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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: ZeroLawliet on Thu, 22 February 2018, 09:18:29

Title: HHKB Sound issues
Post by: ZeroLawliet on Thu, 22 February 2018, 09:18:29
Hey there,

I randomly got into HHKBˋs and finaly managed to buy one from Smartimports.
At first it felt really good since i never typed on a topre board before. I instantly noticed a very annoying „sticky“ sound produced by nearly all non-stabilized keys. Now, after one Week, the overall sound of the HHKB kinda annoys me. Its not only the weird sticky sound but the sound of the rattling keycaps and the sound produced on the upstroke in general.(Everything can be heard in the Video)

Now im wondering what i can do to „better“ the sound. I noticed the the sound in general is much better when i put the keyboard on a soft ground (mousepad or towel). I was planning on getting silent x rings from KBDFans and also buy a matt for my Keaboard(i think the matt is from ek or smartimports). I also thought about lubing the keyboard but i dont know wich lube i should get. Do you think any of this will fix my „sound issues“?


Sorry for any misstakes but im not a native english speaker :)
Title: Re: HHKB Sound issues
Post by: shadowku on Thu, 22 February 2018, 10:10:02
Video isn't available for me. I'm in Canada.
Title: Re: HHKB Sound issues
Post by: ZeroLawliet on Thu, 22 February 2018, 10:20:02
should work now
Title: Re: HHKB Sound issues
Post by: phlm on Thu, 22 February 2018, 10:34:28
Still not able to watch it.

Edit: Looks like clip is still being processed so I'll wait before throwing an opinion.
Title: Re: HHKB Sound issues
Post by: shadowku on Thu, 22 February 2018, 12:31:27
I think I can see what you're describing.
There seems to be a bit of a higher pitched sound at the beginning of the upstroke. Almost like there's adhesive unsticking before it releases.

Is the keyboard brand new? If not, has it been lubed? My first thought was that maybe it's overlubed.
Title: Re: HHKB Sound issues
Post by: ZeroLawliet on Thu, 22 February 2018, 12:44:09
I got it one week ago and it hasnt been lubed but i planed lubing it but i dont know wich lube i should get.
Title: Re: HHKB Sound issues
Post by: shadowku on Thu, 22 February 2018, 13:17:24
I'm not totally sure what the issue is yet so I don't know if lubing or silencing will help fix it.
If you're looking to getting silencing rings though, I'd suggest the rings from KeyClack (https://www.keyclack.com/product/topreSilencingRings). They're starting to ship out their V2s and it looks to be a bit improved. The really thing silencing rings don't work too well if you're using tactile domes like BKEs (redux).

As for lube - I'm not sure, that's something I need to learn about as well since I want to re-lube mine.
Title: Re: HHKB Sound issues
Post by: Sup on Thu, 22 February 2018, 14:07:17
Hey there,

I randomly got into HHKBˋs and finaly managed to buy one from Smartimports.
At first it felt really good since i never typed on a topre board before. I instantly noticed a very annoying „sticky“ sound produced by nearly all non-stabilized keys. Now, after one Week, the overall sound of the HHKB kinda annoys me. Its not only the weird sticky sound but the sound of the rattling keycaps and the sound produced on the upstroke in general.(Everything can be heard in the Video)

Now im wondering what i can do to „better“ the sound. I noticed the the sound in general is much better when i put the keyboard on a soft ground (mousepad or towel). I was planning on getting silent x rings from KBDFans and also buy a matt for my Keaboard(i think the matt is from ek or smartimports). I also thought about lubing the keyboard but i dont know wich lube i should get. Do you think any of this will fix my „sound issues“?


Sorry for any misstakes but im not a native english speaker :)

i know what you mean a suction kinda sound. You should take it apart and put every dome back snug in it's place i am pretty sure that will fix the problem or you can mail to Smartimports and probably get a new one send back you get 2 years factory warranty if i remember how long the process takes to get a new HHKB no clue.
Title: Re: HHKB Sound issues
Post by: ZeroLawliet on Thu, 22 February 2018, 14:16:08
I was thinking about sending it back too, but i dont want to wait for it to ship here. I will try reputting every dome when my silent rings arrive.
Title: Re: HHKB Sound issues
Post by: shadowku on Thu, 22 February 2018, 14:49:20
Thank goodness my next HHKB will be bought in-store when I'm in Japan  :D
Title: Re: HHKB Sound issues
Post by: phlm on Fri, 23 February 2018, 10:51:44
I think some better placement of dome and spring under it would solve it no need for lubing. But what's the most interesting to me is "randomly" getting into $250 board.  :eek:
Title: Re: HHKB Sound issues
Post by: ZeroLawliet on Fri, 23 February 2018, 11:22:31
I „replaced“ every dome but the sound is still there. Its definitly the springs that produce the sound.

I randomly found HHKBs, began to research and fall in love with them :p
Title: Re: HHKB Sound issues
Post by: phlm on Fri, 23 February 2018, 11:49:00
Try and place spring of some other key that is working fine under the one that is problematic. Or if you can, just return it for another.
Title: Re: HHKB Sound issues
Post by: ZeroLawliet on Fri, 23 February 2018, 13:03:26
i probably cant return it but i think i could sent it to let it repair but this would take to lang for me.
The problem is that its pretty much every key that produces the sound.
https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=46648.msg986642#msg986642
this is what i´ve found so far and i think that should be the problem. I´ll just hope that it "wears in" after a while and if not i might lube the spring as it is said in the guide.
Title: Re: HHKB Sound issues
Post by: SpAmRaY on Fri, 23 February 2018, 18:18:33
i probably cant return it but i think i could sent it to let it repair but this would take to lang for me.
The problem is that its pretty much every key that produces the sound.
https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=46648.msg986642#msg986642
this is what i´ve found so far and i think that should be the problem. I´ll just hope that it "wears in" after a while and if not i might lube the spring as it is said in the guide.
You don't lube the springs on a hhkb.... :facepalm:

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

Title: Re: HHKB Sound issues
Post by: ZeroLawliet on Sat, 10 March 2018, 08:24:03
I finally got the silent-x rings and some super lube. Sounds really awesome now and the sping issue got away by itself.
Title: Re: HHKB Sound issues
Post by: tp4tissue on Sat, 10 March 2018, 12:11:12
Hrrrrrrmm...

For this to happen, the spring has to be sticky or being compressed to the point of latching itself.

It's also possible that that batch of springs were too tightly wound.


Can you take a picture from Top down of the affected spring,  Uncompressed,  and 1 fully depressed with a tooth pick ..

Also, the back of the silicone cup  , is it slightly sticky or has any residue. ??

If the silicone sheet former is ran too hot, there could be residue.


If the spring extruder was over-lubed, there could be grease residue on the spring.


If they messed up the formula for the silicone sheets for a batch, the surface might've degraded becoming sticky.