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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: babyhands on Sun, 27 January 2013, 10:04:28
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Hey guys, not sure how popular of a topic this is. I asked about it in another thread of mine but so far I have really gotten any satisfactory responses. So basically I have heard things like "filcos are just more expensive CM quickfire pro's" and then they talk about how they are made by the same people and are almost exactly the same board. Now where is the truth in this? Are filcos and Quickfire pros the same board with different branding on them? Do they actually have the same parts etc etc...
Thanks!
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Just to clear things up; as far as I know nobody compares the QuickFire Pro to Filco, it's the QuickFire Rapid that's nearly identical.
I don't know if they are exactly the same, I've heard that the quality of the Filco PCB is ever so slightly better than the QFR, but I own both a Filco and a QFR, there's virtually no difference other than the visuals for me. They both feel equally well made, although I liked the stock QFR caps better than the stock Filco caps, despite the ugly font. Might just be me, though, there should be very little difference.
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Yes, I meant the quickfire rapid. Thanks, I changed the title !
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same keyboard with the exception of the Cabling method.. If you want to put the quickfire rapid into the more "popularly-made" filco aluminum cases, you have to do some cabling yourself...
Other than that they're identical in feel/performance/quality...
Some might argue that the "blue" doublesided PCB is worth $100 more,, I say,, F#$% you because it is NOT....
Quickfire Rapid MX BLUE was $54 on amazon 2 days ago..
Filco : $130-150...
You wanna be a sucker,, go ahead... it's mainstream after-all.
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In regards to Filco...
Here's an excerpt from an interview with Carl Matsu (http://www.keyboardlover.com/carlmatsuinterview.php), the designer of Filco and Leopold keyboards.
Do you feel that the Leopold is better designed than the Filco? Why or why not?
"Yes, of course! I cannot tell you. Because I cannot tell the FILCO weak point."
The Leopold is $99 on Elite Keyboards.
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In regards to Filco...
Here's an excerpt from an interview with Carl Matsu (http://www.keyboardlover.com/carlmatsuinterview.php), the designer of Filco and Leopold keyboards.
Do you feel that the Leopold is better designed than the Filco? Why or why not?
"Yes, of course! I cannot tell you. Because I cannot tell the FILCO weak point."
The Leopold is $99 on Elite Keyboards.
weakpoint?? seriously?? on a keyboard.. how weak can it possibly get... i mean...
Let say you have a head of hair,, Now you have another guy with 3 extra hairs on his head....
Is one stronger than the other?
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If you've tried a PCB mount and a plate-mount version of comparable boards (i. e. a G80-3000 and a Filco/Rosewill/etc) you'll know.
I could imagine different mounting strategies either resulting in inferior support or excessive flexing and wear.
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My Filco died after one month, while my friend's Razer BlackWidow Expert still kicking for one year after that, until now.
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My Filco died after one month, while my friend's Razer BlackWidow Expert still kicking for one year after that, until now.
Mine has been chugging along for 2+ years. Definitely wondering what happened with your keyboard...
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Just a data point: About a month ago I ordered from Amazon a Filco TKL and a QFR, both blue switches. The QFR was a little bit mushier in terms of feel if I really have to nitpick, but very noticeably not as crisp in terms of sound when bottoming out. I tested this theory on a non-keyboard-obsessed colleague, and he could tell the difference in both feel and sound without being hinted on what to look for and which one is more expensive.
I also noticed that some of the keys on the QFR were more wobbly than others. But the Filco is not perfect in term of wobbling either, just more uniform (so all keys wobble a similar amount).
In the end, I kept the Filco and returned the QFR. My guess is that it depends on the batch, or even luck (due to manufacturing variance).
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My Filco died after one month, while my friend's Razer BlackWidow Expert still kicking for one year after that, until now.
There are always exceptions. And envirnomental circumstances.
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weakpoint?? seriously?? on a keyboard.. how weak can it possibly get... i mean...
Let say you have a head of hair,, Now you have another guy with 3 extra hairs on his head....
Is one stronger than the other?
You are inevitably going to get the response that the guy with 3 extra hairs on his head warrants the extra money, because having those three extra hairs makes it "look" better.
Since, inextricably, the entire point of personalizing your keyboard is a matter of subjective customization.
OP, if you're poor just go with the QFR, seriously.
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I've got both brands (one of each in brown and a Filco in blue too so I can have home and work boards too) and though I am fairly new to the mechanical board (started with a Razer) I'd say unless you want to spend the extra cash go with the QFR as they are pretty similar in feel and experience. I like the Filco a little more but I think that's actually the switch not the board. It feels a little more solid but the difference is negligible and the QFR feels great to type on. For the price I think the QFR is a bit of a bargain as far as mechanical keyboards go.
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Just a data point: About a month ago I ordered from Amazon a Filco TKL and a QFR, both blue switches. The QFR was a little bit mushier in terms of feel if I really have to nitpick, but very noticeably not as crisp in terms of sound when bottoming out. I tested this theory on a non-keyboard-obsessed colleague, and he could tell the difference in both feel and sound without being hinted on what to look for and which one is more expensive.
I also noticed that some of the keys on the QFR were more wobbly than others. But the Filco is not perfect in term of wobbling either, just more uniform (so all keys wobble a similar amount).
In the end, I kept the Filco and returned the QFR. My guess is that it depends on the batch, or even luck (due to manufacturing variance).
This for the most part.
The other big factor you have to consider in the price discrepancy is that Filco still likes to sell their keyboards at a profit. CM's just breaking into the market by selling keyboards at cost to get their name out. Their marketing ploy is your gain :) - At least in the short term... When $65 mechanical boards start to dominate the market, the profit used for R&D to improve on these amazing devices goes bye-bye and innovation suffers as a result.
/rant ;)