Topre vs CherryMX

Solution
i would suggest reading a few "topre vs cherry" articles and forum posts for some idea.

2 examples of what i'm talking about:
http://deskthority.net/keyboards-f2/do-cherry-brown-mx-have-similar-tactile-as-topres-t4063.html
http://www.overclock.net/t/1018218/are-topre-keyboards-still-the-best/10

you might also want to consult the guide if you havent already:
http://www.overclock.net/t/491752/mechanical-keyboard-guide

also of note... the guide lists places which sell some switch testing devices. basically small samples of different switch types you can use to figure out what you like in case you have no stores nearby to go to.

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while i do not have any direct experience with topre, with a bit of reading a few...
to be honest you will find many more cherrymx users than you will topre users since they are alot more common.

honestly unless someone has tried both... its hard to say. and even then their opinion might differ from yours.

i would suggest cherry mx only since they are so commonplace that it really opens up alot of options for you in terms of different brands & styles of keyboard.
 
Well okay, I'm very curious about the new NovaTouch keyboard that Coolermaster announced at CES 2014 this year that utilizes the topre electrostatic capacitive switches and they are claiming it is the next step up in comfort from the standard cherry switches. Just not sure if the that is some marketing scam with the topre switches having a more premium feel or if its true..
 
i would suggest reading a few "topre vs cherry" articles and forum posts for some idea.

2 examples of what i'm talking about:
http://deskthority.net/keyboards-f2/do-cherry-brown-mx-have-similar-tactile-as-topres-t4063.html
http://www.overclock.net/t/1018218/are-topre-keyboards-still-the-best/10

you might also want to consult the guide if you havent already:
http://www.overclock.net/t/491752/mechanical-keyboard-guide

also of note... the guide lists places which sell some switch testing devices. basically small samples of different switch types you can use to figure out what you like in case you have no stores nearby to go to.

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while i do not have any direct experience with topre, with a bit of reading a few things can be determined:

-cherry mx based keyboards tend to be cheaper than topre (some topre are $250 for a plain keyboard thats only abs plastic!)
-topre is not as common so has fewer models available.
-topre keyboards tend to be rather plain without many options like backlighting or macros

in terms of function, topre are a hybrid switch between a rubber dome and a mechanical. a few things can then be said:

-likely a lower lifespan than cherry switches
-only about half the mechanical feel. some say they are too close to rubber dome keyboards.
-they have a tactile bump however have no audible clicking.
-you do not need to bottom out keys like cherry mx to activate them
-there is less "chattering" with topre keyboards (however i've owned a wasd cherry mx blue and i never had chatter)
-topres are said to be smooth feeling (i suppose its preference if you prefer this or bottoming out)

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knowing this i would say that topre switches might be better for people who like the feel of rubber dome switches but want just a bit more and who dont care for other mechanical keyswitches. since its a hybrid switch it fits in about halfway between the two.

i'd like to add a note about the smoothness of the topre compared with the different actions of the cherry. there is a definite reason the cherry switches are designed in the way they are. since the cherry blue has all the features i'll list them:

-audible click upon activation. once you use a mechanical for awhile with a click your brain starts to associate it with your typing so you know you dont have to continue to push down on the key. it can make you type faster however it is also a little loud which some people may not like.
-tactile bump upon activation. this is also important for typing accuracy and speed. it serves as the same reminder however in tactile not audible form as the above.
-key letoff. activation force builds to a certain level (the point of key activation) and at this point force goes way down (close to zero) and the key bottoms out on the board. for people who like bottoming out keyswitches is is a good thing however its also possible to use the switch without bottoming out completely at all since key activation while below the letoff point is not quite at the bottoming out point..

how does this compare with other cherries?

-browns lack the audible feedback (they are quieter) however are similar.
-blacks, clears and reds lack any tactile or audible feedback at all and have no letoff. basically they are keys sitting on springs. while this may be preferred for gaming they are not much good for typing.

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a final note:

if you really are unsure about what to buy and have a spare $10 or so to throw around perhaps you should get one of the cherry mx sampler packs which come with all of the keyswitches for you to play with. sorry i'm not aware of one with topres although there was a massive cherry+topre+alps set being offered on another forum for a short time.

what sort of price did you want to pay? unless you were thinking expensive $200+ you might want to reconsider topre.

what sort of features did you want? if you need backlighting or macro keys you can find them on some cherry boards. not sure if topre has any like that.

what would i suggest? if you type alot...mx blues or browns. if you do not type at all then blacks, clears or reds. although if you want one switch for everything i would say browns or blues since you CAN game on them. perhaps they arent as smooth as the others but the typing experience is better. your call how important typing is to you.

maxkeyboard, wasd, ducky, deck, corsair and a few other brands are all good however...

-many brands use abs plastic (which really feels cheap even if you spent $150 on a keyboard) so i'd suggest one that uses PBT or better (such as deck)
-all cherry switches are mounted directly to the pcb. if you spill something on these keyboard they are likely trash. they dont have spill protection on most of them.

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now.. what do i personally prefer? neither.

my vote goes to the first mechanical switch design: the ibm buckling spring.

honestly there is no current generation switch which is:
-has the same feel
-has tactile feedback, audible feedback and activation at the same exact point
-is on a keyboard that has a full spill tray and which can be easily dissassembled for cleaning
-is on a keyboard which can be used as a weapon and then used to type with afterwards (built like tanks... although the deck keyboards immitate this design)

they are high resistance, noisy, large keyboards and i love them for it.

if i had to pick a new type of switch? blues or browns arent bad. i've owned a cherry mx blue however it got destroyed from a spill

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of course we all have our own opinions and honestly only your personal opinion matters since it will be you using the switches (hence why i suggested a sampler pack)

hopefully you have enough information to help you search for what might fit you best.

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Solution
well, to be honest i've never had a "unicomp" buckling spring keyboard. i was honestly thinking about buying one however i'm thinking it might be better to fix up my current keyboards instead with parts from them. sadly my originals are dead right now. one took a full glass (8fl.oz) of 100 proof alcohol straight into it before it died (someone else spilled a drink into it) and the other always had a scratch in the ribbon cable which i tried to fix and ended up melting it. the first i found free somewhere and worked pretty good considering i patched the circuit with a graphite pencil. the second (the one ruined by a drink) i bought on ebay and it worked great. however i had some people over and well.. it ended up having a spill (much to my dismay).

when i say spill... i've had little spills and it handles those great. however the drip tray only has so much capacity and it wont handle a full glass of go-go juice (cough.. 100 proof vodka).

i have two original ibm model m keyboards. one from 1986 and one from 1993 if i remember correctly. yes, they are that old and yes they still worked (see above for why they are down right now)

the unicomp keyboards use the same equipment that was used to make the original m keyboards and have a similar design as well (they are almost perfect replicas)

i will note a few of the differences here:

-since the equipment for manufacturing is old there might be a bit of flashing left on the bottom of the keys. typically you wouldnt see this and it can be sanded off easily. some people however do complain about things like this. not a big issue if you ask me considering the good price and good reputation but some claim its an issue. cant please everyone.
-the old model m keyboards had a removeable ps2 cable. the new unicomps have a non removable cable however it comes in both usb and ps2 flavors. again, not a real issue.
-the new unicomp is not built quite as heavy as the originals (however compared to other keyboards its still really heavy). while i confess i love the originals even something close (like the unicomp "classic" is still going to be darn good.

now... i will list some pro/cons about the model m style keyboard and switches:

pro...

-they are very heavy and large so they will not move around on the desk when you type (my wasd cherry mx blue was always walking around the desk...)
-best feeling switch (opinion!)
-only switch which has an activation point equal to the tactile feedback, bottoming out and audible feedback
-full spill/drip tray which protects keyswitches & membrane from most spills, dust, crumbs and particles
-keys and key stems are removeable and washable (just like the keys on cherry mx however the stems come off too)
-keys are dye sublimated for wear resistance
-keys and keyboard are made of a harder plastic compound instead of abs which is very soft (i only had my wasd for a few months before it got destroyed and it started getting shiny and wearing in that short period of time! abs isnt the best plastic for a keyboard)
-relatively inexpensive considering they can last years easily

con...

-they are rather loud (some say too loud, but personally i always liked the noise)
-they are high resistance (girly fingers need not apply... however they arent excessively difficult to push. great for guy hands)
-at its worst the keyboard is 3kro capable. most combinations can support many more keys than this however there are a few combinations where you can only press 3 keys at once. i've talked to unicomp about adjusting the membrane for NKRO however it hasnt gotten anywhere yet.
-no fancy things like macro keys or backlighting

the closest thing to an ibm model m currently.... is the unicomp classic. (note: not the "ultra" classic)
 
well okay. You gave some awesome information regarding to the BS keyboards. I really have my eye on of those unicomps now, but I think I'll wait for the end of next month to see some reviews of the novatouch to release so I can see some reviews of how that thing handles, and if it seems like a bag of crap. Unicomp it is. :)
 
well, i'll be the first to say that i am a bit attached to my model m keyboards and that it does influence my opinion more than a little.

i bought a cherry mx blue keyboard from wasd as a replacement when my keyboard was killed and although nowhere near as precise they were definitely useable (and better than rubber domes at the least!).

right now i'm stuck on a $5 rubber dome keyboard and i hate it. the keys are so gummy feeling. i just dont have the money right now to go spending on keyboards or fixing up my m's sadly.

so while i do like and often list unicomp as an option i always make sure to note that they do not come in backlit or with macro keys and that they are technically only rated for 3 KRO which turns off alot of people.

if you can get past those two issues, the keyboards are definitely top notch.

oh.. and the fact that they are loud :)
 
yea the 3 kro is a bummer. I can't wait for this stupid novatouch to come out already. Like you I'm stuck with a gummy keyboard that came free with my brother's HP. I hate and it feels like a struggle to type.
 
3KRO isnt all that great however that is at the absolute worst (many key combinations of 5+ keys work at once).

i played mmo & fps games on it and typed extensively on it for a long time without issues. unless you have some pretty hefty macros for rpg games or are a programmer having NKRO doesnt do much at all. for the average person KRO isnt going to be an issue.

so while it sounds pretty bad its really not as bad as it looks.

i do wish that they updated the controller and membrane though. its practically the only thing which isnt good.
 


I know this thread is old, but I just received my leopold FC 660C keyboard today rather than waiting for the novatouch. I am really happy with this keyboard and did a little review right when I got it if you want to take look. :) Here is the link- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0t3HXSLC6CzxwtOeL7BzeA

I would love to hear your thoughts as you seem very experienced in this area.
 
glad that you like your new topre keyboard. the pricetag for that keyboard (based on the limited info i could find) looks to be higher than what i would pay but as long as you are happy that is what is important.

there is no one perfect mechanical keyswitch for everyone as we all have different preferences. this is why there are so many to choose from. some people like cherries, some like topre, some like buckling while still others dont like mechanical and swear by rubber domes. often its hard to know what you like unless you actually test them out.

as for the video... its a bit distracting having the music in the background and its more of an opinion piece rather than going over facts or doing comparisions so i cannot say that i was really all that impressed. however seeing as how its your first video i suppose its not bad but i would suggest some improvements if you intend to start reviewing more products.
 


The video was very unplanned, it is there purely for the sound demonstration as I work in a professional music studio and had the proper gear to capture the audio as many others videos that I find on youtube giving sound examples always sound bad. When I get a new camera, I plan to do an updated review and briefing over the keyboard in the near future as I put some more typing miles on it and get well adjusted. I understand that many people have their preferences of what switch they find most comfortable, but for me, I adore this topre switches and couldn't imagine going to another keyboard now. Thanks again for the feedback and feel free to sub. I am putting a hold on the videos until I order a new camera. haha :)
 
well outside my realm of expertise :lol:

i'm only familiar up to things below $300

speaking of sound demonstrations your mention of it sounds like this one i remember seeing. this one is for cherry mx only not topre.
http://support.wasdkeyboards.com/customer/portal/articles/1382879-o-ring-sound-dampeners

i think this is the effect you were trying to achieve? it would be nice to compare the topre with something common like a mx blue to see the difference in noise.

in any case... good luck with the keyboard.
 


I never used blues, only browns & reds. If I see a cherry mx blue keyboard on the cheap on ebay, maybe I'll get one. It would be cool to compare topre with blues. I'll probably sell the blues after the test since my friends on skype would despise me typing messages off and on over the mic haha.
 


I just got a good deal on a 2013 Razer ultimate keyboard with blue switches and will be getting in the next week or two. Been curious to try some clicky switches, as I only tried mx brown and red... and if I don't like the keyboard, I may still keep it so I can have a keyboard that I can use while I eat and not care if I get crumbs on. Think it retailed for 140-150 bucks and got it for $90 shipped in like new condition off ebay. Even though I didn't get a new camera yet, I'll try to do a video comparison asap right when it arrives between the clicky switches and topre. ttyl :)
 


I tried them both.
Had the mx blue as my first mech keyboard. Gotta say I am amazed by how crisp the sound on the keyboard was. My fingers was dancing on this mx blue for 3 years straight. That was a nice experience.

Then I had topre as my second keyboard. I can't deny that this one is better than my previous one. I think I am gonna use this one for the rest of my life. At first, I was skeptical that Topre will be the better one to type on, given the information that it was a rubber dome based keyboard which has a spring feedback underneath it.

But as a Yolo person, I ordered the topre right away to my home. Tried it, and next thing I know is that this keyboard will accompany my typing deskjob for the rest of my life (until I find the better one, of course).