Author Topic: Teardown - Kailh x Novelkeys BOX Royal switches  (Read 3823 times)

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Offline chyros

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Teardown - Kailh x Novelkeys BOX Royal switches
« on: Mon, 30 April 2018, 01:52:49 »
Hiya guys, we're going to take a look at the new tactile offering from Novelkeys today :) . Hope you enjoy the video!

Check my keyboard video reviews:


Offline portbaron

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Re: Teardown - Kailh x Novelkeys BOX Royal switches
« Reply #1 on: Mon, 30 April 2018, 03:01:41 »
So these are going to be like mx clears sort of? Are they ever going to be on a board or only DIYs?
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Offline chyros

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Re: Teardown - Kailh x Novelkeys BOX Royal switches
« Reply #2 on: Mon, 30 April 2018, 04:24:45 »
So these are going to be like mx clears sort of? Are they ever going to be on a board or only DIYs?
They reminded me a little bit of Zealios if anything. I'm not sure they're going to be on a specific board; they were developed specifically for Novelkeys, so from what I understood Kaihua can't sell them.
Check my keyboard video reviews:


Offline nguyenhimself

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Re: Teardown - Kailh x Novelkeys BOX Royal switches
« Reply #3 on: Mon, 30 April 2018, 10:42:43 »
So these are going to be like mx clears sort of? Are they ever going to be on a board or only DIYs?
They reminded me a little bit of Zealios if anything. I'm not sure they're going to be on a specific board; they were developed specifically for Novelkeys, so from what I understood Kaihua can't sell them.

How's the sound? I share with you a deep appreciation for bassy switch sound, and from the few YouTube videos so far, they sound very similar to their clicky cousins  :-X

Offline chyros

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Re: Teardown - Kailh x Novelkeys BOX Royal switches
« Reply #4 on: Mon, 30 April 2018, 11:24:40 »
So these are going to be like mx clears sort of? Are they ever going to be on a board or only DIYs?
They reminded me a little bit of Zealios if anything. I'm not sure they're going to be on a specific board; they were developed specifically for Novelkeys, so from what I understood Kaihua can't sell them.

How's the sound? I share with you a deep appreciation for bassy switch sound, and from the few YouTube videos so far, they sound very similar to their clicky cousins  :-X
No way I can tell off of a few loose switches xD .
Check my keyboard video reviews:


Offline killyou

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Re: Teardown - Kailh x Novelkeys BOX Royal switches
« Reply #5 on: Mon, 30 April 2018, 12:19:41 »
I appreciate all these new designs but they are all flawed in a way that you cannot prevent bottoming out since the force required to overcome the bump is usually significantly greater than bottom out force. Hence it encourages bottoming out and it's the same for all BOX switches as well as Zealio switches. Having mentioned Zealio switches it's weird that you compared Brown mold to Zealio mold as an example of modifying the bump since Zealio is 100% exact MX Clear ripoff.

Offline Kevadu

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Re: Teardown - Kailh x Novelkeys BOX Royal switches
« Reply #6 on: Mon, 30 April 2018, 13:47:06 »
I appreciate all these new designs but they are all flawed in a way that you cannot prevent bottoming out since the force required to overcome the bump is usually significantly greater than bottom out force. Hence it encourages bottoming out and it's the same for all BOX switches as well as Zealio switches.

That's not true at all for Hako switches.  Quite the opposite in fact.  Actually I'm quite interested in putting a Hako True spring in these.  I really like them in Box whites/pale blues as well.

Offline nguyenhimself

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Re: Teardown - Kailh x Novelkeys BOX Royal switches
« Reply #7 on: Mon, 30 April 2018, 14:43:03 »
So these are going to be like mx clears sort of? Are they ever going to be on a board or only DIYs?
They reminded me a little bit of Zealios if anything. I'm not sure they're going to be on a specific board; they were developed specifically for Novelkeys, so from what I understood Kaihua can't sell them.

How's the sound? I share with you a deep appreciation for bassy switch sound, and from the few YouTube videos so far, they sound very similar to their clicky cousins  :-X
No way I can tell off of a few loose switches xD .

Ah, I thought you received quite a bunch of them and just haven't gotten around to put them on a board yet 🙂

Offline klennkellon

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Re: Teardown - Kailh x Novelkeys BOX Royal switches
« Reply #8 on: Mon, 30 April 2018, 16:03:08 »
I appreciate all these new designs but they are all flawed in a way that you cannot prevent bottoming out since the force required to overcome the bump is usually significantly greater than bottom out force. Hence it encourages bottoming out and it's the same for all BOX switches as well as Zealio switches. Having mentioned Zealio switches it's weird that you compared Brown mold to Zealio mold as an example of modifying the bump since Zealio is 100% exact MX Clear ripoff.
this is exactly the case with tactile/clicky alps too. you are pretty much forced to bottom out

Offline Techno Trousers

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Re: Teardown - Kailh x Novelkeys BOX Royal switches
« Reply #9 on: Mon, 30 April 2018, 18:34:50 »
I disagree that you're "forced" to bottom out with these switches. If I pay attention, I can type on my box jade keyboard without bottoming out (mostly). I still want to try some slightly heavier springs so I can do it without having to concentrate on it. But having the big click dropoff helps me to avoid bottoming out, because I can actually feel and hear when actuation happens, and decelerate my fingers at that point. Point of reference: I am a full touch typist at around 90-100wpm.

When I get the finger force just right, it feels very rewarding when I'm up to speed.


Offline killyou

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Re: Teardown - Kailh x Novelkeys BOX Royal switches
« Reply #10 on: Tue, 01 May 2018, 14:38:38 »
If I pay attention [...] (mostly) [..]
That's the issue :) Still fun switches to use nonetheless.

Offline monkt

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Re: Teardown - Kailh x Novelkeys BOX Royal switches
« Reply #11 on: Tue, 01 May 2018, 15:27:42 »
I disagree that you're "forced" to bottom out with these switches. If I pay attention, I can type on my box jade keyboard without bottoming out (mostly). I still want to try some slightly heavier springs so I can do it without having to concentrate on it. But having the big click dropoff helps me to avoid bottoming out, because I can actually feel and hear when actuation happens, and decelerate my fingers at that point. Point of reference: I am a full touch typist at around 90-100wpm.

When I get the finger force just right, it feels very rewarding when I'm up to speed.


Do you know of any other tactile, or clicky, switches besides the jades that allow you to type this way? I can type quite comfortably on mx black without bottoming out most of the time. Would like to have the same experience on a non-linear and had been looking at the Kailh options, including the box Royals, with that possibility in mind.

Offline chyros

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Re: Teardown - Kailh x Novelkeys BOX Royal switches
« Reply #12 on: Tue, 01 May 2018, 15:33:35 »
Guys these really don't feel like jades or navies, they're really much closer to zealios from what I can tell, at least more of an MX-type tactility.
Check my keyboard video reviews:


Offline Kevadu

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Re: Teardown - Kailh x Novelkeys BOX Royal switches
« Reply #13 on: Tue, 01 May 2018, 16:26:48 »
The real question is when are they actually going to sell these?

Offline chyros

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Re: Teardown - Kailh x Novelkeys BOX Royal switches
« Reply #14 on: Tue, 01 May 2018, 16:37:16 »
The real question is when are they actually going to sell these?
May, from what I've heard.
Check my keyboard video reviews: