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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: Zar7 on Sun, 24 April 2016, 22:27:17
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Hello guys! I am on my quest for my eighth mechanical keyboard (yep, my 8th), and I am looking for a TKL keyboard for gaming/typing needs. My favorite switch is the Cherry MX Red and
Cherry MX Brown. Really need help on deciding which one of these three TKL keyboard I should go for.
A) CM Storm Quickfire Rapid
One of the most popular TKL choice for mechanical keyboard enthusiasts. I personally have two of these already, but I like it so much that I am considering getting a third one (with MX Reds).
B) KUL ES-87
A newcomer in the market that quickly rose in popularity due to its solid build quality and DIP Switch features. Really interested in this one too.
C) Leopold FC750R
A name very familiar among mechanical keyboard enthusiasts. Leopold was well regarded for their outstanding quality, both in the build of the keyboard and the stock keycaps it comes with.
Here is a comparison for the three keyboard, listing out each keyboard's pros and cons.
A) CM Storm QFR
Pros:
-Very solid build quality
-Costar Stabilizers is awesome
-Has a nice weight
-Design is simple and elegant
-Detachable Cable
-Awesome Price/Performance ratio
-Available in a variety of Cherry MX switches
-Easy to mod
Cons:
-Costar Stabilizers has issues with thick keycaps. The middle part of the wire grinds against the inner wall of thick keycaps (such as Leopold's 1.5mm PBT keycaps).
-Sometimes stabilizers squeaks when not lubed (spacebar sounds awful when it is not lubed) = Can fix this easily with a little bit of lube
-The flip-out feet is not rubberized. If you deploy the feet when typing/gaming, sometimes it will slide around. However, unless you are really vigorous when typing,
the QFR's weight prevents it from moving around too much.
-Rubberized Case. Although it is nice to the touch, it can look really dirty if your wrists or hands sweat a lot (they are hard to clean lol).
B) KUL ES-87
Pros:
-Admirable build quality (REALLY solid)
-Has a very nice heft to it (weighs slighly heavier than the QFR)
-Simplistic design (no logos :D)
-Detachable Cable
-Easily acquirable in the US (along with good warranty service)
-Aftermarket cases are available to swap out (with three colors: Red, Blue and White)
-DIP Switches
-Beefy flip-out feet with rubberized ends. It will not budge around at all on your desk.
Cons:
-Cherry Stabilizers on the KUL ES-87 is awful. It really feels mushy and changes the feel of the respective key switches by a large margin (especially for linear switches like MX Reds or Blacks).
-A bit more expensive than the QFR.
C) Leopold FC750R
Pros:
-Extremely solid build quality
-Cherry Stabilizers are better than the one on KUL (they are not as mushy or change the feel of the keys much)
-Good weight
-Simple design with no branding
-Detachable Cable
-Available in a variety of Cherry MX switches
-Stock PBT Keycaps are one of the best stock keycaps in the market. Quite thick at 1.5mm.
-Stabilizers spacing is fixed now (they used to have weird spacebar spacing that have caused compatibility issues).
Cons:
-Cherry Stabilizers on the Leopold, despite being much better than any other keyboards out there, is not as smooth as Costar.
-The most expensive one out of the three (not really a con since it comes with high quality keycaps)
-Quite hard to acquire in the US (they come mostly from Korea or Taiwan). It is available on MechKB though.
So that is the comparison between the three. I weigh the three keyboard on equal footing, but I do not know (for sure) which one to purchase for my eighth mech.
I have very good experience with the QFR, but in my mind I would like to try out other keyboards too (Already have two in my arsenal).
The KUL is available on Amazon at $99. Good price, but in my mind I am worried about the Cherry Stabs being incredibly awful. I am getting used to Cherry Stabs but I am unsure about this one.
The Leopold looks good and is reputable when it comes to quality. I am leaning towards the FC750R now, but in my mind I cannot quantify properly what I am missing if I purchase it instead of the KUL/QFR.
Please help me decide which one is a better option than the other. Thanks for the help bros! :)
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https://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_list&c=171
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My vote is for the FC750, but only because I don't have any experience with the KUL. =P
I will say, though, that I like the FC750 more than my Ducky Shine 5. It is just really well built, it has media keys, and honestly, I actually prefer Cherry stabilizers over Costar ones.
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That is good to hear. I am leaning to the FC750 more and more now. :D
Is the spacebar's spacing standard though? And how is the Cherry Stabs on the FC750 for you?
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Are the stabilizers different between the KUL and Leopold? Are the Leo's pre clipped? If not, I'm not sure why you're distinguishing between the two..
Personally I think Cherry stabilizers are so much better for a number of different reasons..easier to use, fewer issues...if you're using any type of pad/o-ring, etc they'll be just like those..and if you don't you can clip them which improves the feel...I just like that they make the big keys feel solid...which is what I want..
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Spacebar is standard on the FC750. The Cherry stabs are just fine on the FC750, but then again, as mentioned before I -like- Cherry stabs, so your opinions might vary.
I've heard that the Cherry stabs on the KUL are worse than the Leopolds for some reason (at Amazon reviews of the KUL: http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R3PLCQUR3VNIQZ/ref=cm_cr_getr_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00KI23T8U (http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R3PLCQUR3VNIQZ/ref=cm_cr_getr_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00KI23T8U)), but I can't vouch for that since I've never used the KUL.
There's also another plus on the FC750: they're supposedly padded with sound-dampening materials in the case, and I think it adds a lot to the feel. It just feels really satisfying to type on the FC750 due to this, I think.
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Are the stabilizers different between the KUL and Leopold? Are the Leo's pre clipped? If not, I'm not sure why you're distinguishing between the two..
Well, the I tried the FC750R and EUL ES-87 sie by side, both with MX Reds. For some reason the Cherry Stabs on the KUL is inferior compared to the Leopold. Leopold's Cherry Stabs feels a lot
better; less mushy and more solid. It depends on the keyboards I think. My MX Browns Poker 3's Cherry Stabs never felt mushy.
Glad to know the spacebar is standard. I prefer Costar, but I am used to -good- Cherry Stabs (like on my Pok3r and Corsair Strafe).
Yep, and the sound-dampening pads embedded in the case is a nice touch. KUL apparently has some ping issue going on as well (mostly with heavier springs, like MX Clears and Greens).
Allright then, I am going for the Leopold FC750R with Cherry MX Reds. Thanks for the input guys. I appreciate it. :D
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The hunt will continue until you buy a Realforce.
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The hunt will continue until you buy a Realforce.
I think I've determined that you work for that company ;)
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The hunt will continue until you buy a Realforce.
I think I've determined that you work for that company ;)
For every Realforce I sell, they send me a sixer of Pabst Blue Ribbon. :)
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I would go with the Leopold FC750R. IMO, it is the best keyboard out of the three if you leave it stock. I can't speak if you end up modding, as you could mod any keyboard to be truly amazing... just some would need modding to a greater extent than others.
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The hunt will continue until you buy a Realforce.
I think I've determined that you work for that company ;)
For every Realforce I sell, they send me a sixer of Pabst Blue Ribbon. :)
I'll help create some flyers for you ;)
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I would go with the Leopold FC750R. IMO, it is the best keyboard out of the three if you leave it stock. I can't speak if you end up modding, as you could mod any keyboard to be truly amazing... just some would need modding to a greater extent than others.
I second this. If I went back to before I bought my first TKL (Ducky One TKL), I would get the Leopold. Those keycaps are so smooth for gaming or work.
However, since I already have the Leopold caps purchased separately and a few other boards like a linearised Dell At-101, Ducky One and Varmilo, I've gotten into the KULs as my main obsession:
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qfr and get a frosty flake for ultimate customizability. my vintage qfr is a treat to type on evrytim
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es-87 best keyboard
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Yep, I ended up ordering the Leopold FC750R with Cherry MX Reds from Mechanical Keyboards.com. It will arrive tomorrow, right before finals week. Hell yeah, motivation's up!
Since I have two QFR already (one being Rapid, the other being Stealth, both Cherry MX Red), I really considered the KUL ES-87. After wincing around between the KUL and the Leopold,
I decided to try out Leopold instead, despite the higher price tag. Really excited to try out my first Leo! :D
I am interested in getting a Frosty Flake for my QFR Stealth. Anyone know the best place to get one?
Thanks again bros.
P/S: Regarding the RealForce, it will have to wait. Not ready for Topre yet. Although I almost pulled the trigger on a HHKB Pro 2 on Ebay two days before shooting for the Leopold.