deskthority

I have tried what its acknowledged as "high-tier" switches, such as good condition alps switches, optical swiches, buckling springs, etc.
But I have been surprised more than once trying something that apparently everyone hates and finding out that they actually aren't as bad as the community says they are.
For example, I have read the worst things about MX blacks, (stiff sandpaper, etc) but i got to actually try them on a 10 year old board (steelseries 7g). And they actually not that bad. Obviously inferior to something like the razer huntsman, but definitely not the "sandpaper" feel that the internet say they have.
Is this because they have been heavily used for 10 years or am i just delusional?

Leshe wrote: ↑

07 Feb 2020, 06:43

[…] But I have been surprised more than once trying something that apparently everyone hates and finding out that they actually aren't as bad as the community says they are.
For example, I have read the worst things about MX blacks, (stiff sandpaper, etc) but i got to actually try them […] And they actually not that bad […]
Is this because they have been heavily used for 10 years or am i just delusional?

Actually, MX blacks are really nice switches, but they have been suffering quite a lot of public backlash in the last few years,
apparently for at least some part due to commercial "influencers" like Chyros and a lot of people simply taking his rants for granted.

It's a bit like classical music. It does not appear in charts, liking it is not trendy, it's just old stuff after all.

And yet…
https://youtu.be/O192eo9zbT4?t=12

I used MX Blacks for a few months on my RC128BM,I disliked them enough that I desoldered them and replaced them with blues,they weren't sandpapery though,just way too stiff.

MX black vintages are the best switches I own - I put them above my beamspring and blue alps.

If someone like linear then MX blacks would be nice.

If they like clicky then ... well Blacks aren’t that.

We all like different things

Blacks aren't terrible. Too stiff for my liking, but they are competent linears.

Not bad, just kinda meh when you have so many other options nowadays.

Vintage blacks are quite ok. They are smooth but for me to heavy. Similar with non vintage blacks.

kbdfr wrote: ↑

07 Feb 2020, 08:11

Leshe wrote: ↑

07 Feb 2020, 06:43

[…] But I have been surprised more than once trying something that apparently everyone hates and finding out that they actually aren't as bad as the community says they are.
For example, I have read the worst things about MX blacks, (stiff sandpaper, etc) but i got to actually try them […] And they actually not that bad […]
Is this because they have been heavily used for 10 years or am i just delusional?

Actually, MX blacks are really nice switches, but they have been suffering quite a lot of public backlash in the last few years,
apparently for at least some part due to commercial "influencers" like Chyros and a lot of people simply taking his rants for granted.

It's a bit like classical music. It does not appear in charts, liking it is not trendy, it's just old stuff after all.

And yet…
https://youtu.be/O192eo9zbT4?t=12

I guess this is because we like to be told what is good or bad instead of trying it, it happens everywhere:
People in the mouse community follow the opinion of RocketJumpNinja.
A lot or people follow what theneedledrop says is good in music.

Maybe we just like to be guided?

I mean, I like M9s. It all comes down to preference.

MX Blacks are not that bad. And it is fine to like what you want. Use what you like and enjoy it.

But this thread is just silly. Cherry is the dominant brand in in contemporary mechanical switches. You will find information about them and keyboards that use them from every mainstream computing site, gaming site and even on regular old print media!They are discussed in every mainstream computer forum, gaming board and so on. Billion Youtube channels review every big brand cherry gaming board. eSport stars have sponsorships from Cherry or Cherry using keyboard makers.

Hugely succesfull. They are not classical music, but instead bestselling pop stars! They rule. Enjoy their success.
Just do not cry about them not getting lot of attention in the one of the very few places concentrated on other switches.

I actually slightly prefer Cherry Black to Yellow Alps because of the longer travel.

When lubed, most of the MX linears are comparable in feel to vintage MX black. It's all personal preference, really. Some things are objective, like smoothness, but other things are not, like sound or feel.

I use MX Blacks on the TG3 with the rubber coat membrane as a back-up board. I don't really like linears, but the heaviness added by the membrane makes it fun to type on.

The keyboard currently sitting in front of me is a GH60 built from a Poker keyboard with its original MX Blacks. These are not the vintage ones, just whatever Vortex used in 2011. During typing you don't really have any trouble whether they're lubed or not - they might not be ultra-smooth when slowly pressed but I have never had them bind.

And yes, they're stiffer than MX Red or whatever clone you're using, but then this is a nice break from my Cherry Clear and model F keyboard which is far stiffer. It just all depends on what you're used to...

Leshe wrote: ↑

07 Feb 2020, 06:43

Is this because they have been heavily used for 10 years or am i just delusional?

When Cherry switches are heavily worn-in, they tend to get better. So you're not delusional, worn-in blacks can be okay. But they were produced as scratchy for a long time before the retooling, were good again for maybe 2 years (2016-2018), and are back to being scratchy from what I understand.

If you think worn-in Blacks aren't so bad, you should try similarly-aged Browns. They are a decent switch once they've been smoothed out.

I don't put much stock in what other people say is a good switch. I want to try it myself if it seems interesting to me and make my own judgement.

I personally quite like blacks.

But the question regarding which switches one likes is as personal as what kind food you like. Everyone's got their own taste.

I don't find Vintage MX Black bad. Very recently, I made a custom keyboard build with them. I have some pre-retooled Reds in the keyboard I am using now, and they are nowhere as smooth as the Blacks. Post-retooled blacks should be smoother, however, but I have heard complaints from people that retooled blacks are no longer as good as they were when they were first released.

MX blacks actually aren't that bad, but i believe it's the stiffness that turns most people off of them.

I think a lot of it depends on your previous experiences and what sort of feeling you enjoy while typing. A lot of the comments I have seen about MX Blacks, in particular, indicate that "scratchiness" and stiffness are the two biggest gripes people have with them.

For people who have experienced contactless linear switches (e.g. Hall Effect, electrocapacitive, Flaretech, etc.), even the slightest amount of friction could be noticeable and even distracting. As for the stiffness, most people have become accustomed to spring weights of 45 - 50g so anything above that might wear out most users' fingers.

What people tend to like and dislike are very subjective and you should type on whatever keyboard/key switches that you like

Just for fun, look at this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqZ-A5ndUmY

Why, I've been inspired by this thread to dig out a cherry mx black board I got from ebay a while back. The level of keyfeel pleasure is just as I remember.