Yeah, I meant Ducky. Thanks for the correction.

From your words, the Durgod sounds quite favorable. Not to mention the free shipping from Aliexpress.
Dropping out the iKBC due to the non removable cable, and perhaps the Ducky One 2, the strong contenders in my mind would be these:

- GMMK TKL (comes with 20% off and Gateron Clear @ USD 88 - still waiting for shipping estimate)
- Varmilo VA87M (USD 125.70 - Cherry MX Browns or USD 169.20 - Cherry MX Clears + USD 25 for shipping)
- Durgod Aurora K320 (USD 99 + 0 via China Post)

I'm leaning more towards the GMMK TKL due to the hot-swappable switches, and at that price point, it's difficult to ignore it. Unless there are other compromises that I am aware of. Otherwise, the Durgod would make more financial sense as getting a Varmilo would mean stretching my budget. Of course, I would definitely allow it if it were to really give me a piece of mind afterwards.

I would really like to try the keyboards IRL, but I don't think these boards are easily found in our Malaysian market.

Cheers!

i have some va87m. they're good. however if you're into modular boards, then gmmk tkl it is. (it's the only one on the list)

to me, modular boards have more practical advantages in terms of user preferences (customization made simple; switch swapping at least; beyond that you can do all sorts of compatible mods if you want to, without going through time-consuming processes like soldering/desoldering)

wait, gateron clear (35g) is not mx clear (60+ g?) 35g might be too light for you?

.. and for live experience you just missed the meetup last saturday hehe

I assumed that the Gateron Clear would be the Cherry MX Clear equivalent, but maybe I'm wrong? 35g may be too light for me, coming from the Kailh Blues. May have to re-look into this as I'm looking to get slightly quieter but still, tactile switches. The Zilent switches sounds really interesting, but that's something for the future.

I certainly noticed that you guys had a meet up last week after I joined the group on Facebook just yesterday

Here's the option available on GMMK:

IINM

gateron clear is not mx clear equivalent.

gateron clear is linear, mx clear is tactile.

Gateron Clear is a super light linear switch while the Cherry MX Clear is a heavy tactile switch. VERY different.

It's like 1 year and half since we had a gathering.. Long long time 1 gathering.

irsyadfy just told you the obvious differences. for switches, never assume like that. it's better to go through the specs of the switch first. you can locate this type of info via search engines.

from the list i think you should get gat brown. kailh speed copper is tactile too but you might not like the shorter key travel distance.

as for kailh box brown, to be safe, get them from kbdfans.cn. they have kailh box that are already marked as 'new retooled version', which have compliant stems that don't crack key caps anymore.

This post has been edited by horns: Aug 21 2018, 12:55 PM

Thanks for the feedback guys!
Yeah, the Gateron brown will be the most logical choice at this point. Unless I'm ready to annoy my co-workers with the blues.
I was a bit skeptical about the Kailh box switches; as you said, I read that it could potentially crack the key caps.

Well, that's a good starting point for now, just gotta wait for them to revert with the shipping quote. I might top up another USD 10 to sample of those switches above too.

u should annoy first, think later.

Anyone using ALPS switches? I'm using Matias ones, which are the clones of ALPS.

While good, after a while my fingers get tired probably due to the 60g so I'm looking for an alternative .

There's really not much alternative if you plan to just resolder new switches as ALPS design is no longer in mass production.

retooled kailh box is populating the market now. just get them from reliable sources. alternatively just skip it for now, since the board is modular and you can swap switches much later.

Whaaaaat!! Just got this from the GMMK support team!

This post has been edited by takuyaSH: Aug 21 2018, 04:53 PM

Parcel missing.. Sure use cheap shipping without insurance and tracking.
Because with tracking, already can get back money from courier.

If without tracking, sure posman songlap.

Not sure why they can't allow us to pick better courier. The same thing is 15 USD more expensive on Amazon.

The good news is, its now on Massdrop!
https://www.massdrop.com/buy/glorious-modul...d-gateron-brown

https://www.lazada.com.my/products/amazon-m...s248837058.html

Is this glitch or scam? RM48

Looks like a copy of an already cheap board. 100% cancellations by seller, 10 negative reviews, 0% positive ratings... Not sure if they are there to do business.




On another note, I'm so tempted by DIY keyboards now

gmmk tkl might be a good option for you to learn and experience customization (up to certain extent) its price is affordable, and the feature of kailh switch sockets for switch hot-swapping allows you do more than just swapping switches.

know that whatever that you have read about its short comings in the user comment section, there are ways to make it relatively better.

Yeah, the most prominent issue is the rattly stabs. Unfortunately, I'm afraid I may have grown out of the GMMK-TKL. I discovered KBDfans and found out that I could assemble a 60% board at almost the same cost at the GMMK-TKL. One of the largest benefit I felt is the QMK firmware, brings a lot of customization. Because of that, it really made the 60% layout very functional, ridding the need of a larger, more space-consuming. Of course there's the joy of assembling everything yourself; which I still hold my reservations about as the last time I soldered something was a really long time ago. Even that was a short experience. I am also not sure a cheap iron kit with adjustable temps off AliExpress/Lazada will be able to make the cut. There's always the option of getting KBDfans to solder everything prior to shipping the parts over.

And then there was the Massdrop Keyboard Re-Store. The K-Type looked really gorgeous! But I'm not sure whether it's really worth getting over a custom keyboard with my preferred switches. Not to mention the fiasco between Input Club and Massdrop over their contract last year. Still need some time to think things through and make a decision.

.. ok then. you have a lot going on your mind now. take your time then

edit:

modular boards are good for those who wanna experience different combos with one single board. in the process you find out which combos you like most, then turn them into soldered builds. imo this is the more efficient way to find out better combos based on own preferences.

by combos, i mean switches, plates, cases, stabilizers, key caps, and mods that you wish to apply. 60% is currently having the most diversified options in terms of combos.

This post has been edited by horns: Aug 25 2018, 01:56 PM