[IC] Durock Silent Linear Switches

[VicareyG]

Hello,

IC FORM HERE https://forms.gle/1R2k5SBGf1m55ncs9
IC FORM PART 2 https://forms.gle/Hhcf7LmiATtUvvsw8

Durock have come out with a new product! A silent linear switch!

>It is with our own patent, with different silents methods from Cherry, Gateron, etc.

From the Durock sales rep these are a new design of silent switches. I have managed to secure enough samples to fit out a 60% board. These will arrive to me at the same time as the delivery of my recent Koala switch GB. Likely last week of the year/first week of 2020. When I have the samples I will use my hotswap GK64 to do a typing test where I can compare them to Gateron Blacks and Cherry MX Silent Blacks. These will be made available as soon as I have them.

##Pricing

These are more expensive than Durocks other switches. The Group Buy cost will be $0.70 USD per switch.

##Colours

As a new product from Durock these do not have a defined colour system. In the IC form there is a section to vote for your favourite colour combination for these new silent switches.

My favourite idea right now is Translucent Red housing with a Solid Red Stem.


IC FORM HERE https://forms.gle/1R2k5SBGf1m55ncs9
IC FORM PART 2 https://forms.gle/Hhcf7LmiATtUvvsw8

Let me know your thoughts on these!

As always, keep clacking!

George
Optic Boards http://opticboards.co.uk/

IC FORM HERE https://forms.gle/1R2k5SBGf1m55ncs9
IC FORM PART 2 https://forms.gle/Hhcf7LmiATtUvvsw8

[VicareyG]

Small Update

So these are the same switch as PrimeKb's upcoming Silent alpaca switches. They are 62g variants with a different colouring. PrimeKB's listing shows a price of $0.65 USD per switch. Which are quite tight margins based on a 20,000 pcs MOQ. I should be able to lower the expected price to $0.60 USD for the GB, although it would make everything a lot tighter than I prefer. Give's me less leeway to bulk up order numbers to reach MOQ more easily.

Also pointed out is my favourite colour idea up above is just Gateron Red Ink switches ... Still we will find a colour series to stick with

[VicareyG]

UPDATE: 06-01-20 - Samples arrived

I have received the sample batch from Durock. I will be recording a typing test hopefully tomorrow.

For now, here's a picture of the samples...



I'm pretty sure they used the Silent Alpaca stems in their standard clear housings ... It is a pretty sweet colour combo... ;D

Click More for stem images ...

Opened Switch
Stem Closeup
Stem Closeup 2.0

[VicareyG]

UPDATE - Typing Test - 09-01-2020
Specs:

Board: GK64 - Aluminum body and plate
Keycaps: GMK Nautilus

Silent Linear switches being tested are with 67g springs, straight from the factory without lube.

For all the typing test the microphone was placed behind the keyboard with the centre of the mic being 10cm (4inches) from the number 6 key.

Typing test is on Sound Cloud https://soundcloud.com/user-981972463-667161549/sets/durock-silent-linear-typing-test

Track 1: Typing on silent linears
This was a short paragraph of text yped out

Track 2: ASDFGHJKL
This was the keyboard row ASDFGHJKL pressed in sequence where keys AGL were Cherry Silent Black switches and the rest were silent linear durock switches. Can you tell the difference?

Track 3: Silent Black A,G,L x 5
This was the three switches AGL as cherry silent blacks, pressed 5 times each, to see for pitch variance based on location on the kyboard

Track 4: Silent Linear A,G,L x5
As track 3 but with Durock Silent Linears.

I am not going to comment to much on the typing experience just yet. My daily driver switches are Kailh Gold or Kailh Bronze. I like clicky switches. However I am going use the silent linear switches in my GK64 for at least a week to get a better feel for them and then I may feel like I am in a position to adequately review them.

However I will say that the feel of pressing the two types of switch MX silent Black vs Durock Silents. The MX switches do have a scratchy feel to them that is more noticeable than the durock switches. This isn't to say that the durock switches don't scratch. They do, it is not as noticeable but it is there. To put a metric to it I would say that the MX Silent Black's are 3-4x more scratchy.

[VicareyG]

UPDATE - IC PART 2 - 26-01-2020

IC FORM PART 2 https://forms.gle/Hhcf7LmiATtUvvsw8

I have created a part 2 of this interest check. To further refine the colour choice. Please could you all fill this in even if you had already filled in the original IC.

THIS INTEREST CHECK IS OPEN FOR TWO WEEKS - CLOSES 9th FEBRUARY 2020

IC FORM PART 2 https://forms.gle/Hhcf7LmiATtUvvsw8

[VicareyG]

Come one everyone! Please vote!

https://forms.gle/Hhcf7LmiATtUvvsw8

3 days left to vote and we are currently at, 110 votes for 12,500 switches. Ghost switch is winning with 48% of the votes.

GO GO GO!

Apologies for the onslaught of posts, just realised i hadn't posted about this on here and copied all relevant updates over.

[ZedTheMan]

I got a few of these from primekb. They aren't bad, though I'm not necessarily sure I see the need for a GB and all the hassle involved with that when they are already available there for only a bit more.

[VicareyG]

I got a few of these from primekb. They aren't bad, though I'm not necessarily sure I see the need for a GB and all the hassle involved with that when they are already available there for only a bit more.

Couple of differences between these switches and PrimeKbs Silent Alpaca switches
- 67g spring weight verse their 62g spring weight
- Colour scheme!
- These will not be factory lubed. No need to clean off messy lube before lubing them yourself. The factory lube job just isn't up to snuff.

[ZedTheMan]

Fair enough, color alone has been enough difference in the past. Spring weight is a good point.

This community is odd.

[VicareyG]

Fair enough, color alone has been enough difference in the past. Spring weight is a good point.

This community is odd.

It certainly can be odd. But it is also such an amazing ocmmunity!

[abrahamstechnology]

Their factory and offices are shut down right now due to the coronavirus.

[VicareyG]

Their factory and offices are shut down right now due to the coronavirus.

They are right now, but that doesn't inhibit an IC. Just delays any potential GB.

[VicareyG]

Update: IC is now closed 09-02-2020

We had a total of 184 votes and 20,810 switches pledged. With this part of the IC only being up for 2 weeks this is an amazing outcome.

Results of the colour choice…

Option 1: BLUE // PINK 49 Votes 26.6%
Option 2: GREY // VIOLET 42 Votes 22.8%
Option 3: WHITE // WHITE 93 Votes 50.5%

It is obviously a clear winner for the Ghost switch!

In my opinion this makes for a good basis to start a group buy on. However we will have to wait for a little bit. This is due to the Chinese factories being shutdown due to the Coronavirus outbreak. I am in touch with my rep at Durock who is keeping me updated on the situation. As it currently stands I expect the Group Buy to open late February, about 25th/26th. I am going to run this group buy for only 3 weeks as opposed to 5 weeks like my last few group buys. My recent group buys have had a lot of activity at the start and end with not much in the middle. So I am going to see if this is just wasted time. My reasoning being that if we can get 20,000 switches in 2 weeks of an interest check I am confident we can hit MOQ in 3 weeks of a running Group Buy.

Please let me know your thoughts on this.

I have also commissioned @wintheart on Instagram to create some art for a limited edition sticker run to go alongside this Group Buy. I am hoping that this will also create a little buzz for the Ghost Switch.