Steelseries Qck+ XXL or Qck Heavy XXL?

[Phedran]

Looking to buy a larger desk-pad sized mouse pad, deciding between these two.

I know one is thicker than the other and I'm leaning towards the 'Heavy' because I think the extra padding will help limit mouse and keyboard noise while recording, but I wanted to know if anyone had experience with both or had any compelling pros or cons I should know about before deciding?

[damorgue]

I have tried both and I really liked the Qck (currently using it) but disliked the Heavy. I can't really put my finger on it, but I qould describe the Qck as a "cloth" and the Heavy as a "pad". I found the Qck to be smoother, less prone to get dirty and stick better to the table.

Edit: Back when I tried them both they were the smaller variants. I have since then upgraded to the large Qck.

[vun]

They aren't desk-sized, at most they're half a deskmat. If you want a deskmat you should look at the Razer Goliathus Extended, Xtrac Ripper(I think that's the name), Corepad XXL(dunno if I got the exact number of Xs, but you get the idea) and the Mionix one, I can't remember the specific model name, but Mionix only have one desk-sized one.

[Phedran]

I have tried both and I really liked the Qck (currently using it) but disliked the Heavy. I can't really put my finger on it, but I qould describe the Qck as a "cloth" and the Heavy as a "pad". I found the Qck to be smoother, less prone to get dirty and stick better to the table.

Edit: Back when I tried them both they were the smaller variants. I have since then upgraded to the large Qck.

Interesting.. yeah this is kind of what I thought might be the case, that's why I'm still undecided. Hm..

They aren't desk-sized, at most they're half a deskmat. If you want a deskmat you should look at the Razer Goliathus Extended, Xtrac Ripper(I think that's the name), Corepad XXL(dunno if I got the exact number of Xs, but you get the idea) and the Mionix one, I can't remember the specific model name, but Mionix only have one desk-sized one.

Ah, yeah I more meant that I wanted the mouse pad to be used under my keyboard and mouse, I know the Qck would be pushing it and would require some finagling (it's definitely larger than my incoming keyboard!), but I'd just heard so many good reviews I was hoping I could make it work.. 

I was considering the XTRAC PADS Ripper XXL and it's probably a better choice. Mostly just want one with minimal branding on it (so Razer anything is out), preferably fabric/quiet (Mionix reads to me as being louder as far as I can see), and can be shipped to Canada (which, can't find any Corepad sellers that will, as nice as those look).

Looks like I'll probably go with the Ripper then. 

[vun]

I have tried both and I really liked the Qck (currently using it) but disliked the Heavy. I can't really put my finger on it, but I qould describe the Qck as a "cloth" and the Heavy as a "pad". I found the Qck to be smoother, less prone to get dirty and stick better to the table.

Edit: Back when I tried them both they were the smaller variants. I have since then upgraded to the large Qck.

Interesting.. yeah this is kind of what I thought might be the case, that's why I'm still undecided. Hm..

They aren't desk-sized, at most they're half a deskmat. If you want a deskmat you should look at the Razer Goliathus Extended, Xtrac Ripper(I think that's the name), Corepad XXL(dunno if I got the exact number of Xs, but you get the idea) and the Mionix one, I can't remember the specific model name, but Mionix only have one desk-sized one.

Ah, yeah I more meant that I wanted the mouse pad to be used under my keyboard and mouse, I know the Qck would be pushing it and would require some finagling (it's definitely larger than my incoming keyboard!), but I'd just heard so many good reviews I was hoping I could make it work.. 

I was considering the XTRAC PADS Ripper XXL and it's probably a better choice. Mostly just want one with minimal branding on it (so Razer anything is out), preferably fabric/quiet (Mionix reads to me as being louder as far as I can see), and can be shipped to Canada (which, can't find any Corepad sellers that will, as nice as those look).

Looks like I'll probably go with the Ripper then. 

Yeah, even the largest QcK pads are far too small to be used under both a kb and mouse unless you have very very high dpi and a 60% or smaller board, then it could probably be done in a pinch.

[oscillik]

Thanks vun, now I gotta find out how to get a Ripper 3XL pad over here in England.

there goes my money, again!

[Phedran]

Yeah, even the largest QcK pads are far too small to be used under both a kb and mouse unless you have very very high dpi and a 60% or smaller board, then it could probably be done in a pinch.

With the Leopold FC660C I have coming I'd have 5 inches of room on the side, but seeing as it's only 4 inches deep I cooould have used the mouse on a different plane. But it wouldn't have been optimal.

I think I'm just going to go for the Ripper though, I found a site that will ship Canadian.. I wish there was a median size, all the pads seem to be 17 wide or 36 wide. Qck won't comfortably fit my mouse and keyboard, but the Ripper is going to cover like 75% of my desk and go under my monitor bases unless I get a dual monitor mount.. Slippery slope indeed. 

[oscillik]

Yeah, even the largest QcK pads are far too small to be used under both a kb and mouse unless you have very very high dpi and a 60% or smaller board, then it could probably be done in a pinch.

With the Leopold FC660C I have coming I'd have 5 inches of room on the side, but seeing as it's only 4 inches deep I cooould have used the mouse on a different plane. But it wouldn't have been optimal.

I think I'm just going to go for the Ripper though, I found a site that will ship Canadian.. I wish there was a median size, all the pads seem to be 17 wide or 36 wide. Qck won't comfortably fit my mouse and keyboard, but the Ripper is going to cover like 75% of my desk and go under my monitor bases unless I get a dual monitor mount.. Slippery slope indeed. 

But hey, you like spending money don't ya?

In all seriousness though, I totally agree with you... all these things are definitely gonna cause a "but now I have this, I must get this!" kind of syndrome. I guess this is the other price we pay for being enthusiasts! My Steelseries 9HD hard mat is perfectly fine...more than adequate, even. But the lure of a massive surface I can mouse on, have my keyboards on, and have a bit more comfort for my wrist, it's too much of a lure for me!

[Phedran]

But hey, you like spending money don't ya?

In all seriousness though, I totally agree with you... all these things are definitely gonna cause a "but now I have this, I must get this!" kind of syndrome. I guess this is the other price we pay for being enthusiasts! My Steelseries 9HD hard mat is perfectly fine...more than adequate, even. But the lure of a massive surface I can mouse on, have my keyboards on, and have a bit more comfort for my wrist, it's too much of a lure for me!

.. I've already ordered a new keyboard with some extra keys, got a new mouse, ordered a custom USB cable for the keyboard, am about to order a deskpad, set up remote-control light strips, and purchased other more recording-specific and aesthetic-specific supplies for my desk in the past week or so. Yeah. I don't often spend money, but when I do...

The monitor mount setup is something I've been wanting for years regardless, but it's looking like I'll actually get one this year now.

The massive mousepad definitely appeals to me for some sound dampening for recording, as well as comfort, as well as my mouse area is just too small to even fit a regular small mousepad, so the next best thing is just putting one under all of the things! 

[mkawa]

i love the mass and heavy series qcks. definitely worth it for the thick neoprene. it's more comfortable in addition to dampening.

i'm currently running a razr goliathus speed desk-sized _on top_ of two qck mass L/XLs actually. that's how much i like the padding.

given this, keep in mind that the extra mass on the heavy and mass is just neoprene foam. you can get neoprene foam from mcmaster for much cheaper than steelseries is charging you. however, you don't get the qck surface weave with the mcmaster part number, so only go for the mass or heavy if you like the qck weave. i'm kind of split actually. for a while i loved the qck weave with my g9x, but the goliathus has a coarser weave that's more reliable with laser mice and when your mouse is getting finnicky. the drag is also more predictable.

[vun]

Thanks vun, now I gotta find out how to get a Ripper 3XL pad over here in England.

there goes my money, again!

If you're in the UK you're probably better off getting a Corepad, I don't think the Ripper is easily available anywhere outside the US.
There was another deskmat as well that I know is available in the UK, but I can't seem to remember the name :/ I know the brand name started with an a, but that's it.

Also, I used a QcK Heavy for quite some time, and while they are nice, I don't really like the cloth of the QcK pads. Currently using a Goliathus Speed, and the cloth on that is much better. The Control is also better, but that's sort of a different surface, so comparing it to the QcK is a bit off. Still, you can't really go wrong with the QcK pads, I just think that there are many nicer cloth pads out there.
But yeah, that padding is nice.

[oscillik]

Thanks vun, now I gotta find out how to get a Ripper 3XL pad over here in England.

there goes my money, again!

If you're in the UK you're probably better off getting a Corepad, I don't think the Ripper is easily available anywhere outside the US.
There was another deskmat as well that I know is available in the UK, but I can't seem to remember the name :/ I know the brand name started with an a, but that's it.

Also, I used a QcK Heavy for quite some time, and while they are nice, I don't really like the cloth of the QcK pads. Currently using a Goliathus Speed, and the cloth on that is much better. The Control is also better, but that's sort of a different surface, so comparing it to the QcK is a bit off. Still, you can't really go wrong with the QcK pads, I just think that there are many nicer cloth pads out there.
But yeah, that padding is nice.

I had a look around and could only find retailers selling what seemed to be an older version of the Corepad, with a gaudy design on it. At least the Ripper pads have just a logo in the corner. I might be able to pick up a Ripper mousemat whilst I'm in the US in March, might be a better idea actually.

In any case, I am grateful for your advice on brands here, as I wouldn't have had any idea outside of Razer. I may still end up going with Razer purely for that stitched edge. No idea why no-one else has done that!

[vun]

Thanks vun, now I gotta find out how to get a Ripper 3XL pad over here in England.

there goes my money, again!

If you're in the UK you're probably better off getting a Corepad, I don't think the Ripper is easily available anywhere outside the US.
There was another deskmat as well that I know is available in the UK, but I can't seem to remember the name :/ I know the brand name started with an a, but that's it.

Also, I used a QcK Heavy for quite some time, and while they are nice, I don't really like the cloth of the QcK pads. Currently using a Goliathus Speed, and the cloth on that is much better. The Control is also better, but that's sort of a different surface, so comparing it to the QcK is a bit off. Still, you can't really go wrong with the QcK pads, I just think that there are many nicer cloth pads out there.
But yeah, that padding is nice.

I had a look around and could only find retailers selling what seemed to be an older version of the Corepad, with a gaudy design on it. At least the Ripper pads have just a logo in the corner. I might be able to pick up a Ripper mousemat whilst I'm in the US in March, might be a better idea actually.

In any case, I am grateful for your advice on brands here, as I wouldn't have had any idea outside of Razer. I may still end up going with Razer purely for that stitched edge. No idea why no-one else has done that!

There should be minimal branding corepads on amazon. I found the brand I forgot; Akasa. Should be available in the UK, no major branding.

Personally I would go with Razer, simply because the stitched edges are amazing and the cloth is great. But if I were to get something else I'd probably go with Corepad, maybe Mionix, but I'm a bit wary of the quality of Mionix products.

[oscillik]

Thanks vun, now I gotta find out how to get a Ripper 3XL pad over here in England.

there goes my money, again!

If you're in the UK you're probably better off getting a Corepad, I don't think the Ripper is easily available anywhere outside the US.
There was another deskmat as well that I know is available in the UK, but I can't seem to remember the name :/ I know the brand name started with an a, but that's it.

Also, I used a QcK Heavy for quite some time, and while they are nice, I don't really like the cloth of the QcK pads. Currently using a Goliathus Speed, and the cloth on that is much better. The Control is also better, but that's sort of a different surface, so comparing it to the QcK is a bit off. Still, you can't really go wrong with the QcK pads, I just think that there are many nicer cloth pads out there.
But yeah, that padding is nice.

I had a look around and could only find retailers selling what seemed to be an older version of the Corepad, with a gaudy design on it. At least the Ripper pads have just a logo in the corner. I might be able to pick up a Ripper mousemat whilst I'm in the US in March, might be a better idea actually.

In any case, I am grateful for your advice on brands here, as I wouldn't have had any idea outside of Razer. I may still end up going with Razer purely for that stitched edge. No idea why no-one else has done that!

There should be minimal branding corepads on amazon. I found the brand I forgot; Akasa. Should be available in the UK, no major branding.

Personally I would go with Razer, simply because the stitched edges are amazing and the cloth is great. But if I were to get something else I'd probably go with Corepad, maybe Mionix, but I'm a bit wary of the quality of Mionix products.

Amazon.co.uk was my first port of call, but no dice with the Corepad - just shows as 'currently unavailable'. I know the Razer Goliathus cloths are great, I used to have one (the older design) so I've no issues with Razer and their quality, just the over the top branding. Dat stitching though...it really does look good, and frayed edges on mats really gets on my nerves. Just noticed that Razer still have the slightly older design, which isn't as obnoxiously over the top as the current design, so I might end up choosing that one!