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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: chyros on Wed, 21 February 2018, 07:03:38

Title: Kailh BOX Navy + SA caps typing demo
Post by: chyros on Wed, 21 February 2018, 07:03:38
Filmed at the request of a viewer. Hope you enjoy the video! :)

Title: Re: Kailh BOX Navy + SA caps typing demo
Post by: klennkellon on Thu, 22 February 2018, 03:09:47
Would you say these are on your top 10 "best sounding switches" or at least "best sounding clicky switches" list?
Title: Re: Kailh BOX Navy + SA caps typing demo
Post by: chyros on Thu, 22 February 2018, 04:52:54
Would you say these are on your top 10 "best sounding switches" or at least "best sounding clicky switches" list?
"Top 10 clicky" is pretty broad tbh. I dunno, never thought about it.

I should add that these switches are exceptionally sensitive to acoustics, probably moreso than most other switche designs.
Title: Re: Kailh BOX Navy + SA caps typing demo
Post by: quasistellar on Thu, 22 February 2018, 14:36:15
How well do you like the caps?  I've found that I absolutely love the ABS SA caps that I have for work.
Title: Re: Kailh BOX Navy + SA caps typing demo
Post by: chyros on Thu, 22 February 2018, 16:39:50
How well do you like the caps?  I've found that I absolutely love the ABS SA caps that I have for work.
They're amazing. They make everything better.
Title: Re: Kailh BOX Navy + SA caps typing demo
Post by: quasistellar on Thu, 22 February 2018, 18:43:12
How well do you like the caps?  I've found that I absolutely love the ABS SA caps that I have for work.
They're amazing. They make everything better.

What I wouldn’t give to try them on some orange or blue alps  :eek:

Keycaps that I like are the one thing keeping me from putting my orange alps in a board  :'(

These caps on Topre are truly sublime.
Title: Re: Kailh BOX Navy + SA caps typing demo
Post by: p_blaze on Thu, 22 February 2018, 18:52:43
How well do you like the caps?  I've found that I absolutely love the ABS SA caps that I have for work.
They're amazing. They make everything better.

What I wouldn’t give to try them on some orange or blue alps  :eek:

Keycaps that I like are the one thing keeping me from putting my orange alps in a board  :'(

These caps on Topre are truly sublime.

The n e x u s s l i d e r  is coming
Soon SA caps and alps will be the norm
Title: Re: Kailh BOX Navy + SA caps typing demo
Post by: quasistellar on Fri, 23 February 2018, 07:33:06
How well do you like the caps?  I've found that I absolutely love the ABS SA caps that I have for work.
They're amazing. They make everything better.

What I wouldn’t give to try them on some orange or blue alps  :eek:

Keycaps that I like are the one thing keeping me from putting my orange alps in a board  :'(

These caps on Topre are truly sublime.

The n e x u s s l i d e r  is coming
Soon SA caps and alps will be the norm

I saw those but don't you have to swap the top housings as well to get most keycaps to fit?
Title: Re: Kailh BOX Navy + SA caps typing demo
Post by: p_blaze on Fri, 23 February 2018, 07:39:36
How well do you like the caps?  I've found that I absolutely love the ABS SA caps that I have for work.
They're amazing. They make everything better.

What I wouldn’t give to try them on some orange or blue alps  :eek:

Keycaps that I like are the one thing keeping me from putting my orange alps in a board  :'(

These caps on Topre are truly sublime.

The n e x u s s l i d e r  is coming
Soon SA caps and alps will be the norm

I saw those but don't you have to swap the top housings as well to get most keycaps to fit?
I think so
Title: Re: Kailh BOX Navy + SA caps typing demo
Post by: onlyabyte on Fri, 23 February 2018, 18:19:52
Sounds so refined.
Title: Re: Kailh BOX Navy + SA caps typing demo
Post by: Worthless_Owl on Sat, 24 February 2018, 11:47:22
They're amazing. They make everything better.

You should try the new MT3 profile by Matteo. I don't have it myself right now, I'm waiting for another colorway(if they ever make one). I prefer PBT over ABS for my caps, which is the only thing keeping me from getting any SA set. I'm curious about your opinions on them. You're my go to for anything keyboard related lol. I think most of my opinion matched yours, so it's been helpful this far. Now I can almost feel the feel of the keyboard/switches just by your description  :))

*edit: f**ked up formatting
Title: Re: Kailh BOX Navy + SA caps typing demo
Post by: pixelpusher on Sat, 24 February 2018, 12:07:25
These really are a chore to type on though.  It’s been 2 days and I still don’t feel like I can confidently type without missing a keystroke or two per paragraph.

The only other heavy switch I use are Cherry Greens, and I was able to get used to the greens much faster. 

I do like the idea of the navy switches, and I’m keeping them in a hotswap board, but they’re more of an amusement for me than a daily driver switch.  It’s not really an issue with the weight of the spring but more of an issue with the stiffness of the clickbar. 

I average around 85wpm when typing.  When I push myself to type fast, I can get around 100-110wpm.   First attempt with box navy was 58wpm.   After two days I’m around 70   If I try to type fast... it’s around 75.  I miss so many presses if I try to type fast on these.

After using these and going back to a zeal or a Gateron black I feel like someone has set my fingers free to actually get some typing done.   :p

Title: Re: Kailh BOX Navy + SA caps typing demo
Post by: Kevadu on Sat, 24 February 2018, 13:10:08
More and more I'm starting to wish there was an intermediate sized clickbar version.  Whites are 0.25mm thick and jade/navy are 0.30 so maybe like 0.28 or something.  It wouldn't have the crazy tactility of the jade/navy switches but it would still be pretty tactile, certainly more than most MX switches.  And as a bonus it shouldn't have any issues with lighter springs like jades sometimes do.

Yes I'm starting to feel a bit like Goldilocks here, trying to find the clickbar that's just right...
Title: Re: Kailh BOX Navy + SA caps typing demo
Post by: SkyVINS on Sat, 24 February 2018, 22:45:41
well, what a way to start my first post ever.

i came here to ask what PCB to get to make a build just like this one.

i've been reading GH since, idk, 2007. Never had a chance to register, as [H], AT, and several games' forums keep me busy. Then i broke a switch on a cherry board with LEDs, and i registered to look for a way to fix it without breaking it any further.

And while i was looking at videos, i found this guy here, Chyros. And almost immediately i started hating my cherry clears. "hmm. wait a minute ... they DO feel scratchy! I HAVE BEEN CHEATED !"




After thinking about it for a while, i  decided no, i will stop wasting money and just go to the end, to the ubermensch of keyboards, and i bought a Topre 55g.  And almost immediately afterwards, Chyros published this video about the Kahil box Blue and now i want to build me a board.

Chyros .. STOP IT.

So, for a newbie, who owns but has never used a soldering iron (the cheapo kit from Amazon), how would i got about buying a chassis + backplate combo for these switches?
(i can see the switches are really darn cheap, $3.40 for 10. i expected worse)

I've seen on YT some "easy-switch" keyboards where you simply pull out the switch and slot in a new one. They look rather low on build quality, is there a comparable product available not made on the cheap? Is it an alltogether inferior system to soldering? Looking to build a fullsize kb, as i'm already full of TKLs.
(oh and while we are at it, SA caps are made of ABS, right? they look like ABS.)
Title: Re: Kailh BOX Navy + SA caps typing demo
Post by: chyros on Sun, 25 February 2018, 06:37:19
well, what a way to start my first post ever.

i came here to ask what PCB to get to make a build just like this one.

i've been reading GH since, idk, 2007. Never had a chance to register, as [H], AT, and several games' forums keep me busy. Then i broke a switch on a cherry board with LEDs, and i registered to look for a way to fix it without breaking it any further.

And while i was looking at videos, i found this guy here, Chyros. And almost immediately i started hating my cherry clears. "hmm. wait a minute ... they DO feel scratchy! I HAVE BEEN CHEATED !"




After thinking about it for a while, i  decided no, i will stop wasting money and just go to the end, to the ubermensch of keyboards, and i bought a Topre 55g.  And almost immediately afterwards, Chyros published this video about the Kahil box Blue and now i want to build me a board.

Chyros .. STOP IT.

So, for a newbie, who owns but has never used a soldering iron (the cheapo kit from Amazon), how would i got about buying a chassis + backplate combo for these switches?
(i can see the switches are really darn cheap, $3.40 for 10. i expected worse)

I've seen on YT some "easy-switch" keyboards where you simply pull out the switch and slot in a new one. They look rather low on build quality, is there a comparable product available not made on the cheap? Is it an alltogether inferior system to soldering? Looking to build a fullsize kb, as i'm already full of TKLs.
(oh and while we are at it, SA caps are made of ABS, right? they look like ABS.)
I should really stress that these switches are REALLY stiff. If you're not accustomed and in favour of stiff switches you might find these quite tiring to use. For people new to the mechanical keyboard thing I'd really recommend trying out some stiff switches before committing to them.

At the moment they're a very competitive choice, but in a niche. That's why I would really like to try out some intermediate weighting where you could get an outcome that's much more mainstream.
Title: Re: Kailh BOX Navy + SA caps typing demo
Post by: SkyVINS on Sun, 25 February 2018, 07:34:55
nah, i was doing fine on cherry clears. because i choose to waste my life playing quake, i have the habit of keeping the key partially pressed, on top of the actuation bump. which is something i cannot do with this topre, as the actuation point is too far up. So, anything where i can get the same ergonomics (being able to dig my fingers into WASD without actuating anything) would be good.