geekhack

geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: Uneek on Wed, 01 February 2012, 04:04:52

Title: Backlit Cherry MX Brown choices
Post by: Uneek on Wed, 01 February 2012, 04:04:52
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?
Title: Backlit Cherry MX Brown choices
Post by: Thagarr on Wed, 01 February 2012, 13:51:39
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.
Title: Backlit Cherry MX Brown choices
Post by: Forin on Wed, 01 February 2012, 14:04:46
Probably race keyboard, but be aware that keyboard with a backlit is kitsch.
Title: Backlit Cherry MX Brown choices
Post by: Thagarr on Wed, 01 February 2012, 14:31:41
Quote from: Forin;505457
Probably race keyboard, but be aware that keyboard with a backlit is kitsch.


Interesting, I have the exact same opinion of tenkeyless boards.
Title: Backlit Cherry MX Brown choices
Post by: Rumudiez on Wed, 01 February 2012, 15:04:07
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!)
Title: Backlit Cherry MX Brown choices
Post by: daniel0731ex on Wed, 01 February 2012, 15:49:35
http://www.tesorotec.com/gaming-keyboard/tesoro-durandal-g1n-mechanical-gaming-keyboard.html

$129.99, Cherry MX Brown
Title: Backlit Cherry MX Brown choices
Post by: daniel0731ex on Wed, 01 February 2012, 15:52:55
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.
Title: Backlit Cherry MX Brown choices
Post by: Uneek on Wed, 01 February 2012, 16:43:55
Quote from: daniel0731ex;505551
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.
Title: Backlit Cherry MX Brown choices
Post by: IvanIvanovich on Wed, 01 February 2012, 19:37:10
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?
Title: Backlit Cherry MX Brown choices
Post by: REVENGE on Wed, 01 February 2012, 19:44:56
Quote from: ripster;505458
Xarmor is the modern equivalent of the Fujitsu Peerless.
Strange analogy. Xarmor feels great, built like ****. Peerless built great, feels like ****.
Title: Backlit Cherry MX Brown choices
Post by: REVENGE on Wed, 01 February 2012, 19:48:08
Quote from: ripster;505758
**** is ****.

You heard it here first.
Touche.
Title: Backlit Cherry MX Brown choices
Post by: TopazPie on Thu, 02 February 2012, 02:21:20
Quote from: Rumudiez;505508
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.
Title: Backlit Cherry MX Brown choices
Post by: Thagarr on Thu, 02 February 2012, 03:46:52
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 (http://www.ergogeek.com/tesoro-durandal-ultimate-g1nl-led-backlit-mechanical-gaming-keyboard.html) 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 (http://deskthority.net/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=37&hilit=Tesoro) 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.
Title: Backlit Cherry MX Brown choices
Post by: Henry Allen Venture on Thu, 02 February 2012, 04:02:33
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.
Title: Backlit Cherry MX Brown choices
Post by: two4teezee on Thu, 02 February 2012, 13:22:27
Quote from: ripster;505758
**** is ****.

You heard it here first.


An expert comment indeed :biggrin1:
Title: Backlit Cherry MX Brown choices
Post by: Wadezorrr on Thu, 02 February 2012, 18:48:43
Quote from: Henry Allen Venture;506205
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.
Title: Backlit Cherry MX Brown choices
Post by: marvin737 on Thu, 02 February 2012, 18:59:26
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
Title: Backlit Cherry MX Brown choices
Post by: Henry Allen Venture on Thu, 02 February 2012, 20:54:37
Quote from: Wadezorrr;506771
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?
Title: Backlit Cherry MX Brown choices
Post by: laffindude on Thu, 02 February 2012, 21:29:49
He's calling it the wrong thing. I believe he is referring to power on by keyboard.
Title: Backlit Cherry MX Brown choices
Post by: alaricljs on Thu, 02 February 2012, 21:34:06
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.
Title: Backlit Cherry MX Brown choices
Post by: Uneek on Thu, 02 February 2012, 23:21:16
Quote from: Henry Allen Venture;506205
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
Title: Backlit Cherry MX Brown choices
Post by: Henry Allen Venture on Fri, 03 February 2012, 01:33:36
Quote from: Uneek;507016
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 (http://mechkeyboards.com/shine.html). 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.