Silent Red (linear) switches feel mushy - which switches should I try?

[kingmustard]

Background of switch types (based on Cherry MX, but should be a general guide):

 

 

My original keyboard requirements:

1. Full-size / UK/ISO
2. Backlit
3. Wired
4. Under £80
5. Not clicky (they're loud from what I can gather, I don't want to wake anyone in my home, nor annoy those online if I'm using a microphone)
6. Linear (I am 75% gamer, 25% typist - a quick Google search seems to suggest that gamers tend to prefer linear keys)
7. Media keys
8. Windows key lock out

Based on 1-6, there appeared to be a few options:

• AOC GK500 (Outemu Red)
• Cherry MX Board 1.0 Backlight (Cherry MX Silent Red)
• GameMax Strike (Outemu Red)
• Kingston HyperX Alloy Origins (HyperX Red)
• Lenovo Legion K500 RGB (Kailh Red)
• Mionix Wei (Cherry MX Red)

I went for the Cherry MX Board 1.0 Backlight (Cherry MX Silent Red). It arrived in the post today.

 

I don't really like this keyboard. With every single key press, you can hear the metal backplate 'ping' in a high-pitch way. Very frustrating.

 

Mainly, however, the keys feel very mushy. They feel very similar to a membrane keyboard, to me.

 

Due to this, I think I actually need tactile (but still non-clicky) keys, instead.

 

Tactile, non-clicky switches are Brown, Clear and Tactile Grey. That would mean two options:

• Cherry MX Board 1.0 Backlight (Cherry MX Brown)
• EVGA Z10 (Kailh Brown)

I don't really like this Cherry MX Board 1.0 Backlight keyboard due to the 'ping' sound I mentioned above.

 

Maybe I should try the EVGA Z10 (Kailh Brown)?

 

Anyone got any general thoughts on any of the above?

[Hairless Monkey Boy]

9 minutes ago, kingmustard said:

That leaves Brown, Clear and Tactile Grey. That would mean only one option for me:

• Cherry MX Board 1.0 Backlight (Cherry MX Brown)

This is a shame as I don't really like this keyboard. With every single key press, you can hear the metal backplate 'ping'. Very frustrating.

So you liked the feel of the brown switch, just not the sound?

[kingmustard]

5 minutes ago, HairlessMonkeyBoy said:

So you liked the feel of the brown switch, just not the sound?

The only mechanical keyboard I've ever tried is the Cherry MX Board 1.0 Backlight (Cherry MX Silent Red) that arrived today.

[SorryBella]

10 minutes ago, kingmustard said:

The only mechanical keyboard I've ever tried is the Cherry MX Board 1.0 Backlight (Cherry MX Silent Red) that arrived today.

Then try more. Get switch testers (or buy 1 individual switches) and feel it on your hand, and see if you gonna like it on all of your digits. And maybe you feel that "mush" because MX Red is purely linear, which means all the satisfaction is from hitting the backplate when you bottom out, rather than the switches.

[PorkishPig]

32 minutes ago, kingmustard said:

Mainly, however, the keys feel very mushy. They feel very similar to a membrane keyboard, to me.

If you don't like Silent Reds, avoid all MX Silent switches. They're all mushy.

[Alvin853]

31 minutes ago, kingmustard said:

With every single key press, you can hear the metal backplate 'ping'

Like you said, the 'ping' is not because of the switch, but because of the metal backplate. With linear switches since you don't get any resistance you tend to hit the key harder into the backplate than on tactile switches. 

I own both a Sharkoon Skiller Mech SGK3 (metal backplate, Kailh Brown switches) and a Logitech G910 Orion Spectrum (plastic backplate, Romer-G tactile switches, similar to MX Brown) and there is a very noticeable difference in the way the two sound, the Sharkoon having that metal 'ping' sound and the Logitech sounding almost like a typical membrane keyboard (except there were some springs under the spacebar key, which I removed, because that made the spacebar sound like hitting metal all the time). 

[Dr0y]

Every silent switch will feel more mushy than other "normal" switch cause there's rubber dampers inside ... but there's probably some difference between silent switches if they don't use the same type or rubber ...

 

I have the kailh silent box brown and they are quite silent and the tactility is quite good ... cherry brown doesn't even compare in term of tactility ... the kailh silent box brown are a bit mushier than let's say my kailh box burnt orange but not enough to compare them to rubber dome.