MX Blues or Browns, plz help me out.

[Seac]

Hi dear geekhackers,

i read a lot of stuff and know the tecnological differences between the two MX Switch types.

I have some small experience with some cherry keyboards that are mechanical, but it is long ago.

I made a list of some mechanical boards that i take into account:

Das Keyboard
Filco Majestical 2 (normal and tenkeyless)
Cherry 80-3000

Other are too expensive or semm to be not of that quality ass these boards are...

At least i came to the conclusion that i do not use the keypad very often and it give me a ergonomical advantage so that i can center the keyboard better and have the mouse nearer.

So the filco tenkeyless board, i think, will be my final decision.

But, the question of the switches remains:Blue or Brown?

My typing profile is as follows:

50% research in the internet
45% writing and coding
5% gaming (if any)

Not yet i am writing with the ten finger system but almost, i will improve it so that is will do that with the new keyboard!;)

I am not able to test one of the two types.

I watched some videos on how it sounds and read some reviews.

At least i think the behaviour of the blues could be more fitting to me, but i am not sure if i get annoyed by the sound in the future...

The browns do not have that clicky sound and are eassier to push.

I am not sure what i should go for. I am from germany but i think i will order it from the uk, cause it is cheaper than in germany...

This question i think is hard to decide cause it dependsa lot of your own feeling but maybe u can give me some hints which one could be more fitting to my profile and/or expectations...

If you need more infos feel free to ask!

Thank you very much guys for any helpful comments!

Best regards,

Seac

[DeltaGunner]

The standard answer would be: just buy both and try them.
But if you like alot of feedback with sound(click) and feel (tactile bump) then the Blues are yours. If you like them to be a bit more quiet and you dont need or want a really pronounced tactile bump, then the Browns are your switch of choice.

[Seac]

Hi DeltaGunner,

Thank you for your answer.

I can't buy both, it is a matter of money. I have to buy from uk, so there will be double shipping costs becuase i dfefinitely have to return one again...

Is there maybe someone who had the fear that the blue will be annoying sometimes and still bought them and says now i dont care anymore about them or says i bought now a new keyboard whith browns?

Some further hints?

I am ure if i would test both i could make my decision, but if i do so i could first order one and then send it back if it doess not fit my needs and order the other one...  

But i really would like to pay the shipping costs just once and make the right decision on the first pick...

How can i know if i need this feedback or not if i have not tried some clicky and some just tactile ones before??

I know that this is nearly impossible, but what you expertss think would fit me best?

Regards,

Seac

[iamtwon]

You will desire to feel and to have the one that you do not own. Buy the blues, desire the browns; buy the browns, desire the blues.

Either one is super safe. You'll feel great about either purchase I bet.

[greyhounds]

My advise to anyone wonder which switch is best for them is this:

Buy an old POS Cherry with board mounted clears (~$25), then buy about 4 each new brown, blue, and black switches from Mouser or equivalent (~$15). Then mix and match springs and stems until you get a feel for them all and determine what you really want. You'll be able to try blue, brown, black, red, clear, and ergo clear + panda alternatives.
 
When you're done, sell the whole pile on Geekhack to the next bloke, then go buy you new keyboard with confidence that you already know what switch is for you.

[False_Dmitry_II]

That's actually not a bad plan. I'd suggest something like that or see if you can find someone nearby to test drive their boards.

I generally roll with vintage boards more than new ones, so I use switches that aren't much available in stores most of the time.

Out of those two I'd like blues more just because I prefer clicky switches.

[Seac]

Hi,

thank you for your suggestions!

I think the POS idea won't work good for me, because of the high shipment costs. Ebay.de none is offered...

To be able to test both i could order the cherry g80 with blues and browns... test it for one day and then send it back...

Testing by somone else i would try but i dont know somone who is addictedt to mechanical keyboards..

I am the really firstone in my friends group...

In my opinion it is not just the decision between click or none click... The construction of the "clicky blues" i think should also bring some very different typing behaviour, when the plasticpart getss down and then apparently bottoms trough... I know what i mean?

Blue consists of two parts and the browns of one...

I hope i wont decide worn.

Any further ideas than mine or the POS ordering idea?

Greetings,

Seac

[N8N]

Well, you could buy one of each, and just flog your unwanted board here, or on Deskthority (more EU-centric site)

I did not realize you were in DE, otherwise I'd have given a +1 to greyhounds' plan.  Unfortunately while we here in the US at least right now have a good supply of used browns and clears, I don't know what boards to tell you to look for in DE.

How much is shipping from US to DE?  I think the POS boards w/ browns and clears are $22 each right now.  And I suspect if you bought one of each shipping would be less expensive than shipping two separately.  You'll need a key puller and some jeweler's screwdrivers to clean them up and swap switches, as well.

[Seac]

And what about this solution?!

I order the filco tenkeyless with the blues... Cause im definitely more typing heavy... If is dislike them sometimes or want to try the browns than i ask at cherry next to my home town and buy some there or if not for arounf 45 euros one g80 with browns...?

Or is there any differnece when i buy an filco brown inssetad? (maybe the lights? )

What about that?

Regards,
Seac

[N8N]

I believe the springs between brown and blue are the same, and really I think Cherry's intent was to make the browns just a non-clicky version of the blues.  However, I can tell the difference in tactility - the blues definitely feel more tactile.

Questions:

- can you deal with the noise?  Do you think it will be a problem for your current or potential cohabitants?  Blues do make some noise.

- you say you're a heavy typist.  Maybe you should be looking for a G80-3000 with clears instead?  They're if anything more tactile than the blues - it's close - but they don't click and have a stiffer spring which is nice for heavier typists.  The Cherry is also PCB mount which is good and bad.  Good: if you decide you want to try a different switch, they're easy to swap.  Bad: not as sturdy as a plate mount keyboard like a Filco, Leopold, etc.  Another switch option would be blacks, which are supposedly about as stiff (slightly less so) than clears, but are linear.  Those traditionally have been recommended for gamers, and I haven't tried them.

Edit:  forgot to mention, on the browns, and even blues, at least for me, a lot of the noise comes from bottoming out the keys, not the actuation of the key switches.  So the stiffer springs of the clears make that board a LOT quieter, for me.  If you have a light enough touch that you don't bottom out on browns, there should be no difference in noise.  I tried dampening the browns with O-rings, but I didn't like the feel - I *always* hit the O-rings, and I didn't like that.

[Seac]

First thing toadd is that i really want a tenkeyless, because of the better ergonomical aspect... Mouse is closer and the keyboard is more monitor centric...

Furthermore i want the small formfactor to have more use of my desk...

I am not such an heavy typist... I am writing my diploma thesis atm and maybe later the doctoral thesis. In spare time i am chatting and surfing the interent. Writing E-Mails need also sometime. But i really don't want to play games anymore... I had my time but now i prefer to go out biking, climbing etc...

To answer your questions:

80% of the time i am sitting in front of my computer i am listening to music, that wasshes the "noise" a bit away...
Maybe my girlfriend can be disturbed by the noise cause the computer iss in the living room which we sahre together... But she is already working and then i can disturb her in the evening... In the near future we are going to move, and there will be a "office" room where we can close a door and have silence to work... And i will go to work, so the typing is going to be more in my sparetime...

As already mentioned, i am not a author, i want to buy it for writing my thesises. That is the main point. Another thing is to get a ten finger system working without watching the key labels.

At this moment i am writing with a Cherry G83 LUNDE

I also tested the Microsoft ergonomical 4000 and the logitech wave.

But i always came back to the simple layouted keyboards...

I also tought about the "clears", but i think they need more "forcee" to be pressed and i would prefer the less tactile and easier to press ones...

The Filco tkl is of very good quality as i read up everywhere and if i could change the mx switches, i would start with the filco and see how the internal switches work for me... The i think i can order some others to try around... The question remmains, which switches i order in the filco... The blacks i dont like cause they have no tactile feedback and i think i dont want to bottom out in future...

So also the red are not a choice for me... There remain the blues or the browns or the upgrade with clears of the filco...

Nevertheless i have to start with blues or browns shipped with the filco tkl. So the questions is do i try the blues and then if i dislike them reeplace them by clears or browns...

How much does a complete number of switches cost to be able to exchange all keys? That i could modify the filco tkl to clears maybe...

[didjamatic]

Exchanging switches is only worthwhile if you can't buy the keyboard with the switch you want.  I've done many swaps but would never do it on a board that I could easily sell what I have and buy the one I want.

A good option is to buy both and sell the one you like least, if you can swing the funds.  Sometimes that's easy but if you're like most of us you may find you like some variety and keep both.  You need to use a switch for at least a week or two before you'll know how you feel about it long term.  Your habits change with what you type on so sometimes you will dislike a switch at first, then grow into it.  Other times you will love one at first, then like it less with time.

You could buy a Compaq MX-11800 with browns and an Adesso with blues pretty cheaply if you're just after trying switches.

[skyblue]

Is there maybe someone who had the fear that the blue will be annoying sometimes and still bought them and says now i dont care anymore about them or says i bought now a new keyboard whith browns?

Some further hints?

Regards,

Seac

Hey Seac,

Welcome to geekhack.

I was kind of in the same position as you were (was worried that the blues would get annoying after awhile) and had to choose between Das/Filco and blue/brown. As you can see in my sig, I now own one of each (no matter which one you buy now, you're going to wonder how the other feels and sounds like).

For my first keyboard, even though I was worried about the sound, I ended up getting the blues. I've had it for about 5 months now and still love it, not annoying at all and is still my favourite even after getting the Filco with browns. The blues just sound really nice for the amount of typing you're doing and the tactile bump is much sharper than on the browns. With that said however, browns are also amazing and feel softer than the blues. You really can't go wrong with either choice. The only caution I can give is that browns aren't as quiet as they are made out to be, they still make a substantial amount of noise. As for the blues, I can hear the keyboard from 2 rooms away when my gf's using the comp so just be aware of that if noise is a major factor in your decision.

When I was searching for sound clips I noticed there was alot of variation for the same keyboard depending on how the guy recorded it so I made my own recordings to help out others:

http://geekhack.org/showwiki.php?title=Island:19638

No bias but I seriously think these clips are some of the more accurate ones out there, it sounds very similar to the real thing.

Good luck!

edit - thinking back, I remember reading somewhere (Ripster maybe?) that blues aren't actually louder than browns but are rather just higher pitched (therefore much more easily noticeable if you were farther away).. I can agree with this.

[Seac]

Hey skyblue,

i think i already listened to your mp3 of these both keyboards...

But i relistened now again 3 to 4 times again and played both simultaneously, too. I think i have to go with the browns, because the sound could be a factor that my girlfriend could be disturbed. It is the high frequency of the click that makes the "noise" for some people...

I think my perfect keyyboard which i would buy immediatedly would be the blues with a click at a much lower frequency, so that is cannot be heard that far and you still get a audio feedback by the keys

Maybe someone will invent that... I would buy the first one...

If i would widen up again the keyboard range i would buy, i have to say that i want a tkl with a comparable qualitiy of the filco.

Are there some tkl with clears that are also recommendable?

Could it be that the sound of the blues in a filco tkl would be slightly diffeerent because of the differeent contruction of the keycase?

Im sorry for my doubled letter or the missing spaces... My actual keyboard is going to die... Another reason to get fast a new one...

[False_Dmitry_II]

There are a few members who are in germany. You could make a new thread asking 'anyone in germany who would let me try their boards'. If you wanna try that, I'd say to post it at deskthority too, since that's a more europe-centric site.

[Seac]

Ok, then i am going to post there again my first post with a link relation to this discussion here!

Hope someone live nextto me and has my desired configs

[Seac]

Thank you for that suggestion...

I am on the list right now but i think i cant wait for a new keyboard that long...

i am thinking about a g80 clear, because i cant get the clears with a filco and uses the g80 unti li could test the other switches and then decide... If i like the clears most instead of browns blues blacks, etc... then i have them already to switch the filco to clear switches...

Is that a good idea?



What do you think?

[N8N]

Personally I think that is a great idea but I'm biased because I *have* tried various switches and have found that I really like the clears, so it's hard to go wrong with that plan.

Now if you type with a very light touch you'd probably prefer the blues, *if* you can deal with the clicking.

I just spent a couple hours in the office where I have my clears board, and I think I still prefer them to the blues, although the blues are quite nice...  it'll take me a while to get used to typing lightly enough to not always bottom out on the blues.  I think that I might change the spacebar on this board (WASD) to a blue stem and clear spring so as not to thwack it constantly (many Cherry boards use a stiffer spring in the space bar for just this reason - now the one on the clears board (grey) is nice, but I think they used the same space bar on the Compaq MX11800 and it drove me nuts, it should be a *little* stiffer than the rest of the keyboard, but not *that* much...

[Seac]

Hey, what about the Leopold FC200R? Do i get this keyboard in Germany or the UK? Is it comparable or better/worse than the filco?

I think it could be cheaper?

Any ideas or experience with that keyboard?

[Seac]

Hey,

i got one further question...

What about the supply of the both switch types in germany...

Can i get Blues or Browns very easy in Germany? Or where i can order them.... I didnt find them on thekeyboardco.com for example...

Should this be also a decision reason??

[fusedpro]

TheKeyboardCo does have them on their site. The name might be confusing, but the 'Tactile Action' keyboards are the brown switches while the 'Click Action' are the blue switches. They are out of the German layout, though. If you're okay with the US(?) layout, FKBN87MC/EB2 is the model number for the TKL blues and FKBN87M/EB2 for the TKL browns.

[Seac]

Yeah i know about that,

i read that they will get on wednesday some new german layouted filco tkl... So i will wait

But my question is, if one of the switches is damaged or does not work right anymore, can i get some exchange for that in germany? Just to buy one or two switches....

If there a difference between the blues or browns to get one more or less easy in germany? Or at least the EU?

[Seac]

Hi,

i made my decision. I am going for the Filco tenkeyless wit clicky tactile (blue) switches.

I will order the filco keypuller, too.

Is there anything else i need??

The last question, then the Thread can be closed...

Thanks for all comments! Very helpful!

Regards

Seac

[Seac]

Hey,

everything is ordered, so this thread can be/is closed.