So, what 'cheap rubber dome' feels like 45 gr (S) Topre?

[HungerMechanic]

This might seem like a weird question.

But I've seen posts about how some people don't prefer Silenced 45 gr. Topre because it is less tactile, and feels more like a 'cheap rubber dome.'

If that's the case, what are these 'cheap rubber domes' that feel like Silenced 45 gr. Topre? Because I like that weight, and wouldn't mind picking up a cheap rubber dome that feels similar.

[Rob27shred]

Here is a good video to get you started on your search. Chyros is one of the best & most unbiased reviewers we have in the community so all of his videos contain good advice. To actually answer your question you're gonna have to pick up a vintage rubber dome KB to get what you are looking for. With that you're gonna want to try find one that is NOS or very lightly used. Generally Scorpius & BTC domes are the ones I hear most lauded to feel like Topre.

Edit: Polymer is right, you are not gonna find a rubber dome that feels like silenced Topre. Be it factory silenced or modded with silencing rings. I kinda of misread your quote & thought you were looking for rubber dome boards that felt like Topre, which you can find. Although you will sacrifice a ton of quality for the reduction in price.

I think what you have heard about people not liking silenced Topre, saying it was less tactile & felt like a rubber dome board is because of a couple reasons. The first & most important one is they are probably talking about a board that was modded to be silenced, not factory silenced. The second reason is because they used too thick of a silencing ring, which will cause the loss of tactility & make Topre switches feel more like rubber domes. Factory silenced Topre housings are a bit taller to compensate for the silencing pad & thin silencing pads like KeyClack's & KBDfans will not affect tactility or the overall travel of the slider. On the other hand, using Hyperspheres which are quite thick or dental bands which are thicker than you'd think & stay bunched up right by the vertical part of the slider do affect tactility & shorten key travel.

[Polymer]

Nothing is going to be like 45g silenced Topre..

There are sliders with discreet domes and some of them might feel like a fairly good rubber dome with slider..but they're not Topre or Silenced Topre and while some parts might feel similar, the reaction you get with the keys will not...which is probably less obvious until you actually try the adjustable Topres where you can change the actuation point...

For people that think 45g Topre isn't tactile..that's hilarious...they most definitely are....objectively they are...

Now if you're used to really heavy keys and you are very heavy handed with your typing, they'll feel less tactile but that doesn't change the fact that they are..

[HungerMechanic]

Yes, I saw some of Chyrosan's reviews of classic rubber domes, and as a result I searched for some cheap BTC domes.

But the popularity of these old dome-and-slider keyboards has driven up their prices to... abusive levels.

You can buy a decent mech for the cost of a used, yellowed BTC 5100 with no guarantees attached to it.

Since the Topre experience is so unique, I will just have to save up for the R2 PFU edition. I wish "Drop" would drop it, there's tons of demand on their website for it.

[Sintpinty]

I've tried many, and i can tell you they all feel like  💩 In terms of their manufacturing and quality. Nothing else feels like topre. Not even the best rubber domes.

[typo]

None really but maybe Unicomp. I find Topre 45G to be as stiff as Cherry Black but I am odd. I love my custom Topre RGB. I doubt you want to spend what I have though. I think actually the RGB is not really 45G. It has a different feel than my 104UB but it is still great.

[frydaja]

I don't own a Topre, but I imagine CoolerMaster's memchanical (the non-clicky one) switches feel close to Topre. The travel is almost frictionless, but in comparison to Topre they're maybe a little heavier and very likely more softer on bottom-out (kind of mushy, but I wouldn't describe the keyfeel as a whole mushy).

The sliders are also MX compatible (although probably YMMV, my Gigabyte K81 keycaps fit just fine, but GMMK stock caps so loose they fall out from the slider)

That said, they're kinda loud (louder than a standard membrane, but quieter than a MX Red board) and the only ways to silence the keyboard are thicker caps and sound dampening foam in the case.