Thoughts on KBParadise V80 with Matias Click?

[Tangtawan]

Hi,

I'm planning to order KBParadise V80 with Matias Click switch, but i couldnt find much review on that. So any opinion?
What im concerning is

- Their build quality, can it be compared to Novatouch or 2015-2016 Duckys?
- Original Keycaps, will the printing wear off fairly quickly like the one on Filcos and Novatouch?
- Keycap Replacement, what type of stabilizer are they using? I've never experienced ALPS style board before, is it difficult to replace keycaps and are there anything to be careful of when doing so?
- Switch, how is it compared to those vintage Complicated white ALPS?
- Switch replacement, If i later found sets of complicated ALPS (SKCM) switch- will it be possible to replace the original Matias with SKCM ?
- Are those switches case mounted or plate mounted?
- How does Matias Click feel in terms of stiffness? I have many types of switches in my personal collection, including Bucking Springs (Both Capacitive and Membrane), MX Black, MX White (Far too stiff for daily use) and 45g Topre; asking this because same force required to activate different type of switch provides different feelings (eg.60g MX Blacks feel more fatiguing to type on compared to 70g BS (Model M)

Any thoughts on these? Thanks a lot.

[klennkellon]

It's built pretty well. It doesn't creak and has a good amount of weight to it, the extendable feet don't feel flimsy at all.

 The Matias Clicks are most similar to SKCM White but the Matias are a little lighter and more tactile. Weight is 60g-65g so they're very middle of the road when it comes to weighting. I would say that the SKCM White are a bit more satisfying to use overall, and of course nothing beats the sound real Alps make. Matias also wobble a lot more than the originals. Matias are still probably one of the best feeling Alps clones.

The switches are plate mounted and you can replace them with any of the original SKCM/SKCL switches.


Finding keycaps for Alps is tricky. There are two sets of doubleshots Tai-Hao makes and they will work flawlessly with the V80, but for other Alps caps you're going to have to scourge them off of other Alps boards. Apple Extended Keyboards and old Focus's in particular are good sources of doubleshot and dye-sub PBT caps but many old keyboards used slightly weirder layouts (bigass enter, no windows keys, etc) but you should have no trouble replacing your alphas.

[emdude]

As Klennkellon stated, you will have a very limited number of options when it comes to new Alps keysets.

Also, having seen your previous posts, I also want to note that there are no blank keysets for Alps.  Signature Plastics sells packs of blank DSA-profile keys, but I believe the wide keys use a cruciform stabilizer mount.

EDIT: As Hypersphere mentions below, Matias does sell blank keysets.  I apologize for the misinformation.

[Hypersphere]

Hi,

I'm planning to order KBParadise V80 with Matias Click switch, but i couldnt find much review on that. So any opinion?
What im concerning is

- Their build quality, can it be compared to Novatouch or 2015-2016 Duckys?
- Original Keycaps, will the printing wear off fairly quickly like the one on Filcos and Novatouch?
- Keycap Replacement, what type of stabilizer are they using? I've never experienced ALPS style board before, is it difficult to replace keycaps and are there anything to be careful of when doing so?
- Switch, how is it compared to those vintage Complicated white ALPS?
- Switch replacement, If i later found sets of complicated ALPS (SKCM) switch- will it be possible to replace the original Matias with SKCM ?
- Are those switches case mounted or plate mounted?
- How does Matias Click feel in terms of stiffness? I have many types of switches in my personal collection, including Bucking Springs (Both Capacitive and Membrane), MX Black, MX White (Far too stiff for daily use) and 45g Topre; asking this because same force required to activate different type of switch provides different feelings (eg.60g MX Blacks feel more fatiguing to type on compared to 70g BS (Model M)

Any thoughts on these? Thanks a lot.

I do not have a KBP V80, but I have 3 KBP V60 boards with Matias switches (two with Clicks, one Quiet Tactile). I have been very pleased with these boards. However, I would say that they are intermediate in build quality and solidity -- more solid than some, but less solid than others.

I think that the stock white on black keycaps are pad printed, so the printing would wear off. However, you can get Tai-Hao doubleshot keycap sets with Alps mounts. You can also buy both printed and unprinted keycap sets from Matias. It is also possible to buy vintage Alps keyboards and harvest keycaps from them.

The stabilizers are the wire type. They can seem daunting at first, but when you get accustomed to them you will appreciate how well they work and it will become easier for you to replace keycaps.

Matias Click switches are somewhat similar to SKCM white Alps, but a bit heavier and substantially louder. Matias Quiet switches are very quiet, but they retain the tactile feedback of the Click switches. However, I do not like them as well because the bottoming out feels somewhat mushy.

It would be possible to replace Matias switches with SKCM Alps, but I have heard that the desoldering can be a bit tricky in the KBP Matias boards. They are plate mounted.

Matias switches are very comfortable to type on. They are not too heavy. In contrast, I find Cherry mx "clears" and blacks to be too heavy, because the force-displacement curves of Cherry switches continue to increase after the actuation point.

[emdude]

I think that the stock white on black keycaps are pad printed, so the printing would wear off. However, you can get Tai-Hao doubleshot keycap sets with Alps mounts. You can also buy both printed and unprinted keycap sets from Matias. It is also possible to buy vintage Alps keyboards and harvest keycaps from them.

Thanks for bringing up the unprinted key cap sets, I forgot these existed.  I take back my previous statement.

[klennkellon]

The Matias to me felt lighter than the SKCM White. SKCM White are 70g and Matias 60g.

However it seems that old Alps were always a bit lighter than their advertised weight.

[Screwdriver]

I had one with Quiet Clicks. Two stabilizers were detached when new and I hated the feel of the board. Key sound was all over the place like caps were ill fitted. I had the Olivette V80. It wasn't a bad board, but if I was to rate a KUL as a 10, then the KBP would be a 7.

I later bought a Matias board, but had key chatter and sent it back. The Matias did feel better than the KBP. I want to get another Matias Alps board....but will wait awhile.

[Tangtawan]

Thanks for all the thoughts and comments, I just ordered it along with a set of Olivette Tai-Hao via MK.com and it will be arriving in around two weeks, since I live on the other side of the world lol

[yowaffle]

I've been using the v60-MQC as my work keyboard for a year now and love it. 

[Magna224]

Hi,

I'm planning to order KBParadise V80 with Matias Click switch, but i couldnt find much review on that. So any opinion?
What im concerning is

- Their build quality, can it be compared to Novatouch or 2015-2016 Duckys?
- Original Keycaps, will the printing wear off fairly quickly like the one on Filcos and Novatouch?
- Keycap Replacement, what type of stabilizer are they using? I've never experienced ALPS style board before, is it difficult to replace keycaps and are there anything to be careful of when doing so?
- Switch, how is it compared to those vintage Complicated white ALPS?
- Switch replacement, If i later found sets of complicated ALPS (SKCM) switch- will it be possible to replace the original Matias with SKCM ?
- Are those switches case mounted or plate mounted?
- How does Matias Click feel in terms of stiffness? I have many types of switches in my personal collection, including Bucking Springs (Both Capacitive and Membrane), MX Black, MX White (Far too stiff for daily use) and 45g Topre; asking this because same force required to activate different type of switch provides different feelings (eg.60g MX Blacks feel more fatiguing to type on compared to 70g BS (Model M)

Any thoughts on these? Thanks a lot.

I have a V80 click. The stabilizers are rattly and annoying. Its slightly less solid than the others you mentioned. The keycap printing will probably wear off but I don't use stock keycaps so i'm not sure from experience. The original ALPS are better. They should be plate mounted and real ALPS able to be soldered in. They are more stiff than pretty much any other switch on a stock modern keyboard I can think of ATM.