Das Keyboard 4/General Keyboard Suggestion help.

[daviswalkers]

So I'm in the market for a new mechanical keyboard, as my family has been quite unhappy with how loud the Cherry Mx Blue's of my Razer Blackwidow are.

I was thinking of going for the new Das Keyboard 4, but when searching your forums for information on them there was nothing I could find, the only recent disccusion even slightly about Das Keyboard was that they changed their manufacturer and that their product had gone down the drain in terms of quality.

So my main question is:
Is this information still current/does it apply to the Das Keyboard 4 as far as anyone is aware?

And if so is there another keyboard out there that matches it in simplicity, original quality, and price range?
I do require a number pad, and traditional keyboard layout.

Thanks,
-Davis

[suby4me]

Hey there, I'll take a bite to help but I still have plenty to learn. I own a das keyboard 4 and here are two reviews, one written by myself and another by a fellow GH, Dansor:

http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=57578.0
http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=57675.0

In my opinion, I think the build quality is fine and I couldn't really tell much of a difference from my previous Das keyboard (mac ver.) The version I own is blues, but assuming you need something quiet, browns should be considered. Some of the notable differences is the new design and anodized aluminum top plate. It adds a nice heft, which isn't too bad.

There are plenty of other keyboards that match your description. An example would be the Matias Quiet pro keyboard: http://www.matias.ca/quietpro/

These are well reviewed here, and a search here can produce nice results. The plus side to these is that, it's cheaper also. 173.00 USD vs. 149.95 USD. There are also other keyboards mentioned, who were in the same situation as yourself, requiring a quiet keyboard.

Besides keyboards, there have been also the use of o-rings to help dampen the sound. That can also be found by doing a quick search with nice results explained in great detail by fellow members.

Hope this helps and gives you an idea 

[rowdy]

Welcome to Geekhack!

Any particular reason why a Das keyboard?

You could also consider a Ducky Shine (if you want backlighting) or a Ducky Zero (if you don't want backlighting).

Of a Filco if you don't mind spending slightly more, or can find one on sale.