Is Filco worth the price difference over a Leopold?

[Roper102]

Hi everyone,

I've decided to buy a new keyboard to replace my old (and first mech) G80-3000 (MX Clears).
Being from Germany I'd like to get an ISO layout board, which decreases my options by quite a bit.

I'd like to get an MX Brown board and narrowed it down to either a Filco MJ2 or a Leopold.
Both of them are available on a german online shop (getdigital). The Filco MJ2 costs 170 €, the Leopold FC500R costs 100 €.

Now I'm asking whether or not the Filco is actually worth 70€ more compared to the Leopold. I'm aware of the difference in stabilizers (Cherry/Costar), but the whole discussion on which stabilizers are better doesn't seem to declare a winner.

Sidenote: I can't find the ISO-DE Leopold FC500R on any other shop, which seems kinda odd.


EDIT: Ordering from keyboardco would cost around 160 €, so the price difference is actually 60 €. (Assumed blindly, that ordering from there would be more expensive.)

[Narcix]

Hi everyone,

I've decided to buy a new keyboard to replace my old (and first mech) G80-3000 (MX Clears).
Being from Germany I'd like to get an ISO layout board, which decreases my options quite by a bit.

I'd like to get an MX Brown board and narrowed it down to either a Filco MJ2 or a Leopold.
Both of them are available on a german online shop (getdigital). The Filco MJ2 costs 170 €, the Leopold FC500R costs 100 €.

Now I'm asking whether or not the Filco is actually worth 70€ more compared to the Leopold. I'm aware of the difference in stabilizers (Cherry/Costar), but the whole discussion on which stabilizers are better doesn't seem to declare a winner.

Sidenote: I can't find the ISO-DE Leopold FC500R on any other shop, which seems kinda odd.


EDIT: Ordering from keyboardco would cost around 160 €, so the price difference is actually 60 €. (Assumed blindly, that ordering from there would be more expensive.)

maybe  the filco would be a bit cheaper if you bought it from keyboardco.com

[whiteduck]

I'd go for the Leopold.  I have owned two, one tkl with browns and another with reds; they have both been of excellent quality.  I have tried filco boards before and they felt very solid and high quality but I don't think their price tag is justified.  Leopold feels just as well built IMO

[danrew]

Having owned 3 Filcos I would definitely go for a 4th. But 70 Euros is high premium to pay ($80 USD). In the States there's generally only a 30 Euro ($40) between a Filco and a Leopold. I'd go for the Leopold if I were you.

[Hyde]

I'm not sure if QFR is available in ISO layout over there.  Otherwise QFR is kind of best of both worlds.  Unless you want a full size then in that case you might want to wait for XT.

However if you strictly only talk about Filco and Leopold.  Then like danrew said usually the price difference isn't that high so I'd always go for Filco over Leopold since I prefer Costar stabilizers.  However in your case 60 Euros is pretty big of a difference so I'd most likely go for Leopold.

[oppz197]

Yea QFR is the best TYL keyboard Imo

[Roper102]

Tenkeyless is not really an option. I considered buying a Topre RF 87UB first, but I paid attention to the usage of my numpad for about a week and decided I definitely want a full-sized board.

Regarding the XT: Is the build quality of the CM keyboards anyway near equal to Leopold or Filco?

[Narcix]

Tenkeyless is not really an option. I considered buying a Topre RF 87UB first, but I paid attention to the usage of my numpad for about a week and decided I definitely want a full-sized board.

Regarding the XT: Is the build quality of the CM keyboards anyway near equal to Leopold or Filco?

cm keyboards build quality is more than anywhere equal to filcos, not on the same level but still an excellent choice.
also, not every cm keyboard is the same, the XT, if I'm not wrong, should be the full size version of the rapid, which means a cheaper and slightly lower quality version of a fullsize filco.
other cms boards are still good but meh

[Flyersfan1]

Tenkeyless is not really an option. I considered buying a Topre RF 87UB first, but I paid attention to the usage of my numpad for about a week and decided I definitely want a full-sized board.

Regarding the XT: Is the build quality of the CM keyboards anyway near equal to Leopold or Filco?

I currently own a Quickfire XT and it has been truly a pleasure to use so far.  I was really agonizing over the decision to go with the XT or the more expensive Filco.  In the end, I just couldn't justify spending another $80 for the Filco.  The XT is a wonderful option for someone who is looking for a great bang for your buck board.  One of the moderators here recently got to play around with it for a little bit and also had some great things to say about it, it has a great sturdy feel, a lower profile and a great typing feel.  Cooler Master is really making some great strides within the mechanical keyboard community, the XT actually features a full size usb connector in the back of the board which I think is awesome. Unless you're looking to make future modifications to your keyboard, I just can't really see any other reason to spend the extra money for the Filco.  The only thing on the XT that leaves a little to be desired is the keycaps, but of course they can be changed out quite easily.  Both are great boards and I'm sure you'll be satisfied with whichever you choose!

[Flyersfan1]

Sorry double post.

[Grim Fandango]

I love my Filcos, but when I am being completely rational about it, the premium is kind of hard to justify.

I think both are good products.

[Tony]

Does a Roll-Royce/Lamborghini worth the difference over a Toyota/Ford?

No if you look at the cost.
Yes if you look at the luxuries and I-own-something-special feelings of your ego.

If you have plenty of money, you would buy several Realforce with different switch forces just for fun, to know what they are like. Pure curiosity.

[mauri]

Well I hear lots of bad things about leopolds breaking etc but haven't yet heard a filco owner complain. But I guess you're paying for the brand too.

[bahamot]

Well if you're unlucky enough, you'll get a lemon even if you bought a filco

[CPTBadAss]

cm keyboards build quality is more than anywhere equal to filcos, not on the same level but still an excellent choice.

If you're looking to mod your keyboard, the PCBs on the CM products (or at least the QFR) seems to be lower quality. The PCB in the QFR I took apart was very flimsy and cheap while the Filco one was very sturdy and the soldering seemed to be much better. I preferred to work on my Filco.


FWIW, I have both a Filco and a Leopold. I like the Filco slightly more because the case had a better design, I don't like the placement of the detachable cable on the Leopold, and the Filco blues just feel nicer. The Leopold needed to be modded to stop a double tapping issue and I needed soft-landing pads because typing on it was very stiff for a little while. I recorded some of my thoughts on my 700R here.

[mauri]

Well if you're unlucky enough, you'll get a lemon even if you bought a filco

Perhaps but it seems there are quite a few more lemons in leopolds basket than filcos.

[heissler]

I have been using both my Leo 500r and and MJT for about 3-4 months now. I have recently bought a Ducky G2 Pro TKL. The Ducky and the MJT feel quite a bit nicer than the leopold, more "robust" I'd say. The Leo is pinging a bit too much in my opinion, both the Ducky and the Filco feel sturdy as a rock. I absolutely love the Ducky at the moment, even after it still being in the break-in phase. I got the Leo from get-digital, the Filco from keyboardco, and the Ducky from mechkeyboards for about 130 Euros including shipping and "Mwst/Ust".

[Roper102]

Thank you for all the answers so far.

I have been using both my Leo 500r and and MJT for about 3-4 months now. I have recently bought a Ducky G2 Pro TKL. The Ducky and the MJT feel quite a bit nicer than the leopold, more "robust" I'd say. The Leo is pinging a bit too much in my opinion, both the Ducky and the Filco feel sturdy as a rock. I absolutely love the Ducky at the moment, even after it still being in the break-in phase. I got the Leo from get-digital, the Filco from keyboardco, and the Ducky from mechkeyboards for about 130 Euros including shipping and "Mwst/Ust".

What seems really strange about the Leo from getdigital in particular is that no other shop or even the Leopold website lists this ISO Version. It is even branded as "getDigital" on the backside: http://www.getdigital.de/images/actionshots/t4/Leopold_Keyboards_Unten.jpg. It's like they made some special deal with Leopold!?
Are your Leo and MJT using the same MX switches? And if so, do they feel different?

Well if you're unlucky enough, you'll get a lemon even if you bought a filco

What's that about? Never heard that term.

Does a Roll-Royce/Lamborghini worth the difference over a Toyota/Ford?

No if you look at the cost.
Yes if you look at the luxuries and I-own-something-special feelings of your ego.

If you have plenty of money, you would buy several Realforce with different switch forces just for fun, to know what they are like. Pure curiosity.

Well, I assume the difference between Filco and Leopold isn't as big as the difference between the mentioned car brands. I'd also be willing to spend the huge price for a Topre (kinda out of curiosity), but they simple don't offer my desired keyboard layout right now (Full-size + uniform keys, variables are odd for gaming).

[bahamot]

Well if you're unlucky enough, you'll get a lemon even if you bought a filco

What's that about? Never heard that term.

I mean a bad/broken/trouble keyboard.

[heissler]

Thank you for all the answers so far.

I have been using both my Leo 500r and and MJT for about 3-4 months now. I have recently bought a Ducky G2 Pro TKL. The Ducky and the MJT feel quite a bit nicer than the leopold, more "robust" I'd say. The Leo is pinging a bit too much in my opinion, both the Ducky and the Filco feel sturdy as a rock. I absolutely love the Ducky at the moment, even after it still being in the break-in phase. I got the Leo from get-digital, the Filco from keyboardco, and the Ducky from mechkeyboards for about 130 Euros including shipping and "Mwst/Ust".

What seems really strange about the Leo from getdigital in particular is that no other shop or even the Leopold website lists this ISO Version. It is even branded as "getDigital" on the backside: http://www.getdigital.de/images/actionshots/t4/Leopold_Keyboards_Unten.jpg. It's like they made some special deal with Leopold!?
Are your Leo and MJT using the same MX switches? And if so, do they feel different?

I'm running Browns on all my keyboards and yes, they do indeed feel different. As I said, the Leopold pings quite a bit, which makes it a tad louder than the other two boards.