Backlit Cherry MX Brown choices

[Uneek]

MX Brown with backlight. Recommendations based on quality/price and previous experience (if owned)

XArmor U9BL-S ($149.95)
Ducky Shine DK9008S ($146.00)
Razer BlackWidow Stealth ($139.99)

OR any other suggestions?

[Thagarr]

XArmor is complete crap, I had one for about 4 months before it died on me. I replaced mine with a Ducky Shining with Blues and it is a much better build quality and so far I am very satisfied with it.

I have no experience with the Blackwidow so I can't really comment on that one.

[Forin]

Probably race keyboard, but be aware that keyboard with a backlit is kitsch.

[Thagarr]

Probably race keyboard, but be aware that keyboard with a backlit is kitsch.

Interesting, I have the exact same opinion of tenkeyless boards.

[Rumudiez]

had a blackwidow and returned it the same week i got it. you can basically use the board as a tortilla is flexes so much and the keycaps come pretty much as shiny as you'd expect they could get.
i'd recommend the ducky shine if you don't want a TKL, otherwise the Poker or Race (or eventually Pure... c'mon KBT!)

[daniel0731ex]

http://www.tesorotec.com/gaming-keyboard/tesoro-durandal-g1n-mechanical-gaming-keyboard.html

$129.99, Cherry MX Brown

[daniel0731ex]

Just saw this thing:

http://www.tesorotec.com/gaming-keyboard/tesoro-durandal-ultimate-g1nl-led-backlit-mechanical-gaming-keyboard.html

A bit more expensive than the choices listed previously. Not sure about the quality though.

[Uneek]

Just saw this thing: Tesoro Durandal Ultimate G1NL LED Backlit Mechanical Gaming Keyboard

A bit more expensive than the choices listed previously. Not sure about the quality though.

guess my options are down to this and Ducky Shine DK9008S. I like the Tesoro because of the usb/headphone input on the back of the keyboard (instead of directly to the right). The style and 'RED' led is also a plus.

[IvanIvanovich]

Tessoro uses the same manufacturer as ione/xarmor/qpad I believe, at least the older models looked 100% the same. Does the backlit Noppo Pro come in browns?

[REVENGE]

Xarmor is the modern equivalent of the Fujitsu Peerless.

Strange analogy. Xarmor feels great, built like ****. Peerless built great, feels like ****.

[REVENGE]

**** is ****.

You heard it here first.

Touche.

[TopazPie]

had a blackwidow and returned it the same week i got it. you can basically use the board as a tortilla is flexes so much and the keycaps come pretty much as shiny as you'd expect they could get.
i'd recommend the ducky shine if you don't want a TKL, otherwise the Poker or Race (or eventually Pure... c'mon KBT!)

When I had a razer blackwidow it never flexed. Once you get past the strange font choice it's a solid keyboard. I think it's build quality is close to a leopold.

[Thagarr]

That Tesoro Durandal Ultimate looks interesting, if just for the 128k of onboard memory. I wasn't able to find out anything else about it though, just what was on their web page. ErgoGeek seems to be the only one I could find that was selling them, just happens to be that's where I got my Xarmor. It's curious that they have none in stock and there are no reviews. That layout does look a lot like the Xarmor, right down to the style of arrow keys and the line in the space bar.

Lysol is correct I believe, I was able to find this thread over at Deskthority though and that case looks almost identical to Xarmor, I would be very cautious of that one until some reviews start coming in.

[Henry Allen Venture]

The BlackWidow seems (mostly) to have a good reputation. I'll probably buy myself one for ****s and giggles eventually, because I wouldn't mind making myself a WhiteWidow, and because I kind of want a keyboard with macro keys again.

I do have the Ducky Shining, though, and its very good. I've only had it a couple of days, mind you, but so far I only have two complaints. The little feet to lift the back of the keyboard up are pathetic - they only lift it buy about 1mm. I stuck a few coins under there and now I'm good to go. There's also one key (part of the top right hand shortcut key cluster) on which the backlight won't turn off, even if the computer is not on. Not sure why its doing that, but whichever of the "1x" "2x" ... "4x" keys I have lit up won't go off. I haven't even bothered trying to figure that out, so it might be a simple fix, but even if I can't its still not a huge problem.

What I'm getting at is the Ducky is definitely a solid choice. Prettymuch all the people I've seen on here and on /g/ are happy with theirs, including myself. I wouldn't discard the BlackWidow as a choice, either, but of the three you mentioned I'd definitely go with the Ducky. Plus with the Ducky you get your choice of backlighting colours - depending on where you're buying from you might be able to get blue, white, green or red. I've got white and it looks amazing.

[two4teezee]

**** is ****.

You heard it here first.

An expert comment indeed :biggrin1:

[Wadezorrr]

There's also one key (part of the top right hand shortcut key cluster) on which the backlight won't turn off, even if the computer is not on.

Its the "allways on" Charge feature of your motherboard, man.
Like how my sidewinder's lights and the capslock numlock scrollock lights on my filco don't turn off.

[marvin737]

I've been using my Blackwidow for a bit more than a year now and it's served me well. I was skeptical about buying it at first because I've heard some sketchy things about razer products but it has been nothing but a pleasure to use. Take this with a grain of salt however as the only other mech. keyboard i've used is a das

[Henry Allen Venture]

Its the "allways on" Charge feature of your motherboard, man.
Like how my sidewinder's lights and the capslock numlock scrollock lights on my filco don't turn off.

I didn't think I had that charging feature on my motherboard - I've never had lights stay on with anything before (previous keyboards, DeathAdder, etc. etc.).
Even if I did, always on charging on the PS/2 port?
Thats a stupid motherboard design, then. What the hell charges via PS/2?

[laffindude]

He's calling it the wrong thing. I believe he is referring to power on by keyboard.

[alaricljs]

Even so, I've never had that leave my KB LEDs lit on either PS/2 or USB except with some Dell board I had.

[Uneek]

The BlackWidow seems (mostly) to have a good reputation. I'll probably buy myself one for ****s and giggles eventually, because I wouldn't mind making myself a WhiteWidow, and because I kind of want a keyboard with macro keys again.

I do have the Ducky Shining, though, and its very good. I've only had it a couple of days, mind you, but so far I only have two complaints. The little feet to lift the back of the keyboard up are pathetic - they only lift it buy about 1mm. I stuck a few coins under there and now I'm good to go. There's also one key (part of the top right hand shortcut key cluster) on which the backlight won't turn off, even if the computer is not on. Not sure why its doing that, but whichever of the "1x" "2x" ... "4x" keys I have lit up won't go off. I haven't even bothered trying to figure that out, so it might be a simple fix, but even if I can't its still not a huge problem.

What I'm getting at is the Ducky is definitely a solid choice. Prettymuch all the people I've seen on here and on /g/ are happy with theirs, including myself. I wouldn't discard the BlackWidow as a choice, either, but of the three you mentioned I'd definitely go with the Ducky. Plus with the Ducky you get your choice of backlighting colours - depending on where you're buying from you might be able to get blue, white, green or red. I've got white and it looks amazing.

Ive only seen green/blue led duckys. Do you know where I can find one with red LEDs

[Henry Allen Venture]

Ive only seen green/blue led duckys. Do you know where I can find one with red LEDs

It depends on where you're from.
I got my white one from MechKeyboards. They used to sell red backlit, but it doesn't look like they do anymore. They only ship to Australia as far as I know.