"Classing up" your keeb's sound (MX-type switches, buckling springs)

[ander]

Don't get me wrong—I love clickety, clackety keyboards as much as anyone. But to my ears, some boards are too clacky. There's nothing particularly "mechanical" about the slap of plastic on plastic—and when there's too much of that, it can drown out the nice, deeper sound of keys resonating on and in the case (a sound I'd describe as more "clock-y", though the vocabulary quickly breaks down here).

There's an easy way to take the edge off of the sound of stock MX-style switches, using craft foam. It's cheap, quick 'n' easy.

EDIT: If you're padding a lighted board (and, probably, like, 95% of you are), please be sure to see my subsequent post here, "Making pads LED-compatible", before you start.

You'll need:

•  One sheet of 2mm craft foam. It looks like this (click images to zoom in):



...and you can get it at most dollar stores. For about a dollar.

•  A ruler, a pen, and some good scissors

•  A single-hole paper punch. For those of you born after the Printed Age, they look like this:



You can usually find them at dollar stores too. (If yours has a little hinged punch-out catcher at the bottom, like the one in the photo, remove it—it should pull right off. It may be handy when punching paper, but with foam it's just a nuisance.)

So all told, this should cost you only a few bucks. (Sorry to disappoint you guys who spend great gobs of dough on keyboard stuff, BTW—LOL)

Step 1: Mark off a couple of 1/2-inch rows along one edge of the foam. For regular-size (1x) keys, you'll be cutting pads that are 1/2" square—so add a small mark at the centre of each one, where you'll punch its hole.

Here, you can see I've drawn the horizontal rows; then I've made marks 1/2" apart, starting at 1/4" from the left, where the centre of the first pad will be:



You'll notice I've used orange foam to honour GH.

Step 2: Punch a hole at each small mark, centred in the row.



You don't need to be exact; just do the best you can. If you punch too off-centre, just don't use that pad... You should have a lot more foam than you need.

Step 3: Make a small cut between each hole, up to the next row line. (I do it this way—rather than marking the places where I'll cut—because it makes it easier to cut evenly between the holes.) Then cut out the row, horizontally, and separate the pads.





Whee! It looks like a party.

Step 4: Put a pad in each of your 1x keys. Use two fingers to push it a bit down on the post so it'll stay on till you put the key back.



Step "whatever", because I don't know where else to put it: For wider keys, measure the distance between the outer (stab) stems, mark off a 1/2"-tall piece of foam to that width, punch it in the centre, and cut it out... You get the idea.

Don't get all OCD (as if—LOL!). None of this needs to be exact. A 1/2"-wide piece would probably work too—but as long as you're doing 'em, why not?



For the spacebar, I put a 1x pad on each outer post, and cut a 1" pad for the centre one... You don't need anything wider there.



(It's not obvious in the photo—but because this spacebar was highly profiled, I trimmed just a bit off the side of each pad where it met the slanted side of the bar, so it'd fit down flat.)

Aaand... you're done! Well, as soon as you put your keys back. Now enjoy your classy (but still clickety) new sound.

The foam is surprisingly durable—I've had some in keebs for years and it's still going. And because it compresses, it doesn't resist and bounce around like rubber O-rings, nor does it reduce key travel very much.

Here's a video to give you an idea how it sounds. (I've used a board with short-travel "speed" switches, so you can see how little key travel is affected.)

If you're not sure whether you'll like the new sound on a particular board, just do a few keys and compare.

And I probably shouldn't have to say this, guys... But if you prefer full-on bright clackity sounds, please don't post negative comments here—just don't do the mod, and everyone'll be happy.

Cheers!

[fohat.digs]

Those look considerably thicker than conventional landing pads.
I haven't used a Cherry-style keyboard in many years, but when I tried landing pads with blue switches, it did take away much of the annoying noise.

[ander]

Of course you can pad all the way across multi-post keys:



To do that, I don't bother measuring; I line up the key with the foam and mark the punching and cutting points by eye. But it takes a bit more time to get them right, and I don't know if it makes much of a difference... Feel free to try it and compare (I know you guys are into detail!).

Those look considerably thicker than conventional landing pads.

Density enters into it too, of course. The foam's firm, not spongy, but you can squeeze it—so it's a good balance between flexibility and durability.

BTW, people make some pretty cool costumes with this kind of stuff, too:

I haven't used a Cherry-style keyboard in many years, but when I tried landing pads with blue switches, it did take away much of the annoying noise.

When we type on MKs, bottoming-out sounds often drown out the nice sounds the switches' mechanisms actually make. This mod lets you hear them better.

Oh, and I left out one thing (though it may be obvious): Typing on pads feels a lot better. Your fingers don't have to absorb all that shock. It doesn't feel mushy, just easier.

[Maledicted]

Of course you can pad all the way across multi-post keys:

Show Image

To do that, I don't bother measuring; I line up the key with the foam and mark the punching and cutting points by eye. But it takes a bit more time to get them right, and I don't know if it makes much of a difference... Feel free to try it and compare (I know you guys are into detail!).

I like my switches clicky and my keyboards thunderous. K65 with box navies swapped in and zinc keycaps still isn't pingy enough for me. If only the plate supported Costar stabilizers too.

This is all pretty cool though. Thanks for sharing. I think I saw a video recently that mentioned somebody did a similar thing by pouring silicone into each cap. I'm sure the resulting sound and feel are different, but that's also got to be a more lazy/easy approach.  I do wonder how much of a difference there is between doing something like this and just using a different material cap and/or caps of a different thickness, and different combinations of both. Not that I put much emphasis on any of that myself anyway.

I haven't used a Cherry-style keyboard in many years, but when I tried landing pads with blue switches, it did take away much of the annoying noise.

When we type on MKs, bottoming-out sounds often drown out the nice sounds the switches' mechanisms actually make. This mod lets you hear them better.

Oh, and I left out one thing (though it may be obvious): Typing on pads feels a lot better. Your fingers don't have to absorb all that shock. It doesn't feel mushy, just easier.

I would argue that there are no "nice sounds" associated with MX blue. I'm sure it keeps the rattle from sounding so much like crinkling plastic grocery bags though, unless that's something somebody likes. Gateron or Outemu blues might benefit?

I actually prefer bottoming out hard on really stiff plates, and I don't exactly type gingerly either. No discomfort at all either way. That said I don't necessarily dislike certain nicely dampened switches either. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[ander]

I like my switches clicky and my keyboards thunderous...

LOL, I take it you're not married. Yet. Or divorced. All this stuff often goes together.

This is all pretty cool though. Thanks for sharing. I think I saw a video recently that mentioned somebody did a similar thing by pouring silicone into each cap. I'm sure the resulting sound and feel are different, but that's also got to be a more lazy/easy approach.  I do wonder how much of a difference there is between doing something like this and just using a different material cap and/or caps of a different thickness, and different combinations of both...

I'm sure there are other methods... This one's just quick, easy and cheap (and fun, I think!).

I would argue that there are no "nice sounds" associated with MX blue. I'm sure it keeps the rattle from sounding so much like crinkling plastic grocery bags though, unless that's something somebody likes...

 

I actually prefer bottoming out hard on really stiff plates, and I don't exactly type gingerly either. No discomfort at all either way...

Sure, lots of peeps like the clack of bottoming out—that's great. But a lot of them think that's the sound of the switches, when it's actually just plastic being slapped around. (Did I already point that out...?) I like being able to hear the switches themselves, the mechanisms. It seems like that's where the real variety is, sound-wise. Go figure.

And BTW, when you use this method, you have all the comforts of foam. Okay, I had to say that at least once.

[ander]

BTW, here at Elite Keyboards are the conventional "landing pads" fohat.digs referred to:





But they're $12/set, and not nearly as much fun as making your own. And they don't have them anymore. So, just saying. 

[Maledicted]

I like my switches clicky and my keyboards thunderous...

LOL, I take it you're not married. Yet. Or divorced. All this stuff often goes together.

I'm neither married, nor divorced. There's plenty of time for divorce if I end up with somebody who does not like the musical whimsy of capacitive buckling spring. I will not be divorcing my thunderous keyboards.

This is all pretty cool though. Thanks for sharing. I think I saw a video recently that mentioned somebody did a similar thing by pouring silicone into each cap. I'm sure the resulting sound and feel are different, but that's also got to be a more lazy/easy approach.  I do wonder how much of a difference there is between doing something like this and just using a different material cap and/or caps of a different thickness, and different combinations of both...

I'm sure there are other methods... This one's just quick, easy and cheap (and fun, I think!).

For sure, another great tool in the tool belt.

I actually prefer bottoming out hard on really stiff plates, and I don't exactly type gingerly either. No discomfort at all either way...

Sure, lots of peeps like the clack of bottoming out—that's great. But a lot of them think that's the sound of the switches, when it's actually just plastic being slapped around. (Did I already point that out...?) I like being able to hear the switches themselves, the mechanisms. It seems like that's where the real variety is, sound-wise. Go figure.

And BTW, when you use this method, you have all the comforts of foam. Okay, I had to say that at least once.

That's the thing though. I don't like any of the bottoming out characteristics of dampened swtiches, including feel. One of the things I like the most about mechanical keyboards is the lack of cushion when bottoming out. Surely these affect that?

I do like some of the sound characteristics of dampened clickies, like swapping dampened sliders into clicky Matias switches. I still prefer the regular clickies though.

[AteBitKeeb]

Would much rather make my own than purchase them outright. Will be trying this out one of my TKL to see how it sounds. The board has too much clack for me at the moment and I am hoping this will resolve the issue. Thanks.

[ander]

I'm neither married, nor divorced. There's plenty of time for divorce if I end up with somebody who does not like the musical whimsy of capacitive buckling spring. I will not be divorcing my thunderous keyboards.

That's great, but I don't recommend mentioning that requirement in online dating profiles... I've found it best to start easing into it on the third or fourth date—and even then, be prepared to leave early.

That's the thing though. I don't like any of the bottoming out characteristics of dampened swtiches, including feel. One of the things I like the most about mechanical keyboards is the lack of cushion when bottoming out. Surely these affect that?

I do like some of the sound characteristics of dampened clickies, like swapping dampened sliders into clicky Matias switches. I still prefer the regular clickies though.

It depends what you mean by "characteristics". I'm not wild about O-rings because they make keys feel mushy and/or bouncy. (They also significantly reduce key travel—which is okay if you want that effect.) So if feel is what you mean, I agree—you may as well type on domes, right?

That's what I like about the pads: They don't have that much of an effect on how bottoming out feels; they just reduce the noise of it.

[ander]

UPDATE: Buckling springs

I actually spend about half of my typing time on buckling springs, which are notoriously clacky. But till now, I've never tried applying any sound-management to them, because how they seat is trickier. Unlike MX keys, which land on the relatively flat surfaces of switch cases:






...BS keys land on the circular tops of the "barrels" that protrude from the keyboard's plate:






As long as I was messing with all this, though—and, okay, being something of a masochist—I thought I'd give it a shot. However, I don't recommend anyone try this who's not really interested. It's significantly more work, and you may not care for the results as much as I did. (Read this first, then decide!)

Because BS stems are larger and oval-shaped, I double-punched the pads, placing the punches about 1/16" apart, so both punches were approximately centred:








Because each pad must fit into a small circular opening, rather than a big square one, I trimmed its corners to an octagon shape, with the goal of making it roughly uniform width around the hole:






Don't go crazy trying to get the punches and cut-outs perfect. If some pads come out with sides or corners that obviously protrude a bit farther than its others, just trim them slightly, as needed.





Press each pad onto its stem. Don't stretch it to make it fit. If you're patient, you can get it around the irregularly shaped stem by pressing it down and around from the top.






I then used a small screwdriver to gently push it down into the stem, going around to each side, until it was seated as flatly as possible. The foam's forgiving—so even if the pad's slightly bigger than the opening, you should be able to push it in uniformly. Once it's there, give each edge of the pad against the stem an extra little push.









It's probably obvious—but for keys with stab posts, I used a double-punched pad and a single-punched one:





As you put the keys back on the board, you should be able to press them and hear each spring snap (collapse).

If you don't, it's because a corner of a pad sticks out a bit too far, preventing it from seating. I found I could usually flatten it by holding the key down for a couple of seconds, with a bit more than typing force. You may need to do this a couple of times before the spring consistently snaps. It's more likely to happen with two-stem (wide) keys.

A few keys still didn't register, so I removed their pads (with a toothpick, alternatingly pulling them up from two sides) and trimming them to make them more symmetrical.

So, what's the result? There isn't as much sound reduction as with MX-type keys, but some top end of the key-slap is indeed gone. (My wife notices, so it was worth it!) But most of the cherished thockiness of BS switches remains!

I found the real benefit was the noticeably reduced key travel. I assume this happens because the narrow space in the BS keys prevents the pads from spreading as they compress, so they don't yield as much.

As much as I like BS's, I've always found their characteristically long key-travel fatiguing. Typing effort isn't determined just by spring weight; it's also how far your fingers must travel (including extending and retracting them, as well as vertical movement).

With the pads seated properly, it's like typing on "speed" buckling springs—faster and easier, but just as fun! And even though the pads don't compress as much, bottoming out doesn't feel mushy; just not as hard, with less impact stress.

It does take a bit of fussing to get the pads "tuned" so each key registers easily and consistently. I didn't bother doing my F-key row or number pad (many of you don't have those anymore anyway, LOL). It took about an hour to do just the alphanumeric section of my Unicomp Ultra Classic. I'm glad I did, though.

[ander]

Oh, and most of you know about this kind of thing—but as you test your keys, you'll find this handy:

Keyboard Test Online

[fohat.digs]

That looks interesting - I may give it a try if I am able to clear more of my absurdly long to-do list.

Is that regular "art foam" (1/16" or 1.5mm)?
It looks thinner.

[ander]

That looks interesting - I may give it a try if I am able to clear more of my absurdly long to-do list.

Many things are absurd about you—that's why I like you so much.

Is that regular "art foam" (1/16" or 1.5mm)? ... It looks thinner.

It's 2 mm—the type they had at my dollar store, anyway. If you have a choice, I'd go with 2 mm.

[butre]

for the record, MX switches do not bottom out against the keycap.  typically it's either on the pole at the bottom of the slider or against the bottom of the legs that actuate the contacts.  this is especially obvious if you look at the underside of an SA profile keycap, where there's typically little if any structural ribbing.  domikey cherry profile will make it obvious as well, since they have inconsistent heights for the ribbing so o-ring type mods would only work on some of the switches.  this may be less of an issue here than with o-rings, since the foam compresses and likely stays mostly compressed, but this is probably still most viable on uniprofile keysets.

[ander]

for the record, MX switches do not bottom out against the keycap.  typically it's either on the pole at the bottom of the slider or against the bottom of the legs that actuate the contacts...

Yes, they normally bottom out there. When you add the bit of foam, it stops the travel just short of that, and the top of the switch casing becomes the place where the key stops. And no matter if it's a key or a switch plunger making noise, it's still just plastic on plastic, or plastic on plate—it's generic, not switch-specific. That's my point.

So considering the end result, it's splitting hairs, isn't it? I realize that's one of the things we do so well here, though, so that's okay.

this may be less of an issue here than with o-rings, since the foam compresses and likely stays mostly compressed, but this is probably still most viable on uniprofile keysets.

I don't see what key profile has to do with it. If there's slightly more or less space between key tops and switch cases in some rows, obviously it wasn't considered a problem or they would've changed the key's inner dimension to compensate, right?

In any case ("case" get it?), people should try it themselves first, on just a few keys, to see if they like it. As with all things keeb-related, whether it's a "good" or "bad" idea is entirely subjective.

[butre]

for the record, MX switches do not bottom out against the keycap.  typically it's either on the pole at the bottom of the slider or against the bottom of the legs that actuate the contacts...

Yes, they normally bottom out there. When you add the bit of foam, it stops the travel just short of that, and the top of the switch casing becomes the place where the key stops. And no matter if it's a key or a switch plunger making noise, it's still just plastic on plastic, or plastic on plate—it's generic, not switch-specific. That's my point.

So considering the end result, it's splitting hairs, isn't it? I realize that's one of the things we do so well here, though, so that's okay.

Show Image

this may be less of an issue here than with o-rings, since the foam compresses and likely stays mostly compressed, but this is probably still most viable on uniprofile keysets.

I don't see what key profile has to do with it. If there's slightly more or less space between key tops and switch cases in some rows, obviously it wasn't considered a problem or they would've changed the key's inner dimension to compensate, right?

In any case ("case" get it?), people should try it themselves first, on just a few keys, to see if they like it. As with all things keeb-related, whether it's a "good" or "bad" idea is entirely subjective.

it's not a problem when you're not bottoming out on the keycap, but with o-rings at least it's very noticeable when you are.

I don't think this market would exist if splitting hairs wasn't a thing.  we'd all be happily hunting and pecking on $15 rubber domes.

I absolutely agree that it's worth a try though, just pointing out a potential caveat.

[ander]

If you want to pad a lighted board and don't want to block the illumination of your key legends:

• Use white foam

• Cut a little notch in the top of each pad, where the LED will be:








The differences is most obvious with darker colours. In these two shots, the number row has notched pads, and the letter row doesn't:








For keys with wider legends, you can cut the notch so it's wider at the top of the pad. I found the notched pads stayed on the keys just as well.

The white foam reflects more light to the rest of the board, too. (Most lighted keys aren't really "white" inside, but milky.)

I moved my orange pads to my super-cheap Turbot TKL (blue Outemus), which I described in this 2017 thread. (Time flies, huh?) Because it was a super-noisy board, the pads make an even more dramatic difference:

If you listen carefully, you'll hear how much more the actual switch's sound comes through.   

Clacking around on noisy MKs is fun (I'll never pad all of my boards). But if you'd like a quieter, more "switchy"-sounding board too, give this a try.

[ander]

I don't think this market would exist if splitting hairs wasn't a thing.  we'd all be happily hunting and pecking on $15 rubber domes.

LOL. Can't speak for anyone else—but it'd take a lot more than a couple of hairs to stop me from noticing the difference between MKs and domes. 

Anyone who cleans and restores old MKs has a steady supply of hairs to split, too, so that's convenient.

[ander]

Wow! Now that I've spent some time typing on this padded cheap little TKL, I've got to say, it's twice as fun to type on. It's a lot quieter, but the sounds it does make are so much more pleasing. For the first time, I can actually hear its switches.

And it's so much faster! I'm not a switch scientist like some of you, but I can't help thinking that the original, final 1–2mm of travel must've added considerable physical complexity to the key stroke. It feels like the keys spring right back now, like I'm not fighting them, just zooming along. I started this topic focusing solely on sound, but what a difference it makes in performance, too.

Anyway, I don't want to babble about it... Hope some of you will give it a try. (If you have a cheap, noisy board, try it there first!)

[Maledicted]

As much as I like BS's, I've always found their characteristically long key-travel fatiguing. Typing effort isn't determined just by spring weight; it's also how far your fingers must travel (including extending and retracting them, as well as vertical movement).

The interesting Frankenstein creations just keep on rolling in this thread. Nice job.

I see you did this mod to a Model M. Models M have always fatigued me. Do you have the same problem with unmodified Models F? I do not. The further the key travels, the more pressure builds in the spring. You're reducing the overall weighting of bottoming out if you're reducing the travel distance.

I would be interested in hearing that M mod in action. I imagine it might sound quite interesting, already being much more muted than Models F.

[ander]

I just added some padded retro-future-y ZDA profile keys (well, the seller calls them that—maybe they're actually XDA?) to a cheap Magicforce 108 (Outemu blacks):





...which has, IMHO, totally improved it:








...and found that, because of their wide shape, I had to add two pads to each key:





Sound demo (lower row unpadded, upper row padded):

They feel and respond better, too.

(EDIT: Yup, they're XDA, far as I can tell... Is ZDA even a thing? Maybe someone should tell YMDK?)

[granola bar enthusiast]

interesting to see someone implement the same idea as spacebar foam into all the keys, although wouldn't this make the keys feel mushy and reduce the travel significantly? haven't tried spacebar foam before so was wondering about this

[ander]

interesting to see someone implement the same idea as spacebar foam into all the keys, although wouldn't this make the keys feel mushy and reduce the travel significantly?

You'd think, right? But it just quiets the SLAP of the key. And because the foam compresses—unlike O-rings, which do more of a bounce—it doesn't affect travel much at all.

It's easy enough to try it on a few keys, to see how it works for you.

haven't tried spacebar foam before so was wondering about this...

Speaking of spacebars and key travel!:

I put a new SA set on my Filco Ninja tonight (it's not a "Ninja" anymore, LOL)—and as with the Japanese set above, I had to use two pieces of foam in each key because of the wider shape. And because these keys tapered in so much from bottom to top, I found it worked best to cut the first foam piece smaller, so it could get fully into the key and seat flat against the top. (You don't want the foam buckling up, as it causes inconsistent touch from one key to the next.)

But the spacebar still clanked away. I finally realized the sound it wasn't coming from hitting the switch, but from the nylon CoStar stab brackets in the spacebar, hitting the metal plate.

So I tried three, then four layers of foam, and that finally quieted it down nicely:





You'd think that'd just kill the travel, right? But spacebars usually have way more travel than other keys, which means they have lots to spare. Even with four foams, its travel is still slightly longer than the other keys. But it's so quiet and smooth—faster, too.

I don't know why the norm is for spacebars to flop up and down so much... Tradition? But it's obvious that this over-travel (and sheer size, of course) is why they're always the noisiest parts of any board. I was pleased this worked so well, despite how unlikely it looked!

[ander]

Sorry, guys, I posted that in too much of a hurry last night. (As some of you know, when you’re married, you often get different ideas about where you should be, what you should be doing, and how fast you should wrap up the thing you're doing so you can do the other thing you should be doing.)

Of course spacebars don’t actually have longer travel than keys on the same board. That’s determined by the switches (though spacebar switches are are sometimes heavier versions).

It’s more a sensation of spacebars moving more in general, because they’re so much wider (and if they’re not particularly well stabilized, they can seem wobbly when pressed off-centre). And of course because they’re so much bigger than keys, and have so much more internal, open space, they’re louder and more resonant. (Have you ever used a keeb whose spacebar didn’t sound noticeably different?) You just get the impression there's a lot more going on.

So if the travel's the same, how could I use 4x foam quieting this spacebar without drastically affecting its operation—when the same foam in a key would feel real weird and probably keep it from registering?

I can only guess it’s because when you press the spacebar, you’re using a much bigger lever against the same central resistance (stabs aren’t sprung). For whatever reason, though, the 4x padding works great. This is the quietest spacebar I’ve used (it’s as quiet as a key now, while still having a nicely bass-ier tone). And it’s definitely easier to use, as the slightly shorter travel makes it more responsive, without making it discernibly heavier or interfering with its registration. Cheers!

[ander]

Sorry, guys, I posted that in too much of a hurry last night. (As some of you know, when you’re married, you often get different ideas about where you should be, what you should be doing, and how fast you should wrap up the thing you're doing so you can do the other thing you should be doing.)

Of course spacebars don’t actually have longer travel than keys on the same board. That’s determined by the switches (though spacebar switches are are sometimes heavier versions).

It’s more a sensation of spacebars moving more in general, because they’re so much wider (and if they’re not particularly well stabilized, wobbly when pressed off-centre). And of course because they’re so much bigger than keys, and have so much more internal, open space, they’re louder and more resonant. (Have you ever used a keeb whose spacebar didn’t sound noticeably different?) You just get the impression there's a lot more going on.

So if the travel's the same, how could I use 4x foam quieting this spacebar without drastically affecting its operation—when the same foam in a key would feel real weird and probably keep it from registering?

I can only guess it’s because when you press the spacebar, you’re using a much bigger lever against the same central resistance (stabs aren’t sprung). For whatever reason, though, the 4x padding works great. This is the quietest spacebar I’ve used (it’s as quiet as a key now, while still having a nicely bass-ier tone). And it’s definitely easier to use, as the slightly shorter travel makes it more responsive, without making it discernibly heavier or interfering with its registration. Cheers!

[ander]

Hey guys, thought I'd share this update with you.

I just got my first hot-swap board, an FL•Esports MK870, which I got here on AliExpress. (This is not a paid plug at all, but I must say I'm very impressed with its solid build, considering it was under $60!)

I always wanted to try Kailh Box Jades, with the "thick" version of Kailh's cool "click bar":



They were reputed to be some of the clickiest switches ever!

I installed the Jades, and some double-shot Hangul keys I'd gotten someplace or another. But the keys were so clacky, I could barely hear the clicks. My high-frequency hearing loss didn't help either. 

What a difference the foam made:

(Left hand: unmodded keys; right hand: foam)

I can now hear those sweet little pings.   

[ander]

Having prattled on about the Box Jades, I'm backpedaling.

I used them for a while like that, and realized I didn't like them as much. So I've pulled the pads and am now typing to you at Full Clack.

Yes, there's less switch sound, more generic key sound. But with these particular switches, the clack's complimentary IMHO. (Box Jades don't need help being heard!) And with these switches and keys on this board—which, come to think of it, is extra-solid compared to my usual ones, so there's no gratuitous case noise going on, either—I can actually feel the extra 0.5mm or so of extra travel, and it makes a difference.

So while you may like this on some setups, you may not on others. But it's real easy to find out, by padding a few keys and comparing the difference. I'd gotten so gung-ho on the idea, I didn't bother doing that.

Cheers!