Between MX Black and MX Red

[frowni]

Hey there,

I just had the chance to try the MX Blacks(Steelseries tho) hour ago. Let me say that, as an owner of Filco Browns and Blues..Black felt amazing!! It's stiff and all but it was wonderful And it didn't make so much noise when caps hit the board, not like my Filco's...Is it because Steelseries use plastic board? Or Filco Black also doesn't make much noise?
What about reds? Is it the same linear feeling like blacks but lighter? Now it's time for me to order a liner switch keyboard and to decide between blacks or reds..

[yasuo]

black indeed not noisy because stiff if try dark greys it really2x silent
red is lighter than black/brown and few noisy i think if you fast typing to bottoming out
i have both but i dont like linear i prefer tactile
if you confused can try Between MX Black and MX Red, namely:vintage black

[gigibecali]

I've been using reds for more than a year and blacks for around 2 months and I still have problems adjusting to the red switch. It's simply too light.
Blacks are good all-round switch. I'm a programmer.
For writing browns seem to do the trick (a bit light though). Probably clears would be better.

[jdcarpe]

I like both blacks and reds. I probably give blacks the edge, because reds are just so light. But my favorite it to put 65g Korean springs in either! Then you get a linear switch in between blacks and reds.

[Linkbane]

I've been using reds for more than a year and blacks for around 2 months and I still have problems adjusting to the red switch. It's simply too light.
Blacks are good all-round switch. I'm a programmer.
For writing browns seem to do the trick (a bit light though). Probably clears would be better.

I wouldn't necessarily agree with that, Blacks have always been considered a gaming-only switch. I personally type poorly on linear boards, but I prefer Reds to Blacks. The latter just forces you to use unnecessary pressure. When you want to press a key for a game, why waste time and make it hard to press?

[rowdy]

Blacks.

The stiffer springs means you need to use more force to bottom out, and if you don't use more force, then you don't tend to bottom out as much.

I can't really use reds any more, they seem way too light (this is after using blacks and greens for too long).

[gameaholic]

I've been using reds for more than a year and blacks for around 2 months and I still have problems adjusting to the red switch. It's simply too light.
Blacks are good all-round switch. I'm a programmer.
For writing browns seem to do the trick (a bit light though). Probably clears would be better.

I wouldn't necessarily agree with that, Blacks have always been considered a gaming-only switch. I personally type poorly on linear boards, but I prefer Reds to Blacks. The latter just forces you to use unnecessary pressure. When you want to press a key for a game, why waste time and make it hard to press?

The argument I've heard for a stiff spring for gaming is that once you are done pressing it the switch resets faster.  I find this negligible and prefer a lighter spring for the hair-trigger action.   

[Linkbane]

I've been using reds for more than a year and blacks for around 2 months and I still have problems adjusting to the red switch. It's simply too light.
Blacks are good all-round switch. I'm a programmer.
For writing browns seem to do the trick (a bit light though). Probably clears would be better.

I wouldn't necessarily agree with that, Blacks have always been considered a gaming-only switch. I personally type poorly on linear boards, but I prefer Reds to Blacks. The latter just forces you to use unnecessary pressure. When you want to press a key for a game, why waste time and make it hard to press?

The argument I've heard for a stiff spring for gaming is that once you are done pressing it the switch resets faster.  I find this negligible and prefer a lighter spring for the hair-trigger action.

Agreed. I don't think that it could really travel up any faster than your finger goes up; even typing at full speed, the keys still touch my fingers going upwards.

[~OmIfan~]

you should test both switch for gaming. i prefer Red though, the lighter the better IMO

[PointyFox]

you should test both switch for gaming. i prefer Red though, the lighter the better IMO

Try taking the springs out.  You should like it the best. 

[terran5992]

62g reds

[Moosecraft]

55g korean spring linears are the best

[PointyFox]

That's all junk compared to vintage blacks.

[BliTzKiN]

55g korean spring linears are the best

Agreed! Some people hate reds for being too light, I love my blacks with 55g koreans, lubing them in the future will also make a great improvement in feel.

OT, Reds are exactly like black, just requires less effort to depress. Coming from browns, I would think you should be okay with the weight of reds, though you might probably end up bottoming out slightly more.

[xuanwumen]

See from internet that one Chinese company created the YELLOW SWITCH, which is exact inbetween red and black switches in terms of loadings.

[1pq]

You might as well just get some originative springs and create these "yellows" by yourself. You could also lube it in the process, which greatly enhances the feel in linears.

[rowdy]

See from internet that one Chinese company created the YELLOW SWITCH, which is exact inbetween red and black switches in terms of loadings.

I have seen pictures of yellow MX-lookalike switches.

Apparently the plastic is very brittle or something as the stems easily break.

[Tony]

Each switch has its own advantages, that's the reason I become a collector and collects all four color of popular switches.

Black is ok for typing as you notice that you don't try to press so hard on blacks. Lack of sound in black may be quite nice for some people. For other people the sound when you type with blue or brown is confirmative and so satisfying that they don't like blacks.

Red is ok for typing as soon as you can press quite gingerly on each key, with so light force that your fingers are almost dancing and even flying on a keyboard, therefore creating such feeling of boobs that reds are so famous for.

[pichu23]

-

[osi]

If you are a gamer primarily - reds, if not, go blacks. You can really fly on the blacks once you get used to them.

[laffindude]

I have seen pictures of yellow MX-lookalike switches.

Apparently the plastic is very brittle or something as the stems easily break.

That is not the real problem with the switches.

[PointyFox]

If you are a gamer primarily - reds, if not, go blacks. You can really fly on the blacks once you get used to them.

There's no reason to use reds unless you're physically unable to use blacks.  Reds make accidental keypresses more likely because of both their lighter resistance and less steep force gradient.  It can be argued as well that their weaker return force is detrimental to rapid keypresses as well as finger positioning.

[tp4tissue]

If you are a gamer primarily - reds, if not, go blacks. You can really fly on the blacks once you get used to them.

There's no reason to use reds unless you're physically unable to use blacks.  Reds make accidental keypresses more likely because of both their lighter resistance and less steep force gradient.  It can be argued as well that their weaker return force is detrimental to rapid keypresses as well as finger positioning.

mmmmmmmm.......  this is highly subjective right there...  The bulk of an accuracy problem is User-side.. not the tool's problem...

finger positioning.. um...... i'm not sure what you're getting at with this..

[PointyFox]

If you are a gamer primarily - reds, if not, go blacks. You can really fly on the blacks once you get used to them.

There's no reason to use reds unless you're physically unable to use blacks.  Reds make accidental keypresses more likely because of both their lighter resistance and less steep force gradient.  It can be argued as well that their weaker return force is detrimental to rapid keypresses as well as finger positioning.

mmmmmmmm.......  this is highly subjective right there...  The bulk of an accuracy problem is User-side.. not the tool's problem...

finger positioning.. um...... i'm not sure what you're getting at with this..

Vertical positioning.  If one usually keeps his fingers right above the keys using the return force of the switches, there's more likely to be instances where the keys don't fully return the fingers upward, resulting in differing distances between the fingers and actuation points.  This would result in throwing the timing of keypresses off and possibly accidental actuations.

[tp4tissue]

If you are a gamer primarily - reds, if not, go blacks. You can really fly on the blacks once you get used to them.

There's no reason to use reds unless you're physically unable to use blacks.  Reds make accidental keypresses more likely because of both their lighter resistance and less steep force gradient.  It can be argued as well that their weaker return force is detrimental to rapid keypresses as well as finger positioning.

mmmmmmmm.......  this is highly subjective right there...  The bulk of an accuracy problem is User-side.. not the tool's problem...

finger positioning.. um...... i'm not sure what you're getting at with this..

Vertical positioning.  If one usually keeps his fingers right above the keys using the return force of the switches, there's more likely to be instances where the keys don't fully return the fingers upward, resulting in differing distances between the fingers and actuation points.  This would result in throwing the timing of keypresses off and possibly accidental actuations.

ah... ok ic.. um... i haven't thought much about vertical positioning..

Hmmm......   if the bulk of the weight is on your wrist rest/ where u rest ur wrist, then the finger weight is not going to depress a key enough to activate it.. red or black.. wouldn't make a difference.

now, if you use the Hover-positioning technique.. Your biceps would be holding your fingers above the key..

In this hover position.. I don't see how you'd put any rest weight on your fingers, because even with 5 fingers on the board.. there is no way 50g of force prior to actuation times 5 is going to hold up the weight of your hand...