deskthority

I have had my Quiet Pro a month now, so it seems a good point for me to review it, which I have done:

http://telcontar.net/Misc/reviews/MatiasQuietPro/

One of the limitations of typical membrane keyboards is that there is very little interest in product quality. The current Dell KB1421 basic keyboard shipped with OptiPlex keyboards is soft and smooth, while the multimedia equivalent, the KB522, has stiff, spongy domes. Even within the same manufacturer’s product range, there is no guarantee of feel or sound between models or revisions.

The fundamental advantage of reputable keyswitches is that the switch feel is paramount, meaning that you can recommend any keyboard using a particular switch, and you will get the same feel, switch mounting notwithstanding.

Absolutely. The same problem exists for frequently updated products like refrigerators, ovens, dishwashers and phones. Read a review and the one you're looking for may be gone from sale entirely, replaced with goodness knows what.

So, the switch is not that great? I had been eagerly waiting to hear your verdict on it, Daniel. The Matias switch has been touted as the second coming of Alps. - But wait, is it not basically the Fuhua Alps, which is the most simplified version? Do the "refinements" really have such a big impact? Intriguing questions.

Fuhua clicky is very smooth. I have never tried Fuhua tactile — the only keyboard I am aware of that used it, was the ABS M1, which was ANSI only, and I only use ISO. Likewise, I have never used the Matias click switch.

The switch isn't bad — my perceptions do change, and today it seemed OK. For me it's borderline, and how smooth it feels varies from day to day.

It's certainly a lot better than black Alps (Dell AT101W/102W) — far more precise, and no mush at all.

I'm looking for a perfection point that's smooth and free of mush like MX brown (which is too light), but firm like Topre (which is mushy). Matias quiet switches have no mush and they're perfectly weighted, but they're not perfectly smooth, which distracts me a bit. The feel really is a lot like midnight grey Dell rubberdomes, which do have a sharp, low-mush but slightly gritty feel — I had both on my desk and compared them.

IIRC Sandy hypothesized that the problem with Fuhua Alps lies in the single asymmetric arm of their contact leaf that pushes on the slider sideways and kind of tries to rotate it; while Complicated Alps, with two symmetric arms, are much smoother. Does it seem that the Matias switch has this problem?

I never had any problems with the feel of Fuhua clicky — more that the switch pings like crazy. From a recording I heard, the Matias click switch has made little or no difference to this, even though it was intended to have cured the fault — it still has a dreadful piercing ringing.

Yet, the Matias quiet switch has no discernible ping at all, unlike MX brown, which does ping (and that varies from day to day as to how much I notice it, from soothing to freaking annoying).

What we need is a measured force graph of the new switches — I think the guy who made the Alps ones originally does speak English, assuming they're his, and not just reposted images.

Just as a note, having connected up my Realforce 105UB (variable) — the Realforce feels stiff and mushy in comparison. The Realforce is still a great-feeling keyboard, but this should give you an idea about feel: the Quiet Pro's weighting is essentially what the Cherry MX brown should have been all along: light and positive feeling. In terms of weighting, it is exactly what I was hoping Matias were going to put out. I just wish that it felt smoother.

I love the sound of my Realforce — it's a very delicate and warm sound. The Quiet Pro's sound is very dry, but it's also noticeably quieter, especially the spacebar.

It would be interesting to compare Quiet Pro vs Realforce S though :)