Links don't seem to work. And I'd be all over this but that price kills it completely. :eek:
@atectatifern: Please let us know how the rings work out for you on a Novatouch. I have tested the rings on an RF87U and a HHKB Pro 2, but all I have done with the Novatouch is determine that the rings will fit on the switch stem. I think the switches for the modifiers might be a different design in the NT from those in the RF or HH, so that the rings might not work for the modifier switches in the NT as they do in the RF or HH.
For my HHKB, I used a single ring for the modifiers and spacebar, and this seems to work fine. I also lubed the modifiers and spacebar switches. In addition, I added some small squares of self-adhesive foam strips on top of the rubberized contact points under the HHKB spacebar.
I find it difficult to dissect out tactility from the overall typing experience, which includes aural feedback. For example, when I first tested a Type-S HHKB Pro 2, I thought that the tactility was different from that of a standard HHKB Pro 2. However, when I tested them while wearing ear protectors, I found the tactility about the same between the two models.
Likewise, when comparing a standard HHKB Pro 2 vs a HHKB Pro 2 with the silencing rings installed, if I try to separate out the tactility from the difference in sound, I think that the tactility is about the same between the two. This is probably because the silencing rings dampen the return stroke rather than the down stroke of the key switch.
Not everyone prefers the sound of a damped Topre switch over the sound of a standard Topre switch. I wasn't sure that I liked it at first, but after using the damped version for a few weeks, I now prefer using my HHKB with the silencing rings installed.
The materials in these rings are very different from the EK pads. I would not recommend trying to iron the silencing rings.
@atectatifern: Please let us know how the rings work out for you on a Novatouch . . .I got them today and stayed up way too late putting them on. The difference is night and day. I made recordings with my phone (sorry) and will post them when I've had some sleep and get some time (I hope tomorrow).
Really want to pick some up, but the cost is making the decision a tough one.
Really want to pick some up, but the cost is making the decision a tough one.
I would love to try them out as well, however the price + shipping and import taxes to Europe is a real killer.
Really want to pick some up, but the cost is making the decision a tough one.
I would love to try them out as well, however the price + shipping and import taxes to Europe is a real killer.
Well I may be coming to Denmark this winter to visit friends in Copenhagen. So I could always bring them with me, but that would be a while.
Really want to pick some up, but the cost is making the decision a tough one.
I would love to try them out as well, however the price + shipping and import taxes to Europe is a real killer.
Well I may be coming to Denmark this winter to visit friends in Copenhagen. So I could always bring them with me, but that would be a while.
Oh wow, what a small world. That is very kind of you to offer, I might consider it. Let me know if you choose to place an order. :)
You should give a thought about doing a group buy for these. It could possibly lower the price, so it might be more alluring to some..
At the moment the price is a bit much for me...
I'm pretty sure it would garner a good few orders if the price was right...
Is there a way of having the import fees removed entirely? I'm sure that would entice a lot more people purchasing these...
Hey just wanted to post here that I grabbed a set of these and put them on my HHKB.
It shortens the travel of the switch slightly still but it's definitely less than dental bands or ironed soft landing pads (unless you cut the pads perfectly which takes forever).
I have modded my HHKB with dental bands and ironed landing pads in the past and removed them afterword (even though i loved the sound) due to the reduced travel.
These rings however will be staying on there as it's just close enough to the original feel for me.
Hypershpere I was actually talking so some chinese company about mass producing something very similar to this as well, you just saved me a lot of time :)
If you do another run of these I'll probably grab another set to mod a TKL. :thumb:
TLDR: These are really good and highly recommended!
Hey just wanted to post here that I grabbed a set of these and put them on my HHKB.
It shortens the travel of the switch slightly still but it's definitely less than dental bands or ironed soft landing pads (unless you cut the pads perfectly which takes forever).
I have modded my HHKB with dental bands and ironed landing pads in the past and removed them afterword (even though i loved the sound) due to the reduced travel.
These rings however will be staying on there as it's just close enough to the original feel for me.
Hypershpere I was actually talking so some chinese company about mass producing something very similar to this as well, you just saved me a lot of time :)
If you do another run of these I'll probably grab another set to mod a TKL. :thumb:
TLDR: These are really good and highly recommended!
Glad the rings worked out well for you.
There should be no reduction in key travel on the downstroke.
All the rings from the first production run have now been sold. There seems to be continuing interest, so I will be setting up for another batch. I might run an interest check first. Because I started this over on Deskthority (DT), I will probably do the IC over there as well to keep things as simple as possible.
+1Hey just wanted to post here that I grabbed a set of these and put them on my HHKB.
It shortens the travel of the switch slightly still but it's definitely less than dental bands or ironed soft landing pads (unless you cut the pads perfectly which takes forever).
I have modded my HHKB with dental bands and ironed landing pads in the past and removed them afterword (even though i loved the sound) due to the reduced travel.
These rings however will be staying on there as it's just close enough to the original feel for me.
Hypershpere I was actually talking so some chinese company about mass producing something very similar to this as well, you just saved me a lot of time :)
If you do another run of these I'll probably grab another set to mod a TKL. :thumb:
TLDR: These are really good and highly recommended!
Glad the rings worked out well for you.
There should be no reduction in key travel on the downstroke.
All the rings from the first production run have now been sold. There seems to be continuing interest, so I will be setting up for another batch. I might run an interest check first. Because I started this over on Deskthority (DT), I will probably do the IC over there as well to keep things as simple as possible.
Please try to do a group buy. I know a greater amount of people would buy for a lesser price. I know I would be in if the price was cheaper. I would also but significantly more.
@atectatifern: Please let us know how the rings work out for you on a Novatouch . . .I got them today and stayed up way too late putting them on. The difference is night and day. I made recordings with my phone (sorry) and will post them when I've had some sleep and get some time (I hope tomorrow).
The diameter of the rings for the non-stabilzed key sliders is perfect. Not so tight they're hard to get on but not so loose they fall off when putting the sliders back on. For the stabilized keys, the sliders are a little smaller so the rings are a tiny bit loose but still do the trick as far as I'm concerned.
The spacebar sounds really jarring now (I only put rings on the sliders; I didn't lube or try to do anything with the other parts of the stabilized keys) but the rest of the keys are very quiet. I haven't noticed any difference in key travel.
Also, a shout out to Jetski (not sure if here on GH) for posting his instructions for NT disassembly/reassembly. Although his instructions are for the EK landing pads, his narrative and pictures gave me much more confidence in the process. They're here: http://imgur.com/a/6sg9f.
Thanks for making these available--there is no way I would have ironed the EK pads!
UPDATE:
I am pleased to report that I was able to complete "Round 2" of the Silencing Rings ahead of schedule.
Moreover, due to increased production efficiency and economies of scale, I am able to reduce prices by 20%.
The new listings have been posted on eBay.
I'm still very curios how effective these are. Does anyone who has used these silencing rings also have a board with the landing pad silencing mod? Thoughts on both?
I'm still very curios how effective these are. Does anyone who has used these silencing rings also have a board with the landing pad silencing mod? Thoughts on both?
I don't have a board with the landing pad, but I do have a HHKB Type-S and I can say that these rings produces almost the same sound and silencing effect.
I'm still very curios how effective these are. Does anyone who has used these silencing rings also have a board with the landing pad silencing mod? Thoughts on both?
I don't have a board with the landing pad, but I do have a HHKB Type-S and I can say that these rings produces almost the same sound and silencing effect.
Ray do you have any extras I could buy? =P
Would love to test these out before dropping almost $100 on these
I'm still very curios how effective these are. Does anyone who has used these silencing rings also have a board with the landing pad silencing mod? Thoughts on both?
I don't have a board with the landing pad, but I do have a HHKB Type-S and I can say that these rings produces almost the same sound and silencing effect.
Ray do you have any extras I could buy? =P
Would love to test these out before dropping almost $100 on these
Unfortunately I don't bro. Sorry..
I bought 2x 107 from Hypersphere. Used 60+87 already and need to do another 60 for my other HHKB xD
Why are these so much more expensive than the MX ones? Not enough demand?
They're tiny rubber rings. Whether they cushion the upwards journey of the cap, or the downward journey, there _is_ an MX equivalent of these. Don't be pedantic.
I have a Novatouch with SA Retro and was curious if these help with the rattle I get just from running my fingers across the keys without actuating them? That stem rattle from just resting my hands on the keys is the only bad part about the keyboard.My Novatouch currently has Ducky PBT OEM profile keycaps and internal silencing rings, and the keys do not rattle. However, I have not yet tried SA profile keycaps on the Novatouch or any other keyboard.
Thanks.
Just ordered a set to use with the fc660c. I'll post back with my results.yes, definitely more force than either of my novatouches and many others have noticed as well
I've done the silent landing pad mod with my novatouch and I really do appreciate the sound it now has. The amount of time needed to iron pads and making sure they fit just right on the sliders was the most time consuming and annoying part of the mod. But in the end, the thock was worth it. There's just something with that thock.
Is it me or are the rubber domes in the dye-sub fc660c have a little more resistance/oomph when compared to the Novatouch?
also, I love the results on my fc660c I just wish I ordered enough to try and hack some more onto the stabilized keys. If you strike stabilized keys anywhere near the edges it's almost as loud as before and really loud in contrast with how silent the rest of the keys are after you do this mod.
I'm another happy NovaTouch + Hypersphere silencing ring user :)
For disassembly, I followed this guide: http://imgur.com/gallery/iGzCV
I also lubed the stabilizers using this: http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/permatex-ultra-slick-multi-purpose-synthetic-grease-85-g-0280813p.html Canadian friendly :)
...
Interesting choice for lube, and a lot of it...how do you like it? I used Geekhackers V3 on my sliders (with an extremely light coat) and had good results. I know Bro Caps recommends Du Pont Teflon as an all around, just didn't want to pay $15 for a 4oz bottle (this is also quite a lot).
...
@atectatifern: Please let us know how the rings work out for you on a Novatouch. I have tested the rings on an RF87U and a HHKB Pro 2, but all I have done with the Novatouch is determine that the rings will fit on the switch stem. I think the switches for the modifiers might be a different design in the NT from those in the RF or HH, so that the rings might not work for the modifier switches in the NT as they do in the RF or HH.Where do we get these foam strips? Do they come with these rings?
For my HHKB, I used a single ring for the modifiers and spacebar, and this seems to work fine. I also lubed the modifiers and spacebar switches. In addition, I added some small squares of self-adhesive foam strips on top of the rubberized contact points under the HHKB spacebar.
the silencing rings came in and i have finally installed them.
In terms of sound, they are definitely dampened. They sound very similar to using the ironed-down landing pads. I actually used landing pads on the stabilizer keys in order to cover a little more surface area. I still get a return clack when using the backspace but that's simply because the key is so large. For the most part, the sound is consistent.
The price while a little higher is well worth not having to spend the amount of time needed to iron down landing pads and fiddling around the sliders to make sure they fit. Great job on these rings! Long live the thock!
@Dolch: No, the foam strips do not come with the rings. I get mine at a local hardware store. They appear to be the same type of material that is used as non-skid pads on the underside of keyboards. I cut squares of the material and apply them to the top of the case on each side of the central spacebar switch to act as a shock absorber for the spacebar. The foam strip thing is a completely optional extra treatment; I haven't done a thorough assessment of its effectiveness. The same with lubing the stabilizers -- I do this when I install rings in my keyboards, but I haven't done an objective study to determine the extent to which this helps with suppressing stabilizer rattle. However, I can say that the rings alone make a major difference in quieting Topre switches, especially on the Novatouch, but I have installed them on my RF87U and HHKB Pro 2 as well, and I really like the results on all of my Topre-switch keyboards.
@slushi: Yes, we have temporarily sold out of the silencing rings. However, I am tooling up for a new batch, which I anticipate will be ready by around mid-January. They will again be available at "katesattic2" on eBay.
Regarding the foam strips, i use something similar to this item on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Shepherd-Hardware-9980-Surface-Adhesive/dp/B003B4TMOM/ref=sr_1_4?s=hardware&ie=UTF8&qid=1447955500&sr=1-4&refinements=p_n_feature_keywords_browse-bin%3A3334266011%2C2802967011
(Attachment Link)
I cut the strips into squares and apply them under the spacebar. However, there are a variety of materials that would work as well or better. These foam strips are okay on the HHKB Pro 2 because of the extra height from the built-in spacebar bumpers. However, for the Novatouch, you will need more height. You could use more layers of the foam strips or get a thicker material from a hardware store. I think there are some thicker foam tapes that should work well. I have not researched the spacebar bumpers thoroughly. In contrast, I have researched the silencing rings thoroughly.
Yes, as I recall, if you want to add some shock absorbing pads under the spacebar, the RF87U and Novatouch would be similar. If the shock pads are to work, they would have to have enough thickness to reach the underside of the spacebar when it is pressed down.Is there aa video or some pictures I can see where I can add the absorbing pads?
Can't wait for these to get back in stock. I need some for my 87U and FC660C
Please scroll up to see my posts with some details. There is a pic of a HHKB with the spacebar removed -- you can see where the shock absorbers are. I use approximately the same placement on other Topre-switch keyboards. The foam strips are about 1 mm thick, so that at least two layers would be needed on anything but a HHKB. I have not yet experimented much with techniques for spacebar shock absorbers -- it is likely that there is a better way than using the foam strips. When I can find some time, I will look into this more carefully and post if I discover a better method.Yes, as I recall, if you want to add some shock absorbing pads under the spacebar, the RF87U and Novatouch would be similar. If the shock pads are to work, they would have to have enough thickness to reach the underside of the spacebar when it is pressed down.Is there aa video or some pictures I can see where I can add the absorbing pads?
And, how thick are these pads compared to the standard hhkb type-s silencing pads? I think I read that the hhkb is 2mm thick while these are 1mm thick. Is this true?
UPDATE: ROUND 3: The Hypersphere Silencing Rings are availlable again via "katesattic2" on eBay. If you go to eBay and type "Silencing Rings" in the search box, this should get you there.
In addition, for a limited time (from Dec 21 2015 until early January 2016, for those who live in the UK or EU, "Muirium" is serving as a proxy; you could contact him directly.
Just put in an order :)
I installed these a couple weeks ago and they're fantastic. I prefer the sound and keystroke feel of the hypersphere silenced HHKB over my Type-S.Same here! But it is good to hear this from others! ;)
@rwarwarwa and @Auryon: I've encountered a delay because the raw materials for the rings are on back order. We will get them made and back up for sale as soon as possible. Thanks for your interest and patience.
NOTICE: The Hypersphere Rings (Silencing Rings) are available once more! They are now up for sale on eBay at "hypersphere2016". This was previously "katesattic2".
how do you actually apply those silencing rings?
These are great! Just threw them on, the board sounds amazing now, and I have my wonderful thocky thock now :))how do you actually apply those silencing rings?
You just take the plungers out of the board and slide them over the plunger, similarly to how you would apply the landing pads, just without all the preparation.
Ebay!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/252352381408
Ebay!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/252352381408
Is their a difference in rings (like o-rings for cherry) or all they all the same?
Is their something I should look out for?
Ebay!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/252352381408
Is their a difference in rings (like o-rings for cherry) or all they all the same?
Is their something I should look out for?
As far as I know all the rings being sold are the same, just different quantities. If you're asking about different silencing methods for Topre, I'd say this is the best compared to ironed landing pads and dental bands, since these don't have any effect on key travel since they're so thin, and it sounds just like a Type-S
Ebay!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/252352381408
Is their a difference in rings (like o-rings for cherry) or all they all the same?
Is their something I should look out for?
As far as I know all the rings being sold are the same, just different quantities. If you're asking about different silencing methods for Topre, I'd say this is the best compared to ironed landing pads and dental bands, since these don't have any effect on key travel since they're so thin, and it sounds just like a Type-S
Nice! Time to order and do the mod then. Curious how it sounds (or the lack of it for that matter).
Ebay!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/252352381408
Is their a difference in rings (like o-rings for cherry) or all they all the same?
Is their something I should look out for?
As far as I know all the rings being sold are the same, just different quantities. If you're asking about different silencing methods for Topre, I'd say this is the best compared to ironed landing pads and dental bands, since these don't have any effect on key travel since they're so thin, and it sounds just like a Type-S
Nice! Time to order and do the mod then. Curious how it sounds (or the lack of it for that matter).
Sounds identical to the Type-S. It's great. Here's a typing test of a type-s for reference
Ebay!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/252352381408
Is their a difference in rings (like o-rings for cherry) or all they all the same?
Is their something I should look out for?
As far as I know all the rings being sold are the same, just different quantities. If you're asking about different silencing methods for Topre, I'd say this is the best compared to ironed landing pads and dental bands, since these don't have any effect on key travel since they're so thin, and it sounds just like a Type-S
Nice! Time to order and do the mod then. Curious how it sounds (or the lack of it for that matter).
Sounds identical to the Type-S. It's great. Here's a typing test of a type-s for reference
Sounds really nice!
Only... why is that spacebar SO LOUD?
Sounds really nice!
Only... why is that spacebar SO LOUD?
The space bar always bottoms out on the rubber pads on the HHKB, as seen hereShow Image(https://www.keychatter.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/keychatter_2015-02-24_21-00-04.jpg)
Sounds really nice!
Only... why is that spacebar SO LOUD?
The space bar always bottoms out on the rubber pads on the HHKB, as seen hereShow Image(https://www.keychatter.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/keychatter_2015-02-24_21-00-04.jpg)
Would it be possible to silence the spacebar somehow? That's the only thing that is missing. I'll probably gonna try it myself. First I need to get me a spare HHKB / 87U.
Sounds really nice!
Only... why is that spacebar SO LOUD?
The space bar always bottoms out on the rubber pads on the HHKB, as seen hereShow Image(https://www.keychatter.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/keychatter_2015-02-24_21-00-04.jpg)
Would it be possible to silence the spacebar somehow? That's the only thing that is missing. I'll probably gonna try it myself. First I need to get me a spare HHKB / 87U.
I'd bet if you removed those little things that hold the rubber pads for the bar it would be just like any of the other keys. Other than that I don't know how you would do it
Sounds really nice!
Only... why is that spacebar SO LOUD?
The space bar always bottoms out on the rubber pads on the HHKB, as seen hereShow Image(https://www.keychatter.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/keychatter_2015-02-24_21-00-04.jpg)
Would it be possible to silence the spacebar somehow? That's the only thing that is missing. I'll probably gonna try it myself. First I need to get me a spare HHKB / 87U.
I'd bet if you removed those little things that hold the rubber pads for the bar it would be just like any of the other keys. Other than that I don't know how you would do it
I thought those rubber pads ABSORBED that noise. But apparently not then. I have the idea that perhaps sometimes the spacebar goes over the pads and still hit the plate, thus causing the noise. I have already removed the little spring under the spacebar, but that didn't help really.