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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: Bratman on Mon, 27 May 2013, 12:08:55
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I originally bought a Filco CherryMX Blue as my first mech keyboard. I had it a couple of days and loved it but I returned it for the CherryMX Red as I was too curious about the red switch. The red switch was better for gaming and still amazing to type on, it was quiet too, I think the blue switch was a bit too loud for me as a mech keyboard noob.
Now a year later I miss the blue switches, the reds are great but I want that clicky feel and noise again. Do the blue switches novelty wear off after a while? Also anyone who's gone back to blue switches why did you go back and are you happy with blues?
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I have a Das keyboard with blues that I used for ~3 years but one day I decided to pick up a Filco with brown switches.
I have not touched the blues since I got it, and now even though I still own my das with blues I only use my Filcos with reds and browns because I prefer lighter switches. This still will not help you because if you like a switch then you like it. Just try to find another board for cheap with blues and keep it around just in case.
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Interesting. I wonder if you had bought the brown switches first and used them for ~3 years, would you be saying you prefer blue. Cherry have really made a cash cow here because everyone wants to use different switches after a long time.
I see you own brown and red switches, I heard you might as well just get red as the bump in brown is so minor you don't notice it when typing 70wpm+.
I think I'm just going to buy another Filco blue, buying a cheap keyboard won't get used. I've got two cherry red keyboards so I'll end up giving one to the girlfriend and selling my current if I decide to keep the cherry blue.
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Only thing I really did not like about blues was the sound, sure at first it's nice but it gets old fast when you can hear yourself typing while listening to music at 100% vol.
I'm hoping whites will be the resolution for this ^^
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Browns feel defective - like they are a Cherry Red that didn't pass QC. Yet despite not noticing the tactile bump at 100wpm+ I type faster on them than Reds. Go figure.
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Why not try browns? I mean, unless you miss the blues that much...
The browns are a good alternative to reds if you need the tactility, but want something else other than blue.
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The blues were my favorite switch and whenever i got a new keyboard, i would always want the cherry mx blue. However, after trying on other keyboards, like a topre or cherry mx browns, the blues weren't that special anymore. Yes to me the novelty wears off but that can be true with a lot of keyboards. Also, there have been some complaints about some cherry mx blues not "clicking" after a while. It has happened to me and it is annoying. The other switches don't seem to have that problem. I have a cherry mx blue at work and i do like it to type on, but it just isn't the great switch i thought it was when i was just learning about keyboards. I do love the cherry mx red as well like you have said but if there is one thing that geekhack.org has taught me it's this: What keyswitch you like today won't necessarily be the one you like tomorrow." That is why you should spend a lot of money and collect a lot of keyboards. That way, if you are bored with one, go and get another keyboard out. ;D
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Only thing I really did not like about blues was the sound, sure at first it's nice but it gets old fast when you can hear yourself typing while listening to music at 100% vol.
I'm hoping whites will be the resolution for this ^^
Haha yeah I remember that, hearing myself type with music on. Also everytime I jumped in a game it was like a bomb going off with the space bar! Still, miss that click.
Browns feel defective - like they are a Cherry Red that didn't pass QC. Yet despite not noticing the tactile bump at 100wpm+ I type faster on them than Reds. Go figure.
I've heard this before, they feel like dirty reds? Do you type ALOT faster on them or just 5-10wpm faster? I'm guessing you used the browns more?
ValerieV - The blue switch got all the attention a few years ago, I would of been the same as you, only buying blue switches if I hadn't of returned it. Mr Interface even said he prefers black switches now, that got the least attention back then. Yeah I was thinking of the blue switches longevity too, bit of a risk I guess. LOL I wish I could own all the switch types but I'm out of work right now and even still. Also having more than one expensive keyboard is annoying, knowing it's there doing nothing. They need to make a keyboard with interchangeable switches, I'd switch them out every two months, that'd be amazing.
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MX blue switches have a slightly more pronounced bump than browns. But both are great. The click is very satisfying sound. Browns feel great too. Reds as well. My solution is of course to get all three: Red, Brown and Blue. You will enjoy each keyboard more by having all three. The only one you don't really "need" is MX black. But to make the collection complete . . . (heh), you might want to get them all (just a suggestion). But a collection of keyboards with a red, a brown, a blue and a black would be an awesome collection indeed. (If you have a job, and spread the cost over three months, it really isn't that expensive.)
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MX Black is very nice. I type on mine all the time. I have 2 boards with MX Blacks that I quite enjoy, TBH. :D
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I've heard this before, they feel like dirty reds? Do you type ALOT faster on them or just 5-10wpm faster? I'm guessing you used the browns more?
In my hey day I could do 145wpm on browns. But with reds I could only get up to 130wpm mostly due to accidental keypresses.
MX Blacks only around 110wpm. Clears are the worst maybe 100wpm.
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MX Black is very nice. I type on mine all the time. I have 2 boards with MX Blacks that I quite enjoy, TBH. :D
Yeah, for some reason MX blacks are either loved or hated. It seems. Personally, they are not my favorites, but there are some really big fans of MX blacks out there, and I respect their love of the MX black switch. Also the old WYSE terminal boards all came with MX blacks, and they became legendary, especially in Asia. However, I think the older MX blacks (pre-1994) were a bit smoother than these modern ones.
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My first keyboard was a Razer Blackwidow Ultimate (MX Blue), I used it for a week then returned it and bought a Das Keyboard Silent (MX Brown). I returned it mainly because I don't like the macro key I keep hitting it by accident when pressing left ctrl. Though I was really glad I went MX Brown. Blue's reset point is a little bit too high for my taste.
So at the moment I prefer MX Red and MX Brown over MX Blue. I still want to try MX Black though, I've only used it briefly in store on the demo units.
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I have a CM QFR Blue, but I rarely use it now, except when I feel bored with my other switches. I just type better on Buckling Spring/Topre/Brown and the Blue just doesn't give me the same aesthetic pleasure.
Red is the only one I haven't tried yet, but I have a feeling I would enjoy it more than Blue.
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You are missing the novelty of how clicky blues are, but that's it. Think about the reasons you got rid of the board in the first place...you will likely come to the same conclusions if you buy another.
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I had reds and blues at the same time. I used the reds more but I did switch to the blues every once in a while. Blues are not to good for double tapping but they are decent for typing. Switching between two cherry mx is pretty fun and ergonomic imo.
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Browns feel defective - like they are a Cherry Red that didn't pass QC. Yet despite not noticing the tactile bump at 100wpm+ I type faster on them than Reds. Go figure.
There is definitely a noticeable bump when using browns..it just isn't a huge bump...they feel scratchy when you press them one at a time but they're exactly what they're supposed to be when using them normally.....which is probably why you're typing faster with them than reds...
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Haha, browns do feel like annoying reds.
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Maybe try out ergo-clears?
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I have two keyboards with MX blues, obtained whilst attempting to recreate the tactile and audible feedback obtained from keyboards I used many years ago.
Sadly, although I enjoy typing on blues, they are not the same as the old keyboards (e.g. NEC APC-H4100E).
I have another keyboard with MX blacks that I enjoy using.
I have yet another on order with MX reds to see what they are like.
Although I did originally consider MX browns as a compromise between tactile and audible feedback, I probably won't go out of my way to get a keyboard with browns as the mixed reviews I have read about them are mostly negative.
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My first mechanical keyboard was cherry mx red board. I loved it for the gaming i did (World of Warcraft, Counter-strike, etc..) but I was making so many mistakes typing school papers and I just ended up getting very frustrated and returning it in search of something else. I found that my typing was most accurate when using MX Blues, but the sound did start to wear on me after a little while. I've been thinking about re-visiting red switches again when I pick up a poker 2 because I feel I may have been a little too hasty in deciding it wasn't for me. Can Reds be a good typing switch? I guess maybe getting used to something more linear than tactile takes some time, I found myself bottoming out on them constantly.
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Reds> browns
Ergoclears> browns
Maybe some korean springs would make browns better... question is: the heavier ones or lighter
Oh yeah. I have only been using browns for a few months now. I am content with them for now. Just waiting for the phantom...
Browns> blacks
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Browns feel defective - like they are a Cherry Red that didn't pass QC. Yet despite not noticing the tactile bump at 100wpm+ I type faster on them than Reds. Go figure.
LOL! This x100. Browns are my least favorite Cherry switch but I type on the fastest :)) I guess we'll see for sure after I do my Ergo-Clears.
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After having brown, black and blue all at the same time I find myself to prefer blues out of the three. The clicky sound never gets old for me even when I was still on a Blackwidow (my first venture into mechanical keyboards). Coding with my blue Filco camo makes me feel like the most badass nerd in the world! ;D
I have not tried red but do think that brown is closest to blue minus the click, but it gets boring fast. My next keyboard may be a red QFR but not until I get rid of either my 6Gv2 or Shine 1.
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I'm pretty heavy handed and play a lot of First Person Shooters, so for my first board I went with blacks. For a first mechanical keyboard, it didn't really feel that great in comparison to my old rubber dome gaming keyboards. I used it for about 3 months and then sold it and picked up a CM Storm Quickfire TK with blues and I absolutely love it. I type on it at work all day and use it at home as well for typing and gaming. I haven't grown tired of the sound and I don't think I ever will. I was actually a little disappointed that they weren't louder!
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I heard alps and imb are louder.
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I heard alps and imb are louder.
What is this IMB sorcery?
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If you like the quietness of reds, but the tactile feedback of blues, then browns seem to be the best fit. I tried blues and reds and didn't like them compared to browns. Reds were too easy to type on and blues were too loud for me.
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Screw it gonna have to get blue, now I have two filco red boards why do I have two reds :mad:
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I have a Filco TKL with blues, if yours is a TKL with reds, I will trade :D
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I'm pretty heavy handed and play a lot of First Person Shooters, so for my first board I went with blacks. For a first mechanical keyboard, it didn't really feel that great in comparison to my old rubber dome gaming keyboards. I used it for about 3 months and then sold it and picked up a CM Storm Quickfire TK with blues and I absolutely love it. I type on it at work all day and use it at home as well for typing and gaming. I haven't grown tired of the sound and I don't think I ever will. I was actually a little disappointed that they weren't louder!
What does typing on blacks feel like? Is it similar to reds?
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I actually recommend topres for gaming more than anything, but that's just my personal preference. Blues are not that great for gaming, but typing is awesome. A compromise between gaming and typing is browns or clears.
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I have a Filco TKL with blues, if yours is a TKL with reds, I will trade :D
I would but I don't have 60 posts yet, gonna create a classified when I'm able.
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I actually recommend topres for gaming more than anything, but that's just my personal preference. Blues are not that great for gaming, but typing is awesome. A compromise between gaming and typing is browns or clears.
Your Topre Comment is TP4-approved, well done... :D
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I originally bought a Filco CherryMX Blue as my first mech keyboard. I had it a couple of days and loved it but I returned it for the CherryMX Red as I was too curious about the red switch. The red switch was better for gaming and still amazing to type on, it was quiet too, I think the blue switch was a bit too loud for me as a mech keyboard noob.
Now a year later I miss the blue switches, the reds are great but I want that clicky feel and noise again. Do the blue switches novelty wear off after a while? Also anyone who's gone back to blue switches why did you go back and are you happy with blues?
But as you said it was you switching switches to get better gaming feeling?
That means you're just missing blues for typing?
then as you're missing blues for typing... u still prefer red for gaming? or not?
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Yep prefer red for gaming, I remember playing Saints Row 3 with blues and leering off the sides while driving because of blues. Also everytime you jump in counter strike it sounds like BOOOOOM, a bomb going off. :))
I love typing on reds also but I miss the fun of blues, CLICK CLICK CLICK.