What is on your desk today?

KBD67 Lite

  • DSS Carpinteria
  • CIY Asura tactiles (pow pow!)
  • POM plate
  • TX V3 stabs
  • Foam sheet over PCB

Accidental Navy theme

First impressions, thoughts on Asuras & Voyagers

After moving the Blue Lotus switches to a less forgiving chassis for testing, I decided to give the CIY Asura switches a try. @Neprawda put them on my radar after mentioning they were similar to Voyagers, which I’m already a fan of. While they aren’t identical, they are very similar - and considering the Asuras cost something like 1/3 what the Voyagers do, they have my attention.

Comparing side-by-side, the Voyagers have a lighter tactile peak and bottom-out, but feel more abrupt thanks to what seems like a more sharp peak and less spring cushion at the bottom. So they’re lighter, but feel a bit more snappy - or harsh, depending on how you look at it. (Before trying them side-by-side, this had me thinking the Voyagers were heavier.)

Both switches are kind of intense when it comes to the realm of MX-compatible tactiles; very snappy top-bump, and all but bound to bottom-out hard. I’m a big fan of this style and these Asuras are new favorites within it - but they definitely aren’t for everyone.

The Voyagers might feel a hair more clean and smooth - but just a little - not 3x the price worth. The Asuras feel plenty smooth and clean to me - especially considering they’re heckin’ cheap, and still stock. And oh yeah! They even have POK stems. Mixed feelings about some of the plastic trends in switches, but so far I’ve experienced this one as wholly positive. :smiley:

This is also my first time trying DSS. I didn’t really expect to enjoy it after not getting along with DSA, but wow, I really do. This makes me even more excited for MTNU.

8 Likes