Compared Vertex V1 lubed with 205g0 against relubed WS Morandi and Oil King:
WS Morandi - similar in tone but far noisier. Much of the noise came from top housing. Applying lube did reduce noise but squeaks remained. In comparison, Vertex V1 sound is clean with little or not top out sound. Morandi housing is also wobbly even with film which makes me wonder if it’s the UPE stem. I could be wrong but I still cannot recommend WS Morandi.
Oil King - very similar to Vertex V1, clean low pitched, but more muted. Vertex V1 sound is noticeably brighter. Oil King is more robust in that it sounds good in almost any board where Vertex V1 is more picky. Both have distinct pleasant sound so I recommend getting both.
Been awhile on this thread. Here are some recent linear switches I liked, all worthy of being top-tier yet affordable. All very smooth. All except Smoothie are on the thocky side to varying degree. Roselle is lowest-pitched.
Vertex V1 - Extra creamy and blissfully snug. 205g0 required.
BSUN X - POK heaven. I’d recommend this over U4LT. Similar sound, cheaper.
MMD Vivian - loud, thocky, and clear. sound is POK-like but distinct (3.6mm).
HC Studio Roselle - louder, thocky. bottom out feel is fine but sound may need some reining in. Acrylic case or softer plate (3.6mm).
Gateron Smoothie - Good all around but pales next to preceding 4 (3.6mm).
Morandi didn’t make the list bc I hate squeaky switches.
Note that case and plate affect switch sounds and feels. Some switches are more robust than others. My Oil King switches, for example, is stuck in Bruth 60 case bc I like the sound the switch makes without film only in that case.
UPDATE: Forgot to mention a welcome change in this hobby. After testing, I’ve been using 4 of the 5 switches above stock: stock lube and spring, no film. In case of BSUN X, stock lube felt the same but sounded thockier than 205g0. With Vertex V1, I did have to relube and swap spring. Those mods cost extra per switch so not having to do that on top of already affordable pricing is a big change IMO.
UPDATE2: Lubing Roselle stem with 205g0 lowers the pitch even further. More snug and less noise but not sure if it sounds better. Also lubing Roselle top housing lowers pitch yet again but now it sounds deadened. Since applying lube is easier than removing it, my recommendation is to use the switch stock. You can always lube later.
MMD Vivian - sounds better with thinner PBT keycaps like EnjoyPBT. Thicker PBT keycaps like XMI nerfs its distinct sound. It’s not clear if even thinner PBT keycap would sound better though.
Vertex V1 with 58g 2-stage spring sounds and feels great in ai03 Polaris (6.5 degree typing angle).
Vertex V1 with lighter spring (53g 3-stage) sounds great in Neo80 (6.5 degree typing angle) but feels boring. I think lighter spring with lower typing angle made keystrokes too airy.
Typing angle affects typing feel
Raising Neo80’s typing angle from 6.5 to 7, 7.5, then 8 degree affected typing feel. Typing was liveliest at around 7.5 degree typing angle. What’s the difference? I think force of impact changed, higher force at higher angle.
I’ve noticed the same thing, there seems to be a sweet spot in typing angle for me. To high & it’s uncomfortable, then too low & the board feels dead to me. It’s something you wouldn’t think affects the typing feel all that much beyond the comfort to your wrists, but it really can make big overall difference IME as well.
Yup. 7.5 was this switch/spring/case combo’s sweet spot.
Changes to sound is also pleasant to me. Steeper the angle, more airy it got bc my makeshift ‘angler’ leaves a lot of room below for reverb.
I think a small gadget (angler? stepper?) could be designed to easily adjust typing angle. It could use anything from simple gear to complex contraption.
While I will be experimenting to prototype the Angler (my naming fetish strikes again!), more direct albeit much harder solution is to find the right spring.
I’ve using CK 58g 2-stage golden spring (High) or MM 53g 3-stage spring (Low). So I think 55g 3-stage or 56g 2-stage spring should get me closer to the sweet spot. I liked the springs on MMD Vivian so tracking down their source may help.
Until I find time to prototype some ideas, this 5-min hack should do. It’s just a long slice of NK Corkie attached using Blu Tack but does the job. Zero wobble. Typing angle depends on where its placed but range is limited.
Angle change increments should be at least 0.25 to 0.5 degree.
This could be done at case design level of course, possibly extending the range of angles to negative range. I found that reverse angle can be very comfortable when used with standing desk.
With feel/angle issue temporarily resolved, I am now focused on the TKL acoustics. Its subtly different from 60% boards in a way that feels more satisfying.
I like the 60% form factor bc it doesn’t take up much space and I can keep my mouse closer to the board. TKL feels too wide but sounds more to my liking. For now, I am going to just keep the TKL in my rotation and tinker with sound.
The TKL bug bites another! I agree though they have a more satisfying sound profile than 60% or any other form factor IMO. For the longest I focused on 60% & 65% boards, but nowdays I find TKL to be the best for me all around. I do rotate my smaller boards in every now & then still, but TKLs have dominated my keeb usage over the past 8 months or so.
Perhaps a southpaw TKL or even a southpaw FRL TKL? I got into the 60% - 65% factor for the same reasons: the ergonomics feel much better with the mouse and keyboard both within my shoulder width.
I was impressed by the acoustics of my DR-70F with the PC plate, but hadn’t really considered that the larger case could have played a role. It’s definitely plausible in hindsight.
What started out as boring flat sound when tested individually turned into delightful hailstorm in use. Planning to try Gateron Pro Ultra Glory linears in the same board for comparison. Expecting them to be similar to Smoothies
UPDATE: Replaced a few of the switches w/Gateron Pro Ultra Glory linears and, as expected, they are difficult to distinguish from Smoothie soundwise.
While I was at it, I also tried swapping stem between Gateron Pro Ultra Glory and Invokey Red Beans. No noticeable issues although I think POK stems are bottoming out on the edges instead of poll. Key travel used to be 3.6mm in the original housing but now stem sits flushed with the top housing when pressed, indicating it’s close to 4mm.
The Smoothies are sleepers for sure. I kinda went through the same progression as you did with them. First got them & thought “Wow pretty damn good factory lube job! But the sound could better.”. Threw some on my DR70-F just to try them out & my thoughts on the sound did a total 360! They also seem to be good all rounders too. They sounded great in the DR70-F (PCB gasket block mount), they sounded great in the XOX70 (gasket isolation mount), & they sound extra great in the TKL One (Top burger mount). Have yet to use them in a board where they sounded just OK TBH.
I lubed 20 Mekanisk Ultramarine V2s I got yesterday to find the right spring for the switch.
First tried them on 10 most frequently used keys (ERTIOASDHN) and, wow, polyamide sound is very distinct and enjoyable. It almost sounds like knocking on woody. Added 10 more on next most frequently used keys (WYUPFGLCBM). Still great. No wonder CannonKeys had them in stock for such a long time.
NOTE: Their contact leaves are somewhat noisy. Made by Durock . They’re also on sale at Mekanisk website: $20 for 70. Larger sizes cost more per switch for some unknown reason.
HMX Snow Crash’s wobble is shockingly low. No side movement at all, just up and down.
Its surprisingly wimpy bottom out sound is also bewildering. Could be that I missed something when I cleaned the switch. It could also be some unknown design changes to bottom housing or stem rails. Going to wait til the ‘fixed’ batch comes out. I want to hear how its supposed to sound.
Meanwhile, 205g0 doesn’t seem to improve Snow Crash like it did to Vertex V1. Same material but very different in feel and sound. I have a lot of spare stems from modding that I want to try this switch with after first tinkering with stem rail bottom.
Right? It is a strange switch. But the lack of wobble is really impressive. That feel on bottom out is what most magnetic switches feel like too. I’m guessing they also mostly bottom out of the rails. I’ll be on the lookout for a version of this switch that uses the same molds but with a longer stem. Might be perfection.
Tried all the switches in the HMX Sample Kit from LumeKeebs.
Problem: They all sounds great. While some similarities exist, I could hear distinct sound each combo of materials make but it’s difficult to project how a board full of a switch would sound and feel during use.
Sound of these did stand out more than others though:
HMX YG Macchiato - good middle ground w/full key travel
While there is $2.50 price difference (TX: $7.50, Geon: $5), the two are very very similar in feel and weight. Both are sparse and falls apart easily. Who doesn’t love that?
But they’re not the same in appearance. TX has more end coils than Geon. Geon wire looks slightly thinner.
So, go with Geon springs over TX when both are available. Same but cheaper. I also learned that super long 62.5g single-stage spring is not too heavy for me.
UPDATE: Turns out TX 22mm single-stage springs are slightly heavier than equivalent 22mm single-stage Geon springs. Also some minor yet noticeable differences stem from TX single-stage wire being thicker and coils sparser where Geon springs are thinner but more dense. So each have character but the value of the differences is still not enough to erase 50% price difference.
Kind of a cross thread conversation, but after trying HMX Purple Dawn switches out in a board for over a week, I think their 22mm springs add too much preload for my preferences. For reference I dig 67g 14mm or 65g 15mm springs (gat yellows are fine too). In fact, I think I’d rather type on Cherry MX black springs over these.
I agree though they have a more satisfying sound profile than 60% or any other form factor IMO. For the longest I focused on 60% & 65% boards, but nowdays I find TKL to be the best for me all around. I do rotate my smaller boards in every now & then still, but TKLs have dominated my keeb usage over the past 8 months or so.
. They’re also on sale at Mekanisk website: $20 for 70. Larger sizes cost more per switch for some unknown reason.
