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Author Topic: Suggestions for Red MX Cherry keyboards  (Read 1465 times)

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Offline jotry

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Suggestions for Red MX Cherry keyboards
« on: Sat, 10 May 2014, 13:23:34 »
I've been going through an extensive search for the right keyboard for myself. I've had the chance to use just about every type of standard Cherry switch in a typing situation, minus blues, and I find that the Red feels the best, but am still looking to narrow my field down. My problem I have right now is dealing with the keycap surface.

I'm just not happy with the keycap surface on my Corsair K70, but otherwise I like everything else. The backlighting, the feel of the switches, the look, and believe it'll get just better when I place o-rings on the caps, but after trying a Monoprice 109180 and feeling the caps used that is what I'm looking for my keycap surface in terms of feel. I also have a KeyTronic that is nice in keycap surface feel, but could be better still. Would anyone have recommendations of what I can look for that would meet these requirements?


My requirements for a keyboard are:

Cherry MX Red definitely
10-key required
Quality keycaps with a textured (matte?) surface finish

Strong preference for:
LED Backlit (Don't let this push you away from recommending one without it. Ultimately the typing experience will trump this. I've just grown to really like LED Backlit)
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Offline Razor Lotus

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Re: Suggestions for Red MX Cherry keyboards
« Reply #1 on: Sat, 10 May 2014, 13:28:02 »
Budget?

You can get a filco majestouch
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Offline user 18

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Re: Suggestions for Red MX Cherry keyboards
« Reply #2 on: Sat, 10 May 2014, 13:33:22 »
First recommendation is Ducky Shine III. I know it's been hard to find one lately.

You could also look at the CM Storm series of boards. They have half a dozen full size boards, and most, if not all, should have a MX Red option. Several SKUs are also backlit.

No matter which board you end up going with, you should look into aftermarket keycaps if the ones that come with the board don't meet your requirements. Even if you buy keycaps that are strictly speaking incompatible with a backlight, you get a really cool underglow effect. Most aftermarket caps will be higher quality than the ones that come with a board. Only exception I can think of is if you find a Ducky somewhere with PBT caps.
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Offline jotry

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Re: Suggestions for Red MX Cherry keyboards
« Reply #3 on: Sat, 10 May 2014, 14:14:37 »
Sorry, didn't mean to forgot the budget. Nothing past 300 I would say. I've been looking at all sorts of keyboards to satisfy my needs, and for right now I would like to stick towards the standard keyboard layouts as well.
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Offline esko997

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Re: Suggestions for Red MX Cherry keyboards
« Reply #4 on: Sat, 10 May 2014, 16:00:25 »
A friend of mine got a TKL Ducky with Reds and brought it to work the other day. I've never really been a fan of reds, but I have to say I really liked his Ducky. It has a very solid feel and great looking build -- If you can find one I would say go for that.
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Offline user 18

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Re: Suggestions for Red MX Cherry keyboards
« Reply #5 on: Sat, 10 May 2014, 16:08:29 »
Quote from: jotry on Sat, 10 May 2014, 14:14:37
Sorry, didn't mean to forgot the budget. Nothing past 300 I would say. I've been looking at all sorts of keyboards to satisfy my needs, and for right now I would like to stick towards the standard keyboard layouts as well.

300 what? I'm guessing USD?  300 USD would be enough to get a Ducky and a decent set of aftermarket caps.
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Offline jotry

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Re: Suggestions for Red MX Cherry keyboards
« Reply #6 on: Sat, 10 May 2014, 17:00:45 »
Yes 300 USD dollars.
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Offline Defect

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Re: Suggestions for Red MX Cherry keyboards
« Reply #7 on: Sat, 10 May 2014, 18:04:27 »
Have a Ducky Shine II with stock clears that I use at work.  Has thick pbt caps from vortex (those dumb italic DS ones :P) and these caps make me LOVE stock clears.

+1 for Ducky's build quality.  Definitely got my money's worth, even if I leave the LED's off most of the time.  Have no problem recommending this to anyone.

Obviously at home I use different boards...see signature for details :)

Able to answer any questions you may have.  PM or post!

But personally if I was throwing (another) $300 bucks at a keyboard, I'd go with a custom.  Which is actually what I'm doing :O
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Offline Pacifist

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Re: Suggestions for Red MX Cherry keyboards
« Reply #8 on: Sat, 10 May 2014, 18:27:37 »
lol 300 budget is easy

but finding good fullsizes isn't.

If you want one board: shine 3 with some nice PBT caps, or new deck keyboard with doubleshot backlits

What I would suggest tho:

Get a tkl and then a numpad. Same keys, two pieces, more options.

numpad--filco, leopold, etc, most are $50 tops

tkl: shine 3, deck, or go down the customs road. Grab a phantom PCB $32, plate $25, teensy $20 switches $50 non metal case $30 about $175 (and ask for shipping discount for buying multiple stuffs from mk.com) Total is $225, for a sweet setup that you can customize all you want
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Offline feizor

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Re: Suggestions for Red MX Cherry keyboards
« Reply #9 on: Sat, 10 May 2014, 18:51:44 »
Quote from: Pacifist on Sat, 10 May 2014, 18:27:37
lol 300 budget is easy

but finding good fullsizes isn't.

If you want one board: shine 3 with some nice PBT caps, or new deck keyboard with doubleshot backlits

What I would suggest tho:

Get a tkl and then a numpad. Same keys, two pieces, more options.

numpad--filco, leopold, etc, most are $50 tops

tkl: shine 3, deck, or go down the customs road. Grab a phantom PCB $32, plate $25, teensy $20 switches $50 non metal case $30 about $175 (and ask for shipping discount for buying multiple stuffs from mk.com) Total is $225, for a sweet setup that you can customize all you want

Having tried both ducky and CM boards, I can vouch for ducky having higher quality.

For the custom road you need to be able/have the equipment to assemble everything, otherwise you need to include the cost of getting someone to assemble it for you.
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Offline rowdy

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Re: Suggestions for Red MX Cherry keyboards
« Reply #10 on: Sat, 10 May 2014, 19:13:43 »
Welcome to Geekhack, jotry!

Backlit with textured keycaps is probably not going to happen.  Ducky Shine keycaps are smooth.

But here is another vote for Ducky - well made, solid keyboards with a good range of backlighting options and switches (including red).

With a US$300 budget finding a set of, say, PBT keycaps with a nice texture won't be difficult at all!
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Offline kohi

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Re: Suggestions for Red MX Cherry keyboards
« Reply #11 on: Sat, 10 May 2014, 20:59:57 »
Quote from: esko997 on Sat, 10 May 2014, 16:00:25
A friend of mine got a TKL Ducky with Reds and brought it to work the other day. I've never really been a fan of reds, but I have to say I really liked his Ducky. It has a very solid feel and great looking build -- If you can find one I would say go for that.

I had a Ducky Shine III with mx reds as well, but the modifier keys were really mushy - probably cause of the cherry stabs? but my other boards with cherry stabs weren't nearly as mushy :c but of course, the board was super solid and well built. no problems there
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Offline jotry

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Re: Suggestions for Red MX Cherry keyboards
« Reply #12 on: Sun, 11 May 2014, 03:01:39 »
Okay, well I believe I'm decided for the time being. I'm sure in the future I'll look into more keyboards, but for now I decided to settle on not just one, but two keyboards. Both Duckys. The first is a Ducky Shine 3 in Orange LED and the second is a Custom Ducky. http://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=813

I figure I can get three things out of the way. The Shine 3 has everything really I could want at the moment, I can add caps later if I choose, plus if I don't try some blue cherry switches I know I'll kick myself, and I can just use the blue switch keyboard with my laptop when at home which I'm not fond of the built in keyboard but bearable at least, plus I can experience some PBT caps. And swap them I guess should I want to. So four. But in all seriousness thank you all for your suggestions! I gave them serious thought and I feel that this is the best option for me, and I'll be staying around to read more and further delve into keyboards with time!
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