I own one of these (45g) and while I haven't tried genuine Topre for comparison's sake, I do like the Noppoo just fine. I'm sending mine to Melvang's house for the Midwest Meetup this weekend, because I want to get the opinions of other GH'ers who have actually used genuine Topre. I'm eager to hear everyone's feedback.

There is also the Royal Kludge RC930 which is another MX-compatible Topre clone made by the same OEM, but with backlighting. Massdrop is selling one now, 5 days left to join: https://www.massdrop.com/buy/royal-kludge-rc930-87

Looking forward to the feedback. Not the Kludge tho, it looks gimmicky as hell. Like the SS Apex.

[njbair]

Would you recommend this for someone who wants a Topre-like feel for cheap?

That's the idea. I own one of these (45g) and while I haven't tried genuine Topre for comparison's sake, I do like the Noppoo just fine. I'm sending mine to Melvang's house for the Midwest Meetup this weekend, because I want to get the opinions of other GH'ers who have actually used genuine Topre. I'm eager to hear everyone's feedback.

There is also the Royal Kludge RC930 which is another MX-compatible Topre clone made by the same OEM, but with backlighting. Massdrop is selling one now, 5 days left to join: https://www.massdrop.com/buy/royal-kludge-rc930-87

Looking forward to the feedback. Not the Kludge tho, it looks gimmicky as hell. Like the SS Apex.

I'll be sure to share any feedback I get in this thread. And I agree about the RK but a lot of people love that backlighting.

[Sniping]

Would you recommend this for someone who wants a Topre-like feel for cheap?

Sure, I'd say that this is your best shot for trying something similar to Topre for less. I know that buying Topre can be pretty expensive in some countries...

[combataran]

Are the keycaps thick/feel good enough, or should I swap them out for like, lasered(Cherry dyesubs are so expensive nowadays) or Imsto PBTs?

[njbair]

Are the keycaps thick/feel good enough, or should I swap them out for like, lasered(Cherry dyesubs are so expensive nowadays) or Imsto PBTs?

These caps are very thick, and feel very nice. I think you'll be very happy with them.

[combataran]

Are the keycaps thick/feel good enough, or should I swap them out for like, lasered(Cherry dyesubs are so expensive nowadays) or Imsto PBTs?

These caps are very thick, and feel very nice. I think you'll be very happy with them.

Glad to hear that!

[zslane]

I am almost exclusively an MX red user, which means I like a soft linear response, but I find that the response of my 45g Noppoo is too soft even for me. It is like typing on pillows. I can't imagine what the 35g version is like.

Many wonder how its tactility compares to a RealForce, and as others have said there is no comparison. There is so little tactile response from the Noppoo that one could be forgiven for thinking it had MX reds in it. Except that the Noppoo is much quieter than any MX switch. In fact, it is so quiet that there is barely any sense of that "thock" you expect from a Topre-style dome switch. There is no bottom-out or up-stroke clack, but neither is there any prominent "thock". At most you get a soft "shup" or "fup" sound. But not a satisfying "thock".

The stock keycaps are irrelevant to me since I have not met a stock keycap I like better than my DSAs or SAs. The first thing I did was put Granite on, and while it sure looked nice, I kind of felt that in the end, it just wasn't worthy to host keycaps as sublime as Granite. So now the Granite set graces my Pok3r connected to my iPad (which I'm typing on right now). Meanwhile, the Noppoo sits in its box without any keycaps at all; I couldn't be bothered to put the stock ones back on.

I honestly don't know what I'm going to do with my Noppoo. I mean, I didn't expect it to feel or sound just like my RealForce HiPro, but by the same token, it wouldn't have such an uncertain future with me if it was at least a little bit like an actual Topre, or even a little bit like a NovaTouch. Unfortunately, in my view, it is neither.

[njbair]

I am almost exclusively an MX red user, which means I like a soft linear response, but I find that the response of my 45g Noppoo is too soft even for me. It is like typing on pillows. I can't imagine what the 35g version is like.

Many wonder how its tactility compares to a RealForce, and as others have said there is no comparison. There is so little tactile response from the Noppoo that one could be forgiven for thinking it had MX reds in it. Except that the Noppoo is much quieter than any MX switch. In fact, it is so quiet that there is barely any sense of that "thock" you expect from a Topre-style dome switch. There is no bottom-out or up-stroke clack, but neither is there any prominent "thock". At most you get a soft "shup" or "fup" sound. But not a satisfying "thock".

The stock keycaps are irrelevant to me since I have not met a stock keycap I like better than my DSAs or SAs. The first thing I did was put Granite on, and while it sure looked nice, I kind of felt that in the end, it just wasn't worthy to host keycaps as sublime as Granite. So now the Granite set graces my Pok3r connected to my iPad (which I'm typing on right now). Meanwhile, the Noppoo sits in its box without any keycaps at all; I couldn't be bothered to put the stock ones back on.

I honestly don't know what I'm going to do with my Noppoo. I mean, I didn't expect it to feel or sound just like my RealForce HiPro, but by the same token, it wouldn't have such an uncertain future with me if it was at least a little bit like an actual Topre, or even a little bit like a NovaTouch. Unfortunately, in my view, it is neither.

I'm starting to think Noppoo did themselves a disservice by putting relatively thick caps on this board. Lighter caps make switches feel heavier, so this board's light touch nearly disappears under the weight of such substantial caps.

Out of curiosity, does your box have any markings on the outside that say 40g instead of 45g? I ordered the 45g but my box is marked 40g. Not sure if it's a typo or what...

[zslane]

Out of curiosity, does your box have any markings on the outside that say 40g instead of 45g? I ordered the 45g but my box is marked 40g. Not sure if it's a typo or what...

Oh, that's an interesting observation. My box has the 40g +/- 5g option marked with a barely perceptible red X. I keep thinking and referring to it as 45g because that's how they always refer to it online in for-purchase ad copy. But you're right, the box does specify 40g as the baseline. My Noppoo easily falls towards the -5g side of their margin of error, which would put it closer to 35g. That's just too soft for me.

But 55g-60g is too stiff for me. I tried a board with MX blacks and didn't like it. I guess 45g really is the sweet spot for me, whether we're talking MX reds or Topre (as on my RealForce HiPro board).

[njbair]

Out of curiosity, does your box have any markings on the outside that say 40g instead of 45g? I ordered the 45g but my box is marked 40g. Not sure if it's a typo or what...

Oh, that's an interesting observation. My box has the 40g +/- 5g option marked with a barely perceptible red X. I keep thinking and referring to it as 45g because that's how they always refer to it online in for-purchase ad copy. But you're right, the box does specify 40g as the baseline. My Noppoo easily falls towards the -5g side of their margin of error, which would put it closer to 35g. That's just too soft for me.

But 55g-60g is too stiff for me. I tried a board with MX blacks and didn't like it. I guess 45g really is the sweet spot for me, whether we're talking MX reds or Topre (as on my RealForce HiPro board).

If you get a chance to try Gateron blacks, I think you would like them. I hate MX blacks but the Gaterons are so ridiculously smooth that there's really no comparison.