55g HHKB vs 55g FC660C

[illitirit]

I was wondering if anyone out there in keyboard land has tried both a 55g HHKB and a 55g Leopold FC660C.

I've been recently really eyeing the FC660C.

I have a 55g HHKB and its not that im unhappy with it, not at all.  But that little something in my mind is telling me that the grass is greener on the other side.

How different is the sound of a 55g FC vs a 55g HHKB?  Would typing on a 55g FC660c basically be the same feeling as typing on a 55g Realforce ?

The 55g realforce that I used to harvest domes from I didnt particularly like how that keyboard felt or sounded.  It wasnt until after I got an HHKB and put those 55g domes in that I had a hallelujah moment. 

I think it would be another extremely heavy investment to make another 55g topre board for maybe 5%-10% of an improvement in typing feel and aural feedback. 
So i dont know if im being stupid or not.

But recently I have been watching alot of FC660c videos on youtube and it just sound so nice. 

So, if anyone has tried both boards before, please let me know your thoughts.  I would highly appreciate it!

[raymogi]

The 55g HHKB is pretty much my go to board as well. And same as you, I don't like the feeling of 55g on the actual RF board.

I happen to have the 660c too and I can tell you even at stock it feels damn good. Definitely feels heavier than 45g... maybe it's around 50g?

I do have a spare 10th AE 55g that is just collecting dust and I'm planning to harvest the domes into my 660c and slap on the Topre-MX sliders as well. I imagine 55g on the leopold will feel damn good as well. Just a tad heavier than the HHKB.

[illitirit]

The 55g HHKB is pretty much my go to board as well. And same as you, I don't like the feeling of 55g on the actual RF board.

I happen to have the 660c too and I can tell you even at stock it feels damn good. Definitely feels heavier than 45g... maybe it's around 50g?

I do have a spare 10th AE 55g that is just collecting dust and I'm planning to harvest the domes into my 660c and slap on the Topre-MX sliders as well. I imagine 55g on the leopold will feel damn good as well. Just a tad heavier than the HHKB.

Please swap those 55g domes into your fc660c and update me, cause you know.... for science!??

[bocahgundul]

for me its 55g on 660c because I've tried it with hhkb and don't like it at all. Because 55g is best for the rf or the plate mounted topre

[daerid]

55g 87UB > *

I've owned 3 FC660Cs (and probably will get another one soon), and they are definitely heavier than a stock HHKB/45g RF.

[Bromono]

55g on HHKB are to heavy for me. I don't like heavy switches.

55g on a real-force feels perfect. 45g for everything else.

[Latin00032]

I've said it before:

45g on a fc660c feels heavy compared to the hhkb or the rf 45g.

I put 55g domes on my fc660c. It feels even heavier. But it feels solid and smoother compared to the hhkb.

I agree with bromono.

55g on hhkb is too heavy. 55g on rf feels good. 45g is good on the hhkb.

I really want to try the new 30g ducky board. It might be too light.

We'll see.

[Lunatique]

IMO the FC660C has the perfect weight. It feels more like 50g than 45g, and I think sometimes the 55g on the RealForce is a little heavy. The 45g on the Novatouch feels a little light at times.

So basically, don't mess with the stock FC660C. If you want to silence it, do that, but don't change the weight.

[appleonama]

None you ruin the board by modifying it. The best feeling board is 45g type-s and 55g rf87u

[Macsmasher]

Don't hate me my Topre brethren, but I have to say my RF variable trumps my RF 55g. I've tried to drink the 55g kool-aid, but it just doesn't seem to settle in. I guess I have chick fingers...

[xondat]

This is what confuses me about topre - how come same weighted boards feel different?

[rowdy]

Don't hate me my Topre brethren, but I have to say my RF variable trumps my RF 55g. I've tried to drink the 55g kool-aid, but it just doesn't seem to settle in. I guess I have chick fingers...

Do you game much (or at all) on your variable RF?

I'd guess that gaming on a variable keyboard would be a little awkward.

[Bucake]

Don't hate me my Topre brethren, but I have to say my RF variable trumps my RF 55g. I've tried to drink the 55g kool-aid, but it just doesn't seem to settle in. I guess I have chick fingers...

Do you game much (or at all) on your variable RF?

I'd guess that gaming on a variable keyboard would be a little awkward.

it was for me, definitely.

and i can see why someone would dig the variable for long typing sessions, but i guess i'm just too used to uniform weighting. having played piano might have added a bit to that as well.
but i have small-to-average nerdy hands, so it's not necessarily so that when you have 'weak fingers', that you would prefer variable :~)

[Lunatique]

Don't hate me my Topre brethren, but I have to say my RF variable trumps my RF 55g. I've tried to drink the 55g kool-aid, but it just doesn't seem to settle in. I guess I have chick fingers...

Do you game much (or at all) on your variable RF?

I'd guess that gaming on a variable keyboard would be a little awkward.

it was for me, definitely.

and i can see why someone would dig the variable for long typing sessions, but i guess i'm just too used to uniform weighting. having played piano might have added a bit to that as well.
but i have small-to-average nerdy hands, so it's not necessarily so that when you have 'weak fingers', that you would prefer variable :~)

Gaming on a variable is indeed a bit odd. I wouldn't game on mine. But for typing, it is so buttery smooth and effortless (mine's the silenced version). Even if you play musical instruments (I play keyboard, guitar, bass, drums), your pinky will still always be weaker than your other fingers, so the ergonomic arrangement is still relevant for the sake of a "balanced" feeling.

If I had to keep only one keyboard for just typing, it's a really hard call to make, but the ergonomic Topre is definitely a possibility. But since I also play games, I might have to choose another keyboard. If Leopold ever makes a TKL Topre with the same weight and keycaps as the FC660C, that would be my perfect keyboard.

[Macsmasher]

Don't hate me my Topre brethren, but I have to say my RF variable trumps my RF 55g. I've tried to drink the 55g kool-aid, but it just doesn't seem to settle in. I guess I have chick fingers...

Do you game much (or at all) on your variable RF?

I'd guess that gaming on a variable keyboard would be a little awkward.

I started gaming in 1996 when Quake came out. I've played Counter Strike since 2000. Joined a competitive clan in about 2004 and competed in Cal for a bit. It's funny actually. I still play every Friday night with the same guys I've played with for 15 years hahaha. It's a private server and I don't play public anymore.

I just looked at my Steam account. I have 618 hours in CSGO (not counting prior CS releases), 489 hours in the original BioShock (great game btw), 848 hours in Far Cry 3 and probably about as much in Far Cry 4. Of course, there's Half Life, Skyrim, L4D, L4D2, Borderlands, Portal, Portal2, FEAR, Unreal (the original...one of the best games of all time for me) and all the expansion packs, Quake Arena, etc. etc. etc. etc. Hell, I have 213 hours in Fallout 4 and it just came out 11/10/15. If I had a dime for every night I played until the sun came up, I'd be rich.

I prefer gaming on my variable silent. It's just so smooth. My second choice is my HHKB. I do mouse with left hand for gaming (yes, I'm right handed, but have a mouse for each hand), so my movement cluster is OKL;. Point is, my ring finger key is 30g while the others are 45g. I have no issues with it.

Yes, I've gamed on MX reds and browns. Cherry is so far behind Topre, it's funny. Of course, that's my personal opinion.

[Hypersphere]

The HHKB Pro 2 has case-mounted switches. These feel and sound different from plate-mounted switches as found in the FC660C or RF87U. The case-mounted switches have more give. The plate-mounted switches have a more solid feel and sound, but some find this harsh because it is unyielding compared to the case-mounted switches. I have both 45g and 55g switches in HHKBs and RF87Us. I like the characteristics of each for different reasons, and I have all these boards in my rotation. If I had to choose only one of these, I think it would be my silenced 45g HHKB because of the layout, 60% form factor, sound, and the more relaxing feel of the lighter and springier 45g case-mounted switches.

[rowdy]

Don't hate me my Topre brethren, but I have to say my RF variable trumps my RF 55g. I've tried to drink the 55g kool-aid, but it just doesn't seem to settle in. I guess I have chick fingers...

Do you game much (or at all) on your variable RF?

I'd guess that gaming on a variable keyboard would be a little awkward.

I started gaming in 1996 when Quake came out. I've played Counter Strike since 2000. Joined a competitive clan in about 2004 and competed in Cal for a bit. It's funny actually. I still play every Friday night with the same guys I've played with for 15 years hahaha. It's a private server and I don't play public anymore.

I just looked at my Steam account. I have 618 hours in CSGO (not counting prior CS releases), 489 hours in the original BioShock (great game btw), 848 hours in Far Cry 3 and probably about as much in Far Cry 4. Of course, there's Half Life, Skyrim, L4D, L4D2, Borderlands, Portal, Portal2, FEAR, Unreal (the original...one of the best games of all time for me) and all the expansion packs, Quake Arena, etc. etc. etc. etc. Hell, I have 213 hours in Fallout 4 and it just came out 11/10/15. If I had a dime for every night I played until the sun came up, I'd be rich.

I prefer gaming on my variable silent. It's just so smooth. My second choice is my HHKB. I do mouse with left hand for gaming (yes, I'm right handed, but have a mouse for each hand), so my movement cluster is OKL;. Point is, my ring finger key is 30g while the others are 45g. I have no issues with it.

Yes, I've gamed on MX reds and browns. Cherry is so far behind Topre, it's funny. Of course, that's my personal opinion.

Maybe using your dominant hand for movement helps.  Or maybe with so many hours () you have become accustomed to the idiosyncrasies of variable keyboard gaming.

[illitirit]

Welp fellas curiosity got the best of me.  I just purchased a dye sub grey FC660c.

Im going to swap 55g in and see what the differences between 55g HHKB are.  I will report back soon.

[frogthejam19]

I didn't want to start another thread so I have a few questions regarding Topre. I made an Impulse buy ad bought the realforce 55g  but after thinking about other options I cancled the order in order to reinsure that I'm making the right choice.

my 3 choices are the Leopold FC660c, The HHKB Pro 2 , and the Realforce 55g.

I'm personally not a fan of the layout of the HHKB but I really like the way it looks. I like the the 660c because of the arrow keys.  I like the Realforce because of it being 55g because I gravitate towards heavier switches. 

My only problem is that if it would be mobile and i it would make sense to carry it to classes for notes. I already own a 60% KB in the POK3r but it's in Blues and I wouldn't want to annoy others with my clacking.  Does anyone carry around their TKL around and if so is it akward or does it seem natural?

[Hypersphere]

@frogthejam19: Have you tried the HHKB layout? I kept admiring the looks of the HHKB but avoiding giving it a try because I thought the layout seemed too alien. However, as soon as I tried it, I found that the layout seemed natural. Now, the HHKB is my preferred board, and even when I use other keyboards, I remap them to something as close as possible to the HHKB layout.

My other favorite (at the moment) is the RF87U. I have both 55g and 45g models. I like each of the switch weights, but typing for long periods on a plate-mounted 55g Topre gets somewhat tiring. I can type all day on my HHKB with no problem -- I like the more resilient feel of the case-mounted switches.

If you must have arrow keys but you can do without the top F-key row, then the FC660C might be the board for you. It is a solid plate-mounted Topre keyboard, but the layout was not for me. I have found that in general, I like typing on either a 60% or a TKL, but I haven't liked any of the in-between formats.

[frogthejam19]

@frogthejam19: Have you tried the HHKB layout? I kept admiring the looks of the HHKB but avoiding giving it a try because I thought the layout seemed too alien. However, as soon as I tried it, I found that the layout seemed natural. Now, the HHKB is my preferred board, and even when I use other keyboards, I remap them to something as close as possible to the HHKB layout.

My other favorite (at the moment) is the RF87U. I have both 55g and 45g models. I like each of the switch weights, but typing for long periods on a plate-mounted 55g Topre gets somewhat tiring. I can type all day on my HHKB with no problem -- I like the more resilient feel of the case-mounted switches.

If you must have arrow keys but you can do without the top F-key row, then the FC660C might be the board for you. It is a solid plate-mounted Topre keyboard, but the layout was not for me. I have found that in general, I like typing on either a 60% or a TKL, but I haven't liked any of the in-between formats.

I suppose that the arrow keys are the reason for having a trackpad or a mouse.
Is the RF something reasonable to carry around? It looks a bit chunkier than a standard tkl keyboard like a novatouch.

[keshley]

@frogthejam19: Have you tried the HHKB layout? I kept admiring the looks of the HHKB but avoiding giving it a try because I thought the layout seemed too alien. However, as soon as I tried it, I found that the layout seemed natural. Now, the HHKB is my preferred board, and even when I use other keyboards, I remap them to something as close as possible to the HHKB layout.

My other favorite (at the moment) is the RF87U. I have both 55g and 45g models. I like each of the switch weights, but typing for long periods on a plate-mounted 55g Topre gets somewhat tiring. I can type all day on my HHKB with no problem -- I like the more resilient feel of the case-mounted switches.

If you must have arrow keys but you can do without the top F-key row, then the FC660C might be the board for you. It is a solid plate-mounted Topre keyboard, but the layout was not for me. I have found that in general, I like typing on either a 60% or a TKL, but I haven't liked any of the in-between formats.

I suppose that the arrow keys are the reason for having a trackpad or a mouse.
Is the RF something reasonable to carry around? It looks a bit chunkier than a standard tkl keyboard like a novatouch.

Aside from the width, which probably adds around 2cm, its about the same length as your typical TKL. Might be a bit thicker in the back, depending what you're comparing it with, but its pretty thin up front.

[Hypersphere]

@frogthejam19: I wouldn't want to lug my RF around, although it is of course possible. The HHKB is very light and compact, but it is also rather expensive; I wouldn't want to use my HHKB as a portable board. Although the HHKB is fairly quiet, especially if you get a Type-S or use DIY silencing, it is still noisier than a laptop keyboard. Therefore, you might not want to use a HHKB to take notes in class.

[derb2k2]

@frogthejam19: Have you tried the HHKB layout? I kept admiring the looks of the HHKB but avoiding giving it a try because I thought the layout seemed too alien. However, as soon as I tried it, I found that the layout seemed natural. Now, the HHKB is my preferred board, and even when I use other keyboards, I remap them to something as close as possible to the HHKB layout.

My other favorite (at the moment) is the RF87U. I have both 55g and 45g models. I like each of the switch weights, but typing for long periods on a plate-mounted 55g Topre gets somewhat tiring. I can type all day on my HHKB with no problem -- I like the more resilient feel of the case-mounted switches.

If you must have arrow keys but you can do without the top F-key row, then the FC660C might be the board for you. It is a solid plate-mounted Topre keyboard, but the layout was not for me. I have found that in general, I like typing on either a 60% or a TKL, but I haven't liked any of the in-between formats.

I suppose that the arrow keys are the reason for having a trackpad or a mouse.
Is the RF something reasonable to carry around? It looks a bit chunkier than a standard tkl keyboard like a novatouch.

I've done some traveling with these boards within my university and anything other than 60% form will be rather bulky to carry around. That includes TKL boards.

The great thing about HHKB is that there is no plate so it makes it that much lighter! I do carry HHKB aroudn everywhere and it is rarely a bother.

Hypershere is right here. If you're planning to take notes while in class, I'd say it's a no-go even if you have silencing on it. I have mine silenced and the thock is still audible and hypnotizing. I'm sure there'll be people that don't like it and complain. (unless you sit all the way in the back  )

[frogthejam19]

@frogthejam19: I wouldn't want to lug my RF around, although it is of course possible. The HHKB is very light and compact, but it is also rather expensive; I wouldn't want to use my HHKB as a portable board. Although the HHKB is fairly quiet, especially if you get a Type-S or use DIY silencing, it is still noisier than a laptop keyboard. Therefore, you might not want to use a HHKB to take notes in class.

Hmm, I guess I'm leaning towards the RF now.

[frogthejam19]

@frogthejam19: Have you tried the HHKB layout? I kept admiring the looks of the HHKB but avoiding giving it a try because I thought the layout seemed too alien. However, as soon as I tried it, I found that the layout seemed natural. Now, the HHKB is my preferred board, and even when I use other keyboards, I remap them to something as close as possible to the HHKB layout.

My other favorite (at the moment) is the RF87U. I have both 55g and 45g models. I like each of the switch weights, but typing for long periods on a plate-mounted 55g Topre gets somewhat tiring. I can type all day on my HHKB with no problem -- I like the more resilient feel of the case-mounted switches.

If you must have arrow keys but you can do without the top F-key row, then the FC660C might be the board for you. It is a solid plate-mounted Topre keyboard, but the layout was not for me. I have found that in general, I like typing on either a 60% or a TKL, but I haven't liked any of the in-between formats.

I suppose that the arrow keys are the reason for having a trackpad or a mouse.
Is the RF something reasonable to carry around? It looks a bit chunkier than a standard tkl keyboard like a novatouch.

I've done some traveling with these boards within my university and anything other than 60% form will be rather bulky to carry around. That includes TKL boards.

The great thing about HHKB is that there is no plate so it makes it that much lighter! I do carry HHKB aroudn everywhere and it is rarely a bother.

Hypershere is right here. If you're planning to take notes while in class, I'd say it's a no-go even if you have silencing on it. I have mine silenced and the thock is still audible and hypnotizing. I'm sure there'll be people that don't like it and complain. (unless you sit all the way in the back  )

Do you have a carrying case for any of these or does does it fit your backpack seamlessly?

[derb2k2]

Do you have a carrying case for any of these or does does it fit your backpack seamlessly?

Most of the time I disconnect the cable and throw both the board and cable into one of those cheap nylon knapsacks and throw it over my shoulder. I have put it in a bookbag but the keys may get depressed and it might not be good for the domes.

Pokers and HHKbs are definitely portable.

[apolotary]

Welp fellas curiosity got the best of me.  I just purchased a dye sub grey FC660c.

Im going to swap 55g in and see what the differences between 55g HHKB are.  I will report back soon.

Just in case if you're wondering, HiPro caps+sliders don't make much difference on FC660c. That was my next mod after I tried swapping in 55g, got somewhat disappointed. Hope you won't waste as much time as I did.

[illitirit]

Welp fellas curiosity got the best of me.  I just purchased a dye sub grey FC660c.

Im going to swap 55g in and see what the differences between 55g HHKB are.  I will report back soon.

Just in case if you're wondering, HiPro caps+sliders don't make much difference on FC660c. That was my next mod after I tried swapping in 55g, got somewhat disappointed. Hope you won't waste as much time as I did.

thanks for the heads up!  I thought the hi-pro caps looked sweet but guess i wont even bother drooling over the mod.

All I will probably do after 55g swap is maybe novatouch stem swap if I cant wait any longer for mx sliders to come out at a reasonable price.

[oneproduct]

I just looked at my Steam account. I have 618 hours in CSGO (not counting prior CS releases), 489 hours in the original BioShock (great game btw), 848 hours in Far Cry 3 and probably about as much in Far Cry 4. Of course, there's Half Life, Skyrim, L4D, L4D2, Borderlands, Portal, Portal2, FEAR, Unreal (the original...one of the best games of all time for me) and all the expansion packs, Quake Arena, etc. etc. etc. etc. Hell, I have 213 hours in Fallout 4 and it just came out 11/10/15. If I had a dime for every night I played until the sun came up, I'd be rich.

Off topic, but as a developer of Far Cry 4, I'm curious what you did in the game for that long.

[apolotary]

Welp fellas curiosity got the best of me.  I just purchased a dye sub grey FC660c.

Im going to swap 55g in and see what the differences between 55g HHKB are.  I will report back soon.

Just in case if you're wondering, HiPro caps+sliders don't make much difference on FC660c. That was my next mod after I tried swapping in 55g, got somewhat disappointed. Hope you won't waste as much time as I did.

thanks for the heads up!  I thought the hi-pro caps looked sweet but guess i wont even bother drooling over the mod.

All I will probably do after 55g swap is maybe novatouch stem swap if I cant wait any longer for mx sliders to come out at a reasonable price.

The sliders from ctrlalt group buy were once available for purchase on taobao, but all the links from older threads leading to this product seem to be dead, not sure what's up.

[Macsmasher]

I just looked at my Steam account. I have 618 hours in CSGO (not counting prior CS releases), 489 hours in the original BioShock (great game btw), 848 hours in Far Cry 3 and probably about as much in Far Cry 4. Of course, there's Half Life, Skyrim, L4D, L4D2, Borderlands, Portal, Portal2, FEAR, Unreal (the original...one of the best games of all time for me) and all the expansion packs, Quake Arena, etc. etc. etc. etc. Hell, I have 213 hours in Fallout 4 and it just came out 11/10/15. If I had a dime for every night I played until the sun came up, I'd be rich.

Off topic, but as a developer of Far Cry 4, I'm curious what you did in the game for that long.

Hahaha, great question. Well, first of all, I had just wrapped up a two year software project for a client. The biggest I've ever done actually. So, with my next project two months off, only maintenance work for existing clients and in need of a break, I had a lot of time on my hands. Being winter in Oregon, that meant it was time to either pig out on a game or watch a lot of TV.

I spent a lot of time roaming the open world. I find that relaxing. I did a lot of side quests of course. I probably finished the main story line at about 80 hours. And on the main story line, I chose to do very little fast traveling. Once I beat the Institute (with the Minutemen), I just looked for characters with side quests. I did set up my settlements and supply lines, but pretty much just let them run themselves. I don't play it much anymore, but am level 74 and have 115,000 bottlecaps lol.

The sad thing is I have a buddy who currently has 408 hours in game.

[bocahgundul]

Just FYI 55g hhkb will be a little bit heavier than the realforce 55g which uses plate like the fc660c. So 55g fc660c will feel the same as the realforce 55g. Personally I don't like the 55g hhkb, it makes the board feel cheap not like in the realforce 55g 

[illitirit]

Wanted to update that I received my FC660c and have been using it.

Impressions:


Out of the box even though it is still topre, it feels worlds different to my HHKB and to my memory it has the same character as the Realforce 87u, it is slightly different in feel and sound.

At the current point in time I cant say whether i prefer the HHKB or FC, the two boards are similar yet so different.  But I do understand more why people say the HHKB feels cheap in comparison the plate mounted boards, there is def a huge difference in feel.

One thing that has been bothering the hell out of me is the left shift.  The profile of the key seems so out of whack to my HHKB.  It is retardedly high.  Because it is so high, when I use my pinky to type my "a" key, my pinky brushes against the left shift causing unwanted spring noise.  Even the slightest touch on the shift key will produce sound.  So in my quiet room, it ****ing irks me to no end.  Maybe lubing will help alleviate this, which I am too lazy to do right now but I am sure in time I will rip the board apart and mod it.

In terms of noise, HHKB is vastly louder.  There is much more plastic clackity-clack going on from the HHKB.  The FC660c while lower in volume, I almost feel like there is more thock from it because there is less plastic noise.

I was scared that I wouldnt like the FC since I have been using my HHKB for so long, but I am glad that I made the purchase.  If you were to ask which one I prefer, I honestly cant say.  It would be like asking if I prefer blonde's to brunettes.

Oh and lastly, the board is def higher than 45g weight.  It really feels like 53g, its only a touch lighter than my 55g HHKB.