Cherry MX Silent Reds, Topre, or Classic MX Reds?

[zpcomstock17]

I want to try a light and linear switch (45-55g) and hoping for RGB lighting, but the biggest trouble I'm having is which switch to go home with. I tried Cherry Reds as individual switches but not fully on a keyboard, they're exactly the linear feel I want but I want a soft landing. Topre seems like a fix to this but Topre is tactile and not completely linear. I heard Cherry MX Silent Reds felt somewhat like a Topre due to the rubber dampening in the switch but then I heard it's a completely different feel.
Any recommendations or opinions?
I want to try Topre but there's only one backlit option for 260+ bucks.
Cherry MX Pink sounds promising but it seems there's not alot of options and I've heard it feels awful to a normal red.

[mustardgreens]

Many people say Gateron make smooth linears. Gat clears might be a bit light, so try one heavier.

[kmba]

Topre isn't linear and doesn't feel linear. I'd try gateron black, lubed, perhaps with replacement sprit springs, maybe 62g. If you don't like that setup then you probably won't like any linear. Now, you can only get this setup with a custom board or desoldering an off the shelf board. Off the shelf try stock gateron blacks or yellows, maybe you can find a board with blacks, or a preassembled board with yellows from massdrop sometime.

[Tactile]

I just built a keyboard with Gateron reds and they're pretty nice. Nope, I've never used MX reds so I can't compare.

[zslane]

I dunno. "Smooth" linear is not the same as silenced linear. The only silenced linear in MX form is the new pink switch. I have a couple of Filcos with this switch and it does feel a little strange compared to a traditional red, but it is a lovely switch nonetheless. The latest Pok3r RGB is offered with MX pinks, so you might give that a try if you don't mind the smaller 60% form factor.

[JDragon]

The Cherry MX RGB Silents are much scratchier than the Silents in the normal black housing from what I've noticed (bought a batch of each to play around with).

If you lube them, they'll be even smoother. I'm working on a board using Zealios housings, 67g springs, MX Silent stems, and lube on the slider rails, spring, and stem contact points. It feels smooth and silent to me, with a soft bottom out. They're a bit more wobbly than the stock Cherry housings though.

[nickheller]

always topre

[need]

Gateron Yellows, it's weighted between Cherry Red (too light) and Black (too heavy). So it's at the perfect cushiony weight of 50g, and at this weight I don't bottom out. This makes it rather silent, other than the clack while bouncing back up.

I really think it's the smoothest modern switches out there, even more so than Topre. By the way 45g Topre almost feels like linear when you type on it quickly, but it doesn't bounce back as responsively as Gateron Yellows though.

Gateron's clear switch top is perfect for RGB too.

[zslane]

I envy typists who don't bottom out. Unfortunately, I'm a bottom-out typist pure and simple. I always bottom out, and if a spring is strong enough to preven that from happening, then it is too stiff for comfort. In any case, the upstroke noise is just as unpleasant. A switch really needs to silence both or it isn't going to cut it.

That's why MX pinks and Matias Quiet switches are on the right track. Topre switches are great once you put silencing rings in, but without them they make as much upstroke noise as any MX switch.

[zpcomstock17]

Gateron Yellows, it's weighted between Cherry Red (too light) and Black (too heavy). So it's at the perfect cushiony weight of 50g, and at this weight I don't bottom out. This makes it rather silent, other than the clack while bouncing back up.

I really think it's the smoothest modern switches out there, even more so than Topre. By the way 45g Topre almost feels like linear when you type on it quickly, but it doesn't bounce back as responsively as Gateron Yellows though.

Gateron's clear switch top is perfect for RGB too.

I can find zero commercial Gateron yellow keyboards with RGB, I have to make one myself or have one built for me with a fee :/.

Many people say Gateron make smooth linears. Gat clears might be a bit light, so try one heavier.

I've heard good things about Gaterons too, I can't find any RGB Clear or Yellow keyboards without being forced to build one from scratch .

The Cherry MX RGB Silents are much scratchier than the Silents in the normal black housing from what I've noticed (bought a batch of each to play around with).

If you lube them, they'll be even smoother. I'm working on a board using Zealios housings, 67g springs, MX Silent stems, and lube on the slider rails, spring, and stem contact points. It feels smooth and silent to me, with a soft bottom out. They're a bit more wobbly than the stock Cherry housings though.

Sounds promising. I don't mind wobble in the switch housings as long as the stem isn't affected by it. Do you recommend buying a Silent Red MX RGB keyboard and lubing it up? I'm hoping for a smooth and soft switch like you mentioned. Do you think they hold up to Topre's switches without forking out $200+?

I dunno. "Smooth" linear is not the same as silenced linear. The only silenced linear in MX form is the new pink switch. I have a couple of Filcos with this switch and it does feel a little strange compared to a traditional red, but it is a lovely switch nonetheless. The latest Pok3r RGB is offered with MX pinks, so you might give that a try if you don't mind the smaller 60% form factor.

Any other MX Pink keyboards preferably with RGB lighting? I'm willing to try a 60% for the first time but all the Pok3rs seem sold out.

Topre isn't linear and doesn't feel linear. I'd try gateron black, lubed, perhaps with replacement sprit springs, maybe 62g. If you don't like that setup then you probably won't like any linear. Now, you can only get this setup with a custom board or desoldering an off the shelf board. Off the shelf try stock gateron blacks or yellows, maybe you can find a board with blacks, or a preassembled board with yellows from massdrop sometime.

I'm a very light touch-typer, I tried Cherry MX Blacks (non-vintage) and I always missed a couple of keystrokes due to the stiff nature of the switch. I'd love to try black Gaterons if they're slightly lighter than MX Blacks, though I'm unsure if 55g-60g would be fitting for me or strain my fingers.

always topre

I can't find a cheap way to try out topres, I would try a Type Heaven but there's a lot of talk of it feeling like a dulled version of a topre switch.

I envy typists who don't bottom out. Unfortunately, I'm a bottom-out typist pure and simple. I always bottom out, and if a spring is strong enough to preven that from happening, then it is too stiff for comfort. In any case, the upstroke noise is just as unpleasant. A switch really needs to silence both or it isn't going to cut it.

That's why MX pinks and Matias Quiet switches are on the right track. Topre switches are great once you put silencing rings in, but without them they make as much upstroke noise as any MX switch.

I might have the same typing style as you, this is why I hate the feel of Cherry MX Blacks. Silencing Topres would kill me, it's already bad enough to fork out $200+. Sure it may be the last keyboard I'll ever buy but I'm not convinced the switch itself is worth it's weight in gold.

[need]

I can find zero commercial Gateron yellow keyboards with RGB, I have to make one myself or have one built for me with a fee :/.

Isn't having a clear switch top is what makes a switch a RGB switch?

Here's a link for them:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Mechanical-keyboard-cherry-clone-gateron-mx-switch-transparent-case-mx-brown-blue-red-switch-lighting-translucent/32689057308.html?spm=2114.30010308.3.11.5oFF1t&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_1_10065_10068_10501_10503_10000032_10000025_10000029_430_10000028_10060_10062_10056_503_10055_10054_10059_10099_501_10000022_10000012_10103_10102_10000015_10096_10000018_10000019_10052_10053_10107_10050_10106_10051_10000009_10084_10083_10080_10082_10081_10110_10111_10112_10113_10114_10115_10000041_10000044_10078_10079_10000038_429_10073_10000035-10503_10501,searchweb201603_9,afswitch_3_afChannel,single_sort_2_default&btsid=fc9f6237-b678-4b71-b9f5-a6a17b9bf65d

[Flyersfan1]

The mx silent reds in the Leopold FC980M are wonderful.

[zslane]

Topre is worth it to me. I have a RealForce RGB with silencing rings and Round 6 Space Cadet keycaps waiting for final assembly (I painted the top frame white and am waiting for the paint to cure). I expect it to be my endgame board. Final cost is unimportant to me when we're talking endgame.

While I am waiting, I am using a Filco Majestouch 2 HAKUA with MX pinks and Round 6 SPH keycaps. It is a very capable substitute and the MX pinks are much more pleasant to type on (in a work environment especially) than the MX reds I was using in my Varmilo VA108M.

And since there is no such thing as a Topre board with MX-compatible stems and a Pok3r layout, I am working on putting together a Vortex Pok3r RGB with MX pinks and Round 4 SPH keycaps.

Do you see a pattern here? If I can't get Topre switches with MX mounts, then the next best thing in my view are MX pinks.

[JDragon]

The Cherry MX RGB Silents are much scratchier than the Silents in the normal black housing from what I've noticed (bought a batch of each to play around with).

If you lube them, they'll be even smoother. I'm working on a board using Zealios housings, 67g springs, MX Silent stems, and lube on the slider rails, spring, and stem contact points. It feels smooth and silent to me, with a soft bottom out. They're a bit more wobbly than the stock Cherry housings though.

Sounds promising. I don't mind wobble in the switch housings as long as the stem isn't affected by it. Do you recommend buying a Silent Red MX RGB keyboard and lubing it up? I'm hoping for a smooth and soft switch like you mentioned. Do you think they hold up to Topre's switches without forking out $200+?

Sorry, I meant the stem is the wobbly part (gap between stem and housing).

The Silent Red RGB housings are extremely tight and hard to remove, I lost a bunch of switch tops to bent/broken plastic bits when removing switch tops. If you want RGB lighting, I would pick a board with SMD RGB lighting (so something like a Cooler Master Masterkeys Pro RGB), desolder all the switches, and replace them with Cherry MX Silents stem-swapped into a SMD-compatible or clear (Zealios) housing.

[zpcomstock17]

The mx silent reds in the Leopold FC980M are wonderful.

Topre is worth it to me. I have a RealForce RGB with silencing rings and Round 6 Space Cadet keycaps waiting for final assembly (I painted the top frame white and am waiting for the paint to cure). I expect it to be my endgame board. Final cost is unimportant to me when we're talking endgame.

While I am waiting, I am using a Filco Majestouch 2 HAKUA with MX pinks and Round 6 SPH keycaps. It is a very capable substitute and the MX pinks are much more pleasant to type on (in a work environment especially) than the MX reds I was using in my Varmilo VA108M.

And since there is no such thing as a Topre board with MX-compatible stems and a Pok3r layout, I am working on putting together a Vortex Pok3r RGB with MX pinks and Round 4 SPH keycaps.

Do you see a pattern here? If I can't get Topre switches with MX mounts, then the next best thing in my view are MX pinks.

I'm glad the Cherry MX Pinks/Silent Reds can hold a candle to Topre switches, this might be my go-to alternative to the Realforce RGB without breaking the wallet.

Isn't having a clear switch top is what makes a switch a RGB switch?

Here's a link for them:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Mechanical-keyboard-cherry-clone-gateron-mx-switch-transparent-case-mx-brown-blue-red-switch-lighting-translucent/32689057308.html?spm=2114.30010308.3.11.5oFF1t&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_1_10065_10068_10501_10503_10000032_10000025_10000029_430_10000028_10060_10062_10056_503_10055_10054_10059_10099_501_10000022_10000012_10103_10102_10000015_10096_10000018_10000019_10052_10053_10107_10050_10106_10051_10000009_10084_10083_10080_10082_10081_10110_10111_10112_10113_10114_10115_10000041_10000044_10078_10079_10000038_429_10073_10000035-10503_10501,searchweb201603_9,afswitch_3_afChannel,single_sort_2_default&btsid=fc9f6237-b678-4b71-b9f5-a6a17b9bf65d

I would have to scrap an SMD RGB or an LED RGB keyboard to get RGB lighting on Yellow Gaterons. :[

The Cherry MX RGB Silents are much scratchier than the Silents in the normal black housing from what I've noticed (bought a batch of each to play around with).

If you lube them, they'll be even smoother. I'm working on a board using Zealios housings, 67g springs, MX Silent stems, and lube on the slider rails, spring, and stem contact points. It feels smooth and silent to me, with a soft bottom out. They're a bit more wobbly than the stock Cherry housings though.

Sounds promising. I don't mind wobble in the switch housings as long as the stem isn't affected by it. Do you recommend buying a Silent Red MX RGB keyboard and lubing it up? I'm hoping for a smooth and soft switch like you mentioned. Do you think they hold up to Topre's switches without forking out $200+?

Sorry, I meant the stem is the wobbly part (gap between stem and housing).

The Silent Red RGB housings are extremely tight and hard to remove, I lost a bunch of switch tops to bent/broken plastic bits when removing switch tops. If you want RGB lighting, I would pick a board with SMD RGB lighting (so something like a Cooler Master Masterkeys Pro RGB), desolder all the switches, and replace them with Cherry MX Silents stem-swapped into a SMD-compatible or clear (Zealios) housing.

Seems like a big labor, big reward type of task.
Only two problems is I'm lacking in soldering equipment (only a soldering iron and solder) and Cooler Master lacks some quality.
https://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=2230
Oh... and RGB MX Pinks are *very* high in demand.

[JDragon]

Seems like a big labor, big reward type of task.
Only two problems is I'm lacking in soldering equipment (only a soldering iron and solder) and Cooler Master lacks some quality.
https://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=2230
Oh... and RGB MX Pinks are *very* high in demand.

Oh yeah, for sure, it'll take forever. If you want a typing experience tuned to your tastes though, that's the only way to go about it.

The CM keyboards are fine; but really, you're just looking for any SMD-lit RGB keyboard to make desoldering easier. Desoldering RGB LEDs is an absolute pain.

If you're just buying for stem-swapping, buy the black housing ones. They're so much easier to work with.

[Hyde]

I think it's a preference thing, personally I don't like Silent MX Red.  It reminds me of o-ring which kills the mechanical feel of the switch.

If I want something quiet I go Topre (while still feels good), if I want smooth clean feel I got MX Red.

Silent Red just feel like it tried to do a bit of both and end up being not good at either.

[ComandaPanda]

Also try looking into the Topre clones from Plum, Hansung or ABKO. There actually really nice and come silenced, build quality on them is good as well. Much better than Novatouch construction.  If your looking for linear i wouldnt bother with Modern MX linear switches since they are super scratchy. Try some vintage MX Blacks and install them in a board you like.

[KorKeyboard]

How about to use o-ring?

[czarek]

Tell you what. I have all 3 here with me and new silenced reds are my least favourite. What everyone says about them is true.

They are super smooth, as smooth as brand new out of the box silenced Realforce.
They do sound really good, very similar to silenced Topre.
They are also more or less same weight as normal reds so they should be perfect, but no, I somehow feel they're not as snappy as classic switches. I don't know if it's just the muted sound, or maybe the rubber internally is kind of sticky and that makes travel a bit more sluggish, or maybe it's just WASD build that makes this keyboard feels this way (I had Code keyboard with MX Blues before and had to replace switches to make it usable - there are videos of how it was out of the box here on Geekhack somewhere).

Normal reds everyone knows what to expect. They're not very smooth, but they are light and snappy. Fun switch and definitely likeable.

And of course Silenced Topre (standard non-rgb Realforce) wins this round. It is pretty snappy (feels faster than HHKB with Hypersphere's rings), sounds great and is the smoothest out of those switches. It is tactile however so if you're after linear switch, this may be a deal breaker, although Topre's by nature is totally different from all other switches - bump starts directly on top and finishes on bottom, almost like it was a linear switch, just with slightly curved "line".

Also one note about new silent Realforces, at least the fullsize ones. They are coated in dark grey plastic that fades away when touching it so please be aware of this fact.

[zslane]

I was a regular MX red user. I now prefer MX pink. I'm not quite sure what "snappy" means (when it comes to MX switches), but whatever it is I don't miss it.

One thing I can say for sure is that I don't ever want to go back to the noise of an MX red. I have made it my mission to replace all my MX red boards with silenced Topre and MX pink boards instead. Then all the fans of "snappy" MX red boards can buy my Filcos and Varmilos and Pok3rs if they want them, and everyone wins! 

[Harms]

I was a regular MX red user. I now prefer MX pink. I'm not quite sure what "snappy" means (when it comes to MX switches), but whatever it is I don't miss it.

One thing I can say for sure is that I don't ever want to go back to the noise of an MX red. I have made it my mission to replace all my MX red boards with silenced Topre and MX pink boards instead. Then all the fans of "snappy" MX red boards can buy my Filcos and Varmilos and Pok3rs if they want them, and everyone wins! 

Hello

So what do you think of MX silent reds compared to Gateron red and Gateron yellow if you ever used those switches. Do silent reds feel scratchy and do they feel stiffer than regular MX?

[HPE1000]

Bruh I just put some lubed + 60g spring silent reds in my numpad last night. It is like a silenced topre switch but linear. It is really quiet, and has that somewhat rubbery bottom out feel that topre switches have compared to mx switches.

As far as scratchyness is concerned though, ofc topre are going to be smoother. It does seem that the new stem molds cherry has been using recently are a lot smoother than their old molds were. My pok3r mx black (non rgb) has those new stem molds being used, and these silent reds are using them as well. Both switches are far less scratchy than the blacks and reds I have used in a poker 2, and blacks I used in a Ducky shine 3.

I still want to stress that they do have a rubbery bottom out feel though, non silenced switches do feel more snappy i'd say because the bottom out is so immediate and sharp.

[zslane]

I never really noticed that much of a difference between the MX reds in my Filco Majestouch-2s and the Gateron reds in my Varmilo VA108Ms. The MX silent reds don't feel any more or less "scratchy" to me than either of those, but they are definitely much quieter overall. If anything, the lack of bottom out and upstroke noise makes the slider friction that much more audible.

I've never tried Gateron yellows.

[ander]

I want to try a light and linear switch (45-55g) and hoping for RGB lighting, but the biggest trouble I'm having is which switch to go home with. I tried Cherry Reds as individual switches but not fully on a keyboard, they're exactly the linear feel I want but I want a soft landing. Topre seems like a fix to this but Topre is tactile and not completely linear. I heard Cherry MX Silent Reds felt somewhat like a Topre due to the rubber dampening in the switch but then I heard it's a completely different feel... Any recommendations or opinions?

So you've tried MX Reds, but not Silent Reds (AKA "MX Pink") or Topres? And you're asking us to predict which of the three you'd prefer? I don't know how much we can help you. Even if we describe specific mechanical characteristics, typing is so much more than spring weights, force curves, etc. It's a total experience. Typing patterns are so individual, they can be used to identify people, like fingerprints. So based on what we say here, you could very well end up ordering a board with one of those other switch types and be unhappy with it.

You must do everything you can to try these switches yourself. And I don't mean in one of those silly switch "testers", where you press one key at a time with one finger. I mean in real boards, connected to real computers where you can see what you're typing and how the board responds to your particular touch. Anything else is a waste of time IMHO.

That said, it's always fun to babble about this stuff (I'm doing it now!), so hey.

I want to try Topre but there's only one backlit option for 260+ bucks.

Here's an idea then: Just use your keyboard for typing, and realize that putting pretty little LEDs under the keys is a marketing gimmick that makes as much sense as embedding LEDs in your car's steering wheel.  :?)

I envy typists who don't bottom out. Unfortunately, I'm a bottom-out typist pure and simple. I always bottom out, and if a spring is strong enough to [prevent] that from happening, then it is too stiff for comfort...

Try Gateron Blacks and get back to us.

[zslane]

Try Gateron Blacks and get back to us.

If I had access to one, I'd certainly give it a try.

But how are they supposed to help me? They aren't silenced, so they are going to make as much bottoming out and upstroke noise as an MX or Gateron red, right? If you theorize that they are going to prevent me from bottoming out, then you don't quite understand my typing style.

[Harms]

Try Gateron Blacks and get back to us.

If I had access to one, I'd certainly give it a try.

But how are they supposed to help me? They aren't silenced, so they are going to make as much bottoming out and upstroke noise as an MX or Gateron red, right? If you theorize that they are going to prevent me from bottoming out, then you don't quite understand my typing style.

They will make as much noise as MX red or Gateron Red. However, you can harvest or buy Gateron Black springs and then put them into the silent switches XD.

[zslane]

What does swapping stock MX silent red springs for Gateron black springs do that is so great? I don't like a spring resistance any higher than 45cN.

[Harms]

Well I think the previous poster suggested heavier springs so that you do not bottom out. As heavier springs allow one to touch type easier.
However, a person like myself would bottom out anyways lol. So I prefer something in the middle between Gat Red and Black, which is yellow .
You probably would not like Gat black. Have you ever tried the 35g Gateron white/clears?

[zslane]

The only Gateron switch I have ever tried is red. I tried a Noppoo with their 35g domes and it was too light; I was making too many typing mistakes. I have found that in general 40-45 is the sweet spot for me.

[czarek]

Well if you get Gaterons into that mx, I must say that Yellow gaterons are definitely smoother than Silent MX Reds.
Also by "snappy" I mean, "feeling faster". It's very subjective though. I feel factory silenced Realforce being "snappier" than HHKB with Hypersphere's rings. Same way I feel stock MX Reds snapper than silenced Reds.
But please note my silenced reds are in WASD keyboard which may be the reason I don't quite like it. I once had Code with MX Blues from them and honestly if it was only keyboard with MX Blues I tried I'd say I hate Blues (which is one of my favourite switches btw).

[Giorgio]

I like very much the gmk uniqey clips on cherry mx red switches. They're more silent than cherry mx red silent switches.

[zpcomstock17]

I want to try Topre but there's only one backlit option for 260+ bucks.

Here's an idea then: Just use your keyboard for typing, and realize that putting pretty little LEDs under the keys is a marketing gimmick that makes as much sense as embedding LEDs in your car's steering wheel.  :?)

I'm very tempted to snag myself a non-backlit Topre because I'm trading off PBT keycaps for ABS doubleshot. I've watched typing tests of the new RGB Realforce and the keys seem rattly compared to soft "thock" of HHBKs or Realforce keyboards.

The hardest part is picking which flavor of Topre board, 45g, 55g, or varied weighting. I heard 45g were buttery smooth and have a pleasant light tactile feel to them, like a flawless MX Brown. Then 55g were often commented for feeling greatly improved and they felt so good that 45g felt mushy to them, but I'm not too crazy about tactility as I mentioned before. Lastly, the opinions of variable weight were mixed. some said it was only good for skilled touch-typers and others said it's an acquired taste. I'm left scratching my head of which Topre board I should get.

[zpcomstock17]

Well if you get Gaterons into that mx, I must say that Yellow gaterons are definitely smoother than Silent MX Reds.
Also by "snappy" I mean, "feeling faster". It's very subjective though. I feel factory silenced Realforce being "snappier" than HHKB with Hypersphere's rings. Same way I feel stock MX Reds snapper than silenced Reds.
But please note my silenced reds are in WASD keyboard which may be the reason I don't quite like it. I once had Code with MX Blues from them and honestly if it was only keyboard with MX Blues I tried I'd say I hate Blues (which is one of my favourite switches btw).

Factory silenced seem rare and expensive, if you have found a cheap factory silenced topre for under 250 bucks, I might have found my new favorite keyboard.

[happylacquer]

Seems like Reds are the preferred Mx switch of Topre fans. I haven't had my HHKB Pro for long but i really love it. But i would never not have at least one reds board around. both silenced and regular red are good.

[Hyde]

My personal opinion is that:

30g = Too light and mushy
45g = Just right, more along the line of MX Brown.
55g = Too heavy, unless you already like heavy switch like MX Black / MX Clear then go for it.

Sound:

Topre Silence = I think this is your best bet.
Topre Regular = To be honest I find this is acceptable in terms of noise, it's pretty inline with rubber domes.
MX Red Silent = I think I finally realize what bugs me, it's the rubbery buttom out + reduced travel (rubber adds thickness).  I think I was expecting full travel then got stopped by the rubberyness.
MX Red = To be honest I vastly prefer this over MX Red Silent but this will be your loudest option.

But again everyone have different preference so there is a chance you might like MX Red Silent.  See if you can find a local computer store to try it out.

Corsair do carry RGB keyboard + MX Red Silent.

[zpcomstock17]

My personal opinion is that:

30g = Too light and mushy
45g = Just right, more along the line of MX Brown.
55g = Too heavy, unless you already like heavy switch like MX Black / MX Clear then go for it.

Sound:

Topre Silence = I think this is your best bet.
Topre Regular = To be honest I find this is acceptable in terms of noise, it's pretty inline with rubber domes.
MX Red Silent = I think I finally realize what bugs me, it's the rubbery buttom out + reduced travel (rubber adds thickness).  I think I was expecting full travel then got stopped by the rubberyness.
MX Red = To be honest I vastly prefer this over MX Red Silent but this will be your loudest option.

But again everyone have different preference so there is a chance you might like MX Red Silent.  See if you can find a local computer store to try it out.

Corsair do carry RGB keyboard + MX Red Silent.

I'm possibly going to snag a 45g gram or a weighted over a 55g. I had a non-vintage MX Black board and it felt too stiff and the switches were resisting too much force.

Too bad there's no local stores which carry Topres out for display, if anyone knows any computer store that do have Topre keyboards available for trying out, lemme know.

[dante]

It's all personal preference.

That said, I gravitate towards MX style switches because with O-Rings you can control the travel distance.  I prefer mine as short as possible which is why - as far as linear switches are concerned - MX Silver with thick O-rings is my way of life.

Topre is releasing pads to shorten the distance but so far reports are they do diddly squat.

Not everyone wants or needs 4mm of distance.  As always, YMMV.

[DRAZAH]

I own a hypersphered and lubed HHKB Pro 2 and a MF68 with Gateron Reds w/ Orings.

They are completely different, the Gateron Reds are buttery smooth, but light and really do nothing for me. I personally do not like linear switches, I find them boring. I bottom out heavily on the reds so I installed the Orings, they dampened the bottom out but the plastic "clack" is still there, very cheap sounding but not annoying like clicky switches. It would definitely be better with thicker keycaps.

My HHKB on the other hand is my favorite board, Topre is a different kind of "smooth". Its more of a pop, collapses nice and "inflates" back smoothly, it doesn't feel cheap and hollow like a lot of MX switches. Personally, I think Topre NEEDS to be silenced and lubed. Silencing brings out the thock heavily, and lubing the modifies and spacebar virtually removes rattle.

[zslane]

Personally, I think Topre NEEDS to be silenced and lubed. Silencing brings out the thock heavily, and lubing the modifies and spacebar virtually removes rattle.

I feel exactly the same about that. Moreover, I don't feel that Topre should ever release an unsilenced and unlubed keyboard. Ever. There's just no good reason for it (and no, saving a few bucks isn't a good reason...Topres are premium products for a reason).

[zpcomstock17]

I own a hypersphered and lubed HHKB Pro 2 and a MF68 with Gateron Reds w/ Orings.

They are completely different, the Gateron Reds are buttery smooth, but light and really do nothing for me. I personally do not like linear switches, I find them boring. I bottom out heavily on the reds so I installed the Orings, they dampened the bottom out but the plastic "clack" is still there, very cheap sounding but not annoying like clicky switches. It would definitely be better with thicker keycaps.

My HHKB on the other hand is my favorite board, Topre is a different kind of "smooth". Its more of a pop, collapses nice and "inflates" back smoothly, it doesn't feel cheap and hollow like a lot of MX switches. Personally, I think Topre NEEDS to be silenced and lubed. Silencing brings out the thock heavily, and lubing the modifies and spacebar virtually removes rattle.

Personally, I think Topre NEEDS to be silenced and lubed. Silencing brings out the thock heavily, and lubing the modifies and spacebar virtually removes rattle.

I feel exactly the same about that. Moreover, I don't feel that Topre should ever release an unsilenced and unlubed keyboard. Ever. There's just no good reason for it (and no, saving a few bucks isn't a good reason...Topres are premium products for a reason).

If there's a reasonably price silenced Topre for under 200 bucks, I'll buy it immediately.

[zslane]

Well, sure. And if there's a reasonably priced Porche 911 for under $25,000 (new), I'll buy it immediately. We all would. And the grass is green and the sky is blue...yadda yadda.

[OfTheWild]

You can get Topre boards for $180 all day long. You just have to keep your eyes on /r/mechmarket. Heck if you just want a decent RF 87U you can find some that people have dome-swapped for less than $150. That being said, it sounds like what you really need to do is get to a meetup and try out some boards before you buy something you dont actually want.

[chryos1029]

MX Silent Red provides a cushiony feel when you bottom out which IMO is quite similar to topre but it doesnt have the tactility offered by topre.

Mx Red is a no no. I have both gateron yellow and Mx Red and Mx Red is scratchy as hell when side by side compared to gateron yellow.

[tp4tissue]

MX Silent Red provides a cushiony feel when you bottom out which IMO is quite similar to topre but it doesnt have the tactility offered by topre.

Mx Red is a no no. I have both gateron yellow and Mx Red and Mx Red is scratchy as hell when side by side compared to gateron yellow.

mx blue is still by far the most smooth mx switch.

[Entropia]

Today I've received my Cooler Master switch tester, which includes a Topre switch. It's been interesting to test Topre. It doesn't differ much from a regular rubber dome keyboard. It's just smoother and with a longer travel. In contrast to MX Red, which feels like a uniform spring from the top to the bottom, Topre has a initial opposition and then it's smooth to the bottom, where you don't feel tor heard the key suddently hitting the bottom, but a kind of slightly soft touch with a deep sound. I like that it feels really smooth. However, it's also slow, as if it is lubricated. The key doesn't go up as fast as MX switches. Despite its long travel, it shares with regular rubber domes the characteristic that it's hard to type softly without bottoming out. I'm not sure but maybe this is not an advantage in terms of comfort nor typing performance. What I don't fully understand is its tactility. If you are forced to bottom out, there's not much use in tactile feedback. As regard weight, this is a 45g switch and I don't find it too light. I'd very much like to try a full keyboard, but for the moment, I prefer to stay with Cherry, especially with MX brown, which is light, comfortable, has a slight tactile feedback which is welcome and doesn't have the irritating click of the blues.

[OfTheWild]

Yup, thats definitely an accurate realization that Topre is basically a really well made rubber dome board. Very different than cherry based switches. As for your preference, thats the fun part right? You like what you like. I wish i could make up my mind... instead i've found that i just want a board with each different switch type and rotate them through.

[zpcomstock17]

Today I've received my Cooler Master switch tester, which includes a Topre switch. It's been interesting to test Topre. It doesn't differ much from a regular rubber dome keyboard. It's just smoother and with a longer travel. In contrast to MX Red, which feels like a uniform spring from the top to the bottom, Topre has a initial opposition and then it's smooth to the bottom, where you don't feel tor heard the key suddently hitting the bottom, but a kind of slightly soft touch with a deep sound. I like that it feels really smooth. However, it's also slow, as if it is lubricated. The key doesn't go up as fast as MX switches. Despite its long travel, it shares with regular rubber domes the characteristic that it's hard to type softly without bottoming out. I'm not sure but maybe this is not an advantage in terms of comfort nor typing performance. What I don't fully understand is its tactility. If you are forced to bottom out, there's not much use in tactile feedback. As regard weight, this is a 45g switch and I don't find it too light. I'd very much like to try a full keyboard, but for the moment, I prefer to stay with Cherry, especially with MX brown, which is light, comfortable, has a slight tactile feedback which is welcome and doesn't have the irritating click of the blues.

I'm just hoping for the mechanical feeling of a cherry switch with the soft landing of a rubber dome, PBT keycaps are amazing I wish PBT backlit keycaps was a thing.

[zpcomstock17]

I decided I'm going to go with a Cherry MX Pink (Silent Red) on a Corsair Strafe keyboard, I'm switching the keycaps for Vortex PBT backlit caps. I hope Corsair has some good build quality.
Thinking about buying lube for it too, though I can't find any on Amazon.

If anyone wants to buy the default Corsair keycaps just message me.

[HPE1000]

I decided I'm going to go with a Cherry MX Pink (Silent Red) on a Corsair Strafe keyboard, I'm switching the keycaps for Vortex PBT backlit caps. Thinking about buying Kyrox to lube it up too.

If anyone wants to buy the default Corsair keycaps just message me.

Be sure to let us know how you like it

Keep in mind if you want to lube them, you are going to have to desolder all of the switches.