Hi all,
Is it really worth getting used Alps switches over good BOX switches/CBS? I've just spent the better part of six hours desoldering, taking apart, and cleaning Green Alps, which were of horrendous quality before. First of all, there has to be a way to find Alps, which are already rare by themselves. Second, they fetch high prices, even if they are not in good condition, which means finding in-good condition Alps for a low price is very hard. And lastly, even ultrasonic cleaning of 5/10 switches does not even restore them to 10/10 quality, so there is no way to "repair" damaged switches. NOS Alps or good-condition Alps fetch 150+ dollars on Mechmarket or Ebay for the switches themselves, and I haven't even mentioned the poor availability of boards to house them. I've never tried BOX switches or CBS (two ~$100 options), and I want to know if the difference in feel is actually worth the hundreds of dollar difference. Now, of course, I will buy cheap good-condition Alps at the first chance I get, but people have now understood how well sought out these switches are, and have accordingly priced them in the $100+ mark, even for keyboards of subpar quality. Why would I take so much time and money to buy Alps when I can get smooth, tactile, and consistent alternatives in CBS and the BOX lineup?
tl;dr Alps take a lot of time and money, is it still worth getting them?
Thanks for reading,
treeleaf64