MX Cherry Browns or Reds for Office Programming/Typing

[Sovereignking]

So currently I am using a Logitech Romer G Tactile Keyboard for work. I recently purchased a MX Cherry Blues (Ducky) Mechanical Keyboard for home use (Gaming and Typing).

So now i am thinking of purchasing MX Cherrys for work at office but I am quite unsure which switch is best for Office Typing and Programming. I would like to be able to type fast while quiet at the same time.

MX Cherry Brown or Mx Cherry Red or just continue with my Romer G Tactile

[woodruff]

Cherry mx red with o-rings aren't too noisy.

I don't make more mistakes with reds, compared to other switches. Well, english is my second language so my mistakes here don't count :-)

Cherry mx silent red are really really silent. I use them with a 50gr sprit spring, which makes them a little bit lighter than cherry mx reds. Mx Silents are generally heavier that other switches, it's a complex subject and I won't bother you, but you need a lighter spring. Probably you'll like them stock too.

[Gampela]

Cherry mx silent reds are definitely light enough if you already are used to mx blues, really no point starting spring swap hassle. I would recommend one of Leopold's keyboards with mx silents for office use, FC750PD for example. But do get one with PD ending, those have better keycaps.

[Sovereignking]

My blues need to press quite hard in order to click, Is it the weight or is it not lubed etc

[Gampela]

My blues need to press quite hard in order to click, Is it the weight or is it not lubed etc

Can't say I have proper evidence to show but I doubt lubing has that much effect on the overall position of the force curve. Just helps with the smoothness. But reds are still lighter than blues and I don't subscribe to the idea that silent reds are noticeable stiffer than unsilent ones. Why don't you go test the switches on a store?

[woodruff]

Cherry mx reds (or pink) are heavier than their linear red counterpart. I'm sure about that and I've tested this uncontestable axiom with different batches.

[Gampela]

Well, I sure don't notice any difference between my two boards and datasheets I looked up tell they both have the same initial and actuation forces albeit the given tolerances are pretty high.

[woodruff]

Well, I sure don't notice any difference between my two boards and datasheets I looked up tell they both have the same initial and actuation forces albeit the given tolerances are pretty high.

I've tested this multiple times.

First of all, I've noticed that in a recent GB cherry made a GIGANTIC mistake, by delivering cherry mx silent black switches with a spring that was COMPLETELY out of spec, so there is a possibility that we have different batches of silent switches.

Surely you can make a simple test, put some coins on your keycap (with the keyboard flat, so raise the front part of the keyboard), or use a switch tester. You'll notice that to appreciate the first infinitesime movement, you'll need a little more coins on the silent red switch, compared to the standard red switch. I don't have at hand the switches to test, but the difference was probably about 4 grams. You'll find the same increment when you add uniqey clips to your switches. Same difference. Please test and let me know.

[Gampela]

Surely you can make a simple test, put some coins on your keycap (with the keyboard flat, so raise the front part of the keyboard), or use a switch tester. You'll notice that to appreciate the first infinitesime movement, you'll need a little more coins on the silent red switch, compared to the standard red switch. I don't have at hand the switches to test, but the difference was probably about 4 grams. You'll find the same increment when you add uniqey clips to your switches. Same difference. Please test and let me know.

We're going wildly offtopic but since I kinda started this argument I did test the switches with coins..

..And I'm not so sure about the accuracy of the testing method. It all seem to come down how featherly you can lay the coins on top of the key and it varies a lot between takes. The mx silent red switch I tested first started to move with ~29g, more relieably at ~31g. The non-silent variety first started moving at ~31g but usually needed slightly more.

You had different results and if I had chosen different test subject the result might have very well been opposite. For example the given datasheet tolerance for both switches is ±15g for the actuation point. Couple of grams is really nothing and I doubt many can tell the difference. And I really disagree with your advice for the OP (who seems like a newcomer) to go through with spring swap just for those couple of grams that might or might not be there.

Edit. Although now that I re-read your original post you actually did say OP would probably like them stock too, so I don't know why I'm beating the bush here.

[Riverman]

In my experience, silent reds feel different than regular reds, but they didn't feel heavier, and I didn't particularly enjoy typing on either one.  They were both too light and mushy.  I preferred typing on silent blacks, but I prefer browns to silent blacks.  Brown switches without o-rings, QMX Clips, or something to quiet them down are incredibly loud compared to either Cherry silent switch, though, and I was slightly embarrassed to have one at my desk recently considering all the clacking it made.  I installed QMX Clips after a few days, and my nearest neighbors both commented on how much nicer it sounded.

[zslane]

MX reds and browns feel fine to me in terms of spring weight and general smoothness, but they both suffer from irritating bottom-out and upstroke noise. MX silent reds are much quieter in this respect, and feel about the same as regular reds in terms of spring weight and smoothness, but they still make a little noise. You trade the irritating clacka-clacka-clacka of regular reds for the shuff-shuff-shuff of silent reds. I find that sound a little unnerving for some reason; almost like rubbing corduroy.

The best switch for an office environment, IMO, is Topre. I spend all day typing/programming on Topre switches and it is an absolute joy.

[demik]

55g RF TKL

[lolafineday]

I think you should get a hotswap board and buy some gateron yellows, which aren't as light as reds and not as heavy as blacks. They are great.

Sent from my SM-G975F using Tapatalk

[Findecanor]

In every thread such as this, you will hear many people promote their personal favourites
... and tell how they modded them, but I suppose you'd want to mod them as little as necessary.

Cherry MX Brown feels a lot like the Romer G tactile that you already have, except a little more key travel.
Topre Realforce are like luxury rubber dome keyboards, highly regarded among here (an "honorary mechanical keyboard" if you will ) I'd go with 45g weight or variable. NOT backlit variety.

[sarahnicole]

Topre for sure if you’re not completely set on mx. I can use my hhkb in a pretty silent building and I don’t feel like I’m bothering anybody. I have a board with blues on my desk at home but I really don’t prefer to program with it anymore.

[lolafineday]

Topre for sure if you’re not completely set on mx. I can use my hhkb in a pretty silent building and I don’t feel like I’m bothering anybody. I have a board with blues on my desk at home but I really don’t prefer to program with it anymore.

Topre is super nice, hhkb and get deskeys silencing rings super thocky

Sent from my SM-G975F using Tapatalk

[Sintpinty]

So currently I am using a Logitech Romer G Tactile Keyboard for work. I recently purchased a MX Cherry Blues (Ducky) Mechanical Keyboard for home use (Gaming and Typing).

So now i am thinking of purchasing MX Cherrys for work at office but I am quite unsure which switch is best for Office Typing and Programming. I would like to be able to type fast while quiet at the same time.

MX Cherry Brown or Mx Cherry Red or just continue with my Romer G Tactile

You will do much better with cherry mx browns, guaranteed. It is considered a middle ground switch and does have a tactile bump. Cherry MX Brown , when lubed and o rings installed on the keycaps is actually quite silent.

[thebilgerat]

So currently I am using a Logitech Romer G Tactile Keyboard for work. I recently purchased a MX Cherry Blues (Ducky) Mechanical Keyboard for home use (Gaming and Typing).

So now i am thinking of purchasing MX Cherrys for work at office but I am quite unsure which switch is best for Office Typing and Programming. I would like to be able to type fast while quiet at the same time.

MX Cherry Brown or Mx Cherry Red or just continue with my Romer G Tactile

Blues, because who cares.  They aren't that loud.  Rocking blues at my workplace.  The one annoyance is the ringing spacebar on my iKBC.  Other than that the switches are fine.

[HungerMechanic]

As said, a lot of people will promote their favourites here.

But the best quiet keyboard for OFFICE TYPING is a Topre 45 g Silenced of any size and make. Topre feels like a conventional rubber dome, but better.

Now, Topre is expensive and you have to mail-order it. If that's too expensive, or you absolutely must have MX switches, then you want quiet linears or quiet tactiles.

In a factory keyboard, you're talking about Silent Reds, in something like a Leopold FC750/900R PD. That's about as good as it gets for a quiet factory MX keyboard.

For tactiles, you can't really get silent tactiles in most factory keyboards. But you can still accomplish a quiet tactile pretty easily. Get a barebones GMMK TKL, without switches or keycaps. Buy 90 Aliaz 70G switches from KBDFans, clip the PCB legs if necessary, and insert them in the GMMK. Now you have a keyboard with quiet tactiles. I've tested this combination, and the switches are pretty quiet, and feel OK. Like quieter Gateron Browns. You can alternately use Zilents, but they are much more expensive.

So those are basically your options. The choice is NOT between MX Blue, MX Red, and MX Brown. All of those are too noisy if you are concerned about sound in your office. The choice is between silenced Topre, silent linears, and silent tactiles.

[HungerMechanic]

BTW here is a video of Chyros typing on an FC900R PD of some sort with Silent Reds:

https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=102083.0

You can basically order one right now and end your search.

Also, here's a video where, around 4:08, you can listen to a direct comparison of MX Red and Silent Red being typed on:

Personally, my recommendation for someone who is dead-set on MX switches, and wants something like Browns, is to go with some kind of build with Aliaz 70G. You could even get KBDFans to put together a cheap 65% keyboard [TADA68] or more premium version [KBD67 mk ii].

[HungerMechanic]

I've had to give some thought to this question in the past, while purchasing a keyboard for someone else. So please excuse the triple-posts.

If you do a search for "Aliaz 70G" on Youtube, you will get a wealth of videos.

In the Cherry MX world, Silent Reds and Silent Blacks are bush-league 'silencing.' The Leopold keyboards are pretty quiet on their own, and with the Cherry 'silent' switches, are about 5 db lower in volume than the regular red/black linears. The Youtube video I posted above, concerning the Silent Reds, has a more extended test showing the relative volumes of these switches.

You can also get into the "big leagues" of silencing with a custom keyboard. Watch the typing tests at the end and prepare to be amazed:

But that is probably beyond your budget. And, honestly, beyond your silencing needs. Those keyboards are quieter than general office background noise, so are unnecessarily silent.

The switch tester doesn't lie. (

) All regular MX tactiles are fairly noisy. The Aliaz are much quieter. That's why I recommended it. It's really all you need. If you can get some dampening foam in a GMMK, the Aliaz will do the job.

I also recommended silenced 45 gr Topre. It's tops. It really is. But you can only get the reasonably-priced silent Leopold variants in non-standard formats (FC660C, FC980C), or the super-expensive Realforce R2 PFU edition, which is just overpriced.

So, as others have stated, you can probably get away with regular unsilenced Topre. It's usually cheaper than silenced Topre. I'd say the sound level for unsilenced Topre is about the same as Cherry MX Silent Red / Black. About the same as regular office rubber dome keyboards, so it won't be considered loud by co-workers.

[rxc92]

The R2 really isn't that expensive; the limited edition obviously costs a bit more as it comes with APC and an extra fancy wrist rest, but a normal silenced R2 keyboard from Japan costs $200-240. Even with a proxy, it'd be much cheaper than buying an overpriced LE in the US or EU.

[Venaros]

Get a GMMK with Aliaz, Outemu Silent Skies, Zilents or Healios. MX Browns and Reds are usually too loud for office use.

[HungerMechanic]

The R2 really isn't that expensive; the limited edition obviously costs a bit more as it comes with APC and an extra fancy wrist rest, but a normal silenced R2 keyboard from Japan costs $200-240. Even with a proxy, it'd be much cheaper than buying an overpriced LE in the US or EU.

Do you know where one could find a proxy to get such a keyboard? And would it comes with English or Japanese characters?

[rxc92]

The R2 really isn't that expensive; the limited edition obviously costs a bit more as it comes with APC and an extra fancy wrist rest, but a normal silenced R2 keyboard from Japan costs $200-240. Even with a proxy, it'd be much cheaper than buying an overpriced LE in the US or EU.

Do you know where one could find a proxy to get such a keyboard? And would it comes with English or Japanese characters?

 
 
You can get it with any model/layout you prefer, even in Japan the US and Japanese versions are sold together. I believe Tenso, Whiterabbit, and a few others are common services (you can just search for japan proxy services). There are also many more selections from Japan, as the US market is only provided non-silenced and non-APC besides the limited edition. I'd personally do the purchase from Amazon Japan for better buyer protections compared to Yahoo/etc.

[walletburner]

i just wanna echo what a lot of people above have said which is that they're pretty equivalent. generally lubing will help decrease sound a tad, but the choice between these two is really just preference. there are silenced linears and tactiles available, but they generally come at the expense of a slightly mushier bottom out. the best way to know is to try for yourself. good luck!

[mizzoperator]

If you have the money, just get a Topre board. Outfitting it with BKE Redux Domes is optional, but recommended.
If that's not an option, I would say MX Silent Reds. If you wish to assert dominance over your co-workers, then go with Outemu Blues. Those are LOUD.

[Sintpinty]

So currently I am using a Logitech Romer G Tactile Keyboard for work. I recently purchased a MX Cherry Blues (Ducky) Mechanical Keyboard for home use (Gaming and Typing).

So now i am thinking of purchasing MX Cherrys for work at office but I am quite unsure which switch is best for Office Typing and Programming. I would like to be able to type fast while quiet at the same time.

MX Cherry Brown or Mx Cherry Red or just continue with my Romer G Tactile

Blues, because who cares.  They aren't that loud.  Rocking blues at my workplace.  The one annoyance is the ringing spacebar on my iKBC.  Other than that the switches are fine.

Blues? Thats chaotic evil in the workplace