Following my post few days ago, bought a Keychron Q1. It feels solid.

Milky Yellow Pro switches + Tempest mod + Force break mod


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Q1 is still good

Why I even consider to get a >RM1K KB is I would not want to "waste" additional money to get a entry level metal KB like the m3 if there is a significant difference by stepping up to a higher end KB.
I'm planning to get a custom TKL to daily use it and tinker with it as I go along.

I'm trying to ask you guys here as you guys do have more experience in comparing lower vs higher end KBs. My curiousness comes from if the additional cost of a "higher" end KB is due tot he aesthetics, rather then the typing feel, sound. Like putting a very nice engraving on the bottom of the KB or even on the inside of the KB is not important to me.

I equate it to a something like, when you have not use a OLED monitor, you will feel that a IPS LCD monitor is really good coming from a previous TN panel.
But if you have the budget to get a OLED monitor, you would not need to waste additional money first by getting a IPS LCD monitor.

In this example, the additional cost of the OLED monitor is does produce a significant visual improvement that would "justify" it.

the answer to your question is subjective. i got what you mean by the oled monitor example, but there are more subjective factors in the case of mkb. a more appropriate example is cars.

in general, the overall significance of differences in typing experience will go down from entry-level, mid-tier, to high-end. however, that general statement might be oversimplified. there are various qualities in a board, due to things like materials, keyboard's structual design and construction, how it's built, etc. these qualities do affect outcomes of a board, in terms of feel and sound. how significant the difference is for each quality varies from one kit to another, and one person to another.

of course, the answer can also be simple, if you aimed for the best.

edit: the above is just my opinion. the truth is, there will be differences between tiers, but there is no quantitative scales for significance of differences that we can refer to. it's all based on personal preferences in the end.

.. and things are really not complicated tbh, i.e., owners use their first-hand experience to learn and decide what to get, and what to do with their boards, so that they can have good typing experience. opinions from others are really for reference only, with a grain of salt.

This post has been edited by horns: May 1 2023, 02:11 AM

What’s really interesting is the speed custom keyboards offerings are changing too.

Features seen in high end boards years ago are now seen in mid tier boards. Same thing with mid tier and low end boards too.

A couple of years ago, keychron was a major market disruptor and nothing could beat their Q series in terms of value… today, you’ve a dozen or more keyboard that can provide similar or better value.

Personally… while I’ll still target an end game keyboard in the end … I’m more than happy to wait.
Those end game keyboard are typically limited GB with a very long waiting time anyway. So what’s waiting a couple of years to see how the market evolves.
Meanwhile, I’ll just wait for my QK80.

right, things are changing fast: feature shifts between tiers already started since few years ago, and choices have increased in number.

i believe the significance of differences in terms of typing feels will follow the shifts. however, i have stopped keeping track of changes for quite some time, so i'm not sure if this is true.

there are few market disruptors beside keychron afaik. qk and geon are in the list also imo.

as for high-end kits, i collect what i want only, i.e., 60/65/75, and sometimes tkl.

This post has been edited by horns: May 1 2023, 01:06 PM

mechanical keyboard cant turn on after the water spill, is it possible to fix?

if yes, can recommend any shop?

This post has been edited by KcX35: May 1 2023, 02:10 PM

possible, but it depends on the level of damage. you need a builder who can do tracing, and have tools to replace parts.

what you can do for now is to do a full teardown, and let the parts air dry for a few days. after that you can try to reconnect the board to test if it's working.

if it's not, it might mean damage is related to mcu, or supporting chips on pcb. in this case, you need working replacement parts, e.g., pcb, mcu, or supporting chips. note that at this stage, the repair job is tedious, it's subject to availability of parts, and new replacement mcu might need reprogramming. there will be effort costs for the builder to do teardown, help you trace for issues, etc.

edit: there are builders at mymkb/mymm fg groups. however, most of them have ventured into other interests. you can try your luck there.

This post has been edited by horns: May 1 2023, 04:26 PM

sounds like its easier to just buy a new 1 haha, thanks!

This post has been edited by KcX35: May 1 2023, 04:26 PM

yes, it's much easier to get a new one.

tbh i never experience damage. my corsair k70 rgb was the unlucky one. however, after few times of me belanjaing coke and kopi peng, it's still functioning well (with few leds failed). i air-dried it after the spills as described in the previous post.

after that, i never drink in front of my boards anymore.

oh mine actually work for a few months after drying it then died haha

I think LTT did a video of this a few years back.
Placed the whole keyboard into the dishwasher.
Works well at first. But all died within a year.

if that's the case, getting a new one is definitely the better option.

edit: the openings for plate-mount stabs in pc plate for bgkypro kit are not optimal. the stabs that i used are fl-cmmk plate-mount.

it's a simple fix by filling up the gaps with tape.

This post has been edited by horns: May 1 2023, 09:15 PM

mx hotswap switch sockets from gateron is now 2.0, with a boost of shelf life to 50k+ switch installations, and a new pin-clipping design ('double-contact').

on the other hand, there is nothing from kailh yet. their switch sockets have a typical shelf life of 5k installations. kailh sockets are more expensive than gateron's.

i collect switch sockets from kailh and gateron, different generations, and colorways. i have yet to replace any. even my old gk64 (with first gen of kailh sockets) that is still in active use as break-in unit, works fine for all keys.

How about mill max hotswap sockets? Are they prone to failure ?

It’s a pain to install them, but they seem more “solid”.

i have no idea about the shelf life of mill max sockets. there are many users who use mill max sockets, so i believe they are good for their purpose.

the replacement of mill max sockets should be simple i think. hence there is no need to worry about shelf life.

Want to ask, is there any advantages of a full POM (stem and case) switch?

they make unique sound and feel.

I saw people recommending using milmax 0305 to make those soldered only PCB to a hotswappable PCB

yes, i believe 0305 is the model of choice for the purpose, since it's like almost everyone is using it.

--

we know we will get attracted to nice-looking stuff, but to appy this to springs is really pointless.



these springs have shady specifications, with no information of weight deviations. again. they are more expensive than tx's, which have stringent qc.

this is just madness.