OP here.
First, I would just like to clarify something.
I think some of you took my initial post too seriously. I wasn't bashing on anyone in particular (but all of you. jk.)
That being said, I think I should emphasize on the fact that my goal was to warn people wishing to buy a Topre based keyboard that it might not be what they are expecting.
A recurrent comment was that because I didn't like MX Reds so much, I should have known better than to buy a Topre keyboard.
TweakTown.com has a review of the Type Heaven where it is mentioned "After much use, I found the Topre to be much like a brown switch in feel and noise...". I read multiple reviews here of the keyboard but most importantly I read a plethora of positive comments about Topre switches.
I read more than once comments like: "when you press on a key, you can feel a pop and then the collapse of the dome to a mushy bottom".
That is nothing like MX Reds. The only thing I could relate Topre to MX Reds (from the read descriptions) is the resistivity of the switches.
What I am trying to say is that I read enough about Topre to lead me to believe I was missing out on the best switch there is. The switch exhibited tactility, smoothness, finess. I wanted it.
I brought the keyboard at work Thursday and Friday. I wanted to expose myself fully to the keyboard. I can thus ellaborate a little more:
Regarding the build quality of the keyboard:
The keyboard is really well built.
- Yes, if you purposely tap bellow the right side of the space bar, you will hear rattling. I don't care about that.
- I noticed that if I pressed on the right section of the ENTER key, that it would make a different sound than if I pressed anywhere else on that key. It bothers me, but just a bit.
- The lack of rubber pads under the keyboard is the most glaring issue. On a normal surface, the keyboard moves easily. Luckily at work, I have a surface with two pads of rubber on which the keyboard sits. It doesn't move then.
- Finally, I was surprised by the small size of the Win-keys. They chose to make the Ctrl and Alt keys bigger. At first I didn't like it and thought I would have a hard time finding the key (which I use quite often), but it wasn't a problem.
Regarding the feel of the keyboard:
It is slowly growing on me. I am starting to appreciate how the keys feel.
- I still feel the keys are rather stiff. Typing on my MX Red based Poker II is extremelly different. The Reds are MUCH less resistive than the 45g Type Heaven. This translates in me typing more slowly and taking the time to bottom out. Maybe with more practice this will change.
- Tactility: My definition of tactility with regards to keyboard switches is a physical feedback from the switch telling you it is being depressed. On any cheap membrane keyboard, you need to apply sufficient force on a key for it to move at all and then instantly collapse. You could argue that the act of collapse is feedback in itself. This is not what I am talking about when I mention tactility. The best parallel I could draw would be the difference between MX Red and MX Brown. To me, MX Red has zero tactility whereas MX Brown has tactility (not at lot, but it has some). I used Matias ALPS and it had tactility. It was similar to Topre in the sense that all the resistance was at the top of the depression, but you still felt a bump at the top telling you "you are activating this switch sir!".
By that definition, 45g Topre as implemented on the Type Heaven is NOT tactile. There is no bump. There is no pop. All there is is a resistance like on any cheap membrane keyboard until the dome starts to give and collapse.
That being said, it IS smooth. It IS comfortable.
Actually, this is what happens to me when I slowing press on a key: there is resistance until collapse starts. It is not a brutal collapse where I bottom out instantly. It is easy to control the rest of the travel (again, when concentrating on one key). Bottoming is a journey through which you can feel a very pleasent smoothness of key through the stem. Rebound is light. There is a 'texture' to the movement of the key. It is completely linear like Red/Blacks are linear, but you feel something smooth in that movement. I believe this is what people refer to when they say it is 'buttery'.
But, again... there is absolutely zero bump or pop at the actuation point or anywhere during the operation of the key. Maybe on 55g. Maybe on Leopold. But on the Type Heaven, there is none. Nada. Nobody could argue that. That would be like saying milk is green. - I find the sound to be a little too 'clackety' for my taste, but I will live through this ordeal.
- Also, I felt the keys were somewhat... 'loose'. Maybe not Matias loose, but... loose nevertheless. And that is not a bad thing. It gave the keyboard a 'vintage' feel to it which I like.
td;lrMy goal is to warn people wishing to buy Topre based keyboards that they are buying a keyboard is zero tactility. It will be a high quality board. It will be a board with smooth switches. It will be a comfortable board. But that will be it.
The Type Heaven is slowly growing on me. Initial disappointment is letting place to some kind of pleasanteness in getting to know the keyboard.
