Author Topic: Is there a such thing as Kailh Box Silent Brown switches?  (Read 14128 times)

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Offline zslane

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Is there a such thing as Kailh Box Silent Brown switches?
« on: Mon, 23 March 2020, 13:02:14 »
I like Kailh BOX switches, but I prefer silenced/damped switches. The only silenced MX-type switches I know of are silent red and black. Are there any silent BOX switches? And in particular, BOX Brown?

Offline Findecanor

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Re: Is there a such thing as Kailh Box Silent Brown switches?
« Reply #1 on: Mon, 23 March 2020, 14:07:33 »
What's so special about BOX switches?

Silenced Brown: Gateron Silent Brown, of which KbdFans' Aliaz switch is a variant

Offline Sup

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Re: Is there a such thing as Kailh Box Silent Brown switches?
« Reply #2 on: Mon, 23 March 2020, 14:36:56 »
nope
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Offline envyy24

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Re: Is there a such thing as Kailh Box Silent Brown switches?
« Reply #3 on: Mon, 23 March 2020, 17:29:30 »
Don't think so, because they have trouble to even make the tactile box switch work properly so it is unlikely that they can make silent. To clarify: box brown can turn clicky! Yes, quite hilarious.

Offline zslane

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Re: Is there a such thing as Kailh Box Silent Brown switches?
« Reply #4 on: Tue, 24 March 2020, 12:05:34 »
What's so special about BOX switches?

Silenced Brown: Gateron Silent Brown, of which KbdFans' Aliaz switch is a variant

Two things: BOX switches seem to have less wobble, but they also lack the plastic standoff legs that make it impossible to install on most hotswap boards (without a lot of snipping work I don't want to do).

Offline envyy24

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Re: Is there a such thing as Kailh Box Silent Brown switches?
« Reply #5 on: Wed, 01 April 2020, 03:31:08 »
Hey just want to pop in here and say I m very very wrong.

Apparently Kailh just releases the silent box switches, avail on aliexpress now.

Offline Maledicted

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Re: Is there a such thing as Kailh Box Silent Brown switches?
« Reply #6 on: Wed, 01 April 2020, 09:55:03 »
Hey just want to pop in here and say I m very very wrong.

Apparently Kailh just releases the silent box switches, avail on aliexpress now.

That's fantastic news. I may have to pick up some silent reds, maybe. I had already been thinking about trying silent Cherry MX reds, due to how some people seem to rave about them, and I already use the non silent version with my gaming rig anyway.

Offline envyy24

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Re: Is there a such thing as Kailh Box Silent Brown switches?
« Reply #7 on: Wed, 01 April 2020, 10:41:32 »
Hey just want to pop in here and say I m very very wrong.

Apparently Kailh just releases the silent box switches, avail on aliexpress now.

That's fantastic news. I may have to pick up some silent reds, maybe. I had already been thinking about trying silent Cherry MX reds, due to how some people seem to rave about them, and I already use the non silent version with my gaming rig anyway.

Ha ha I cant wait and already order a bag of silent brown. I know the box brown has let me down but all and all it still is a very unique tactile switch due to the clickbar mechanism. I really prefer that sharp feedback over the rounded feeling of cherry design. If this goes right, I can say bye to the T1 and commit my life fully to box switches.

Offline Maledicted

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Re: Is there a such thing as Kailh Box Silent Brown switches?
« Reply #8 on: Wed, 01 April 2020, 10:48:34 »
Hey just want to pop in here and say I m very very wrong.

Apparently Kailh just releases the silent box switches, avail on aliexpress now.

That's fantastic news. I may have to pick up some silent reds, maybe. I had already been thinking about trying silent Cherry MX reds, due to how some people seem to rave about them, and I already use the non silent version with my gaming rig anyway.

Ha ha I cant wait and already order a bag of silent brown. I know the box brown has let me down but all and all it still is a very unique tactile switch due to the clickbar mechanism. I really prefer that sharp feedback over the rounded feeling of cherry design. If this goes right, I can say bye to the T1 and commit my life fully to box switches.

Kaihua seems to usually be pretty perceptive of criticism. Maybe they've resolved the linearisation problem with their tactiles? I agree on box brown feeling. Literally the only modern tactile family I have tried (I haven't tried any fancy boutique switches) that wasn't terrible.

Which switches have they even silenced so far? It would be pretty humorous if they even did it to their thunderous clickies, like navies.

Offline envyy24

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Re: Is there a such thing as Kailh Box Silent Brown switches?
« Reply #9 on: Wed, 01 April 2020, 11:09:35 »
They are offering box silence brown - tactile, and box silent link - linear as of now. To my understanding, they are silencing their oem switches. The thick  click bar (jade and navy) switches are in collab with novel keys so i guess they are not touching them for now?

Offline Maledicted

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Re: Is there a such thing as Kailh Box Silent Brown switches?
« Reply #10 on: Wed, 01 April 2020, 11:28:08 »
They are offering box silence brown - tactile, and box silent link - linear as of now. To my understanding, they are silencing their oem switches. The thick  click bar (jade and navy) switches are in collab with novel keys so i guess they are not touching them for now?

Have they got specs on these anywhere else? I wonder what the heck they mean by "Operational Force". That product page literally uses the words red and pink interchangeably. Interesting that there's a box pink clicky ... but now there's a box pink linear, if any of this is even translated properly.

Only rated to 1/10th of the cycles of regular box switches? That must be a typo.

Why not, let's roll the dice. I ordered two packs of 70 of the silent "pink" switches. I suppose it is about time I get a hot swap board for them as well then.
« Last Edit: Wed, 01 April 2020, 11:34:56 by Maledicted »

Offline zslane

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Re: Is there a such thing as Kailh Box Silent Brown switches?
« Reply #11 on: Wed, 01 April 2020, 11:38:04 »
Apparently Kailh just releases the silent box switches, avail on aliexpress now.

Link please? A search on aliexpress failed to turn up the silent box switches. Thanks!

Offline Maledicted

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Re: Is there a such thing as Kailh Box Silent Brown switches?
« Reply #12 on: Wed, 01 April 2020, 11:39:54 »
Apparently Kailh just releases the silent box switches, avail on aliexpress now.

Link please? A search on aliexpress failed to turn up the silent box switches. Thanks!

kailh box Silent Switch Mechanical Keyboard diy RGB/SMD Pink Brown switch Dustproof IP56 waterproof Compatible Cherry MX
« Last Edit: Wed, 01 April 2020, 15:44:51 by Maledicted »

Offline envyy24

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Re: Is there a such thing as Kailh Box Silent Brown switches?
« Reply #13 on: Wed, 01 April 2020, 12:04:14 »


Link please? A search on aliexpress failed to turn up the silent box switches. Thanks!

https://kailh.aliexpress.com/store/4670072?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.13e5d06fkabL8N

Just on their official store page, there is a banner for this new product

Have they got specs on these anywhere else? I wonder what the heck they mean by "Operational Force". That product page literally uses the words red and pink interchangeably. Interesting that there's a box pink clicky ... but now there's a box pink linear, if any of this is even translated properly.

Only rated to 1/10th of the cycles of regular box switches? That must be a typo.

Why not, let's roll the dice. I ordered two packs of 70 of the silent "pink" switches. I suppose it is about time I get a hot swap board for them as well then.

Looking at the chart I think operational force = actuation force. Because they point to the the actuation point in the chart when they talk about operational force.

And with the pink and red thing, one person from another mech group Im in, who regularly is in contact with suppliers in China and specializes in Kailh products, said that initially they started with silent red box switch since there is already a pink clicky switch. Then essentially they changed because they don't want to be confused with cherry silent red. But again, the source is just a person on the internet so please take that with a grain of salt.

Offline Bella_Hwang

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Re: Is there a such thing as Kailh Box Silent Brown switches?
« Reply #14 on: Wed, 01 April 2020, 22:10:04 »
I like Kailh BOX switches, but I prefer silenced/damped switches. The only silenced MX-type switches I know of are silent red and black. Are there any silent BOX switches? And in particular, BOX Brown?


https://twitter.com/KailhSwitch/status/1239791913361788931  KAILH SILENT BOX SWITCH
Dongguan City Kaihua Electronics Co,Ltd

http://www.kailhswitch.com
http://www.kailh.com
Email:sales12@kailh.com

Offline Maledicted

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Re: Is there a such thing as Kailh Box Silent Brown switches?
« Reply #15 on: Wed, 01 April 2020, 22:34:37 »
I like Kailh BOX switches, but I prefer silenced/damped switches. The only silenced MX-type switches I know of are silent red and black. Are there any silent BOX switches? And in particular, BOX Brown?


https://twitter.com/KailhSwitch/status/1239791913361788931  KAILH SILENT BOX SWITCH

Nice. We've summoned Kaihua themselves, hopefully without the use of goat sacrifice.

These look great and all, but a common complaint with Cherry MX and Kailh box red switches is that they're already too light. Is there a reason that these silent switches are even lighter? Are the springs the same as in the other box designs? I might have to order some stiffer ones.

Offline Tom_Kazansky

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Re: Is there a such thing as Kailh Box Silent Brown switches?
« Reply #16 on: Wed, 01 April 2020, 23:57:00 »
I like Kailh BOX switches, but I prefer silenced/damped switches. The only silenced MX-type switches I know of are silent red and black. Are there any silent BOX switches? And in particular, BOX Brown?


https://twitter.com/KailhSwitch/status/1239791913361788931  KAILH SILENT BOX SWITCH

Nice. We've summoned Kaihua themselves, hopefully without the use of goat sacrifice.

These look great and all, but a common complaint with Cherry MX and Kailh box red switches is that they're already too light. Is there a reason that these silent switches are even lighter? Are the springs the same as in the other box designs? I might have to order some stiffer ones.

I think we will see other variations not long after these are live.  :D

Offline Findecanor

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Re: Is there a such thing as Kailh Box Silent Brown switches?
« Reply #17 on: Thu, 02 April 2020, 00:28:51 »
The published force graph and figures of the "Kailh Silent Brown Box" do remind me more of something that would go head-to-head against Zilents V2 rather than Gateron Silent Brown: 65gf tactile peak at 0.6 mm travel !!

I'm looking forward to reviews .. and testing it myself.
« Last Edit: Thu, 02 April 2020, 04:45:51 by Findecanor »

Offline envyy24

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Re: Is there a such thing as Kailh Box Silent Brown switches?
« Reply #18 on: Thu, 02 April 2020, 02:18:14 »
Even in their tweets, they say it is silent box red lol

Offline Findecanor

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Re: Is there a such thing as Kailh Box Silent Brown switches?
« Reply #19 on: Thu, 02 April 2020, 04:44:48 »
Even in their tweets, they say it is silent box red lol
They are releasing both. The tactile is mentioned only briefly in the comments.

See the announcement thread. (I'm sorry I thought the link had been posted above. I edit my previous post with link to the datasheet)
« Last Edit: Thu, 02 April 2020, 05:08:56 by Findecanor »

Offline envyy24

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Re: Is there a such thing as Kailh Box Silent Brown switches?
« Reply #20 on: Thu, 02 April 2020, 07:25:11 »
Even in their tweets, they say it is silent box red lol
They are releasing both. The tactile is mentioned only briefly in the comments.

See the announcement thread. (I'm sorry I thought the link had been posted above. I edit my previous post with link to the datasheet)

No you dont get it, on their aliexpress store they call it both red switch and pink switch. The linear one. So me and others in here have talked about how the terms have been used interchangeably.

Offline Findecanor

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Re: Is there a such thing as Kailh Box Silent Brown switches?
« Reply #21 on: Thu, 02 April 2020, 07:53:21 »
on their aliexpress store they call it both red switch and pink switch.
Yeah, Kailh is not well-known to be very consistent in writing (...). The datasheet even includes a footprint for a switch with fixing pins, but a variation with fixing pins can't be found anywhere: I think that no Box switch has even been seen with any. (Edit: Kailh Box Crystal has fixing pins. Still the only one I've seen) Other switches' specs have also been slightly different on different pages and data sheets ...

I suppose that "Silent Red Box" is supposed to be the official name but that the slider is pink only to match the switch named "Cherry MX Silent Red" which also actually has a pink-ish slider.
Some keyboard manufacturers,  such as Filco have even taken upon themselves to call the latter switch "Cherry MX Pink" ...
« Last Edit: Wed, 08 April 2020, 01:14:15 by Findecanor »

Offline zslane

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Re: Is there a such thing as Kailh Box Silent Brown switches?
« Reply #22 on: Thu, 02 April 2020, 11:52:26 »
Thanks, guys! You all rock!

Offline envyy24

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Re: Is there a such thing as Kailh Box Silent Brown switches?
« Reply #23 on: Wed, 08 April 2020, 03:06:26 »

Why not, let's roll the dice. I ordered two packs of 70 of the silent "pink" switches. I suppose it is about time I get a hot swap board for them as well then.

Hey just wonder how are your orders processing so far? It has been a week but mine hasn't been shipped yet. I did hit them up on the 4th but they said something about Tomb Sweeping Holidays so they are taking days off. But I have not seen anything until today. The 8th.

Offline Maledicted

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Re: Is there a such thing as Kailh Box Silent Brown switches?
« Reply #24 on: Wed, 08 April 2020, 09:43:27 »

Why not, let's roll the dice. I ordered two packs of 70 of the silent "pink" switches. I suppose it is about time I get a hot swap board for them as well then.

Hey just wonder how are your orders processing so far? It has been a week but mine hasn't been shipped yet. I did hit them up on the 4th but they said something about Tomb Sweeping Holidays so they are taking days off. But I have not seen anything until today. The 8th.

Honestly, I haven't even been able to get ahold of my credit union to make sure the purchases go through. Aliexpress was giving me some Verified by Visa error having to do with updated information, and I haven't been able to resolve that yet. A 130 switch tester I ordered back in early January, which KPrepublic eventually told me was out of stock, and then everyone vanished for the Chinese New Year ... and then COVID happened, finally shipped on the 16th of March, but it hasn't had any updates at all since the 18th. It seems to be in some Chinese customs purgatory still.

Offline envyy24

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Re: Is there a such thing as Kailh Box Silent Brown switches?
« Reply #25 on: Wed, 08 April 2020, 14:33:12 »


Honestly, I haven't even been able to get ahold of my credit union to make sure the purchases go through. Aliexpress was giving me some Verified by Visa error having to do with updated information, and I haven't been able to resolve that yet. A 130 switch tester I ordered back in early January, which KPrepublic eventually told me was out of stock, and then everyone vanished for the Chinese New Year ... and then COVID happened, finally shipped on the 16th of March, but it hasn't had any updates at all since the 18th. It seems to be in some Chinese customs purgatory still.

Alright. I just dropped them another message. I hope I don't offend them because this tomb sweeping thing sounds kind of like a big deal to them.

Offline jacethesaltsculptor

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Re: Is there a such thing as Kailh Box Silent Brown switches?
« Reply #26 on: Wed, 08 April 2020, 15:32:18 »
Apparently all three of us decided to order testers around the same time, and our experience all matches up. I have an Outemu tester I ordered from KDBfans and nothing on it.

Not surprising because of COVID, but it's still got me worried.

-------------

on a seperate note, I think it's funny that this thread was posted and all of a sudden the switches OP asked about materialized.

Could I ask OP to ask about Beam Silo's as well? I'd appreciate the favor.

Unicomp M122 - Unicomp Classic Trackball - IBM Model M13 - IBM Model F122 - IBM Model F Bigfoot - IBM Model F AT - Ducky Shine 3 Yellow

Offline envyy24

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Re: Is there a such thing as Kailh Box Silent Brown switches?
« Reply #27 on: Fri, 10 April 2020, 02:47:52 »
Honestly it depends. Like KBDfan straight up announce that they will no longer ship to the UK, until further notice. YMDK and KPrepublic still process their orders normally. In fact I think if you order st from KPrepublic now and message them "we stand together", they will give you a special cap.

Offline mcsam27

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Re: Is there a such thing as Kailh Box Silent Brown switches?
« Reply #28 on: Tue, 19 May 2020, 11:48:04 »
Hey there, NovelKeys has some now! Box silent pinks and box silent browns...

Offline Maledicted

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Re: Is there a such thing as Kailh Box Silent Brown switches?
« Reply #29 on: Tue, 19 May 2020, 11:51:12 »
Hey there, NovelKeys has some now! Box silent pinks and box silent browns...

Yes, that's part of the conversation. Kailh released them literally while this thread was active. lol

I ordered some, but after waiting a month, they were just returned to the sender. It will probably still be some time before I have any box silent reds(pinks) to play with.

Offline zslane

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Re: Is there a such thing as Kailh Box Silent Brown switches?
« Reply #30 on: Tue, 19 May 2020, 12:32:49 »
Yeah, it looks like my order was just cancelled on me. I need to make a claim to get my money back now.

Offline Maledicted

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Re: Is there a such thing as Kailh Box Silent Brown switches?
« Reply #31 on: Tue, 19 May 2020, 13:30:43 »
Yeah, it looks like my order was just cancelled on me. I need to make a claim to get my money back now.

I had to do the same with the ones that were returned to sender.

Offline HungerMechanic

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Re: Is there a such thing as Kailh Box Silent Brown switches?
« Reply #32 on: Thu, 21 May 2020, 11:38:29 »
I ordered some about a month ago from AliExpress. Tracking information says that they have been accepted by customs and are with the last-mile carrier. Expected delivery: tomorrow.   :eek:

Offline Maledicted

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Re: Is there a such thing as Kailh Box Silent Brown switches?
« Reply #33 on: Thu, 21 May 2020, 12:12:49 »
I ordered some about a month ago from AliExpress. Tracking information says that they have been accepted by customs and are with the last-mile carrier. Expected delivery: tomorrow.   :eek:

You've won the Aliexpress lottery. They should welcome you to a personal tour of their facilities, like in Willy Wonka. I am jealous.

Which variant did you order?

Offline HungerMechanic

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Re: Is there a such thing as Kailh Box Silent Brown switches?
« Reply #34 on: Thu, 21 May 2020, 12:52:58 »
I ordered the Silent Brown, a very small quantity.

I may have won the AliExpress lottery, but I have not necessarily won the Canada Post lottery yet. They were actually received and accepted in-country two weeks ago. The mail is experiencing Christmas-level shipping and delays, so it's the last mile carrier that has been the uncertain factor for this purchase.

Offline Maledicted

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Re: Is there a such thing as Kailh Box Silent Brown switches?
« Reply #35 on: Thu, 21 May 2020, 13:07:50 »
I ordered the Silent Brown, a very small quantity.

I may have won the AliExpress lottery, but I have not necessarily won the Canada Post lottery yet. They were actually received and accepted in-country two weeks ago. The mail is experiencing Christmas-level shipping and delays, so it's the last mile carrier that has been the uncertain factor for this purchase.

USPS has been crazy as well. My switch tester, which I ordered back in early February from KPrepublic, which didn't ship until after COVID was in full swing, sat in some alternate dimension somewhere in Chicago for two weeks once it did finally make it to the U.S.

I would be very interested to hear your impressions once they've mysteriously materialized on your doorstep from their long journey through Narnia.

Offline HungerMechanic

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Re: Is there a such thing as Kailh Box Silent Brown switches?
« Reply #36 on: Thu, 21 May 2020, 14:35:39 »
Yeah, long journey indeed. The 'last-mile' for me is actually 1,443 miles.

Offline envyy24

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Re: Is there a such thing as Kailh Box Silent Brown switches?
« Reply #37 on: Fri, 22 May 2020, 09:04:30 »
Quick update from me. Look like i have also won the lottery from Aliexpress too.

The box silent is very.... silent. It is a strange switch I must say. On your hand it does not give any tactile feeling, however once mounted on a board it does give a distinctive feedback to your fingers. Which is decent.
It seems to sound like scratchy but I really doubt that it is scratchy. The bump is factory lube and the stem is in excellent condition. More like the sound is super dampened so it gives off tiny bit of sound and the bump is super sharp so in general you have the impression of scratchiness.

The tactility though. Bois. Ok . It is more than box white but no way near box jade, which is my go to switches. So I think i won't be keeping it, but they are quite decent so im looking around if I don't find any way to make T1 more quiet or other silent switches then these will surely go to my office keyboard.

By the way, if box brown is your thing, this is a great silent option.

Offline Maledicted

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Re: Is there a such thing as Kailh Box Silent Brown switches?
« Reply #38 on: Fri, 22 May 2020, 15:18:40 »
Quick update from me. Look like i have also won the lottery from Aliexpress too.

The box silent is very.... silent. It is a strange switch I must say. On your hand it does not give any tactile feeling, however once mounted on a board it does give a distinctive feedback to your fingers. Which is decent.
It seems to sound like scratchy but I really doubt that it is scratchy. The bump is factory lube and the stem is in excellent condition. More like the sound is super dampened so it gives off tiny bit of sound and the bump is super sharp so in general you have the impression of scratchiness.

The tactility though. Bois. Ok . It is more than box white but no way near box jade, which is my go to switches. So I think i won't be keeping it, but they are quite decent so im looking around if I don't find any way to make T1 more quiet or other silent switches then these will surely go to my office keyboard.

By the way, if box brown is your thing, this is a great silent option.

So you ordered the browns. I ordered the reds. I would rather have linears than tactiles because tactiles aren't tactile enough anyway, besides maybe box royals, and then it still just makes me miss the wonderful clicks, and the sharp crisp tactility of clickies. You find them to be very smooth in use, but they sound scratchy? I know regular box browns always felt pretty pleasantly smooth to me.

Offline envyy24

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Re: Is there a such thing as Kailh Box Silent Brown switches?
« Reply #39 on: Fri, 22 May 2020, 15:59:17 »


So you ordered the browns. I ordered the reds. I would rather have linears than tactiles because tactiles aren't tactile enough anyway, besides maybe box royals, and then it still just makes me miss the wonderful clicks, and the sharp crisp tactility of clickies. You find them to be very smooth in use, but they sound scratchy? I know regular box browns always felt pretty pleasantly smooth to me.

I guess what im trying to say is the bump is sharp but much smaller than box jade, which is what i am used to. Like how box jade tactility is like a sudden drop when you walk then box silent is kicking on a rock when you are walking. Not a big rock, you know you kicked it along the way, but it didnt make much of an impact for your travel. Im terrible at describing this but this sharp and small bump gives the impression of scratchiness when pressing. I should not have said "sound like", because in term of actual sound the switch is very silent.

Offline Maledicted

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Re: Is there a such thing as Kailh Box Silent Brown switches?
« Reply #40 on: Fri, 22 May 2020, 16:05:06 »


So you ordered the browns. I ordered the reds. I would rather have linears than tactiles because tactiles aren't tactile enough anyway, besides maybe box royals, and then it still just makes me miss the wonderful clicks, and the sharp crisp tactility of clickies. You find them to be very smooth in use, but they sound scratchy? I know regular box browns always felt pretty pleasantly smooth to me.

I guess what im trying to say is the bump is sharp but much smaller than box jade, which is what i am used to. Like how box jade tactility is like a sudden drop when you walk then box silent is kicking on a rock when you are walking. Not a big rock, you know you kicked it along the way, but it didnt make much of an impact for your travel. Im terrible at describing this but this sharp and small bump gives the impression of scratchiness when pressing. I should not have said "sound like", because in term of actual sound the switch is very silent.

Tactiles are always like that. It is hard to fairly compare them against clickies. The best tactility, in my opinion (and that of others), is only possible from a clicky switch, as tactility normally necessitates a click. Tactiles, in contrast, have the goal of trying to produce tactility without generating any sound, so they've got to jump through some hoops in order to accomplish that. I'm somewhat surprised that they may feel scratchy as their regular box browns do not to me, surely not in comparison to Mx browns. In terms of grit, what would they compare most closely to of what you've tried?

Offline HungerMechanic

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Re: Is there a such thing as Kailh Box Silent Brown switches?
« Reply #41 on: Fri, 22 May 2020, 16:48:51 »

I guess what im trying to say is the bump is sharp but much smaller than box jade, which is what i am used to. Like how box jade tactility is like a sudden drop when you walk then box silent is kicking on a rock when you are walking.

How are they with keycaps? Do you think they will crack GMK stems? I'm curious about the new round stem design.

Offline envyy24

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Re: Is there a such thing as Kailh Box Silent Brown switches?
« Reply #42 on: Sat, 23 May 2020, 03:52:16 »


How are they with keycaps? Do you think they will crack GMK stems? I'm curious about the new round stem design.
They are great when mounted on a board. I specifically use SA keycaps so I can't speak for other profile, but i really enjoy typing on them. The feed back to my fingers are definitely clear and it is very quiet. Im looking to build a keyboard for office use and this is certainly a contender.
The stem cracking is not a thing now, as far as I am aware of. Since the time of box pink I think Kailh fixed the problem. I use v3 box jade on Maxket SA keycaps for months and until now there has not been any crack on caps stems yet.


Tactiles are always like that. It is hard to fairly compare them against clickies. The best tactility, in my opinion (and that of others), is only possible from a clicky switch, as tactility normally necessitates a click. Tactiles, in contrast, have the goal of trying to produce tactility without generating any sound, so they've got to jump through some hoops in order to accomplish that. I'm somewhat surprised that they may feel scratchy as their regular box browns do not to me, surely not in comparison to Mx browns. In terms of grit, what would they compare most closely to of what you've tried?
What do you mean by grit?

Offline HungerMechanic

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Re: Is there a such thing as Kailh Box Silent Brown switches?
« Reply #43 on: Sat, 23 May 2020, 08:52:12 »
Thanks for the update. I will try them with some extra GMK keycaps I use for testing.

By 'grit,' he probably means the feel of particulate matter in the switch. As in, is there sand in the switch? Particles you can feel when depressing the slider? Instead of smoothness, are you feeling random tactile matter? That seems to be what 'grit' is.

Offline envyy24

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Re: Is there a such thing as Kailh Box Silent Brown switches?
« Reply #44 on: Sun, 24 May 2020, 03:22:45 »
Yeah then no. Like I said in took apart one switch to inspect on it closer. The surface of the stem is very smooth. I cant speak for the housing though I guess im making the assumption here that it is also smooth. The contact bump is factory lubed. If you guys are thinking mx brown sand kind of thing then definitely no. Nothing like that. I have seen reviews online calling the tactile BOX silent scratchy. I admit my first impression was that pressing on it feels "like scratchy". However the more I use and examine it, my conclusion is that Kailh was trying hard for the bump to have this sharp tactility (mimicking the clickbar kind of tactility I assume here) and couples with how small the bump is, overall it gives this kind of abrupt bump which can be mistaken to be scratchiness.

Offline Maledicted

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Re: Is there a such thing as Kailh Box Silent Brown switches?
« Reply #45 on: Sun, 24 May 2020, 14:13:03 »
Yeah then no. Like I said in took apart one switch to inspect on it closer. The surface of the stem is very smooth. I cant speak for the housing though I guess im making the assumption here that it is also smooth. The contact bump is factory lubed. If you guys are thinking mx brown sand kind of thing then definitely no. Nothing like that. I have seen reviews online calling the tactile BOX silent scratchy. I admit my first impression was that pressing on it feels "like scratchy". However the more I use and examine it, my conclusion is that Kailh was trying hard for the bump to have this sharp tactility (mimicking the clickbar kind of tactility I assume here) and couples with how small the bump is, overall it gives this kind of abrupt bump which can be mistaken to be scratchiness.

I imagine the mechanism is the same as box browns and royals then, which both feel pretty good to me, not being a tactile guy.

Offline HungerMechanic

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Re: Is there a such thing as Kailh Box Silent Brown switches?
« Reply #46 on: Wed, 27 May 2020, 17:06:17 »
I just opened my BOX Silent Browns.

The first thing that strikes me is that these are very light. They can't weigh much more than regular BOX Browns, and may even weigh less. Anyway, they're definitely Brown-weighted. I tested them beside some 63.5 gr Ergo Clears, and the BOX feel as light, or lighter.

The second thing is that they aren't very tactile. They may be slightly less tactile than regular BOX Browns, but I'll have to test them side-by-side. They have a similar profile as BOX Brown. There is a tactile resistance right at the top that has to be overcome, and then it just drops. I recall BOX Brown as having a steeper and starker 'drop' that felt more like a buckling mechanism.

It's a profile that resembles Zilents, but less steep, less tactile. Someone recently said that they feel midway in between Zilents and Aliaz, maybe closer to Aliaz, and I agree with that in terms of overall tactility. But the bump profile is closer to Zilents than Aliaz.

They're basically a less tactile, less sharp Zilent. That may be good or bad for you.

Third, they're definitely silent. They are much quieter than the Ergo Clears they are running beside. They might be quieter than Aliaz, since there is no weird spring noise.

Overall, these appear to be perfectly functional silent switches. They are a not-too tactile version of BOX Browns or even Zilents. They feel consistent and fairly smooth, but also kind of boring. Like these haven't been designed to wow you or anything, just function as a silent Brown using the BOX design.

I took a risk and have a couple of GMK keycaps on them right now, and it sounds and feels fine. Nothing has cracked yet. I think I may enjoy the KBDFans Dolch more with these switches. Very quiet and stable.

Offline Maledicted

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Re: Is there a such thing as Kailh Box Silent Brown switches?
« Reply #47 on: Wed, 27 May 2020, 17:42:54 »
I just opened my BOX Silent Browns.

The first thing that strikes me is that these are very light. They can't weigh much more than regular BOX Browns, and may even weigh less. Anyway, they're definitely Brown-weighted. I tested them beside some 63.5 gr Ergo Clears, and the BOX feel as light, or lighter.

The second thing is that they aren't very tactile. They may be slightly less tactile than regular BOX Browns, but I'll have to test them side-by-side. They have a similar profile as BOX Brown. There is a tactile resistance right at the top that has to be overcome, and then it just drops. I recall BOX Brown as having a steeper and starker 'drop' that felt more like a buckling mechanism.

It's a profile that resembles Zilents, but less steep, less tactile. Someone recently said that they feel midway in between Zilents and Aliaz, maybe closer to Aliaz, and I agree with that in terms of overall tactility. But the bump profile is closer to Zilents than Aliaz.

They're basically a less tactile, less sharp Zilent. That may be good or bad for you.

Third, they're definitely silent. They are much quieter than the Ergo Clears they are running beside. They might be quieter than Aliaz, since there is no weird spring noise.

Overall, these appear to be perfectly functional silent switches. They are a not-too tactile version of BOX Browns or even Zilents. They feel consistent and fairly smooth, but also kind of boring. Like these haven't been designed to wow you or anything, just function as a silent Brown using the BOX design.

I took a risk and have a couple of GMK keycaps on them right now, and it sounds and feels fine. Nothing has cracked yet. I think I may enjoy the KBDFans Dolch more with these switches. Very quiet and stable.

Nice. Thanks for the update. That makes me even more glad I got the linears. Box browns are already a little too lacking on the tactility for me, at least for tactiles. If the tactile event is sharp and crisp, like most clickies, then I don't mind it being relatively slight (capacitive buckling spring, box whites, etc).

Offline HungerMechanic

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Re: Is there a such thing as Kailh Box Silent Brown switches?
« Reply #48 on: Wed, 27 May 2020, 18:50:33 »
Welllll, it's all relative.

When I say BOX (Silent) Browns aren't very tactile, I mean that in comparison to the new generation of super-tactile switches, such as Holy Pandas, or Zealio V2.

In comparison to MX Brown, they are more tactile. Some people say that they are more tactile than regular BOX Browns. I would say that BOX Silent Browns are medium tactility, if on the lower end. They occupy this category together with MX Clears. I have Ergo Clears [63.5 Progressive] that are less tactile than these BOX Silent Browns, and Ergo Clears that are more tactile [60 gr actuation].

I had someone else type on these just now. They thought that the BOX Silent Browns were "heavier" than both 63.5 gr Ergo Clears, and 78 gr H1 switches. Now, the H1 switches are obviously heavier in spring weight, but because they have little tactility, the BOX Silent Browns actually seemed 'heavier' than the H1s.

Personally, I find that the BOX Silent Browns are more tactile than Cherry Browns, maybe even the less-tactile Ergo Clear variants. But I find them a little harsh. Because once you clear that initial bump, it just slams down like Zilents. And the BOX Silent Browns only have 3.6mm of travel. So it's a bit of a slam-slam. At least you know you're typing.

I think these might be a good candidate for a stock custom switch at KBDFans or Varmilo. Like if you need a 65% or something that's quiet, order a TADA68 / VA68M with BOX Silent Browns, and it's ready to go. Just add dampening.

Offline Maledicted

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Re: Is there a such thing as Kailh Box Silent Brown switches?
« Reply #49 on: Wed, 27 May 2020, 20:42:09 »
Welllll, it's all relative.

When I say BOX (Silent) Browns aren't very tactile, I mean that in comparison to the new generation of super-tactile switches, such as Holy Pandas, or Zealio V2.

In comparison to MX Brown, they are more tactile. Some people say that they are more tactile than regular BOX Browns. I would say that BOX Silent Browns are medium tactility, if on the lower end. They occupy this category together with MX Clears. I have Ergo Clears [63.5 Progressive] that are less tactile than these BOX Silent Browns, and Ergo Clears that are more tactile [60 gr actuation].

I had someone else type on these just now. They thought that the BOX Silent Browns were "heavier" than both 63.5 gr Ergo Clears, and 78 gr H1 switches. Now, the H1 switches are obviously heavier in spring weight, but because they have little tactility, the BOX Silent Browns actually seemed 'heavier' than the H1s.

Personally, I find that the BOX Silent Browns are more tactile than Cherry Browns, maybe even the less-tactile Ergo Clear variants. But I find them a little harsh. Because once you clear that initial bump, it just slams down like Zilents. And the BOX Silent Browns only have 3.6mm of travel. So it's a bit of a slam-slam. At least you know you're typing.

I think these might be a good candidate for a stock custom switch at KBDFans or Varmilo. Like if you need a 65% or something that's quiet, order a TADA68 / VA68M with BOX Silent Browns, and it's ready to go. Just add dampening.

That makes sense to me. I know I find MX blacks to be too fatiguing, but I can happily type away on box navies with some acclimation. I haven't felt ergo clears, but anything that's close to MX clears in tactility isn't half bad. I have no need, or desire, for tactiles anyway at the moment myself. If I were ever in a situation where I couldn't use my clickies at work, then I might scramble for a good dampened tactile switch. You're making me more and more interested in feeling the reds.