Ducky Shine 4 vs Shine 5

[dwang040]

I've been looking at the ducky shine 4 and 5, but i can't decide which one to get. the shine 4 has a red base (which looks nice) and it has red and blue leds (which i think complement the shell color nicely). The shine 5, however, is rgb and it has double shot keycaps, which according to users, is one of the best feeling keycaps out there. I mean, at this point, i can either save $20, get a nice looking keyboard, but with crappier keycaps (laser etched abs), or get a boring black keyboard, but it comes with double shot abs and rgb. OR, should i just get something else? at this point, i'm looking at build and durability, so while i can go with a company that's cheaper, but comes with rgb, or one that's more "available" and not a pain to find, i'm not so sure if their durability compares to the ducky's, which according to users, is amazing. ex: corsair strafe, cheaper, more readily available, but apparently corsair led's suck. and they break.

 

btw, i'd like to keep the switches reds or browns. probably reds since i've been typing on membranes and laptop keyboards, so the bump probably won't feel "better" for typing and gaming... idk. Don't think i'd be a touch typer when i bottom out everything i use right now.

 

Thanks for your feedback!

[Techicolors]

I would just jump the gun and take the ducky shine 5. I'd opt for the browns, as it is a good general-use switch for both typing and gaming. and since you mention that you bottom out a lot, o-rings will help mitigate the "clack". thicker o-rings mimic that membrane keyboard feel. 

 

the nice thing with the shine boards is that the keycaps are standard layout, so you can easily swap them out for new ones. be cautious about which ones you get, as some caps will not allow any light through. 

[dwang040]

Thanks for the answer. unfortunately, mechanical keyboards (cheapest place i can find the ducky shine 5) are sold out in browns... same goes for the shine 4. So, i guess at this point, i'm left with no choice but reds. I do agree with the O rings, I was planning on getting them to help dampen the sound as well.

[Techicolors]

Be aware that reds have no tactile feedback and are linear. You can always try to return the board if you don't like how reds feel, though it depends on the seller/merchant/retailer. 

[dwang040]

Yes, i've wondered about that linear feel as well. I will look into the return policy and hopefully i either learn to use the reds, or I can swap them for browns. Thanks for the help!

[Techicolors]

Personally I find reds to be quite good for gaming (obviously they are, as reds are advertised heavily as the gaming switch) but not very good for typing. You may find it good for typing though once you play around with it. It's a very YMMV thing, as like for any other mechanical switch. 

 

If you like you can take a look at switch testers like this one https://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=1620 (check out the master kit, which comes with less-common switches as well). 

[dwang040]

Thank you. just curious, would you recommend any other brands and keyboard models? While colorful rgb isn't a must (but i have to admit, I do fall for that gimmick and it's relaxing to watch color changes. i don't know why), i do need it to be backlit. 

[Techicolors]

Well there's lots of different keyboard brands and models. I am using the MK Disco RGB TKL, and it is quite good. Other brands like Vortex, Filco, Das, KBparadise, etc. are all pretty good, though I haven't tried any of those yet. And the more unique designs are found in group buys such as Massdrop, but the trade-off is that it takes a while for the product to ship 

[dwang040]

Sorry to keep reviving this, ducky shine 6 year of the monkey is on pre order for 160. Not only can  I get mx brown, it's $10 more than the shine 5. Do you think that is worth it? Considering that it's the most expensive, and it's pre-order. Won't receive it till next year. Thank you again. 

 

Update, well, nevermind. They just went out of stock. 

[Techicolors]

The year of the monkey is a limited edition ducky board. They do one every year