Questions about KUL ES-87

[illitirit]

Hi all.  I recently purchased a kul es-87 with cherry mx greens.  This will be my first mech KB, given that my purchase actually arrives this time from amazon.

I actually already ordered a code 104 key with greens but amazon used a carrier that imo stole my package.  If any of you ever get a carrier called "ONTRAC" I pray for your package.  Thankfully amazon was nice enough to refund my entire order so I got a second chance to really think and make sure I bought a good keyboard.

As I kept reading more and more about the code keyboard, the more I was actually glad that my package got stolen.  The prevalent ping issues is a deal breaker to me.  It would drive me nuts as I am hyper-sensitive to noise.

I have read every review I could find about the KUL and it seems like a top performer among TKL's.  The only reason why I purchased it is because it is readily available in cherry mx green switches.  No backlighting is kind of a bummer for me though as I wish it did have some kind of LED's.

One of the most important questions I have is if it is possible to buy something that would make the case look like this :

https://www.massdrop.com/buy/varmilo-mechanical-keyboard

The varmilo is actually my dream keyboard and I am really heartbroken that I cannot find one anywhere.  I absolutely love the look of that low profile case.  Would it be possible to do this to the KUL?

The other question I have is I know the stock ABS caps on the KUL have not received the greatest comments so I am going to buy some vortex PBT caps.  The problem however is that there are so many versions offered on massdrop right now that I dont know which one to buy.

There are these:  https://www.massdrop.com/buy/vortex-pbt-keycaps

Which come in a cherry profile,  would these work without a problem on the KUL using cherry profile?  I kind of like the look more of lower profile keys.

Then there are these :

https://www.massdrop.com/buy/vortex-doubleshot-pbt-keycaps

Which only come in OEM profile but are half the price of the first vortex PBT's.


Is there a reason why the first one is double the price?  I do like the legend font of the first ones more so I am leaning more towards them.  However for double the price is it really worth it?  They are both vortex, what is so different about them?  The expensive one has laser etched legends, the cheaper one has doubleshot.  If I were to buy the first one with laser etched legends, are they succeptable to wearing out?  I have heard that doubleshots will never fade or change.


I am new to all this so any answers are much appreciated.  Thanks in advance!

[saturnotaku]

If you're sensitive to noise, why did you buy a keyboard whose switches make nothing but noise?

By the way, I had an ES-87 with MX clears that pinged like crazy.

[jamster]

IMO agonising over the stock keycaps of the KUL is a bit over the top. I've used doubleshot PBT (on my old IBM and Northgate boards) and I'm not bothered with the keycaps on my KUL. I do have a couple of replacement sets coming in, but that's not because the existing caps are agonising, but because I want to make the board purdy.

Just get the board in, use it for a month or two, and then think about changing things.

[illitirit]

If you're sensitive to noise, why did you buy a keyboard whose switches make nothing but noise?

By the way, I had an ES-87 with MX clears that pinged like crazy.

Sorry i meant im hyper - sensitive to background noises..   IE.  rattles and just noises that happen that shouldnt be there.  Like you build a new computer and one of the fans is rattling.

Did you end up returning your KUL that pinged?  If it does infact happen on the board I am going to receive, is there a fix for it?

[saturnotaku]

The sound of the switch clicking is probably going to mask most, if not all, of whatever pinging noise there might be. If it bothers you, you could put some rubber drawer/shelf liner in the bottom part of the case.

[livingspeedbump]

I have 3 KUL's (Greens, Blues, Clears) and love them. I put some fairly thick O rings on the keyboard with clears, and while the feeling isn't my favorite, it is extremely quiet. None of them have ever had any "rattles." I haven't really had any issues with any of them. Build quality is quite a bit better than most keyboards. The exceptionally sturdy case and rubber feet are great. I never use my WASD V2 anymore, the KULs just out do it in every way.

As far as keycaps go any standard MX set should be compatible. There is nothing abnormal about its layout. If you like lower profile keys, SP DSA PBT caps are quite nice.

[asgeirtj]

If you want to get rid of ping then lube the springs, it will vanish completely.

You can do a sandpaper mod to lower the profile of the case:

http://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/comments/2lz6i7/modification_poker_ii_lowprofile_case_mod_v2/

[livingspeedbump]

If you want to get rid of ping then lube the springs, it will vanish completely.

You can do a sandpaper mod to lower the profile of the case:

http://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/comments/2lz6i7/modification_poker_ii_lowprofile_case_mod_v2/

The cases are completely different, the sanding mod will NOT work on the KUL case.

[asgeirtj]

If you want to get rid of ping then lube the springs, it will vanish completely.

You can do a sandpaper mod to lower the profile of the case:

http://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/comments/2lz6i7/modification_poker_ii_lowprofile_case_mod_v2/

The cases are completely different, the sanding mod will NOT work on the KUL case.

Sorry didn't realize that. How are they different?

[livingspeedbump]

Well the Poker, V60, etc style cases are basically like a bowl, for a rough analogy, with only a bottom case and just the outside edge to sand down to create a lower profile. The KUL case, and pretty much all TKL & TK cases have two parts, a top case and a bottom case, and sanding the top case wouldn't really make it a lower profile, as the plastic is already pretty thin. You'd just be left with a crappy feeling keyboard top. The only thing I can think of doing is getting a custom top plate style case fabricated from aluminum.

[KHAANNN]

Varmilo isn't multi-os compatible, it's osx incompatible

If you're sensitive to sound imperfections, most keyboards will bother you

I suggest you go the DIY-route as much as possible, and mod the switches before soldering them to ensure they are up to your standards

There are also some combos that have less sound issues than others, red switches are pretty nice for example

I would like to read your review of the green kul es-87, as green switches are one of the pingiest and plate mounting amplifies the issue

[illitirit]

Varmilo isn't multi-os compatible, it's osx incompatible

If you're sensitive to sound imperfections, most keyboards will bother you

I suggest you go the DIY-route as much as possible, and mod the switches before soldering them to ensure they are up to your standards

There are also some combos that have less sound issues than others, red switches are pretty nice for example

I would like to read your review of the green kul es-87, as green switches are one of the pingiest and plate mounting amplifies the issue

As this is my first mech i just wanted to get a feel for everything.  My next keyboard will def be a DIY one as I im sure it will make me learn all there is needed to know about mech keyboards.

As far as the KUL is concerned, i have been using it for about 3-4 days now.  Coming from a 8 year old logitech g15, it is a really, and I emphasize, a really different beast.

I have typed on MX blues before and liked them, but did not like how easy they were to press.  I never knew MX greens even existed so when I heard about them a while ago I sparked my interest into mech KB's.  I never tried a green prior to buying my KUL and what do you know, its exactly as I thought it would be.  Just like blues, just a bit firmer to press. 

What I do not understand though is that I read a lot of people complain about MX greens to be too hard / stiff and uncomfortable to type on for extended periods of time.  I have not experienced anything of the sort and I work / game at my computer all day.  Even for games I have not had a problem.  In fact, I even think it has improved my gaming due to less accidental key presses.  I would actually prefer the green switch to be even stiffer.

For the pinging issue, I was concerned before I got the keyboard because I heard that it might or might not happen.  I have heard no such pinging noise from the KUL. 

The only thing that has bothered me so far about the KUL, which at first I thought was defective was the left shift.  It just doesnt feel crisp to me.  There is also sort of a rattling noise that comes from it, but I deemed it not defective as now I know its just the cherry stabilizers.  All of the stabilized keys have some sort of dirty feel to it, as well as a not so crisp sound compared to the non-stabilized keys.  So at least I know now that I hate cherry stabilizers.

I have no other mech keyboards to compare to but the build quality of the KUL just feels solid.  It feels hefty and has alot of weight to it, which I enjoy.  its much smaller than my logitech g15 full size, yet its at least 3x the weight. 

I do wish that there was backlighting to the KUL, but thats cause I am so used to having backlight keys for the past decade.  I am sure once I get some aftermarket keycaps I wont care as much.  I also ordered one of KUL's replacement keyboard case housings in red so once I get them in, I amm sure I will enjoy the KUL much more.

But as of right now, I am in love with the keyboard and the typing experience.  Definitely mech KB's here on out.  I am just afraid of how much money im going to spend in the near future.

Keyboard gets 9/10 from me.  Only con is the cherry stabilizers.

[KHAANNN]

You might have very strong fingers, or you might be using only 4 strongest fingers to type most of the time, like me. I also find greens to be a joy to type on, yet when I tried home-row typing, It got me slightly tired

Although I loved green's, modded them, perfected them, I'm currently using my red-switched keyboard to type, the clicks are == pure joy, yet if you're experiencing hangover like symptoms, it gets brain piercing at times, so I decided to try and quit greens, try clears etc.

If you scratch your itches, you will likely spend a lot in a short amount of time, but it's fun and worth it, in my opinion

I'm sure you can mod or lube those cherries into submission

Keycap set suggestion: http://keyshop.pimpmykeyboard.com/products/full-keysets/dsa-dolch-set-base-set-110-total-keys

It's one set to rule them all, with all those extras

(The ping might still visit you in a dark and silent night)
(I just realised I was missing my green board, I guess it's time for some clicks)

[illitirit]

You might have very strong fingers, or you might be using only 4 strongest fingers to type most of the time, like me. I also find greens to be a joy to type on, yet when I tried home-row typing, It got me slightly tired

Although I loved green's, modded them, perfected them, I'm currently using my red-switched keyboard to type, the clicks are == pure joy, yet if you're experiencing hangover like symptoms, it gets brain piercing at times, so I decided to try and quit greens, try clears etc.

If you scratch your itches, you will likely spend a lot in a short amount of time, but it's fun and worth it, in my opinion

I'm sure you can mod or lube those cherries into submission

Keycap set suggestion: http://keyshop.pimpmykeyboard.com/products/full-keysets/dsa-dolch-set-base-set-110-total-keys

It's one set to rule them all, with all those extras

(The ping might still visit you in a dark and silent night)
(I just realised I was missing my green board, I guess it's time for some clicks)

I love those keycaps, but the price is a bit too steep for me right now especially since im new to the keyboard game.  My first keycaps that I just purchased were the vortex PBT ones from massdrop that just ended yesterday.  I got the cherry profile ones so I hope I like the cherry profile more than OEM (or whatever is on my stock KUL).

[KHAANNN]

You might not even notice the difference between cherry's and oem's, they are both sculptured, cherry's are shorter as far as I remember

However DSA's are symmetrical and same height, easy to make mistakes while typing, yet they are cool and you can freely change the position of the keycaps (is it worth it? - I think so)

Sticking to the PBT double-shots is a pretty sane approach, it should work great with the KUL/TKL

My last suggestion would be to buy and apply the thinnest and softest o-rings you can find, they just eliminate the bottom-out clack, and leave a pure click to be enjoyed