In praise of Cherry switches...

[robo]

This is probably not a very interesting post to most of you, but here goes anyway:

I just got my first Cherry board (a CoolerMaster QuickFire Stealth with MX Browns) and I'm really, really pleased with it. This is not my first mechanical keyboard: I've used an IBM Model M for years, briefly had a RealForce board with 55G uniform Topres, and in the past have used several vintage Alps boards (SGI Granite and Apple Standard Keyboard). I liked the Alps boards, although I preferred the Model M, and I did not like the Topre board at all. But this MX Brown board might be my favorite. It's sort of understated but extremely satisfying to type on.

I get that Cherry switches are kind of ubiquitous these days, perhaps less because they are the 'best' than because Cherry managed to stay in business by selling POS boards etc while Alps sort faded away, and that many people consider other switches to be better, but I gotta say, this board feels really great. I actually like the slight scratchiness of the switches and mild rattle it has as I type. It just feels good

That's all!

-R

[wheybags]

I actually like the slight scratchiness of the switches and mild rattle it has as I type

[002]

^

It is still April 1st in the USA.

[robo]

I'm serious. It's not an April fools post.

[GuilleAcoustic]

[jacobolus]

I liked the Alps boards, although I preferred the Model M, and I did not like the Topre board at all. But this MX Brown board might be my favorite. It's sort of understated but extremely satisfying to type on. [...] I actually like the slight scratchiness of the switches and mild rattle it has as I type.

Cool April Fools joke.

[webwit]

http://deskthority.net/awards-f28/best- ... t1626.html

[ramnes]

http://deskthority.net/awards-f28/best- ... t1626.html

[Muirium]

Before my time. And DT's drift towards IBM. (Coincidence?) I bet Model F alone could beat all of MX combined in a poll like that here nowadays.

[kbdfr]

Buzz is a strong factor.

Anything hard to find and/or expensive, like buckling springs or Topre, makes the owner feel special,
while there are bunches of boards with Cherry MX switches available for small money, so it is felt they can't be that good.
Curiously enough clear-top MX or vintage blacks belong to the first category

[Chyros]

Tbh that poll doesn't look all that representative :p .

[bhtooefr]

Chyros: This is the poll that fed that poll: http://deskthority.net/awards-f28/best- ... t1578.html

[Chyros]

Chyros: This is the poll that fed that poll: http://deskthority.net/awards-f28/best- ... t1578.html

That poll kinds shows it's really just that people don't have everything to compare :p . Everyone I've heard that has a model M and a model F says the F is better, yet the capacitive switches only have half the votes of the membrane ones xD .

[robo]

Admittedly I've never used a Model F, but I think there might be some second opinion bias moving against Cherry, no? Now that everyone and their prepubescent gamer brother has learned about mechanical keyboards and thinks that the only question is what color Cherry switch and how many blinding LEDs can be crammed in there, it's become sort of fashionable to rate Cherry switches as worse than all the rarer options.

I'm just saying that I came to it sort of backwards, trying Cherry (beyond just playing with a switch tester) for the first time after a lot of maybe less common options, and actually found that I really like the way they feel. Topres may be smoother, but I did not like the 'resistance profile' they had. Buckling springs are great but extremely noisy, and would almost certainly get me in trouble at work (open office...). The MX browns are just very pleasant to actuate, and I don't find the slight scratchiness to be a flaw so much as a 'characteristic', and the noise level walks the line between unabashedly loud and clicky and unsatisfyingly silent...

Anyway... whatever

[fohat]

My battleship 122-key Model F has been my daily driver for nearly 3 years now, but I understand the appeal of the brown Cherry switches.

There is something to be said for light (in all metrics) keyboards, but I find the sound of blues very annoying and don't like linear switches. The only Cherry keyboards I currently own are 2 blacks: a Filco TKL (this is my son's gaming board) and a G80-11900 in deep storage.

Personally, when I want to go non-IBM I always choose Alps first, but my next Cherry board will certainly be clears, which I think of as more or less the "big brother" to brown. Equally good, or perhaps better, is "jailhouse" blue or green, but that is far too much work for me.

[robo]

My battleship 122-key Model F has been my daily driver for nearly 3 years now, but I understand the appeal of the brown Cherry switches.

There is something to be said for light (in all metrics) keyboards, but I find the sound of blues very annoying and don't like linear switches.

Admittedly after becoming used to buckling springs, blues or even greens didn't hold so much appeal.

[scottc]

Yep robo, same story here - came into the keyboard world through IBM, now "clicky" and tactile Cherries are of no interest to me. That's why I only go for the linears.

[deeyay]

Well, I don't mind Cherry switches. At least not some of them. Actually I mainly type on a MX Blue keyboard ( http://i60.tinypic.com/30jqzko.jpg ) and I really like it for typing. However I have found that keyboards with MX Blue can differ a lot in feeling. Some feel very good while others not as good and I have had several keyboards with MX Blue switches that have been sort of defect. Loss of click/feedback on some switches which makes me question their quality. Some MX Blue keyboards are heavier and some are lighter to type on. They also differ a lot in sound when typing depending on board. However if everyting gets right I think the Blues feels great, like on my modified Func KB-460 as in the picture above.

I dislike MX Red & Brown though. Reds are too light and linear is not for me. Browns feels like Reds with gravel in them. The bump is so indistinct and not noticeable to me when typing so I need the Blues for feeling.

That being said, my most comfortable keyboard must probably be the one with Damped White Alps. It's just a pleasure to type on in every way. But my MX Blues gets more use anyway. I like my keyboards to make noise for the most part.

[fohat]

Cherry switches change in character as they are broken in, and then continue to wear.

The "jailhouse" mod does a lot of great things for blue and green but requires considerable time and effort.

[seebart]

Cherry switches change in character as they are broken in, and then continue to wear.

yes I can confirm that, my favorite Cherry switchs are 30 year old vintage MX blacks on my Cherry G80-0499.

http://deskthority.net/photos-f62/cherr ... t8736.html

http://deskthority.net/wiki/Cherry_G80-0499

[Bramster]

Glad you like your new Cooler Master keyboard

[robo]

Glad you like your new Cooler Master keyboard

I do, although it was part of the MassDrop order that Cooler Master initially forgot to send to manufacturing and then was delayed by the port strike, so there was a lot of gnashing of teeth along the way.

BTW, will the replacement top cases be available again any time soon from the CM store?

Cheers
Robin

[pcaro]

Cherry switches change in character as they are broken in, and then continue to wear.

The "jailhouse" mod does a lot of great things for blue and green but requires considerable time and effort.

jailhouse mod? I cannot find about it in the wiki. Several mentions in the forum like

The "jailhouse" mod does a lot of great things for blue and green but requires considerable time and effort.

But not the mod explication...

[meow a cat]

Cherry switches change in character as they are broken in, and then continue to wear.

The "jailhouse" mod does a lot of great things for blue and green but requires considerable time and effort.

jailhouse mod? I cannot find about it in the wiki. Several mentions in the forum like

The "jailhouse" mod does a lot of great things for blue and green but requires considerable time and effort.

But not the mod explication...

Here's a thread that details the mod:

https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=38091.0

I actually like the slight scratchiness of the switches and mild rattle it has as I type

Seeing this again gave me a laugh, made the thread necro worth it.