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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: Warduke on Thu, 08 August 2013, 17:50:42

Title: Your favorite sounding switch?
Post by: Warduke on Thu, 08 August 2013, 17:50:42
I love watching/listening to videos of people typing on their keyboards and looking at the views they get, I'm not the only one who enjoys it. After looking if a thread like this already existed here. I couldn't find one so I made this one.

What's your favorite switch purely for the way it sounds? And when I say the sound, I mean the sound of typing on the keyboard, not just the sound of the switch itself. The same switch may not sound the same on different keyboards because of many factors. Plate/PCB mount, ABS/PBT keycaps, with/without O rings, quality of the board itself, etc...

So what's your favorite? Buckling Spring? Cherry MX Blue? Alps? Topre (even though it's not even a clicky switch, that tock sounds great)? Other?

For me, I have to go with the Blues. I just love how they sound.
Title: Re: Your favorite sounding switch?
Post by: Daniel Beardsmore on Thu, 08 August 2013, 17:54:28
Blue Alps on a Monterey K101 keyboard have a great sound, as does the IBM Model M. I don't have a favourite, but Alps are always good, as is Topre.
Title: Re: Your favorite sounding switch?
Post by: dadgh on Thu, 08 August 2013, 18:09:21
Thick PBT on lubed MX Reds with o-rings and stickers.

I like quiet.
Title: Re: Your favorite sounding switch?
Post by: MOZ on Thu, 08 August 2013, 18:48:02
Those in my avatar sound amazing.
Title: Re: Your favorite sounding switch?
Post by: tehsprayer on Thu, 08 August 2013, 18:51:11
I really like the thock of topres.
Title: Re: Your favorite sounding switch?
Post by: 0100010 on Thu, 08 August 2013, 18:58:29
The sound of my model M reverberating out of my office down the hallways and over the cubicles as I type furiously in response to inane emails at work all day long is music to my ears....
Title: Re: Your favorite sounding switch?
Post by: vsdubstep on Thu, 08 August 2013, 19:02:25
Gotta second the topre thock
Title: Re: Your favorite sounding switch?
Post by: czarek on Fri, 09 August 2013, 03:22:27
I like Unicomp BS sound (less reverb from the plate, nice metallic and soothing clicks) and plate mounted Cherry MX Blue with PBT caps (it's sparkling). I also like the sound of bottoming out Realforce and linear switches with ABS caps.
I don't like the sound of HHKB at all. I also don't like scratchy sounds of linear Cherries. I don't like reverb of the plate on Model M and Model F.
The worst though is the sound of the Topre when you slowly press it and you balance out on the tactile point, kinda squeeky and rubbery sound. You can't hear it in normal operation but when you intentionally try that, you get this awful cheap rubber dome feeling :D Nasty!
Title: Re: Your favorite sounding switch?
Post by: SpAmRaY on Fri, 09 August 2013, 03:59:53
I like the sound of Matias clicky switches.
Title: Re: Your favorite sounding switch?
Post by: Melvang on Fri, 09 August 2013, 04:38:15
It has been a long time since I heard the thick of BS (4th grade) so I can't put that as number one but for me currently it would be ergo-clears with thin PBT caps.  The feel is like nothing else as well.
Title: Re: Your favorite sounding switch?
Post by: The_Ed on Fri, 09 August 2013, 04:38:39
The kachunk of the spacebar and the return thock of the left shift on buckling spring boards. But maybe that's just me...
Title: Re: Your favorite sounding switch?
Post by: pr1me on Fri, 09 August 2013, 04:43:06
tried mx blue and red, i prefer blue.
Title: Re: Your favorite sounding switch?
Post by: davkol on Fri, 09 August 2013, 05:16:09
It will sound weird (pun not intended), but quiet "thock" of the new typematrix w/ a skin. The cover somehow dampens all noise produced by the keycap
Title: Re: Your favorite sounding switch?
Post by: rowdy on Fri, 09 August 2013, 05:56:46
I'm actually quite liking the sound of this Model M - this is more like what I expected a mechanical keyboard would sound like before I found out a bit more about them.
Title: Re: Your favorite sounding switch?
Post by: CPTBadAss on Fri, 09 August 2013, 06:10:54
Model F and Topre
Title: Re: Your favorite sounding switch?
Post by: snoopy on Fri, 09 August 2013, 06:13:19
I like the "thock thock" of topre... but I enjoy on daily base the sound of my flossmodded SSK :)
Title: Re: Your favorite sounding switch?
Post by: rowdy on Fri, 09 August 2013, 06:20:58
I thought my HHKB would thock more than it does - there isn't much of a thock at all.  Although that could be down to room acoustics and/or desk surface material.  I am moving house soon, and the destination room will probably have different acoustics (polished floorboards instead of carpet, for one thing).
Title: Re: Your favorite sounding switch?
Post by: microsoft windows on Fri, 09 August 2013, 06:22:02
Can't beat the trusty old thud of the rubber dome!
Title: Re: Your favorite sounding switch?
Post by: badcop on Fri, 09 August 2013, 06:24:34
I thought my HHKB would thock more than it does - there isn't much of a thock at all.  Although that could be down to room acoustics and/or desk surface material.  I am moving house soon, and the destination room will probably have different acoustics (polished floorboards instead of carpet, for one thing).

i thought something was wrong with mine.  when i first got it there was so much glorious thock but after a few days i noticed that that it wasn't really there.  i recorded myself typing and its there for sure.  i think you get used to the noise and your brain cancels it out if you're not actively listening to it.

for me my favorites are topre and clicky mx with thick pbt caps
Title: Re: Your favorite sounding switch?
Post by: SpAmRaY on Fri, 09 August 2013, 07:12:18
My up arrow on my ducky shine 2 with clears makes a thock sound....
Title: Re: Your favorite sounding switch?
Post by: urbanus on Fri, 09 August 2013, 07:22:59
Capacitive buckling spring: model F style.

"Cha-PING!  Cha-PING!"

After a furious typing session, a co-worker said I sounded like I had tipped a bucket of Lego down a flight of stairs!  :)
Title: Re: Your favorite sounding switch?
Post by: Melvang on Fri, 09 August 2013, 07:32:23


After a furious typing session, a co-worker said I sounded like I had tipped a bucket of Lego down a flight of stairs!  :)

Love this line.
Title: Re: Your favorite sounding switch?
Post by: jameslr on Fri, 09 August 2013, 08:02:02
Blue Alps sound the best to me. MX blue sound good, and I'm really liking my Topre 55g switches. I've heard videos of other switch types, but never tried them in person, but they all sound too dull in comparison.
Title: Re: Your favorite sounding switch?
Post by: fohat.digs on Fri, 09 August 2013, 08:14:02
I really don't give a damn about sound. In fact, I would prefer a silent keyboard.

All I care about is feel.

A stock Model M sounds better than a stock Model F because the (3) metal plates in an F create such resonance. However, a floss-modded F is just about perfect - the annoying frequencies of the resonance are attenuated and the rest remain at a manageable level. Floss-modding an M cuts some of the sound but is not as satisfying and also changes the feel to a greater degree.

I find the sound of blue Cherries to be the most annoying of all, but the others are not so bad.

The sound of Alps is better than the sound of Cherries, but I like Alps better in general, especially the tactile ones.

Much of this has to do with the board and the case, a good solid board and case always makes for a better experience than an flimsy one.
Title: Re: Your favorite sounding switch?
Post by: Neo.X on Fri, 09 August 2013, 09:25:33
I like the sound HHKB2.  :)
Title: Re: Your favorite sounding switch?
Post by: AKIMbO on Fri, 09 August 2013, 09:46:55
Typing on a HHKB Type-S is like listening to those relaxation CDs of rain hitting a window pane.  In other words, it sounds awesome.
Title: Re: Your favorite sounding switch?
Post by: snoopy on Fri, 09 August 2013, 09:49:33
I'm to cheap to buy a HHKB Type-S :)
Title: Re: Your favorite sounding switch?
Post by: ___q on Fri, 09 August 2013, 09:53:42
Blue complicated alps (not montereys). I think old complicated whites sound the same / are identical aside from plastic color, but I have never used them.

They sound like what a "clicky keyboard" is supposed to sound like.

(I also really like the sound of silenced topre, they sound so solid).
Title: Re: Your favorite sounding switch?
Post by: Findecanor on Fri, 09 August 2013, 15:53:25
Right now, it is Topre. I have never listened to silenced Topre.
I am not a fan of any sound that is not caused on actuation or bottoming out, and I prefer those sounds to be subdued.
Title: Re: Your favorite sounding switch?
Post by: TheQsanity on Fri, 09 August 2013, 16:07:50
The best sound is of the table echoing on the mic.  :cool:
Title: Re: Your favorite sounding switch?
Post by: digi on Fri, 09 August 2013, 16:09:54
Title: Re: Your favorite sounding switch?
Post by: knotra on Fri, 09 August 2013, 16:39:41
In general, I would have to say Cherry MX Blues have my favorite sound but there are some boards with Cherry MX Browns that I have really liked. Some Cherry Mx Brown switch boards have a really unsatisfying sound though.
Title: Re: Your favorite sounding switch?
Post by: kenmai9 on Fri, 09 August 2013, 16:41:04
It has been a long time since I heard the thick of BS (4th grade) so I can't put that as number one but for me currently it would be ergo-clears with thin PBT caps.  The feel is like nothing else as well.

YES. fjskl;fj;dkljfsk;lfsdlfsdkfsfkld <- me feeling the feel of it. so good.
Title: Re: Your favorite sounding switch?
Post by: kenmai9 on Fri, 09 August 2013, 16:49:18

what is this? whats a HAD switch? lol. sounds really nice though.
Title: Re: Your favorite sounding switch?
Post by: snoopy on Fri, 09 August 2013, 17:05:12

what is this? whats a HAD switch? lol. sounds really nice though.

the Cherry G80-2551HAD has vintage blacks (afaik). So I think he means that
Title: Re: Your favorite sounding switch?
Post by: digi on Fri, 09 August 2013, 17:05:47
yes, they're vintage blacks
Title: Re: Your favorite sounding switch?
Post by: snoopy on Fri, 09 August 2013, 17:10:32
I just bought a G80-2550HAD on german ebay :) (although I wanted to stop buying cherry stuff... ebay is evil)
Title: Re: Your favorite sounding switch?
Post by: ValerieV on Fri, 09 August 2013, 17:15:35
I love the sound of the mx blue and brown but my favorite sound is the HHKB. Not all topres sound the same as the Leopold doesn't sound as loud as the HHKB. I have a video of me typing during a severe thunderstorm with my HHKB. It's over a half hour long. I keep meaning to upload it to Youtube but just haven't gotten around to it.
Title: Re: Your favorite sounding switch?
Post by: digi on Fri, 09 August 2013, 17:17:54
I just bought a G80-2550HAD on german ebay :) (although I wanted to stop buying cherry stuff... ebay is evil)

Dope, that's a nice find.
Title: Re: Your favorite sounding switch?
Post by: snoopy on Fri, 09 August 2013, 17:24:46
I once had some NIB G80-2551HAD. The feeling and the sound was awesome. Sadly I sold all of them, cause I had no use for these big boards at this point of time. Only kept one set of keycaps from them.
Title: Re: Your favorite sounding switch?
Post by: fohat.digs on Fri, 09 August 2013, 17:41:50
ebay is evil

Ebay is evil, there is no doubt, but evil in only a small way.

However, half of everything else in the world is also evil, (naturally I believe that 50% of the behavior and products of the human race are good and 50% bad) and the upside of ebay is quite worth it.

How else could there be a global marketplace with a relatively level playing field?

I live near Atlanta, Georgia, USA, and I have advertised and sold a keyboard to a guy in Tasmania!

The mere fact that is even possible is would have been considered a miracle more than a decade ago, much less a generation ago.

And to communicate, sell, and deliver a moderately sizable [5 pound/2 kilogram] object to the other side of the world for approximately [100 2013 US dollars/4 ounces of silver] in approximately 2 weeks - unimaginable!

On the list of evils in the world, ebay/paypal is far, far down.


Title: Re: Your favorite sounding switch?
Post by: dorkvader on Fri, 09 August 2013, 20:25:44
Best sounding? IBM selectric typewriter that's been turned on. (they are pretty quiet when off)
Title: Re: Your favorite sounding switch?
Post by: noisyturtle on Fri, 09 August 2013, 20:39:11
TIK TIK TIK TIK TIK CHIIIING CRUNCH
best sound ever
[attachimg=1]
Title: Re: Your favorite sounding switch?
Post by: Sifo on Sat, 10 August 2013, 00:46:07
I'm pretty fond of my imsto pbt on 62g gold clears (on LZ-S).
Title: Re: Your favorite sounding switch?
Post by: morpheus on Sat, 10 August 2013, 09:14:49
1. Topre
2. Alps
3. Cherry Brown
Title: Re: Your favorite sounding switch?
Post by: Melvang on Sat, 10 August 2013, 21:26:52
TIK TIK TIK TIK TIK CHIIIING CRUNCH
best sound ever
(Attachment Link)

/agree
Title: Re: Your favorite sounding switch?
Post by: Photoelectric on Sat, 10 August 2013, 21:28:24
Stock MX Clear :)
Title: Re: Your favorite sounding switch?
Post by: daerid on Sat, 10 August 2013, 21:43:35
Case mounted 45g Topres (ala HHKB). Followed by 55g plate mounted Topres, followed by plate mounted Clears.
Title: Re: Your favorite sounding switch?
Post by: HendyZone on Sat, 10 August 2013, 21:47:46
Buckling Spring  :p
Title: Re: Your favorite sounding switch?
Post by: rowdy on Sat, 10 August 2013, 22:26:05
Buckling Spring  :p

+1 :))
Title: Re: Your favorite sounding switch?
Post by: Tarzan on Sat, 10 August 2013, 22:55:16
Buckling Spring  :p

+1 :))

+1