Kailh BOX Silent Brown VS Gateron Silent Brown

[thibaultmol]

Hi,

I'm going to switch to a custom keyboard and I would prefer to keep using brown switches.
As Cherry does not offer silent versions, I've turned to others.
Main problem atm is that I don't know what the differences might be between the Kailh and Gateron silent brown variants

Cheers,
Thibault

[Willtato]

Hi, unfortunately I can't give you a comparison as I haven't tried the gaterons, but have the box silent browns and I do not recommend them. They become clicky, which is annoying for a supposedly quiet switch. 

Is there any reason why you are looking for browns in particular?

Sent from my HD1913 using Tapatalk

[yui]

the best way to know what works best for you if your budget allows would be to get both and try, at least a few to sample, from my experience gateron silent brown are like gateron brown but a bit more mushy on the bottom out and with a bit less travel, if you are used to cherries from 2000 to 2018 those will be smoother, and if i remember right a tiny bit heavier. i have never tried the kailh brown so i could not comment on it

[zslane]

I have been typing on Kailh BOX silent brown switches for the past few months and I think they are quite good. They have a very sharp tactility, which some people seem to mistake for "clicky", but these are not clicky. The click leaf inside does not make any noticeable sound, and the dampeners on the stems do a good job of reducing the bottom-out and upstroke noise (which I hate with a passion). Moreover, they are 3-pin switches which fit into Kailh hotswap boards, and that's a big plus for me.

I have not tried Gateron silent brown switches so I can't compare, but they are 5-pin switches which means they don't fit into Kailh-style hotswap boards.

[Willtato]

I have been typing on Kailh BOX silent brown switches for the past few months and I think they are quite good. They have a very sharp tactility, which some people seem to mistake for "clicky", but these are not clicky. The click leaf inside does not make any noticeable sound, and the dampeners on the stems do a good job of reducing the bottom-out and upstroke noise (which I hate with a passion). Moreover, they are 3-pin switches which fit into Kailh hotswap boards, and that's a big plus for me.

I have not tried Gateron silent brown switches so I can't compare, but they are 5-pin switches which means they don't fit into Kailh-style hotswap boards.

Hi, I haven't heard anyone mistake tactility for a click before.
I am using DSA caps, but I can guarantee that mine click.

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[Maledicted]

I have been typing on Kailh BOX silent brown switches for the past few months and I think they are quite good. They have a very sharp tactility, which some people seem to mistake for "clicky", but these are not clicky. The click leaf inside does not make any noticeable sound, and the dampeners on the stems do a good job of reducing the bottom-out and upstroke noise (which I hate with a passion). Moreover, they are 3-pin switches which fit into Kailh hotswap boards, and that's a big plus for me.

I have not tried Gateron silent brown switches so I can't compare, but they are 5-pin switches which means they don't fit into Kailh-style hotswap boards.

Hi, I haven't heard anyone mistake tactility for a click before.
I am using DSA caps, but I can guarantee that mine click.

Sent from my HD1913 using Tapatalk

I hadn't heard of it either. I took the reports of box browns going clicky at face value. It certainly seemed feasible, given the design. If I liked tactiles enough, I might have put some time in with them myself. zslane is right that box browns have a pretty sharp tactility to begin with for an MX-compatible switch. It makes me think of the fact that Matias literally calls their tactiles "quiet clicks".

Maybe some are confusing the sharp tactility for a distinctly clicky switch characteristic, or maybe zslane just hasn't encountered any switches going clicky. I think I have read some speculation that maybe a change was made to prevent them from going clicky at some point. My own interest in the matter only goes so far as I am a fan of the box design in general, however.

It certainly seems like it took forever for people to accept that newer iterations of the stem were no longer cracking caps. Has Kaihua commented on the matter?

The Gaterons just need the 2 extra nubs clipped off for plate mount.

[Willtato]

For those who don't know:

(A little vid about the sound of the switches).  Even now, the switches have not improved (maybe a bit worse).  I did get these when they were newly released however and like above said, can't rule out that it may have been improved.

I got box royals around 2 months ago and those click unfortunately, and those aren't a new switch, and afaik that's somewhat accepted for non-clickbar Kailh switches. 

I guess YMMV...

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[zslane]

Mine do not make that noise. The only sound you hear from mine are the dull bottom-out and upstroke "thud" and a bit of stabilizer rattle (I'm not especially diligent about keeping them super lubed).

As for snipping off the extra posts on non-Kailh switches, that is not a good solution in my experience. It is too much work to file down the resulting nubs so that the bottom housing is perfectly flat with no tiny residual bits from the removed posts. Any residual plastic will keep the switch from being seated securely in the PCB, as I learned when trying to use them with an AoPo hotswap board early last year.

[HungerMechanic]

Hi,

I'm going to switch to a custom keyboard and I would prefer to keep using brown switches.
As Cherry does not offer silent versions, I've turned to others.
Main problem atm is that I don't know what the differences might be between the Kailh and Gateron silent brown variants

Cheers,
Thibault

I've tried both, and they both have their shortcomings.

I recommend using a Silent Sky stem in a low-tactility housing like Gateron Yellow or even Cherry MX Clear, at a weight of about 60 G [TX]. That's your "Silent Brown."

[wolverine92]

I would always go Kailh Box over Cherry MX, regardless of the switch.

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[Maledicted]

I would always go Kailh Box over Cherry MX, regardless of the switch.

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Agreed. The box design itself offers advantages over MX, although the water and dustproof rating are unlikely to matter outside of lubing and beverage spills. It seems to me that all box switches feel at least as good as or better than MX though either way.

[azzipa]

interesting thread. i haven't used gat browns but find the kailh silent browns a good fit for my typing style. not clicky for me, but only about 2 months old. also not completely silent like a linear, if that's what you want/need. i agree that the most noticeable sound is from bottom-out, so they work for my general office setting but probably not in a library. (and they're somewhat noticeable on a conference call.)

fwiw, i don't really agree that MX Clears have 'low tactility.' definitely more tactile than browns - but of course there are switches with even more noticeable bump than clears so maybe that's why someone said they are 'low tactility'. i also don't think of the kailh silent browns as a 'sharp tactile' as they pretty much disappear (for me) while typing with relatively light actuation force but there is an obvious tactile bump near the beginning of the key press. the spring also reduces my bottom out to help with typing speed.

now that i've started to move away from heavier springs i'm interested in trying to go even lighter. still not really interested in linears, however, but here's a deep dive on easing into linears.

[Maledicted]

i agree that the most noticeable sound is from bottom-out, so they work for my general office setting but probably not in a library. (and they're somewhat noticeable on a conference call.)

I use box navies with unlubricated costar stabilizers in a pingy Das Pro 4 case and capacitive buckling spring boards in the middle of a school library. Nobody has said that they mind yet in the last year or two. 

[azzipa]

good to know. and agree that people don't mind, just pointing out they're not completely silent.

btw, just found this thread about kailh v gat. after a quick scan i think it muddies the water because it seems to reference v1.0 kailh box (with oversize stem) which is not currently an issue.

i agree that the most noticeable sound is from bottom-out, so they work for my general office setting but probably not in a library. (and they're somewhat noticeable on a conference call.)

I use box navies with unlubricated costar stabilizers in a pingy Das Pro 4 case and capacitive buckling spring boards in the middle of a school library. Nobody has said that they mind yet in the last year or two. 

[Maledicted]

good to know. and agree that people don't mind, just pointing out they're not completely silent.

Some people might mind, if anybody that routinely works in here ever tells me that they do, I'll go into stealth mode. At one location I routinely ask high schoolers what they think of my random/weird keyboards and not a single person has minded the sound of relatively bassy clicky switches like box jades or SKCM Alps. Some do not like pingy and/or high-pitched switches like capacitive buckling spring.

That website seems to be blocked here. I may look later. Thanks for posting it.

[azzipa]

d@mn this thread. just lost an hour to end up reading theremingoat's review of Gazzew Boba U4 (silent tactile) made by Outemu, available in 62g and 68g versions. he includes zilents and gat silent browns in the comparison. here are a few of his comments:

Previously I have absolutely sworn off any feelings I’ve had for silent tactile switches as something I’d never be interested in using compared to just normal tactile switches. That being said, I feel like the newer silent tactiles that I am receiving are effectively challenging that belief that I had thought I was adamant about...

Of all of the positives regarding the push feel of these switches, I of course have to remain objective and to try and find some faults in it where they may be. After taking quite some time to look, there were only two aspects with respect to push feel in which this switch doesn’t meet absolutely perfect standards. The first detriment is with respect to the post tactile event region of the stroke, which was originally billed in the first sale as having 'no post bump [linear] travel.' Being at my absolute pickiest, under very slow activation speeds, it may be noticeable that there is an ever so slight linear region to the stroke, but honestly this is stretching to the point that I almost feel it is pedantic. Even hunt-and-peck typists wouldn’t activate a switch slow enough to notice this region while typing and it is completely unnoticeable at normal operating speeds.

The second area where this switch will suffer is not even objectively poor, but rather ‘poor’ by the way of the community standard. The tactile bump on both the original U4 stems, as well as the Boba U4 switches are both mid-range in terms of tactile strength...

Boba U4 Silent Tactiles are only further proof that [gazzew] is continuing to push his successes forward with each and every product iteration...

Here's a vendor description:

Gazzew Boba U4 silent tactile switches are a new switch with a large, smooth “D” shaped tactile bump with no pre-travel. The Pearl White base is made of a new plastic that is softer than regular Nylon with the benefits of Polycarbonate. The top housing is designed to reduce wobble and they feature a universal base designed to work with PCB mounted RGBs and all in switch LEDs. The leaf is designed to increase tactility while reducing ping through the use of new materials. These Switches also come with Korean-made stainless springs designed to have minimal ping, giving you a nearly silent typing experience.

Find them at AliExpress, currently $12 for 10 swithces (and $54 for 70 and $68 for 90). free shipping so yeah, i ordered some to test.

[XMIT]

I happen to really like the Kailh Silent Box Browns with a not-at-all-boxy rounded stem. I firmly believe that a round stem is the key to avoiding binding. Topre's had this figured out for ages as have others.

My Kailh Silent Box Browns are not clicky at all. To me they're reminiscent of damped cream Alps.

These are my go-to Cherry form factor switch now.

I've never tried Gateron silent browns.

[shakib]

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[Volny]

i agree that the most noticeable sound is from bottom-out, so they work for my general office setting but probably not in a library. (and they're somewhat noticeable on a conference call.)

I use box navies with unlubricated costar stabilizers in a pingy Das Pro 4 case and capacitive buckling spring boards in the middle of a school library. Nobody has said that they mind yet in the last year or two. 

...not to your face, anyway

[Leopard223]

I have been typing on Kailh BOX silent brown switches for the past few months and I think they are quite good. They have a very sharp tactility, which some people seem to mistake for "clicky", but these are not clicky. The click leaf inside does not make any noticeable sound, and the dampeners on the stems do a good job of reducing the bottom-out and upstroke noise (which I hate with a passion). Moreover, they are 3-pin switches which fit into Kailh hotswap boards, and that's a big plus for me.

I have not tried Gateron silent brown switches so I can't compare, but they are 5-pin switches which means they don't fit into Kailh-style hotswap boards.

I have 1 sample switch of the Silent BOX browns and it's tactility is very weak, for comparison a Cherry Brown or TTC Silent Brown V2 have much pronounced tactility. 
Also it ticks, as if the lube wore off, also happened on a 1 sample of BOX royals that I've clicked on quite a bit.