Recommendations for first mechanical keyboard?

[TPTB]

Hello, everyone. This is my first post on Geekhack, so I hope you'll excuse me if this is not the right place to ask for recommendations.
I have never used mechanical keyboards before, but I am starting to think about buying one just because of what I'm reading about them. I've read about all the different types of switches and I believe the brown Cherry one is the best for my purposes. I will explain what I want out of a keyboard again in case my assumption that the brown switches are the most ideal choice isn't correct. I work in transcription. I type on average 8,000 English words a day. The reason I started reading up on mechanical keyboards in the first place was something I read somewhere (can't remember where) about how the switches react differently to presses than membranes and how some particular ones don't need to be pressed all the way down to register the press. This sounds very appealing to me because I imagine it being much more comfortable on the long run with the relatively large amount of typing that I do each day. An elimination process led me to two possible choices: The blue Cherry and the brown Cherry switches. I immediately dismissed the blue because I live in a shared apartment and my 130-140 WPM typing on something loud would most certainly drive them crazy. The brown ones seem to hit all my bullet points because of their tactile response and their relatively low volume. Of course, I don't know how they sound compared to the blue ones, so I'm hoping someone here could shed some light on that.

My question to you: Are brown switches the right choice? If so, can you recommend a mechanical keyboard with brown switches for under $100?

One last thing worth mentioning: I don't really care about LED back lighting and such, especially if it comes at increased cost. I just need a no-frills, functional keyboard with that fills the criteria mentioned above.

Thank you.

[kurplop]

I think that you are both wise and thoughtful to limit your choices to one of the quieter switches when others are nearby. One persons music is another's racket.

The Cherry brown is a safe choice and you should be happy with it. It really is a personal choice though and whenever possible it's good to try out different switches to determine which one works best for you. Other considerations within the quiet realm include tactility vs. linear and also the spring weight rating. If you ask ten people you'd probably get ten different answers as to which is the "best" switch.

[zslane]

A used Topre RealForce (silenced) would be ideal, I think. Topre switches are the gold standard in tactile switches, IMO, but Topre boards are expensive, hence the suggestion to look for used.

[PointyFox]

All switches will have a small amount of resistance at actuation.  Most of the force comes from bottoming out the switches.  It is very difficult to not bottom them out.
I wouldn't get a better keyboard just to slightly reduce this force.  It looks like you'll want a light switch with a distinct actuation point, silent operation, and a cushioned bottoming.  The silenced Topre wouldn't work for this, as only the key return is silenced, though it does make it quieter which is what you're looking for. 

Your best options would be a rubber dome keyboard (quiet with a cushioned bottoming and distinct activation), a Topre (also rubber dome, but nicer and more consistent with a less squishy (squishy feels bad) bottoming), or Cherry MX Brown with soft o-rings (light, distinct activation, and o-rings help cushion them).

Topre also can come silenced and with 55g, 45g, or variable (35g to 55g I think) weighted switches.  I like Topre the best after trying all other switch types.

[zslane]

It's gotten to the point where bottoming-out and upstroke clack noise really bothers me. I've become spoiled by silenced Topre swtiches, Matias Quiet Click switches, and MX pinks. None of them are literally silent, but they are damped to the point of being very pleasant to type on, compared to their non-damped/non-silenced brethren. Consequently, I couldn't in good conscience recommend MX browns until there is a silent/damped version of that from Cherry. Rubber o-rings only barely help with bottom-out noise, IMO, and they reduce key travel too much in most cases. And there's nothing to be done about the upstroke noise. MX switches need to be properly silenced inside the switch housing to be truly effective, which MX pinks are, but no other MX switch is. At least with Topre switches, installing silencing rings (if you can't get them silenced from the factory) is an easy, if tedious, operation.

[PointyFox]

It's gotten to the point where bottoming-out and upstroke clack noise really bothers me. I've become spoiled by silenced Topre swtiches, Matias Quiet Click switches, and MX pinks. None of them are literally silent, but they are damped to the point of being very pleasant to type on, compared to their non-damped/non-silenced brethren. Consequently, I couldn't in good conscience recommend MX browns until there is a silent/damped version of that from Cherry. Rubber o-rings only barely help with bottom-out noise, IMO, and they reduce key travel too much in most cases. And there's nothing to be done about the upstroke noise. MX switches need to be properly silenced inside the switch housing to be truly effective, which MX pinks are, but no other MX switch is. At least with Topre switches, installing silencing rings (if you can't get them silenced from the factory) is an easy, if tedious, operation.

I think your PC needs louder fans!

[losing_ctrl]

snip...

My question to you: Are brown switches the right choice? If so, can you recommend a mechanical keyboard with brown switches for under $100?

snip...

If a quiet switch is very important to you, I would say that MX Browns are almost, but not quite, a good choice.  Their noise is probably a tad louder than most peoples' comfort zone if they are sharing your space (but that is variable, it depends). I would suggest a slightly quieter rubber dome:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA0SX1MR2745&cm_re=Keytronic_designer-_-23-131-040-_-Product

Or, if you do want to want to give the MX Browns a shot, please consider paying just a bit more than your stated budget. I feel that a quality board will showcase any switch you choose to its maximum advantage. In your case, if you are typing the volume you say you are, don't skimp! Put another way, you deserve to give yourself the best experience you can get. So for an MX Brown board, I would recommend a Leopold. I am not sure if you want a full size keyboard, a TKL, or smaller. Personally, I have a Leopold FC900R with MX Browns. It is butter smooth and a pleasure to use. It will cost around $119 online at mechanicalkeyboards.com. A more compact board will be slightly less. Good luck and let us know what you buy!

[PointyFox]

The CM QuickFire Rapid is a pretty good board that is TKL in size.  It has a metal backplate for the switches so there is less flex when you type.  It used to cost $55, but now is up to $85 due to increase in popularity of mechanical keyboards.

[Altis]

Cherry MX Browns are still plenty loud since the bottom-out clack is quite present. The sound is just far less annoying the MX Blue to nearby plebs.

Although at 130-140 WPM, I'm not sure you'll find MX Brown tactile at all. It's very subtle... You'd probably enjoy Topre more, in my opinion. The tactility is more pronounced, even when typing quickly.

[TPTB]

Thank you all for the suggestions. I have tried searching for the Topre and the Leopold that were suggested, but I couldn't find them where I live, at least not without paying quite a bit of money for international shipping. I have searched in my local shops and local community and found someone offering a "Das Keyboard Ultimate 4" keyboard with Cherry MX brown switches. He had bought it a month ago and has now decided that he doesn't like the fact that it's blank. He's also selling it at a half its new price due to the lack of demand for it. It's supposed to be in like new condition and he's asking for 70 Euros for it. (About 73 USD)

I would like to know what you think about this keyboard in general and whether it meets the demands I listed above specifically. The price seems to be a bargain compared to the new one's price.

[jamster]

Thank you all for the suggestions. I have tried searching for the Topre and the Leopold that were suggested, but I couldn't find them where I live, at least not without paying quite a bit of money for international shipping. I have searched in my local shops and local community and found someone offering a "Das Keyboard Ultimate 4" keyboard with Cherry MX brown switches. He had bought it a month ago and has now decided that he doesn't like the fact that it's blank. He's also selling it at a half its new price due to the lack of demand for it. It's supposed to be in like new condition and he's asking for 70 Euros for it. (About 73 USD)

I would like to know what you think about this keyboard in general and whether it meets the demands I listed above specifically. The price seems to be a bargain compared to the new one's price.

There's nothing wrong with the DAS, if you can get over the blank keys (replaceable in any case). The giant volume knob and numpad might not appeal to keyboard geeks, but at half price it's really hard to go wrong with this. Sounds like a good deal and an easy way to get into mechanical switches.

If you're spending a lot of time typing, o-rings to cushion the keypress (and dampen sound) plus a $5 keycap removal tool would be worth getting.

[Mavarina]

Thank you all for the suggestions. I have tried searching for the Topre and the Leopold that were suggested, but I couldn't find them where I live, at least not without paying quite a bit of money for international shipping. I have searched in my local shops and local community and found someone offering a "Das Keyboard Ultimate 4" keyboard with Cherry MX brown switches. He had bought it a month ago and has now decided that he doesn't like the fact that it's blank. He's also selling it at a half its new price due to the lack of demand for it. It's supposed to be in like new condition and he's asking for 70 Euros for it. (About 73 USD)

I would like to know what you think about this keyboard in general and whether it meets the demands I listed above specifically. The price seems to be a bargain compared to the new one's price.

You should probably get that Das Keyboard, mech enthusiasts wouldn't usually recommend the Das Keyboard as there are better options, but for the price you're getting it at and what you need it for, it's not bad at all.