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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: morpheus on Tue, 28 May 2013, 03:49:09

Title: HPE 87 Brown - Key Stroke Sounds Quieter than other Brown boards
Post by: morpheus on Tue, 28 May 2013, 03:49:09
Lately I've been watching some videos of various MX Brown boards, and for some reason they sound much louder than my HPE 87 Browns.

For any Brown aficionados, can you confirm this?
Title: Re: HPE 87 Brown - Key Stroke Sounds Quieter than other Brown boards
Post by: ksm123 on Tue, 28 May 2013, 07:46:38
Do not trust the volume on videos. How would you calibrate volume levels on a home made video? What would you use as a reference?
Most videos are made with poor quality web-cams without dedicated mike. This setup guarantees poor quality of sound.

Loudness of Brown Switch depends on your typing technique. The same keyboard can be much louder if used by another typist. I did some tests using Noppoo Choc Mini and an mark I eardrum, my friend who bottoms out heavily, types much louder then myself.

Title: Re: HPE 87 Brown - Key Stroke Sounds Quieter than other Brown boards
Post by: Tym on Tue, 28 May 2013, 07:47:13
Maybe grab a switch pack of WASD and have a comparison ?
Title: Re: HPE 87 Brown - Key Stroke Sounds Quieter than other Brown boards
Post by: morpheus on Tue, 28 May 2013, 08:09:18
Do not trust the volume on videos. How would you calibrate volume levels on a home made video? What would you use as a reference?
Most videos are made with poor quality web-cams without dedicated mike. This setup guarantees poor quality of sound.

Loudness of Brown Switch depends on your typing technique. The same keyboard can be much louder if used by another typist. I did some tests using Noppoo Choc Mini and an mark I eardrum, my friend who bottoms out heavily, types much louder then myself.

You know what, you're absolutely right. You can't trust the volume on the videos. I guess it depends on the quality of the video/sound. Also, I don't bottom out as hard or as frequently as some of the people in the aforementioned videos.

Thanks for the insight.
Title: Re: HPE 87 Brown - Key Stroke Sounds Quieter than other Brown boards
Post by: Larken on Tue, 28 May 2013, 08:14:40
Same switches would sound different on different boards. A few factors that affect the sound would be these -

1. Keycaps - thickness, profile, material etc.
2. Whether board is plate mounted or simply pcb mounted.
3. The acoustic properties of the keyboard case - design, material used etc.

For example, my filco brown sounds and feels slightly different from my ducky browns - two boards I have side by side.

There are several other things (lubing, stickering to name a few) that could alter the sound of a board, but those would pertain to modified boards instead.
Title: Re: HPE 87 Brown - Key Stroke Sounds Quieter than other Brown boards
Post by: baller1308 on Tue, 28 May 2013, 09:34:38
I found that the sound of the HPE is quieter compared to my other boards.  The other boards are older though, so I'm not sure if that is a factor.  But, I think over time the HPE board will be just as loud as the other boards.

I think it's the build quality too, because even if bottom out on the HPE board it doesn't sound as loud as my Noppoo Choc Mini or Rosewill board.
Title: Re: HPE 87 Brown - Key Stroke Sounds Quieter than other Brown boards
Post by: morpheus on Tue, 28 May 2013, 10:03:58
I found that the sound of the HPE is quieter compared to my other boards.  The other boards are older though, so I'm not sure if that is a factor.  But, I think over time the HPE board will be just as loud as the other boards.

I think it's the build quality too, because even if bottom out on the HPE board it doesn't sound as loud as my Noppoo Choc Mini or Rosewill board.

Does that mean the build quality on the HPE is better or worse than the other boards because it's not as loud?
Title: Re: HPE 87 Brown - Key Stroke Sounds Quieter than other Brown boards
Post by: Badwrench on Tue, 28 May 2013, 10:08:53
I don't think better or worse, just different. 

Also, don't forget other things that affect the sound such as the desk you are sitting it on, and the acoustic quality of the room you are in. 
Title: Re: HPE 87 Brown - Key Stroke Sounds Quieter than other Brown boards
Post by: dante on Tue, 28 May 2013, 18:50:30
Also note: there can sometimes be acoustic differences between fullsize and tenkeyless.