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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: fuzzybaffy on Mon, 10 June 2019, 20:27:48
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And I have no idea why I put it back in the storage to begin with. :))
It's a Majestouch 2 with MX Browns, that I purchased YEARS ago, and I put it back in the storage after using it for about a year. Since that time I've had a Topre 87U, Ducky Shine 4 (I think... I don't remember), and Leopold FC750R.
The Topre and Leopolds are alright, while the Ducky was pretty flimsy.
Now... there's something about the Filco Majestouch 2 that I really like. Can't quite put my finger on it (no pun intended), but I suppose those MJ2 marketing materials about its PCB or whatever are correct? I never really believed them, but maybe I should.
Just posting some appreciation for an old classic. :thumb:
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Still have my old Filco zero the Alps variant of the MJ2 complete in box replaced the switches to NOS Yellow Alps. I don't know what it is but i think its the mounting/plastic material that separates Filco boards from other OEM keyboards i have tried so far.
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Whatever it is about Filcos, they seem noisy compared to some others I've owned, despite all of them having the same switches (MX brown). I had a Leopold FC900R that was a lot quieter, and currently have a Ducky One that's a little quieter. The Filco was comparable in noise to a couple of Varmilo keyboards I had. That's not to say that the Filco isn't a pleasure to type on. It just seems like it's noisy compared to some others.
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Personally I think it is the plate that was used.. I took it apart a few times to clean and mod (latest was to add in a USB hub for fingerprint sensor for unlocking windows)... And the plate made a vast difference on the typing feel due to the increased rigidity. There is just less flex during typing...
Sent from my MI 6 using Tapatalk
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The Leopolds have felt lining in their cases, which make them quieter. Just using them side-by-side there is definitely more sound reverberating from the Filco case when I press on the space-bar. At the same time, the Filco feels more consistent/sturdy when bottoming out, like I'm literally typing on the plate. I know there's a plate on the Leopold, too, but the bottoming out doesn't feel as "clean" - it is very subtle. As you guys are guessing, it seems to do something with the plating/mounting on the Filco board.
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You've been here for more than 10 years, by the way.
When I joined, there weren't many mechanical keyboards commercially available, and the Filco was the most highly recommended.
I tried for a while to get a Filco with the yellow keycaps, but to no avail. Eventually I managed to acquire a set of yellow Filco keycaps, but still rue the fact that I wasn't able to find an actual Filco keyboard down here.
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I am still typing on my Filco MJ2, which was my first mech.
But I was never fully satisfied with it.
First, as others have noted, it is noisy. Noisier than comparable keyboards. [MX Brown].
There is a little ping in the case, but mostly rattle from the stabs, and the switches themselves.
The stabs are a main culprit here. The Costar stabs don't play well with a lot of aftermarket modifiers. And I haven't lubed them.
Lubing them is a priority this summer.
But, man, it sounds almost like a machine gun.
The Filco feels solid because it has a double-thick plastic case, which gives the impression of quality. It's certainly sturdy, and I appreciate that.
But the board lacks subtlety. It's got thick plastic and a double-sided PCB (which I can't see), but the stabs rattle and the keys bottom-out hard. And I get the sense that MX Browns weren't designed to be mounted on such a rigid, metal plate.
My Varmilo came quieter out-of-the-box, and felt like a more professional typing experience.
And I have a Leopold FC900 PD on the way, to directly compare to the Filco.
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Just brought out my old Emachines rubber dome again. Why is it slanted? It doesn't feel that good. I'm going to sell it or put it back.
You know what? I think i'd would be a good idea to sell it so that way i have more money for my keycaps.
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And I get the sense that MX Browns weren't designed to be mounted on such a rigid, metal plate.
I swapped out the original switches on a Cherry G80-3494 with MX browns, and it was a completely different typing experience than using browns in a plate-mounted keyboard, especially a Filco. I thought it was very nice, but the sheer size of that keyboard, plus the non-standard caps lock key, eventually led me to sell it. I do sort of regret selling it, though, since it was so nice to type on.
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Yes, I've read that MX Browns were intended to be used on polycarb plates, or metal half-plates.
Or at least something without a full metal plate.
The guy who designed the KBD8X mk ii recommended polycarbonate plates for 'tactile' builds.