Which switch is the quietest?

[MGH]

Would a highly lubed Cherry MX switch or a Matias quiet switch be quieter? Or are there other switches that make even less sound?

[FrostyToast]

Dental banded and o-ringed topre. Perhaps with some stab grease and lube as well.

[Puddsy]

Dental banded and o-ringed topre. Perhaps with some stab grease and lube as well.

Still makes noise.

Reds/blacks, thick o-rings, landing pads, lube, korean springs, and drawer liner mod.

Or as I call it, "My QFR in a month"

[minh278]

I would vote vote for cherry my if you dont bottom out at all. The switches actuate half-way, the main problem is the keys really felt stiff for me.

[Tasker]

I've only really got experience with Cherry MXs and I agree that if you don't let them bottom out then they're pretty much silent. Obviously that's not how people type most of the time but there are some good videos on youtube showing what a difference o-rings can make.
Just don't go with Cherry Blues if quietness is what you're after!

[CPTBadAss]

Quietest switches I've tried are Jailhouse Blues (Modded MX Blues) and Topre Type S.

[davkol]

Many linear spring-over-membrane mechanisms are very quiet, Cherry MY or the switches in my Tesla keyboard to name some.
Then there are dampened discrete switches, like Matias Quiet, their Alps ancestors or Oobly's latex-modded Cherry MX.
Miniature Mitsumi switches have recently received some praise by folks over at Deskthority.

[Sygaldry]

Topre Type-S is the quietest I've tried by far.

Next closest I've tried (but still much louder) is Cherry MX Reds with Soft-Landing Pads

[Grim Fandango]

Topre Type S (both HHKB and Realforce) are very quiet. Even significantly more quiet than rubber dome, and more quiet than the Matias quiet keyboards (which are indeed very quiet for a mechanical keyboard, but around the level of sound a rubber dome makes, and louder than the Topre silent versions). Normal Topre (to my ears anyway) are about as loud a rubber dome.

[johndavis33]

If you type on linear MX switches, as people have said, they'll be virtually silent. But don't try MX reds for this. The heavier the spring, the quieter it will most likely be. That's becasue 1.), if you're not using O-rings you'll be less likely to bottom out on heavier springs, and 2.) even if you do bottom out using o rings you'll still be hitting the bottom with a higher force, and thus making a louder noise.

Quietest would be MX superblacks with orings and landing pads.

[Sygaldry]

If you type on linear MX switches, as people have said, they'll be virtually silent. But don't try MX reds for this. The heavier the spring, the quieter it will most likely be. That's becasue 1.), if you're not using O-rings you'll be less likely to bottom out on heavier springs, and 2.) even if you do bottom out using o rings you'll still be hitting the bottom with a higher force, and thus making a louder noise.

Quietest would be MX superblacks with orings and landing pads.

The upclack on heavier springs is really loud - plastic hitting plastic with more force yields louder clack.

The downstroke is easy enough to damped (Soft Landing Pads from EK are the quietest I've tried) but upstroke can't be dampened on MX switches so a lighter spring should be quieter.

[davkol]

Of course Cherry MX *can* be dampened.

[jacobolus]

Matias quiet switches are pretty quiet. If you want maximum quietness, you could probably CNC a plate/case out of some material that doesn’t resonate, and direct wire instead of using a PCB. On a standard keyboard, adding some padding (shelf liner or whatever) inside the case can make a big difference.

[Altis]

Scissor switches are the most quiet by far. Like Apple aluminum keyboard.

I'd say Topre is next in line.

[Firebolt1914]

Quietest possible is pure membrane

[davkol]

The quietest is eye tracking.

[dante]

I'm hesitant to recommend MX Red/MX Blacks - nearly everyone I've tried over the last year has been extremely scratchy.  Even if you get rid of the bottoming out you'll still sound like a DJ.

[Melvang]

The queistest switches I have personally tried are lubed vintage blacks with springs from clears in my JD40.  One thing that hasn't been mentioned is there are many other variables to lead to overall volume than just the switch.

Some include personal typing habits, case material, plate material, case design, sound dampening material inside the case, the material that your keyboard sits on.

Try setting your current keyboard on a folded towel.  That alone makes a fairly large difference if you don't type like you are driving a 16d nail with each keystroke.

[HPE1000]

My fmj face w keyboard is by far the quietest keyboard I have. It is so incredibly quiet I still can't believe it. FMJ case is huge, aluminum and it doesn't have a center support stem so there is less impact from the alpha keys. Then the board has a 4mm acrylic plate which seems to further reduce the noise. Switches are lubed clears and caps are GMK. Liner in the bottom for added dampening. Easily 1/2 as loud as the realforce 87u 55g I have, if not quieter. I'd say all of the noise from the alpha keys comes from friction.

I'm hesitant to recommend MX Red/MX Blacks - nearly everyone I've tried over the last year has been extremely scratchy.  Even if you get rid of the bottoming out you'll still sound like a DJ.

Thats why you should avoid new black switches. Get some older, worn in black switches, lube them, perfect and super smooth.

[MGH]

I don't have vintage but I do have some well worn MX blacks.

Should I

1. Have a 60% with SS plate, Tex alum case, lubed blacks, maybe O-rings

or

2. Have a HHKB Type-S

for the quietness department (I like both switches about equally)

[FrostyToast]

I think you should find someone who will let you borrow a type-S
It's a lot of freaking money and it would be a shame to either not get it and find out you love it, or get it and hate it.

[Sygaldry]

I don't have vintage but I do have some well worn MX blacks.

Should I

1. Have a 60% with SS plate, Tex alum case, lubed blacks, maybe O-rings

or

2. Have a HHKB Type-S

for the quietness department (I like both switches about equally)

Just so you know... you can buy the Type-S for the same price (or less) as EliteKeyboards.com is selling their regular model for.

I just bought a Type-S direct from PFU (from their Rakuten storefront) just today for roughly 250 shipped to the US due to being on the "winning" side of the JPN Yen-USD exchange rate and a Rakuten-Tenso Shipping Discount.

[zshang]

Realforce 87U Silent? I've watched a video on Youtube comparing the realforce one and the matias quiet, the realforce one makes almost no noise

[davkol]

I guess the real question is what's quiet enough. I've never had any problem with stock MX Red and MX Clear in public settings, but always used a typematrix (scissor switches) with a skin, in case of someone sleeping in the [next] room.

[luisbg]

Quietest switches I've tried are Jailhouse Blues (Modded MX Blues) and Topre Type S.

What is that? Interested! Built an ErgoDox with blues and now it is too loud in the office.

[davkol]

Quietest switches I've tried are Jailhouse Blues (Modded MX Blues) and Topre Type S.

What is that? Interested! Built an ErgoDox with blues and now it is too loud in the office.

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=jailhouse+blues+site%3Ageekhack.org&t=ffab
The first result: Jailhouse blues (non-floaty, short throw, quiet blues)