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Author Topic: Best Cherry MX Brown switch keyboard between 75-125 dollars?  (Read 10429 times)

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Offline powruser

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Best Cherry MX Brown switch keyboard between 75-125 dollars?
« on: Thu, 15 December 2011, 09:01:00 »
going to get a mechanical keyboard for christmas, i've decided on brown switches. Which is the best keyboard between 75 to 125 dollars that has brown switches? I prefer to have the num pad, but would entertain a tenkeyless as well.
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Offline bienc

  • Posts: 72
Best Cherry MX Brown switch keyboard between 75-125 dollars?
« Reply #1 on: Thu, 15 December 2011, 13:06:39 »
You have a couple of options here. Some questions though - do you want any customizability in the keys? Different colors, blank ones? Also, there are two types of stabilizers for the long keys (spacebar, shift, etc). You can find the differences in the Wiki.

Some options:

Leopold from elitekeyboards.com -- $109 ($99 for Otaku with blank keys) plus shipping -- Option for blank keys and comes with Cherry MX Corp stabilizers that use "dead" cherry keys, reportedly stiffer to use.
Rosewill from Newegg.com -- ~$110 plus shipping -- No option for blank keys and comes with a wired stabilizer that's reportedly smoother and uses less force to use.
WASD Keyboard -- $120 for base model (price goes up if you want more customization done) plus shipping -- Option for blank keys at no charge, comes with wired stabilizer.

EDIT: There's some Filco Majestouch Full-Size boards in the classified section right now going for around $110 + shipping. Might want to look into that. From my understanding, Filcos are considered "top end" boards around here.
« Last Edit: Thu, 15 December 2011, 13:28:34 by bienc »
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Offline dreamingftw

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Best Cherry MX Brown switch keyboard between 75-125 dollars?
« Reply #2 on: Thu, 15 December 2011, 13:28:47 »
If you're using the board for home and don't really need the number key, I'd go for the Leopold TKL. Newegg has been having the Rosewills on sale here and there so that might be a good alternative cheaper option as well.
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Offline Autolyze

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Best Cherry MX Brown switch keyboard between 75-125 dollars?
« Reply #3 on: Thu, 15 December 2011, 19:01:06 »
I second the Leopold/Rosewill/WASD suggestion for a full-sized keyboard. The Costar (wired) stabilizers make the stabilized (backspace and larger) keys feel more like the smaller keys, while the Cherry stabilizers make those keys feel a little stiffer but allow for easier keycap removal. I don't think you can go wrong with any of those options.

My first mechanical keyboard was a full-sized one, but after going tenkeyless, I haven't looked back. If you're regularly entering hundreds of digits at a time, then you might want the numpad available, but you adjust to not having it fairly quickly if you just use it for your credit card and phone numbers now and then.
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Offline N8N

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Best Cherry MX Brown switch keyboard between 75-125 dollars?
« Reply #4 on: Thu, 15 December 2011, 19:07:50 »
What they said.  I have WASD and Filco 104s and Leopold TKL and would be happy if any of them were my only keyboard.  I think that I like the Filco the best but that's pretty much solely because I prefer the shape/appearance of the case to WASD.  I really like WASD because they make a heck of a nice keyboard and are a great company to deal with.  The Cherry stabilizers and non-standard space bar of the Leopold I think are negatives, but I bought mine because it had clears (and neither Filco nor WASD offer them) and now that I have used it for a while I think the Cherry stabilizers are starting to loosen up a little bit so they feel better than they did out of the box.  If you like a tenkeyless and either don't see yourself changing keycaps and/or don't mind a little messing with epoxy it's a strong option.
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Filco Majestouch-2 with Cherry Corp. doubleshot keys - Leopold Tenkeyless Tactile Force with Wyse doubleshots - Silicon Graphics 9500900 - WASD V1 - IBM Model M 52G9658 - Noppoo Choc Pro with Cherry lasered PBT keycaps - Wyse 900866-01 - Cherry G80-8200LPBUS/07 - Dell AT101W - several Cherry G81s (future doubleshot donors) (order of current preference) (dang I have too many keyboards, I really only need two)

Offline bienc

  • Posts: 72
Best Cherry MX Brown switch keyboard between 75-125 dollars?
« Reply #5 on: Thu, 15 December 2011, 19:20:02 »
Quote from: Autolyze;471688
I second the Leopold/Rosewill/WASD suggestion for a full-sized keyboard. The Costar (wired) stabilizers make the stabilized (backspace and larger) keys feel more like the smaller keys, while the Cherry stabilizers make those keys feel a little stiffer but allow for easier keycap removal. I don't think you can go wrong with any of those options.

My first mechanical keyboard was a full-sized one, but after going tenkeyless, I haven't looked back. If you're regularly entering hundreds of digits at a time, then you might want the numpad available, but you adjust to not having it fairly quickly if you just use it for your credit card and phone numbers now and then.


Thanks for that! I completely forgot that the wire stablizers were called Costar.

As for the TKL thing, I like having a numpad even though I only really do use it for my password which has like 6 numbers and for credit cards. Funny thing is, I don't have a keyboard at home that has a numpad (main computer for a couple years now has been a Macbook) but I just bought a mechanical for work and the numpad helps out a lot. I'll probably get another full-size mechanical keyboard for my eventual home computer/keyboard set up. I just like having the option there. I'll have to try a TKL one of these days. Anyone want to donate one for a week or two? =P
« Last Edit: Thu, 15 December 2011, 19:22:31 by bienc »
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Offline iBro

  • Posts: 139
Best Cherry MX Brown switch keyboard between 75-125 dollars?
« Reply #6 on: Fri, 16 December 2011, 00:12:40 »
There is really nothing left to be said.

Leopold, WASD, or Rosewill, you can't go wrong.
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Offline Tony

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Best Cherry MX Brown switch keyboard between 75-125 dollars?
« Reply #7 on: Fri, 16 December 2011, 00:15:48 »
A coin flip may help you. All of the above options are good.
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Keyboard: Filco MJ1 104 brown, Filco MJ2 87 brown, Compaq MX11800, Noppoo Choc Brown/Blue/Red, IBM Model M 1996, CMStorm Quickfire Rapid Black
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Offline fohat.digs

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Best Cherry MX Brown switch keyboard between 75-125 dollars?
« Reply #8 on: Fri, 16 December 2011, 07:28:46 »
I thought that conventional wisdom in this forum was that you had to buy and try them all ......
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"It's 110, but it doesn't feel it to me, right. If anybody goes down. Everybody was so worried yesterday about you and they never mentioned me. I'm up here sweating like a dog. They don’t think about me. This is hard work.
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Offline bienc

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Best Cherry MX Brown switch keyboard between 75-125 dollars?
« Reply #9 on: Fri, 16 December 2011, 12:11:15 »
Quote from: fohat.digs;472001
I thought that conventional wisdom in this forum was that you had to buy and try them all ......


Try them all, sure. Buy them all, not so much unless you have good income enough to spend on a bunch of $100+ keyboards. Sure you can sell them off later but that's a pretty big investment. And for a first time buyer, one is definitely enough until they know what they want or want to experiment more. I know lots of people here have more upwards of 5+ keyboards, but personally, two would be my max. One for work, one for home.
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Offline powruser

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Best Cherry MX Brown switch keyboard between 75-125 dollars?
« Reply #10 on: Fri, 16 December 2011, 17:24:00 »
I went with a Filco Majestouch-1 MX brown full size on eBay. It's open box, never used, $99. Pretty good deal IMO. I've heard nothing but good things about Filco boards. Thanks for your feedback!
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Offline ktkr

  • Posts: 79
Best Cherry MX Brown switch keyboard between 75-125 dollars?
« Reply #11 on: Fri, 16 December 2011, 17:33:39 »
Quote from: ripster;472242
Filco.  Spend a bit more. Leopolds seem to be breaking right and left.

http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?25039-Leopold-crashing&p=472045&viewfull=1#post472045

Nice job on ignoring all the Filco problems.
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Offline bienc

  • Posts: 72
Best Cherry MX Brown switch keyboard between 75-125 dollars?
« Reply #12 on: Fri, 16 December 2011, 18:59:15 »
Quote from: powruser;472443
I went with a Filco Majestouch-1 MX brown full size on eBay. It's open box, never used, $99. Pretty good deal IMO. I've heard nothing but good things about Filco boards. Thanks for your feedback!


Awesome! Great choice.
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Offline iBro

  • Posts: 139
Best Cherry MX Brown switch keyboard between 75-125 dollars?
« Reply #13 on: Sat, 17 December 2011, 01:55:58 »
The Leopold hate is strong with this thread.
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Offline elton5354

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Best Cherry MX Brown switch keyboard between 75-125 dollars?
« Reply #14 on: Sat, 17 December 2011, 02:19:06 »
Ducky's are dirt cheap compare to the rest. If you want the 104 keys one, get the Ducky 1008 which are around 70$ on PChome I think.

http://global.pchome.com.tw/DCAH0X-A50398201
« Last Edit: Sat, 17 December 2011, 02:21:12 by elton5354 »
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