SA Keycaps on cherry switches

[Peripheral Prophet]

Ok, so I have a topre realforce rgb (mostly because taking out a second mortgage for a novatouch is out of the question) because I wanted to use my sa keycaps with a silenced topre board.  I honestly love it..

I have a few cherry mx boards and I thought, "why not see what the sa keycaps do for me on a cherry switch""..

Well, while Im not a huge fan of cherry switches, and I prefer browns for their almost linear feel with a every so questionable tactile bump, I must say.. I hands down love the feel of sa keycaps on cherry switches..  The sound, the feel, all of it, for some reason, is more satisfying than my topre board..  I even noticed a slight change in the sound the keycaps make compared to the stock pbt caps that came with it. I almost cant describe the feel, I like that topre is tactile immediately until it collapses, but something about a little key travel before the tactile bump really feels "right" to my fingers.  The sound is almost like a quiet model m and I am absolutely loving it.

Anyone else having this experience because I have no intentions on putting them back on my realforce and am really digging the whole sa on cherry experience thusfar..

Any thoughts?

[zslane]

Did you try all your MX boards? The feel of the keycaps will largely depend on all the specifics of a keyboard's construction (plate, PCB, case, etc.). I wouldn't necessarily expect the feel to be same across all MX-based boards just because the switch is MX and the keycaps are SA.

My greatest issue with MX switches is the bottom out and upstroke noise they make. A silenced Topre switch is miles ahead of any MX switch (even their "silent" versions) in terms of smoothness and the sound they make. That trumps the specific feel of the tactility, though for me the feel of Topre's tactile bump is also miles ahead of MX brown, but that's absolutely a personal preference thing.

[Peripheral Prophet]

Did you try all your MX boards? The feel of the keycaps will largely depend on all the specifics of a keyboard's construction (plate, PCB, case, etc.). I wouldn't necessarily expect the feel to be same across all MX-based boards just because the switch is MX and the keycaps are SA.

My greatest issue with MX switches is the bottom out and upstroke noise they make. A silenced Topre switch is miles ahead of any MX switch (even their "silent" versions) in terms of smoothness and the sound they make. That trumps the specific feel of the tactility, though for me the feel of Topre's tactile bump is also miles ahead of MX brown, but that's absolutely a personal preference thing.

I dont really have any other boards or switches, just a few mx brown boards that are plate mounted with plastic cases.. Im with you on all of your points, I agree, Topre is the smoothest, sounds the best and the tactility is very different than the mx browns or probably even clears, but for some reason, the slightly gritty feel, the new sound profile that the sa caps give it and perhaps the near linear feel of the browns, I dont know, Ive tried to tell myself that it must be a fluke or something, but something about it just feels right, and sounds right and after typing with the sa caps for a while Im starting to wonder why I never tried it before and why I like it so much.  There is a deeper tone to the browns now, which is obviously from the sa caps, but they also feel snappy for some reason, something I never would ascribe to the mx browns..  Maybe its all in my head or its just because its different from what I am used to, but Im gonna run with it for a while, i really do enjoy it, it just has this whole organic/mechanical vibe about it that I never knew existed..

My next board is probably going to be a abko hacker, I like being able to use mx caps with topre/clone switches, and that is one board that i have been really wanting to try, it comes silenced and has mx stems which I like, plus its fully programmable from what i hear.

I listened on youtube to some other people using sa caps on custom cherry boards and I notice they make a pleasant sound as well, at least to me.

Maybe I just need a week and ill get tired of it or something, but honestly the second I started typing on it I was shocked at how much I liked it, even typing now, I really like the way it feels and sounds.. Still to loud for an office setting or something like that but I work from home which isnt an issue for me.  Topre has a mushiness about it that is borderline annoying, if it wasnt such a great board in every other respect I would just use my btc 5100c, which has better tactility than the realforce, granted Ive never tried 55g domes before, so I could be missing out on something there.

If anything Ill keep both going for a while to see which I end up using more.  I almost want to grab one of the ramaworks kits and see if that makes the mx's feel even better, something with some mass to it perhaps.. All i have for cherry boards are ducky one, one rgb, and shine5, all with browns, they basically all sound the same to me.

[zslane]

That may be the first time I've ever heard someone describe MX browns as "snappy"!

[toby]

lol mx brown is just nothing different than linear imo bcuz their tactility is very low

[Peripheral Prophet]

That may be the first time I've ever heard someone describe MX browns as "snappy"!

Not snappy like a topre switch when the dome collapses, more just snappy on the upstroke, based on the sound it makes.

Not sure if that makes sense, I dont know, give it a try with an mx board and see what you think.

[Peripheral Prophet]

lol mx brown is just nothing different than linear imo bcuz their tactility is very low

I think that is the consensus everywhere, browns are more linear than tactile.  You have to slowly register the key to feel the bump, otherwise its nearly impossible to perceive while typing. 

[LevelSteam]

I think my favorite switches for SA profile caps are Tealios, or the newer retooled MX Blacks if those aren't available. Normally I'm not big on linear switches but they just feel right for the SA caps.

[Peripheral Prophet]

Something about linear switches is appealing, but I dont know what, Ive never been inclined to even give them a try, I just assumed tactile switches were better for typing so thats all ive used.  Maybe Ill buy a cheap cherry board with reds or something and give them a shot. I want to get a new cherry g80 3000 and was going to put clear stems on it and get a set of sa keycaps for it, maybe ill do reds and play with the clears another time.

[Peripheral Prophet]

Ok so the more I keep typing on them the more excited i get..  Browns arent clicky switches, but the sound of the downstroke/upstroke really is appealing the more I use this with sa caps.  Its really getting me interested in all the hype I hear about box switches and I want to know if I can go further with the sound I am getting with something more refined.  I like how the sa caps lower the frequencies of sound I am used to hearing with pbt keycaps.

[Rumblehotep]

My go to's for SA are either box clickies or lubed 78g zeals. I like the latter so much I have a 60% and 40% with them and planning on a tkl.
It doesn't compare to topre for tactility, no, but it is nice as its own thing all the same

[Peripheral Prophet]

My go to's for SA are either box clickies or lubed 78g zeals. I like the latter so much I have a 60% and 40% with them and planning on a tkl.
It doesn't compare to topre for tactility, no, but it is nice as its own thing all the same

Yeah, I ordered some box navy and jade switches to try with my sa keycaps, I absolutely love the sa keycaps on my cherry mx browns and I dont even care much for the browns, but the feel and sound is much better than I would have imagined..  Going back and forth between my realforce and this makes the topre feel mushy by comparison..  Box navy will probably put the nail in the coffin for my topre board if it sounds and feels better than mx browns..