Looking for a silent keyboard

[vmode]

Hello hello,

I have been using mechanical keyboards for a while now. My daily driver is a Ducky DK 9008G2 which is excellent for gaming (especially FPS games).

I haven't had luck finding a good (mechanical) keyboard for programming though. Here's what I have tried:

* Ducky DK 9008G2 (Cherry MX Red): too loud and typing doesn't feel good, especially when I bottom out. I like the sturdy build of the keyboard.
* Filco Majestouch-2 TKL (Cherry MX Brown): too loud and the MX browns feel "jarring" to type on. Don't know how to explain properly... Same as on the Ducky, I like the build of the keyboard.
* Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 400: feel is OK, quiet enough, but the space key is just aggravating to use. The layout is pretty wonky, although I guess you can get used to it.
* Logitech K200: maybe it's the one I got, but the whole keyboard "shakes" when I type.
* MacBook Pro 2017: irritating sharp sound when typing. Typing doesn't feel good at all on this one.
* Apple Magic Keyboard (2017, "TKL" model): Typing feels OK, quiet enough. For some reason I have to constantly check the keyboard, maybe it's because the TKL model is too tiny?

I don't pound the keyboard when I type, but I do bottom out frequently. The advice with regards to mechanical keyboards seems to be that you shouldn't bottom out, but it just feels odd when I try to not to bottom out. Maybe it's the years of membrane keyboard usage...

I have been eyeing the Topre Realforce 88UB 45G TKL, but it's quite costly. It seems quiet enough (based on YouTube videos), and many reviewers praise the feel of the Topre switches.

Do you guys any other suggestions to check out? As a caveat, the keyboard should have a Nordic layout.

Thanks!

[davkol]

QMX Clips

[zslane]

Try to find a factory silenced Topre Realforce board. Expensive, yes, but I don't think you'd be disappointed.

[Laser]

I'd buy this, which includes the silencing Topre rings.

[Findecanor]

Topre are rubber domes but which are not mushy on the bottom. If you like full-travel rubber domes where you bottom out all the time, they are the best. Very smooth and good quality throughout. The downstroke meets rubber but the upstroke isn't silenced - for that you would need to mod it with silencing rings.

Topre Realforce are available in Swedish/Finnish layout from The Keyboard Company in the UK.
The only other vendor I know of that sold Topre Realforce in Swedish/Finnish layout was Verkkokauppia (spelling?) in Finland but that was several years ago. This means that because you are in Finland you might be able to find some on the local second-hand market as well.

Then there is the discontinued Cooler Master Novatouch TKL. Key stems are Cherry MX-compatible but the stock Nordic keycaps were pretty bad and the stabilised keys such as the Space Bar rattle a lot making it louder than Realforce. Topre 45g tenkeyless only.

I would say that among Cherry's switches, it is difficult not to bottom out with any of them unless you use Cherry MX Clear. You could learn to not bottom out on Black or Brown but... I find it tiring to type that way.
On Topre, I find it impossible not to bottom out because the bump is so long.

QMX Clips

There are some difficulties with them.
* Will fit only switches that are facing forward... so, the Filco but not the Ducky and I am not entirely sure about Filco's stabilisers.
* Dampens only Cherry profile keycaps without additional O-rings... and not all thicker Cherry profile keycaps are even compatible with Filco's stabilisers.
* Uniqey does not ship to Finland so you would have to use a proxy in the UK or in one of the German-speaking countries.

[davkol]

QMX Clips work with OEM-profile keycaps. And by "work" I mean that they dampen both upstroke and downstroke. They also seem to work fine, when the switch is mounted "upside down" (rotated 180 degrees); no idea about LEDs in that case though.

They also work with Costar stabs, but the stabilizer wire might tap against the clip… that should be solvable with a piece of tape though.

Tested on my QFR with Cherry MX Black and Vortex PBT doubleshots in OEM profile.

[vmode]

Thanks for the fast responses!

@davkol: I'll check out those. I'm pretty lazy though, so I'll have to see how difficult it is to install them.

@zslane: That would be the ultimate choice, according to my research at least. I sent an email to Keyboardco whether they could get this one as silenced: http://www.keyboardco.com/keyboard/swed ... yboard.asp. I think I found some thread where people were trying to the same keyboard as silenced (with Nordic layout), but for some reason the order didn't go through. Can't find the thread now...

@Laser: Interesting, although the keyboard layout is something I don't like.

@Findecanor: Nice, your description of the Topre switches sounds like something I'd prefer. Good point on the Novatouch TKL, I was also looking at that. Agreed 100% on bottoming out on Cherry switches.

Is it difficult to install extra silencing on the Topre Realforce yourself? Seems like that would be the best option for now, unless some keyboard reseller could manage to get factory silenced Topre Realforces with Nordic layout instead.

[seebart]

I have been eyeing the Topre Realforce 88UB 45G TKL, but it's quite costly. It seems quiet enough (based on YouTube videos), and many reviewers praise the feel of the Topre switches.

Topre is great but very expensive as you know. BTC dome with slider is a cheap alternative that is not 100% the same as Topre in feel but much much cheaper.

wiki/BTC_dome_with_slider

[davkol]

BTC dome keyboards aren't quiet though, and I'm not sure, if they can be damped. (Mine are for sale btw.)

Damping Topre requires disassembly (not difficult, just tedious), and takes a bit more effort than putting o-rings on keycaps.

QMX Clips are arguably easier to install (simply remove keycaps, clip the clips on switches with the provided tool, put the keycaps back on).

[seebart]

BTC dome keyboards aren't quiet though...

They're not overly loud, possibly not as silent as some but also much cheaper!

[davkol]

In which case I'd rather recommend Key Tronic or Olivetti.

[seebart]

In which case I'd rather recommend Key Tronic or Olivetti.

Fair enough.

[wobbled]

HHKB pro 2, lubed, with silencing rings from KBDFans & a mat underneath is extremely quiet.

[zslane]

Is it difficult to install extra silencing on the Topre Realforce yourself?

It's not especially difficult, but it is incredibly tedious. The tricky part is not separating the dome sheet from the PCB when you separate the plate from the PCB (which you need to do to get at the sliders). If the dome sheet separates, there's a good chance the conical springs under the domes will fly out all over the place. Finding them all and putting them back in perfectly can be a real challenge.

I've added silencing rings to many Topre-based boards because the extra work is worth it to me. But I hate having to do it.

[seebart]

HHKB pro 2, lubed, with silencing rings from KBDFans & a mat underneath is extremely quiet.

giphy.gif (303.2 KiB) Viewed 5303 times

[flowerlandfilms]

Matias quiet click switches are, surprisingly, somewhat quiet...

[Alpinist]

Matias Quiet Click, and any Apple Extended Keyboard II you can find in good condition with nordic layout (they exist). Topre can be an option as well as many mentioned. Good luck!

[mecano]

Matias Quiet Click, and any Apple Extended Keyboard II you can find in good condition with nordic layout (they exist). Topre can be an option as well as many mentioned. Good luck!

Were AEK II with nordic layout all damped? Because there is a risk of getting one with salmons, even in Europe, got one

[Myoth]

Matias Quiet Click, and any Apple Extended Keyboard II you can find in good condition with nordic layout (they exist). Topre can be an option as well as many mentioned. Good luck!

Were AEK II with nordic layout all damped? Because there is a risk of getting one with salmons, even in Europe, got one

Then you got yourself a AEK, AEKs came with Salmon or Orange; while AEK2s came with dampened Cream or Dampened White switches. You should cheer for getting a AEK, they are rare than AEK2s

[Alpinist]

Then you got yourself a AEK, AEKs came with Salmon or Orange; while AEK2s came with dampened Cream or Dampened White switches. You should cheer for getting a AEK, they are rare than AEK2s

It still could be an AEK II. There were a few AEK II with salmon switches (not with oranges though) but there were not that many. Most of them came with dampened ALPs, although not all of them were ALPs.

[Alpinist]

Matias Quiet Click, and any Apple Extended Keyboard II you can find in good condition with nordic layout (they exist). Topre can be an option as well as many mentioned. Good luck!

Were AEK II with nordic layout all damped? Because there is a risk of getting one with salmons, even in Europe, got one

Really? You got a salmon one in Europe? Maybe it was an ANSI one made in USA?
I thought that all the ISO ones were made in Ireland and according to the wiki all AEK II made in Ireland used cream switches. It could be wrong though.

[Findecanor]

BTW, the AEKII over here came of course with proper Swedish/Finnish keyboard layout, not a pan-Nordic jumble of symbols.
That keyboard has a following also by regular users who used it back in the '90s. You would need an adapter because it uses ADB.

[mecano]

Matias Quiet Click, and any Apple Extended Keyboard II you can find in good condition with nordic layout (they exist). Topre can be an option as well as many mentioned. Good luck!

Were AEK II with nordic layout all damped? Because there is a risk of getting one with salmons, even in Europe, got one

Then you got yourself a AEK, AEKs came with Salmon or Orange; while AEK2s came with dampened Cream or Dampened White switches. You should cheer for getting a AEK, they are rare than AEK2s

It's even worst than that I dig it out and it's a standard Looks like I still got reminiscences of the MacII era.