So I just want to post up complete information about the Razer Orange switches available on the Blackwidow keyboards, as I really couldn't find much in depth online prior to purchasing, just lots of shallow "its good" reviews, which really don't paint a clear picture.
I will start off by saying that the biggest downside to these switches is that they can only be found on a Razer keyboard. The switches are an improvement, even if only slightly, however the overall quality of Razer keyboards is still pretty average.
I purchased the Blackwidow Tournament 2014 Stealth from Razer, which cost $85 AUD, making it officially one of if not the cheapest mechanical keyboards available right now. So while I might not approve of many of the quality aspects, the Tournament version certainly is still excellent value.
First, the switches. The switches do indeed have less actuation force than regular Browns, noticeable but not by much, certainly not mind blowing like Razer like to suggest, but it's there and you can tell.
The switch wobble is less, but again not significantly so and it is still quite a noticeable problem. For me, this actually felt like a worthwhile improvement as I always thought the key wobble on a mechanical switch was a step backward from a Torpe or even a good Domed switch and it irritated me since I started using one.
The key "clack clack" bottoming out sound is not as noticeable as some metal backed keyboard bases/planes, but it's definitely super noticeable so the "Stealth" aspect of this feature is nowhere to be found. I would have preferred they swap in some rubber o-rings either fitted or included in the box instead of the velure carry pouch (which is a bit of a waste of space IMO), this is the "Stealth" version after all.
I added double orings, soft ones, to each of the keys and this significantly improved the overall feel of the board. Sound is (obviously) reduced, by about half, key wobble while keys are depressed is lessened, the travel of the key is reduced by at least 1/2 and the activation point is still available on all keys with about 1mm extra travel in the keys past the actuation point. You can actually apply 3 rings and the keys will still reach activation fine, with almost no travel past that, however the keys tended to stick when pressed hard using the orings I had, but with hard ones, you could probably use 3 if you chase that shallow travel.
The activation point on the switches seems the same as Browns, but it's very hard to tell due to the lack of a "click" on the switch, perhaps they are a little higher as it allowed me to add 3 orings and still actuate the keys.
Each switch housing has "Razer" written underneath the switch, so that's neat, if you appreciate that sort of thing.
However as I stated at the beginning, the worst part about these switches is that they come on a Razer keyboard. This keyboard has several problems, first off my board was not flat, so it wobbles if you use the arrow keys and twisting the whole board did nothing to solve the problem.
Second and most notably, the keycaps are of horrible quality, they are made of a very cheap plastic and my ABS keycap remover slightly scraped away the underside of the keycaps, suggesting they are of a much lower plastic density/hardness. The lettering on the keys is large and off centre and written in a ridiculous font that is not easy to read (although this is subjective) and the letters are also painted on and you can feel the raised quality of the lettering while you type. The black painted finish on the keys seems to be of average quality, with the spacebar seemingly painted using a different finish than the other keys and various keys have paint finish that differs in quality from others on close inspection. The matte finish overall I found to be quite nice and of a good quality, assuming it doesn't peel of over time. Although Razer already had this issue resolved in previous models so I assume it has been addressed in the 2014 version as well.
In summary I would recommend replacing the keycaps with some ABS lazer etched caps to get the most out of this keyboard, as otherwise it's all pretty well put together.
The Tournament edition comes with a detachable braided cable, so if it kinks and breaks at some point, you can just replace it with a generic cable. Which I like as I find braided cables tend to break more easily than plastic ones (maybe it's just me) and you can adjust cable length or aesthetics to your liking.
Obviously there is no lighting on this board, which doesn't bother me and keeps the price down, but it might be a con for you.
You can turn off the Razer logo lighting in the centre of the keyboard without disabling the other functional lighting on the keyboard, which is nice. The keyboard looks good and with the lighting disabled it has a branding free stealth look which I like, in contrast to something like the Coolermaster Quickfire which has logos and lines on it. There looks like a little palm ledge on the bottom of the board, but it offers no such palm resting capability at all, its just aesthetic.
I personally dislike Razer software, particularly the "cloud" features which make the whole thing more tedious than ever. You can however program macros and disable lighting without installing it, so that's a plus. However there is no function lock feature, so media keys and volume may as well be setup in AutoHotKey.
As far as TKLs go, this one is great value and the Orange switches are a definite improvement over Browns in every way, even if only very slightly. So long as you don't mind average quality keycaps or you are happy to replace them (and at this price, you totally could) then I would recommend the keyboard as a solid value TKL with some really nice switches.
However more expensive variations of the keyboard appear to have the same low quality key caps, so for as much as double the price, I really wouldn't recommend them even with the Orange switches as you are going to want to replace the key caps with better ones, it makes a real difference.
Hope this informs someone should they be looking for more information on the Razer Switches and/or Razer keyboards in general.
I will start off by saying that the biggest downside to these switches is that they can only be found on a Razer keyboard. The switches are an improvement, even if only slightly, however the overall quality of Razer keyboards is still pretty average.
I purchased the Blackwidow Tournament 2014 Stealth from Razer, which cost $85 AUD, making it officially one of if not the cheapest mechanical keyboards available right now. So while I might not approve of many of the quality aspects, the Tournament version certainly is still excellent value.
First, the switches. The switches do indeed have less actuation force than regular Browns, noticeable but not by much, certainly not mind blowing like Razer like to suggest, but it's there and you can tell.
The switch wobble is less, but again not significantly so and it is still quite a noticeable problem. For me, this actually felt like a worthwhile improvement as I always thought the key wobble on a mechanical switch was a step backward from a Torpe or even a good Domed switch and it irritated me since I started using one.
The key "clack clack" bottoming out sound is not as noticeable as some metal backed keyboard bases/planes, but it's definitely super noticeable so the "Stealth" aspect of this feature is nowhere to be found. I would have preferred they swap in some rubber o-rings either fitted or included in the box instead of the velure carry pouch (which is a bit of a waste of space IMO), this is the "Stealth" version after all.
I added double orings, soft ones, to each of the keys and this significantly improved the overall feel of the board. Sound is (obviously) reduced, by about half, key wobble while keys are depressed is lessened, the travel of the key is reduced by at least 1/2 and the activation point is still available on all keys with about 1mm extra travel in the keys past the actuation point. You can actually apply 3 rings and the keys will still reach activation fine, with almost no travel past that, however the keys tended to stick when pressed hard using the orings I had, but with hard ones, you could probably use 3 if you chase that shallow travel.
The activation point on the switches seems the same as Browns, but it's very hard to tell due to the lack of a "click" on the switch, perhaps they are a little higher as it allowed me to add 3 orings and still actuate the keys.
Each switch housing has "Razer" written underneath the switch, so that's neat, if you appreciate that sort of thing.
However as I stated at the beginning, the worst part about these switches is that they come on a Razer keyboard. This keyboard has several problems, first off my board was not flat, so it wobbles if you use the arrow keys and twisting the whole board did nothing to solve the problem.
Second and most notably, the keycaps are of horrible quality, they are made of a very cheap plastic and my ABS keycap remover slightly scraped away the underside of the keycaps, suggesting they are of a much lower plastic density/hardness. The lettering on the keys is large and off centre and written in a ridiculous font that is not easy to read (although this is subjective) and the letters are also painted on and you can feel the raised quality of the lettering while you type. The black painted finish on the keys seems to be of average quality, with the spacebar seemingly painted using a different finish than the other keys and various keys have paint finish that differs in quality from others on close inspection. The matte finish overall I found to be quite nice and of a good quality, assuming it doesn't peel of over time. Although Razer already had this issue resolved in previous models so I assume it has been addressed in the 2014 version as well.
In summary I would recommend replacing the keycaps with some ABS lazer etched caps to get the most out of this keyboard, as otherwise it's all pretty well put together.
The Tournament edition comes with a detachable braided cable, so if it kinks and breaks at some point, you can just replace it with a generic cable. Which I like as I find braided cables tend to break more easily than plastic ones (maybe it's just me) and you can adjust cable length or aesthetics to your liking.
Obviously there is no lighting on this board, which doesn't bother me and keeps the price down, but it might be a con for you.
You can turn off the Razer logo lighting in the centre of the keyboard without disabling the other functional lighting on the keyboard, which is nice. The keyboard looks good and with the lighting disabled it has a branding free stealth look which I like, in contrast to something like the Coolermaster Quickfire which has logos and lines on it. There looks like a little palm ledge on the bottom of the board, but it offers no such palm resting capability at all, its just aesthetic.
I personally dislike Razer software, particularly the "cloud" features which make the whole thing more tedious than ever. You can however program macros and disable lighting without installing it, so that's a plus. However there is no function lock feature, so media keys and volume may as well be setup in AutoHotKey.
As far as TKLs go, this one is great value and the Orange switches are a definite improvement over Browns in every way, even if only very slightly. So long as you don't mind average quality keycaps or you are happy to replace them (and at this price, you totally could) then I would recommend the keyboard as a solid value TKL with some really nice switches.
However more expensive variations of the keyboard appear to have the same low quality key caps, so for as much as double the price, I really wouldn't recommend them even with the Orange switches as you are going to want to replace the key caps with better ones, it makes a real difference.
Hope this informs someone should they be looking for more information on the Razer Switches and/or Razer keyboards in general.
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