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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: nuzey on Wed, 05 August 2015, 01:21:24
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I want to know how you guys feel about the two in terms of bottoming out. I had the chance to try out the NT at a local store and my first impression is that the NT has a hard bottom-out feel compared to the soft "membrane" bottom-out feel on the RF. Does anyone feel differently?
I personally own the RF 55g and the NT really felt like a MX keyboard with the tactile topre because of how the bottom-out feels like. Is there something different inside the switch/plate of a NT vs the RF besides the Cherry MX keycaps compatibility? In my opinion I much prefer the feel of the RF bottom-out because it feels soft but not too mushy compared to the hard bottom-out of the NT.
The reason why I created this thread is because I want to try out a RF 45g but there is none available in my country so the closest thing I can get is the NT (layout and TKL). But the moment I tried it, it did not feel like it is coming from what I expected from a RF 45g or at least close to the RF 55g. Maybe you guys have other opinions or a mod that can be done to replicate the bottom-out feel of the RF.
Let me know what you guys think!
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That's unfortunate. That bottom out feel of the 55g RF is one my favorite attributes. I was looking forward to getting a novatouch sometime.
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I see what you mean, but I think that it is mostly perception ... but again, perception is everything when it comes to keyboard feel.
I agree with you on the stabilised keys. Most of all though, the Novatouch does also have much flimsier keycaps and a less sturdy construction which makes also the regular keys on the Novatouch louder - and louder feels harder.
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Having used the Novatouch, HHKB, and both variable and uniform Realforce keyboards, the former definitely feels the least "refined" of the bunch. However, doing a soft-landing-pad modification or adding these silencing rings (https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=73940.0) to the Novatouch supposedly improves the feel rather dramatically. It definitely makes the keyboard sound better. Not quite as "perfect" to my ears as the HHKB Type-S, but pretty darn close.
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I see what you mean, but I think that it is mostly perception ... but again, perception is everything when it comes to keyboard feel.
I agree with you on the stabilised keys. Most of all though, the Novatouch does also have much flimsier keycaps and a less sturdy construction which makes also the regular keys on the Novatouch louder - and louder feels harder.
You are right. I did not expect much from the Novatouch when I tried it. And yes, it is definitely louder than the RF which made me feel that maybe the landing pad is harder than the RF. I guess I will just wait for a RF 45g to be available in my country.
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This is interesting, as just this evening I put my HHKB aside to try out the Novatouch and RF87U 55g again. I was struck by the harsh bottoming-out sound of the Novatouch, in addition to the return-stroke clack and stabilizer rattle. In my case, I thought the bottoming-out sound of the NT might have been accentuated by the Leopold PBT keycaps.
I've developed silencing rings for Topre-switch keyboards, but ironically, on my own keyboards, I have thus far installed them only on my HHKBs -- one modded with 55g domes, the other with stock 45g domes. Others have reported a dramatic difference in the sound of the NT by installing silencing rings, but they should only affect the return-stroke sound and not the bottoming-out sound.
Because the NT has Cherry mx-compatible stems, you can also install conventional O-rings on the keycap stems to damp the bottoming out sound. I recall trying O-rings on the NT when I first received it, but I didn't like the effect on the feel of the keyboard.
Overall, although I like the fact that I could put Cherry mx keycaps on the NT, I prefer the sound and feel of the RF, but I should try installing silencing rings on both boards before reaching a final verdict.
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Because the NT has Cherry mx-compatible stems, you can also install conventional O-rings on the keycap stems to damp the bottoming out sound. I recall trying O-rings on the NT when I first received it, but I didn't like the effect on the feel of the keyboard.
I never understood how this is supposed to work. The Novatouch slider completely surrounds the Cherry MX mount of a key cap button. There is still a direct connection between the two. The O-ring does not act as a dampener at an interface between two surfaces.
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I read somewhere that the topre keycap stems are longer than the mx ones, could that be it? Mkawa also mentioned he tried a higher SA profile and felt the tactility improved. I got the Novatouch also because I wanted the 45 gr actuation for my weak fingers and the RF is not available around here, IMO the 100 bucks difference doesn't translate the value of a nicer bottom out but I would also understan it does for someone who types way more than me.
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I've got both 55g RF and NT with vortex PBT caps. I actually find the NT easier to type on for long periods and the sound changes dramatically with different keycaps. I wouldn't say one is better than the other bar build quality. You really need to try the NT with different caps before you make a decision.
I use the RF at work where i do most of my typing and the realforce at home for gaming + porn