Am I crazy, or are MX Blues not all THAT bad?

[ander]

Okay, I know many people here are into the wonderful world of esoterically "improved" MX variants—and that's great.

But I happened to sit down with my Filco Majestouch the other day, which I hadn't used for a couple of years—and found, to my surprise, I was quite enjoying plain ol' Cherry MX Blues.

No doubt part of it was having them in a pretty good, solid board with nice PBT keys. And yes, they're not nearly as smooth as most other Blue-inspired clickies. But hey, as long as you aren't locked into them or anything, they seem to have a charm of their own, in a chattery, in-your-face mechanical sort of way.

Is it just me, or does anyone else feel this way, and isn't embarrassed to admit it?

Now, MX Browns, I don't get at all... To me, they just feel like there's something stuck in the slider. Yick. But Blues aren't trying to be anything they're not, y'know? This is just so you know I'm not being blanketly nostalgic or anything.

And BTW, this isn't an invitation to simply dump on MX Blues—there are many other threads here where we can read that sort of thing. (I also imagine this is the section most of you won't bother reading or heeding—LOL. Oh well.)

[butre]

I don't like the feel of the tactile event or the dirtiness of the click.  the new outemu oceans are quite nice if you're into clickjackets, with a much sharper click and a significantly less grainy feeling.

[Findecanor]

I've been telling for years that vintage MX Blues are quite nice. Smooth and crisp, even if the tactile event could have been larger.

[granola bar enthusiast]

If I am being fully honest I have never tried MX Blues but I have tried RK Blues, Outemu Blues, and some other unnamed offbrand ones. I would say the best one was the Outemu blues although I kind of want to try the broken blues they have over at RNKBD

[Maledicted]

We all know you're crazy, Andy. This forum is basically one big asylum anyway and we're all willful patients.

The first board I ever had that I was consciously aware of having mechanical switches was an MX red Corsair K70, for gaming. I read more into mechanical switches and shortly after picked up the same board with MX blues. They were my very first clicky switches, and I happily typed away on them for years. Once I tried more and more good clickies, and become accustomed to typing on them daily, I grew progressively less and less fond of MX blue.

So, at least in this case, even with a nostalgic connection to MX blue ... I very much dislike MX blue today and will take just about any other reasonably nice mechanism over them.

If I am being fully honest I have never tried MX Blues but I have tried RK Blues, Outemu Blues, and some other unnamed offbrand ones. I would say the best one was the Outemu blues although I kind of want to try the broken blues they have over at RNKBD

For bargain bin bottom-of-the-barrel Chinesium MX clones, Outemu blues are some of the best options in my opinion. They're nearly just as nice as their Gateron counterparts in terms of consistency of sound and tactility, and boards containing them are cheaper than dirt. These days, I slightly prefer decent MX/clone tactiles or linears to clickies of the same category due to the unpleasant and unrefined high-pitched click of even the better clone clickies, but every other cheap/direct clone Outemu switch I have tried has been much scratchier than even Cherry, so the Outemu blues seem to be a uniquely compelling choice. That's sometimes a sample size of one, but it seemed pretty consistent across the family line of switches typically used in $30-40-ish boards.

I don't like the feel of the tactile event or the dirtiness of the click.  the new outemu oceans are quite nice if you're into clickjackets, with a much sharper click and a significantly less grainy feeling.

Never really noticed any click jacket switches feeling grainy/gritty at all, which probably has a lot to do with Outemu blues standing out in a field of extremely cheap and gritty switches. MX and some clones can just rattle a lot, which could possible be perceived as grit? Not really an issue with any Outemus or Gaterons I have tried.

[butre]

We all know you're crazy, Andy. This forum is basically one big asylum anyway and we're all willful patients.

The first board I ever had that I was consciously aware of having mechanical switches was an MX red Corsair K70, for gaming. I read more into mechanical switches and shortly after picked up the same board with MX blues. They were my very first clicky switches, and I happily typed away on them for years. Once I tried more and more good clickies, and become accustomed to typing on them daily, I grew progressively less and less fond of MX blue.

So, at least in this case, even with a nostalgic connection to MX blue ... I very much dislike MX blue today and will take just about any other reasonably nice mechanism over them.

If I am being fully honest I have never tried MX Blues but I have tried RK Blues, Outemu Blues, and some other unnamed offbrand ones. I would say the best one was the Outemu blues although I kind of want to try the broken blues they have over at RNKBD

For bargain bin bottom-of-the-barrel Chinesium MX clones, Outemu blues are some of the best options in my opinion. They're nearly just as nice as their Gateron counterparts in terms of consistency of sound and tactility, and boards containing them are cheaper than dirt. These days, I slightly prefer decent MX/clone tactiles or linears to clickies of the same category due to the unpleasant and unrefined high-pitched click of even the better clone clickies, but every other cheap/direct clone Outemu switch I have tried has been much scratchier than even Cherry, so the Outemu blues seem to be a uniquely compelling choice. That's sometimes a sample size of one, but it seemed pretty consistent across the family line of switches typically used in $30-40-ish boards.

I don't like the feel of the tactile event or the dirtiness of the click.  the new outemu oceans are quite nice if you're into clickjackets, with a much sharper click and a significantly less grainy feeling.

Never really noticed any click jacket switches feeling grainy/gritty at all, which probably has a lot to do with Outemu blues standing out in a field of extremely cheap and gritty switches. MX and some clones can just rattle a lot, which could possible be perceived as grit? Not really an issue with any Outemus or Gaterons I have tried.

I'm just talking general scratchiness, but I have noticed that some cases can cause the illusion of a double bump during fast typing

[tp4tissue]

Cherry MX Bloo   is the Ultimate mechanical keyboard switch..  No other switch comes close to the simplicity, the reliability, the pureness of design. It is the epitome of the Engineering Arts.

Ever since MX Bloo,  The switch world stopped moving forward and has only ever regressed.

[chyros]

Smoothness was never really the issue with MX blue. The problem is the hideous racket and unsatisfactory tactility.

[fohat.digs]

The problem is the hideous racket and unsatisfactory tactility.

This is my opinion, the tinniness of the sound is extremely annoying. Jailhousing improves them a great deal.

[ander]

I don't like the feel of the tactile event or the dirtiness of the click.  the new outemu oceans are quite nice if you're into clickjackets, with a much sharper click and a significantly less grainy feeling.

Ah well, I knew none of you would read the part where I mentioned it wasn't an invitation for criticism... It's no challenge finding people with bad things to say about 'em.

I've been telling for years that vintage MX Blues are quite nice. Smooth and crisp, even if the tactile event could have been larger.

Well, right? I know we're all quite spoiled now with more advanced MX-inspired switches, exotic custom switches with vibranium springs, radioactive lube, etc. But in spite of all that, I was pleased to find how fun the originals still were, and wondered if anyone else felt that way. (Maybe I should've posted this in "Unpopular Keyboard Opinions" instead!)

We all know you're crazy, Andy. This forum is basically one big asylum anyway and we're all willful patients.

LOL 

Smoothness was never really the issue with MX blue. The problem is the hideous racket and unsatisfactory tactility.

Ah well, I knew none of you would read the part where I mentioned it wasn't an invitation for criticism... It's no challenge finding people with bad things to say about 'em.

[Maledicted]

I don't like the feel of the tactile event or the dirtiness of the click.  the new outemu oceans are quite nice if you're into clickjackets, with a much sharper click and a significantly less grainy feeling.

Smoothness was never really the issue with MX blue. The problem is the hideous racket and unsatisfactory tactility.

Ah well, I knew none of you would read the part where I mentioned it wasn't an invitation for criticism... It's no challenge finding people with bad things to say about 'em.

The fact that smoothness is not a concern with MX blue but can be for much of the rest of the MX family is sort of an underhanded/begrudging compliment. I haven't found any MX or clone clickies that I noticed feeling scratchy. Sometimes the tactile event and noise were almost pleasant and sometimes it was horrendous, but none I have tried have felt scratchy. Maybe the click jacket being a separate part disguises the poor fit between it and the housing? Almost makes you wonder how it would behave linearized, etc.

[butre]

I don't like the feel of the tactile event or the dirtiness of the click.  the new outemu oceans are quite nice if you're into clickjackets, with a much sharper click and a significantly less grainy feeling.

Ah well, I knew none of you would read the part where I mentioned it wasn't an invitation for criticism... It's no challenge finding people with bad things to say about 'em.

no, I did read it.  I just didn't heed it.

I don't like the feel of the tactile event or the dirtiness of the click.  the new outemu oceans are quite nice if you're into clickjackets, with a much sharper click and a significantly less grainy feeling.

Smoothness was never really the issue with MX blue. The problem is the hideous racket and unsatisfactory tactility.

Ah well, I knew none of you would read the part where I mentioned it wasn't an invitation for criticism... It's no challenge finding people with bad things to say about 'em.

The fact that smoothness is not a concern with MX blue but can be for much of the rest of the MX family is sort of an underhanded/begrudging compliment. I haven't found any MX or clone clickies that I noticed feeling scratchy. Sometimes the tactile event and noise were almost pleasant and sometimes it was horrendous, but none I have tried have felt scratchy. Maybe the click jacket being a separate part disguises the poor fit between it and the housing? Almost makes you wonder how it would behave linearized, etc.

it's not that smoothness is or isn't a concern, but that it's a nice to have.  mx blues work fine, great even, but there are better feeling and sounding clicky switches, even if you constrain yourself to mx-style clickjackets.  don't get me wrong, you can definitely do worse, but when better is so easily accessible, why bother?

[Avi_]

Is it just me, or does anyone else feel this way, and isn't embarrassed to admit it?

Same here. I own various Kailh BOX clicky switches. Navy, Pink, Noble Yellow. Theoretically all of them are better than MX Blues. Crisp, sharp tactility. However, when I use my old Leopold FC500R with MX Blues, I find it strangely satisfying. Even though every single part of the experience is theoretically worse than Kailh, in practice MX Blues are at least on par or even more pleasant. It is what it is.

[chyros]

I don't like the feel of the tactile event or the dirtiness of the click.  the new outemu oceans are quite nice if you're into clickjackets, with a much sharper click and a significantly less grainy feeling.

Smoothness was never really the issue with MX blue. The problem is the hideous racket and unsatisfactory tactility.

Ah well, I knew none of you would read the part where I mentioned it wasn't an invitation for criticism... It's no challenge finding people with bad things to say about 'em.

The fact that smoothness is not a concern with MX blue but can be for much of the rest of the MX family is sort of an underhanded/begrudging compliment.

Haha I was about to say that but you beat me to it xD .

[ander]

LOL—just saw this, from 2018: I like MX Blues, am I crazy?

[ethereal]

You are not crazy, for sure, heh...

MX blues are usually criticized for being scratchy, but I think most of the criticism is exaggerated. My main drive has blues, and I find them to be quite enjoyable. They need some running in though. When they are new, they can be a bit stiffer and less comfortable to press. The only thing I really don't like about them is they tend to wobble a lot (I have transparent blues for RGB and in my experience the wobble issue is a bit worse with them). Apart from the wobble issue, I find blues' tactility very satisfying.

Some months ago, I got the clicky switches tester from kbdfans (https://kbdfans.com/collections/switches-tester/products/clicky-switches-tester). I was a bit disappointed with the Kailh Box ones, after hearing the wonderful things many people said about them. I found the Jades and Navies too hard to press. As for the Pink and Pale Blues, there was something in their tactility I didn't like. The only Kailh Box switches I liked were the White ones. I found them to have a lot less wobble than the Blues, and their tactile feedback was fine for me. They didn't have though that tactile feedback of the Blues I find so enjoyable. Overall, they are good choice for me, so I think I will give them a try in my next keyboard.

After my experience trying different switches, I think there is not such thing as the "perfect switch". They all have some issues and aspects one may not fully like. There is also a component of subjectivity here, so there is no switch that can perfectly fit everybody.

[Maledicted]

LOL—just saw this, from 2018: I like MX Blues, am I crazy?

History repeats itself. I'll have to read through all of that.

After my experience trying different switches, I think there is not such thing as the "perfect switch". They all have some issues and aspects one may not fully like. There is also a component of subjectivity here, so there is no switch that can perfectly fit everybody.

Have you tried Alps or capacitive buckling spring yet?  Unavoidable subjectivity aside, they're pretty sublime.

What you may not like about box switches is the fact that they click on both the upstroke and downstroke. I'm surprised you preferred box whites to pinks though. I also can't recall anybody calling MX blue scratchy.

What tactile switches have you tried? I prefer many common tactiles to MX blue these days ... even though I'm a clicky guy.

[ethereal]

Have you tried Alps or capacitive buckling spring yet?  Unavoidable subjectivity aside, they're pretty sublime.

I think I've heard of Alps maybe a couple of times, but didn't further explore them. What do you like about them?

Capacitive buckling springs... You mean the ones from IBM Model F, no? From what I've heard, their typing tactility is similar to buckling springs from Model M (most people that have tried both seem to say capacitive ones are "better" though). Before getting my current keeb with blues, I used an original Model M from the 80s. I found buckling springs to be really great, but a little too hard to press, so I opted for a lighter switch.

What you may not like about box switches is the fact that they click on both the upstroke and downstroke. I'm surprised you preferred box whites to pinks though. I also can't recall anybody calling MX blue scratchy.

Well, I seem to enjoy the box whites, that also click on both the upstroke and downstroke. I just didn't find the pinks as "balanced" as the whites. Kailh box switches all have the same clickbar mechanism and the differences between them stem from the diverse clickbar thickness and spring heaviness. I guess I didn't like the specific combination of pinks' "thickness" and "heaviness".

What tactile switches have you tried? I prefer many common tactiles to MX blue these days ... even though I'm a clicky guy.

MX browns, clears and grays. They didn't have enough tactility for me.

I've head some people swear by the Holy Pandas though. Maybe I'll give them a try someday.

[FractalOne]

nah theyre bad

[Maledicted]

Have you tried Alps or capacitive buckling spring yet?  Unavoidable subjectivity aside, they're pretty sublime.

I think I've heard of Alps maybe a couple of times, but didn't further explore them. What do you like about them?

Capacitive buckling springs... You mean the ones from IBM Model F, no? From what I've heard, their typing tactility is similar to buckling springs from Model M (most people that have tried both seem to say capacitive ones are "better" though). Before getting my current keeb with blues, I used an original Model M from the 80s. I found buckling springs to be really great, but a little too hard to press, so I opted for a lighter switch.

Complicated Alps, in good shape, are always smooth, crisp and pretty bassy (compared to alternatives). The tactile event with both clicky and tactile variants is sharp instead of being rounded. There's no rattle or inconsistency to speak of like with an MX click jacket and it doesn't feel like sliding over a speed bump like MX tactiles. Spring pressure ramps up sharply just before you hit a ledge and that ledge breaks cleanly away as the tactile event.

There's really no comparison between them and MX variants at all. Box switches come closer (although Alps have no major tactile event on the upstroke), but most Alps switches have a stiffer tactile event than you may be looking for if even box pinks were too stiff for you.

I do mean the Models F. Membrane buckling spring (Models M) is stiffer and can be less consistent. I didn't like the M much at all when I was in the MX blue crowd and it convinced me to not look at other vintage mechanisms for a while ... until I picked up a cheap F XT that needed a new cable.

Capacitive buckling spring tactility is very slight when you remove the ramping up of spring pressure as the spring comes closer and closer to buckling, but the rated force required is still higher than most modern switches ... even though it feels very light to my perception by comparison.

There are other fantastic vintage clicky switches that are considered (and I agree) much better than MX as well, like SMK (sort of Alps clones), NEC blue ovals and Space Invaders.

What you may not like about box switches is the fact that they click on both the upstroke and downstroke. I'm surprised you preferred box whites to pinks though. I also can't recall anybody calling MX blue scratchy.

Well, I seem to enjoy the box whites, that also click on both the upstroke and downstroke. I just didn't find the pinks as "balanced" as the whites. Kailh box switches all have the same clickbar mechanism and the differences between them stem from the diverse clickbar thickness and spring heaviness. I guess I didn't like the specific combination of pinks' "thickness" and "heaviness".

Box pinks are pretty light compared to most things outside of the most common MX switches and clones. They're typically the recommendation if box jades are too stiff for someone. If you're used to MX blues, something like a box pink or box jade that has a greater tactile event than the spring weighting would suggest, I suppose it may make sense to prefer box whites. I think that box whites have even less tactility (although a better feel and sound) than MX blue. The unique (potential) benefit of box pinks and jades is that they're relatively low-pitched compared to other modern clicky mechanisms.

What tactile switches have you tried? I prefer many common tactiles to MX blue these days ... even though I'm a clicky guy.

MX browns, clears and grays. They didn't have enough tactility for me.

I've head some people swear by the Holy Pandas though. Maybe I'll give them a try someday.

How long ago did you try the clears? MX clears are quite tactile, certainly more tactile than MX blues. If you like the more rounded tactility of MX tactile switches, you might just want to skip right to Niz or Topre boards. Even some of the nicer dome with slider boards are a lot better than MX derivatives in my opinion. I haven't bothered trying most of the boutique MX variants though.

[ethereal]

How long ago did you try the clears? MX clears are quite tactile, certainly more tactile than MX blues. If you like the more rounded tactility of MX tactile switches, you might just want to skip right to Niz or Topre boards. Even some of the nicer dome with slider boards are a lot better than MX derivatives in my opinion. I haven't bothered trying most of the boutique MX variants though.

I have a switch tester so I'm trying the MX clears right now.  I feel them not having any significant tactile event. I guess there is a big component of subjectivity here, heheeh...

Have tried Topre switches with a tester. A very peculiar switch for sure, but didn't have a kind of tactility that I liked. I understand Niz ones are also capacitive. Are they similar to the Topre ones?

[Maledicted]

How long ago did you try the clears? MX clears are quite tactile, certainly more tactile than MX blues. If you like the more rounded tactility of MX tactile switches, you might just want to skip right to Niz or Topre boards. Even some of the nicer dome with slider boards are a lot better than MX derivatives in my opinion. I haven't bothered trying most of the boutique MX variants though.

I have a switch tester so I'm trying the MX clears right now.  I feel them not having any significant tactile event. I guess there is a big component of subjectivity here, heheeh...

Have tried Topre switches with a tester. A very peculiar switch for sure, but didn't have a kind of tactility that I liked. I understand Niz ones are also capacitive. Are they similar to the Topre ones?

Every MX tactile I have tried has a rounded tactile event, where it feels like gliding over a speed bump in a car or something. I think there are supposed to be some boutique switches that are supposed to be somewhat sharp, although I doubt they approach Alps derivatives in this regard. Kaihua's box tactiles have a more complex design and are less rounded. With MX brown this is almost totally imperceptible to me without typing very slowly, due to how scratchy they are. MX clears may seem less tactile to you since the tactile event is less sudden than something like MX blue, but there's a lot more resistance to overcome there than MX blue. I would even say that MX clear is more tactile than buckling spring if limited specifically to the tactile event and not just spring tension leading up to it.

The problem is that clicky switches tend to have a much sharper tactile event and the modern/common tactiles are usually rounded in order to prevent that audible click. So anything beyond measuring the force required to overcome the tactile event could be considered to be subjective, especially when comparing between mechanisms.

Niz switches are basically Topre clones. There's minimal difference in the design. They do sound and feel different, but you can tell that both share the same lineage and the differences come mostly down to construction. They're more closely related than the Models M and F are to each other. The sound of Niz switches is often compared fondly to that of boiling water. There's significant difference in the level of tactility between different weightings of Topre and Niz switches, and there are replacement domes available that can be used with both with some modification. I have only tried 55g Topre and 45g Niz myself. Both are pretty enjoyable to me, much preferred to anything MX-derived.

Good dome with slider boards, which were once common back in the late 80s and early 90s, typically have more conventional membranes but can come very close to Topre and Niz in terms of feel, and capacitive buckling spring clearly doesn't feel anything like Topre, so the sensing technology isn't necessarily indicative of the typing experience. The real claim to fame for Niz and Topre is their conical springs, although EC sensing is outstandingly reliable.

I prefer sharp tactility myself, but Topre, Niz and good dome boards at least have the advantage over MX derivatives in that they don't feel like plastic rubbing on plastic. They can also be pretty buttery smooth without modification.

To keep this on topic, I would add that I think Zeal's new Clickiez switches have eliminated all excuses for using MX clickies or tactiles outside of cost and weighting preference. 

[butre]

How long ago did you try the clears? MX clears are quite tactile, certainly more tactile than MX blues. If you like the more rounded tactility of MX tactile switches, you might just want to skip right to Niz or Topre boards. Even some of the nicer dome with slider boards are a lot better than MX derivatives in my opinion. I haven't bothered trying most of the boutique MX variants though.

I have a switch tester so I'm trying the MX clears right now.  I feel them not having any significant tactile event. I guess there is a big component of subjectivity here, heheeh...

Have tried Topre switches with a tester. A very peculiar switch for sure, but didn't have a kind of tactility that I liked. I understand Niz ones are also capacitive. Are they similar to the Topre ones?

Every MX tactile I have tried has a rounded tactile event, where it feels like gliding over a speed bump in a car or something. I think there are supposed to be some boutique switches that are supposed to be somewhat sharp, although I doubt they approach Alps derivatives in this regard. Kaihua's box tactiles have a more complex design and are less rounded. With MX brown this is almost totally imperceptible to me without typing very slowly, due to how scratchy they are. MX clears may seem less tactile to you since the tactile event is less sudden than something like MX blue, but there's a lot more resistance to overcome there than MX blue. I would even say that MX clear is more tactile than buckling spring if limited specifically to the tactile event and not just spring tension leading up to it.

The problem is that clicky switches tend to have a much sharper tactile event and the modern/common tactiles are usually rounded in order to prevent that audible click. So anything beyond measuring the force required to overcome the tactile event could be considered to be subjective, especially when comparing between mechanisms.

Niz switches are basically Topre clones. There's minimal difference in the design. They do sound and feel different, but you can tell that both share the same lineage and the differences come mostly down to construction. They're more closely related than the Models M and F are to each other. The sound of Niz switches is often compared fondly to that of boiling water. There's significant difference in the level of tactility between different weightings of Topre and Niz switches, and there are replacement domes available that can be used with both with some modification. I have only tried 55g Topre and 45g Niz myself. Both are pretty enjoyable to me, much preferred to anything MX-derived.

Good dome with slider boards, which were once common back in the late 80s and early 90s, typically have more conventional membranes but can come very close to Topre and Niz in terms of feel, and capacitive buckling spring clearly doesn't feel anything like Topre, so the sensing technology isn't necessarily indicative of the typing experience. The real claim to fame for Niz and Topre is their conical springs, although EC sensing is outstandingly reliable.

I prefer sharp tactility myself, but Topre, Niz and good dome boards at least have the advantage over MX derivatives in that they don't feel like plastic rubbing on plastic. They can also be pretty buttery smooth without modification.

To keep this on topic, I would add that I think Zeal's new Clickiez switches have eliminated all excuses for using MX clickies or tactiles outside of cost and weighting preference. 

the clickiez are sorta in a no-man's-land land for me.  I think the lighter option is too light, and the heavier option is too heavy.  it's like trying to buy cherry linears, but since it's a gateron cap there's not much I can do about the spring without buying a bunch of other switches.

funny thing is out of all the springs I tried swapping in, the best weighted and most compatible spring is from aristotles.  return of the zealiostotle anyone?

I have a new favorite brutally tactile switch lately, or really a recombination of switches, and that is the kailh tactile cream stem with the pole clipped short in a jwick t1 housing.  the nearest equivalent from my experience would be BKE extremes

[ander]

I'm glad I got such an interesting discussing going here (and sorry to drop out of sight for so long—we've had some home and family issues).

It's funny, but the very things many people complain about here are the reasons I like MX Blues so much. Yes, they're raucously over-clicky, over-tactile, available everywhere, totally unimaginative... But when they're in a good solid board, to me they're like a loud girlfriend who drinks a bit too much and dresses a bit too colourfully, but who's fun to hang with for a while—we've all had those, haven't we? (Those of us who managed to start dating [LOL].)

The way I see it [turning head sideways], switches are like people. If you're lucky, you get to spend time with a whole bunch of them, and can appreciate whatever they have to offer—including the contrast they create between each other.

Similar is boring. We may type faster on some switches, or enjoy hearing or feeling some of them more, for longer periods—but in the long run, isn't it mostly about variety? I wouldn't want to use MX Blues more than, say, half a day at a time—but when I haven't used them for a while, and am in a mood to be clackety and retro-wacky, they're great. And they (and their siblings) inspired a lot of what followed, right? So you have to appreciate that.

Some of you mentioned vintage Blues. I've been lucky enough to find some (mostly in Chiconys that could've contained almost anything). They're like the Canadian version of Blues—I'm glad I got such an interesting discussing going here (and sorry to drop out of sight for so long—we've had some home and family issues).

It's funny, but the very things many people complain about here are the reasons I like MX Blues so much. Yes, they're raucously over-clicky, over-tactile, available everywhere, totally unimaginative... But when they're in a good solid board, to me they're like a loud girlfriend who drinks a bit too much and dresses a bit too colourfully, but who's fun to hang with for a while—we've all had those, haven't we? (Those of us who managed to start dating [LOL].)

The way I see it [turning head sideways], switches are like people. If you're lucky, you get to spend time with a whole bunch of them, and can appreciate whatever they have to offer—including the contrast they create between each other.

Similar is boring. We may type faster on some switches, or enjoy hearing or feeling some of them more, for longer periods—but in the long run, isn't it mostly about variety? I wouldn't want to use MX Blues more than, say, half a day at a time—but when I haven't used them for a while, and am in a mood to be clackety and retro-wacky, they're great. And they (and their siblings) inspired a lot of what followed, right? So you have to appreciate that.

Some of you mentioned vintage Blues. I've been lucky enough to find some (mostly in Chiconys that could've contained almost anything). If current Blues are like Americans, vintage Blues are like Canadians—more pleasant, more polite, which is fine... But I miss the excitement.

[granola bar enthusiast]

am i the only one who got the message after reading ander's comment: "when you are bored of your girlfriend, go onto their siblings"? or was that just me

[phinix]

It's been a while since I used blues, but I remember that blues were smoother for me compared to browns.
There were too light for me, but I had Filco TKL with mx blues for a while and liked it.

[Touch_It]

never had a big issue with blues, but there are plenty of switches i liked better, but the keyboard with blues was a razer with not the best keycaps, so that may have been a factor.

[mohawk1367]

Okay, I know many people here are into the wonderful world of esoterically "improved" MX variants—and that's great.

But I happened to sit down with my Filco Majestouch the other day, which I hadn't used for a couple of years—and found, to my surprise, I was quite enjoying plain ol' Cherry MX Blues.

No doubt part of it was having them in a pretty good, solid board with nice PBT keys. And yes, they're not nearly as smooth as most other Blue-inspired clickies. But hey, as long as you aren't locked into them or anything, they seem to have a charm of their own, in a chattery, in-your-face mechanical sort of way.

Is it just me, or does anyone else feel this way, and isn't embarrassed to admit it?

Now, MX Browns, I don't get at all... To me, they just feel like there's something stuck in the slider. Yick. But Blues aren't trying to be anything they're not, y'know? This is just so you know I'm not being blanketly nostalgic or anything.

And BTW, this isn't an invitation to simply dump on MX Blues—there are many other threads here where we can read that sort of thing. (I also imagine this is the section most of you won't bother reading or heeding—LOL. Oh well.)


(Attachment Link)

Idk i really hate them lol. They're more like a rattly weird tactile than a real clicky. They're just not satisfying,

[Nerif]

I felt the same thing when I was using them in Razer Blackwidow 2013 and Cooler Master Quick Fire XT keyboards. To be honest, the worst part of them is that the click is tending to be less pronounced if the switches are broken-in, and it really feels wrong, like the switches are broken or something, that's the reason why I personally don't like them.

[pinkswans]

yes

[Pretendo]

I recently resurrected my ancient Rosewill RK-9000 MX Blue board to test just this. It was rotting in my closet for about 7 years.

Blues popped back into my brain because of a recent experience I had with MX Reds. Namely, I'd avoided owning an MX Red (or any linear) board for years due to people saying that linear switches aren't good for typing, the MX Reds are scratchy, they're pedestrian, etc. Then I found a Corsair K63 at thrift for a price I couldn't refuse, and it turned out that I really liked them! The "pumpkin spice of mechanical keyboard switches" turned out to have a really great feel imo. I was sorry I had let other people's opinions on linear switches get to me and had avoided it for so long.

So then I thought about the old MX blues. Maybe my falling out of love with them was also brought on by outside opinions. Maybe people were just telling me that other clicky switches like buckling springs were better, and I was being fooled by the masses. So I pulled out the board and typed on it for the first time in years.

Long story short, the Rosewill is back in the closet.

At first, the MX blues felt great. I was quite liking them for a couple of paragraphs.  They felt light and responsive, almost like a Model F. Before long though, I noticed that I was starting to get wrist pain. Why? Because I was bottoming out hard. Why was I bottoming out so badly on these switches? I had to play around with it a bit and think about what was going on, but it seemed to boil down to the actuation point requiring too much force to overcome. It's hard to judge exactly how much force is needed to get past the "bump", so I wind up overcompensating and pushing the keys harder. That leads to much heavier typing, even though the switch itself feels fairly light and crisp. It didn't bother me for a couple of minutes, but after a page of typing they weren't fun anymore.

Then there's the noise. The noise pitch of the actuation is the same as if somebody was crinkling a sheet of mylar plastic. It's not deafening per se, but the pitch of that noise drills into your skull after awhile. I'm no stranger to noisy keyboards, even fairly annoying noisy keyboards, but the blues have some of the most annoying noise I've encountered. Even the Model F's spring resonance symphony can't compete.

When combined, these flaws make for a switch that I can't love. I like their light to medium tactility in very short bursts, and if you find one at a bargain you may want to try it to see if it works for you, but there was no love lost for me as I shoved that Rosewill back into its box where it belonged.

[HungerMechanic]

But I happened to sit down with my Filco Majestouch the other day, which I hadn't used for a couple of years—and found, to my surprise, I was quite enjoying plain ol' Cherry MX Blues.

(Attachment Link)

If you look at old pre-2018 reviews, it seems a lot of the people satisfied with their Majestouch keyboards were using MX Blues.

Certainly, it took a long time and the right keycaps to break-in and optimize my MX Brown Majestouch.

The "Filco SA" keycaps are supposedly good with MX Blue. I would definitely want to use them with that switch, rather than MX Brown. If you can handle SA R3, might want to give them a try.

Aside from OUTEMU Blue, which is among the best bang-for-the-buck, if unsubtle, I like some of the lighter clickies. BOX Whites have almost the perfect level of tactility, basically what MX light tactiles should have, maybe could use 5-20% more. And those awful Gaote[?] Blues that used to come with the Teamwolf Zhuque are really easy to type on. Horrible sharp plastic bubble-wrap sound, but they are like the clicky version of MX Browns.

[I also enjoy some of the obscure Asian pre-2010 clicky switches with abbreviations like NMB or whatever.]

[Polymer]

I recently resurrected my ancient Rosewill RK-9000 MX Blue board to test just this. It was rotting in my closet for about 7 years.

Blues popped back into my brain because of a recent experience I had with MX Reds. Namely, I'd avoided owning an MX Red (or any linear) board for years due to people saying that linear switches aren't good for typing, the MX Reds are scratchy, they're pedestrian, etc. Then I found a Corsair K63 at thrift for a price I couldn't refuse, and it turned out that I really liked them! The "pumpkin spice of mechanical keyboard switches" turned out to have a really great feel imo. I was sorry I had let other people's opinions on linear switches get to me and had avoided it for so long.

So then I thought about the old MX blues. Maybe my falling out of love with them was also brought on by outside opinions. Maybe people were just telling me that other clicky switches like buckling springs were better, and I was being fooled by the masses. So I pulled out the board and typed on it for the first time in years.

Long story short, the Rosewill is back in the closet.

At first, the MX blues felt great. I was quite liking them for a couple of paragraphs.  They felt light and responsive, almost like a Model F. Before long though, I noticed that I was starting to get wrist pain. Why? Because I was bottoming out hard. Why was I bottoming out so badly on these switches? I had to play around with it a bit and think about what was going on, but it seemed to boil down to the actuation point requiring too much force to overcome. It's hard to judge exactly how much force is needed to get past the "bump", so I wind up overcompensating and pushing the keys harder. That leads to much heavier typing, even though the switch itself feels fairly light and crisp. It didn't bother me for a couple of minutes, but after a page of typing they weren't fun anymore.

Then there's the noise. The noise pitch of the actuation is the same as if somebody was crinkling a sheet of mylar plastic. It's not deafening per se, but the pitch of that noise drills into your skull after awhile. I'm no stranger to noisy keyboards, even fairly annoying noisy keyboards, but the blues have some of the most annoying noise I've encountered. Even the Model F's spring resonance symphony can't compete.

When combined, these flaws make for a switch that I can't love. I like their light to medium tactility in very short bursts, and if you find one at a bargain you may want to try it to see if it works for you, but there was no love lost for me as I shoved that Rosewill back into its box where it belonged.

I'm not a blue fan...but your issues with blues and overcoming the bump isn't a switch issue..it is a you issue.  You weren't used to them so you were slamming them....The sound is obviously just you dislike it..and I agree, they sound ok for awhile but they become super annoying.  Some people might not mind the sound though.

There actually isn't anything wrong with blues...some people were really pick about them for gaming even though it isn't an issue for pretty much anyone....A lot of people like to talk hypotheticals...a lot of people like to talk about those when it comes to typing as well...like bottoming out isn't a thing....

[bondonin]

I recently resurrected my ancient Rosewill RK-9000 MX Blue board to test just this. It was rotting in my closet for about 7 years.

Blues popped back into my brain because of a recent experience I had with MX Reds. Namely, I'd avoided owning an MX Red (or any linear) board for years due to people saying that linear switches aren't good for typing, the MX Reds are scratchy, they're pedestrian, etc. Then I found a Corsair K63 at thrift for a price I couldn't refuse, and it turned out that I really liked them! The "pumpkin spice of mechanical keyboard switches" turned out to have a really great feel imo. I was sorry I had let other people's opinions on linear switches get to me and had avoided it for so long.

So then I thought about the old MX blues. Maybe my falling out of love with them was also brought on by outside opinions. Maybe people were just telling me that other clicky switches like buckling springs were better, and I was being fooled by the masses. So I pulled out the board and typed on it for the first time in years.

Long story short, the Rosewill is back in the closet.

At first, the MX blues felt great. I was quite liking them for a couple of paragraphs.  They felt light and responsive, almost like a Model F. Before long though, I noticed that I was starting to get wrist pain. Why? Because I was bottoming out hard. Why was I bottoming out so badly on these switches? I had to play around with it a bit and think about what was going on, but it seemed to boil down to the actuation point requiring too much force to overcome. It's hard to judge exactly how much force is needed to get past the "bump", so I wind up overcompensating and pushing the keys harder. That leads to much heavier typing, even though the switch itself feels fairly light and crisp. It didn't bother me for a couple of minutes, but after a page of typing they weren't fun anymore.

Then there's the noise. The noise pitch of the actuation is the same as if somebody was crinkling a sheet of mylar plastic. It's not deafening per se, but the pitch of that noise drills into your skull after awhile. I'm no stranger to noisy keyboards, even fairly annoying noisy keyboards, but the blues have some of the most annoying noise I've encountered. Even the Model F's spring resonance symphony can't compete.

When combined, these flaws make for a switch that I can't love. I like their light to medium tactility in very short bursts, and if you find one at a bargain you may want to try it to see if it works for you, but there was no love lost for me as I shoved that Rosewill back into its box where it belonged.

I prefer quiet switches myself and the only reason I went with cherry browns at first was because reds seemed too light and I was accidentally typing while resting my fingers and there were no clone switches for more choices. After a while the cherry browns felt like dirty reds because the tactility was abit too shallow and I preferred the bump feel to be closer at the top like outemu browns. Then even the extra noise from tactiles got mildly irritating and I'm not into lubing/modding. I'm fairly OOTL regarding the new clone varieties and am using akko macha greens at the moment.

[ethereal]

Just to add something more to this topic...

Now I've got a Moonlander keyboard with hot-swap capability, so I can try switches very easily. For the past 2 months or so, I've given a try to the Kailh box white switches. I love their build quality: they don't wobble as Cherry MX ones tend to do. They have a very sharp tactility, that can be easily noticed (in this regard, I think they are superior to the MX blues). Furthermore, their sound profile it's a lot more pleasant than the blues. But in the end, I've found they had something that was missing: the feedback. Perhaps with the force graphs of each switch in could be seen what I mean...

On this link you can find a force graph of the Kailh box white. There is a small bump on the downstroke and a relatively bigger one on the upstroke. In the other parts of the graph, there is a linear increase of force.

https://switches.mx/kailh-box-white

Now we have the MX blue. Here the graph is very different. There is a bump on the downstroke. And a much bigger one on the upstroke, both in the force difference and the length of the bump (the first one spans for 0.5 milimeters, and the 2nd for 1 mm). There is also another bump on the final part of the upstroke, making the graph force more complex than the one of the Kailh box white.

https://www.cherrymx.de/en/cherry-mx/mx-original/mx-blue.html

So, in the end, both switches provide a very different feedback to each other. With the box whites, you feel a very noticeable click in the middle part of both the downstroke and the upstroke. But other than that, the feeling is very "plain". With the MX blues, you feel a noticeable click on the downstroke, and a noticeable bump on the upstroke, but with a more complex feedback. With the blues, you feel the downstroke as something clearly different to the upstroke, and there is also the final bump on the upstroke, that tells you where you are reaching then end of it.

I think both switches are great and can be a good choice. In my particular case, I value feedback a lot, so I'm choosing the blues for my Moonlander. I feel the typing experience with them to be more pleasant.

[HungerMechanic]

BOX Whites are very nice, and underrated.

BOX Pink give a little more feedback, IIRC.

[ethereal]

With "feedback", I was meaning that kind a feedback of the blues, that it's more complex than the one on the Kailh box with a clickbar, and where you can tell on which part on the downstroke and upstroke you are. I used the word "feedback" with that particular sense.

Of course the box whites or the pinks do also have feedback (in the broad sense). They have a lot a tactility and do clearly tell you when they actuate.

I've tried the pinks with a tester (and the pale blues, jades and navies also with a tester). And the whites more in depth as I've used them on my daily driver for some weeks. I don't intend to discredit them. I think they're great switches. But I belief there is something in their clickbar mechanism that I don't truly like.

[ethereal]

Hello!

I just wanted to update my experience. After returning to the Cherry blues, I gave a second try to the Kailh box whites. This time I've managed to adapt to them, but it took me several weeks to do it.

Now I'm pretty happy with the box whites and I'm enjoying them more than the blues.

Best wishes.

[Sintpinty]

Hello!

I just wanted to update my experience. After returning to the Cherry blues, I gave a second try to the Kailh box whites. This time I've managed to adapt to the them, but it took me several weeks to do it.

Now I'm pretty happy with the box whites and I'm enjoying them more than the blues.

Best wishes.

box whites are definitely better than blues

[mixed-switch]

Not crazy, i love cherry mx blues, i have like 5 keebs that still use cherry mx blues. and i always looking for something similar when i build a new board. Which is what makes this hobby so awesome you can stick what you like or try different. Recently i have tried other things other cherry mx blue, but i still cannot get past for me personally the satisfying bump in the blue.

[Darthbaggins]

I still have a love for blues, they were in an Open-Box CM Storm QuickfireTK that I picked up as my first entry with an MX-Style switch (11yrs ago - still have the board too).  I can say that Navy's beat them in feel and sound profile but I tend to run Drop Panda X's (1st launch batch) as my main switch of choice these days.

[mathisart]

MX Blues were my first mechanical switch and I really liked them at first, until I discovered others that seem smoother (to me) and not as loud. But no I don't think you're crazy.

[jcoffin1981]

It is the click I don't like, but the feeling is ok.  The click just seems inconsistent and it does not coincide with the tactile event which I cannot stand.