disagree, i can say Ducky is still the best mech keyboard maker.
maybe i will buy another set of Ducky mech when i got a good income.

In term of what mate?

for a mech kb expert, they always consider about the PCB board within the keyboard itself. switches and housing are just an essential.

now im still wondering is my Corsair K70 really using a dual layer PCB.

i think the CM Storm Mech's built should be good. it's alu case and possibly their top tier mkb model.
i've never open up to see the pcb of the cm storm mech or any cm storm's mkb to be honest...so i'm not commenting on that!

also i didn't go research on really how good is a thick pcb or dual layer pcb is. less chance of pcb failure? components failure isn't because of pcb right? and since almost all keyboard is using a plate to support, how does a thick pcb contributes to it? maybe some expert can help answer that, i myself also not very sure about what i've mentioned

btw, the DAS keyboard's pcb looks really simple and it can be flexed easily.

my brother, which was a Ducky keyboard user, told me it has something to do with the transfer rate of every keys pressed. not clear about this but i could remember what he said to me.

thought we had this explained to you already last night? not convincing enough? what was your interest in the k70?
it's using alu case, definitely can feel the difference from plastic case. if you can try a custom keyboard that's using alu case....
but why generally most of the mkb user here avoid gaming keyboard because they have non-standard layout size, usually on the CTRL ALT SPACEBAR row.
that makes changing a full keycap set difficult.

and i just had a thought, it seems like most gaming keyboards uses almost the same layout.
i've seen 1.5x ctrl, 1x winkey, 1.25x/1.5x alt, spacebar, i'm not too sure liao...6x? 6.5x?

while i don't subscribe to the idea that ducky is the best mkb around, i can't say much about the quality difference in ducky's and cm storm's mech as i didn't touch cmstorm mech before.
perhaps it's the culture here that gaming brand keyboard is subpar compared to other standard layout keyboard due to it being more difficult to change into the desired keycaps as majority here wants to be able to change keycaps without much restriction unless it's coming from the wallet or keycaps design.
the ducky is considered one of the top because it's built quality is rigid and robust compared to the other standard layout boards...filco is hardly mentioned because it's always...not available in malaysia and it doesn't have full led functionality despite previously being hailed as the top quality mech kb king.

what's important is the user's feel when typing on the keyboard.
food for thought, if keycaps maker starts making universal keycap sets, will gaming mkb kena bashed so terukly over here?

well first of all, its the layout. sure it looks garang and such, but its not ergonomic for your hands or your table placement. in the long run, you risk getting RSI and such because its quite far to get from the mouse to the keys with addition to the weird angled sides too.

second, the layout plays part because the stock keycaps are most probably coated ABS, which will very soon peel and get dirty, etc. you will need keycaps replacement of proper good PBT's or ABS DS and this is at least to me, quality issues as well.

thirdly, if any of the other functions break down, say the DAC, you will need to send the whole bigass thing to RMA. just because a non-related function to typing broke down, everything goes back to repair and you would still need another keyboard to use. waste time and money for that. ok, fine, you let it slide, no RMA as long as can type, but in the long haul, you will have a 'cacat' keyboard not having its full function. if you want to re-sell, the value goes down very quickly.

this is my 2 cents only. i strongly advise you spend money on proper quality items, not that im saying ducky is the best, but there are filco's, realforce's and such out there thats so much more worth the money.

the latest shine 3 has more led modes and better build from the first gen; the plastic body feels more solid. if you want the leds, you can't go wrong with it.

switches depend, if blue then they are the same tactile clicky. of course you can try red or brown, you can audition them at heavy-arm or any shops that have them.

ducky, filco pcbs are more durable but if you don't do any internal modding, then its not really a concern. unless those korean customs.

if you don't plan on spending a tonne of money, then grab the shine 3 or filco if you can and buy proper dyesub thick pbt keysets or thick doubleshot abs keysets. you can really feel the difference in solidness typing, not to mention the good looks.