TL:DR at the end.
So, for the past 2 years I've had a constant automatic search running on Ebay, the searchterm being simply: "Matias"
Ever since first hearing about this paculiar brand I've wanted to get my hands on one, so a few months ago I got the fully wireless Matias Quiet Click.
Long story short, I broke it.
But to summarise my experience with Matias' damped switch, I utterly hate it. The bottom out feeling is entirely unsatisfying. I personally found it far too mushy especially compared to my AEKII with SKCM Cream Damped switches.
Fast forward to last week, I finally nail the deal on a Matias Tactile Pro board I've been tailing for weeks.
Did I significantly overpay at €52,50 shipped? Definitely. Am I gonna regret getting another Matias? Probably.
But until such time comes I shall simply try to enjoy this board for what it is.
Right now that 50% of this post has been introduction let me get into what has stood out to me about Matias' clicky offering.
When fully working this is probably the nicest clicky switch I have ever used. (Black Space Invaders may beat it! It's close)
The click sounds nice but not excessive and the bottom out feel is incredibly well defined and solid. The chassis, though very cheap feeling, allows for a pretty decent overall sound, especially compared to other modern boards.
The keyboard itself is not half bad either! The detachable wire, though Micro USB, is a nice addition and I am especially fond of any keyboard with a built in USB hub. (Important distinction, Hub! Not passthrough. I hate those thick double plugs on keyboards with direct USB passthrough) And the shiny white finish manages to look very professional without attracting fingerprints like a glossy black alternative would.
However, back to the switch. As previously stated it seems to be a lovely switch when it works. That's a big "when" however.
All the switches function and actuate properly, there does not appear to be any chatter and the actuation point typically matches the tactile event quite well.
However, on a handful of the keys, most noticeably N, the click appears to be missing altogether.
Yes, this clicky switch doesn't bloody click!
Don't get me wrong, it makes for a delightful tactile switch. But when I have a board full of clicky switches I find it damn annoying when a handful of them are merely tactile.
This leads me to my main issue with Matias. The quality just isn't there.
This board is a highly niche product, if you don't live in North America it's tricky to just up and buy a board from Matias and even when they do show up they tend to be quite pricey. But the quality just doesn't match the price tag. Most notably the lack of click in certain switches but even ignoring that the board overall just feels cheaply put together. The curved design means it doesn't flex much but the moulding around the USB ports feels sharp and unrefined. And the board as a whole just feels very lightweight.
Yes, I am being excessively harsh on this board, but that is with a reason.
As previously stated, this is my second Matias board after my first one died. How did it die? Mostly due to an incompetent repair attempt. Why did I need to repair it? Because one of the switches suicided upon attempting to take off a keycap.
Much like Space Invader switches the entire keyswitch just came apart upon taking off one of the keycaps, but unlike my Space Invader board which always allowed me to easily put a switch back together, the Matias switch had several snapped pins and was just outright broken.
This has never happened to me in a single one of my Alps boards. And this is also what has pushed me to maybe be slightly too critical of Matias.
I just personally feel it manages to fall short of the Alps/Apple legacy it seeks to succeed.
So, reader, to you the question.
Have I been too harsh on Matias? Do you think they succeeded in carrying on Alps' torch?
Or do you agree that their simplified switch falls short and that their QC could use some work.
TL:DR
I want to like Matias but my past with them has made me slightly bitter, the switch is lovely *when it works*
P.S. this post went on way too long, but I would like to wrap up saying that I will probably daily drive this Matias board regardless! I just really needed a damn USB hub for my 2011 iMac and this has it built in.
I had the same board (with different switches I'm fairly sure) and I liked it quite a bit more than I thought I remembered. Reading your post reminded me of how I really didn't hate it when I had it. Moreover, the chassis was quite good from what I remember and with the intercompability of the switches with Alps SKCM/L, you could transfer the latter into the former and have the best of both worlds.