Regarding the G613 Review: Ping Sound

[ChiefBigFeather]

Dear Linus and Community,

 

after your review I bought the G613. There are really few alternatives because I have a couch setup, the wrist rest is great for that purpose and typing on the G613 feels excellent.

But it sounds horrible. The keyboard I bought had quite a loud ping sound to it. After RMAing it, the replacement keyboard had the same problem. It is not a big deal while gaming but if you have to type a lot while working, the ping gets really distracting and annoying.

 

Since there is no alternative product to turn to, I would really love to know if it is just some faulty batch or if the whole product line is affected. The ping is kind of hard to hear in a review, the room needs to be pretty quiet.

 

Here are two examples of other keyboards to explain what a keyboard ping is:

Sadly, those videos have no typing examples. I can assure you though, hearing that ping every time you press the space bar while typing gets into your ear quick. Especially if you are in a quiet work environment.

 

Thanks in advance!

[laminutederire]

12 minutes ago, ChiefBigFeather said:

 

That's pretty much what you'd expect from a mechanical keyboard isn't it?

[ChiefBigFeather]

12 minutes ago, laminutederire said:

That's pretty much what you'd expect from a mechanical keyboard isn't it?

Certainly not. I have used and heard my fair share of mechanical keyboards, most do not have a ping. They have the mechanical click of the keys, but not the ping that sounds like a sprung steel spring.

 

That would be a little like telling someone a power supply with a fan isn't quiet, when he really complains about coil whine. Two different things

[goodtofufriday]

I do not hear anything out of the ordinary. 

[michaelocarroll007]

Every single key on both keyboards have this problem your describing?  If so sounds like its just the noise this specific mechnanical keyboard/switches make. and if not then its a defect RMA it again.

[MadSprite]

This is more of a base keyboard construction issue. If a keyboard is built with an all metal body or frame, with little to no padding to absorb shocks, it will make pings which are just vibrations in the body from key presses.This happens more frequently if the keyboard is against a hard surface with hard rubber feet. best solution might to be getting a keyboard mat for it.

[Dissitesuxba11s]

Do these keyboards have a metal back because it sounds like it resonates when you press a key? You can hear it more pronounced when the keyboard itself was being hit.

[ChiefBigFeather]

13 minutes ago, VegetableStu said:

Is this a problem solved by reaching 20-30 years of age? o_o

 

(seriously though, I hear the spring spring-back vibration sound, but I don't feel like it's a problem...? the metal "column" of the spring can still move and shake and vibrate and whatnot)

If you hear enough very loud music on your in-ears, maybe. But maybe it compounds the issue because you know how a cherry keyboard sounds like and you have to do actual work on your keyboard.

12 minutes ago, michaelocarroll007 said:

Every single key on both keyboards have this problem your describing?  If so sounds like its just the noise this specific mechnanical keyboard/switches make. and if not then its a defect RMA it again.

It's mostly space and enter. I already RMAed it, the second one had the same issue. That's why I ask here if it's just that particular batch or if the whole product line is affected.

8 minutes ago, MadSprite said:

This is more of a base keyboard construction issue. If a keyboard is built with an all metal body or frame, with little to no padding to absorb shocks, it will make pings which are just vibrations in the body from key presses.This happens more frequently if the keyboard is against a hard surface with hard rubber feet. best solution might to be getting a keyboard mat for it.

I usually use the keyboard on my lap because I have a couch setup. So a mat is not really an option.

6 minutes ago, Dissitesuxba11s said:

Do these keyboards have a metal back because it sounds like it resonates when you press a key? You can hear it more pronounced when the keyboard itself was being hit.

I can hear the sound when I knock on the keyboard. It is louder when I press space while typing though.

[michaelocarroll007]

4 minutes ago, ChiefBigFeather said:

 

It's mostly space and enter. I already RMAed it, the second one had the same issue. That's why I ask here if it's just that particular batch or if the whole product line is affected.

 

 

Space enter + Shift Backspace  and many of the mutikey spaced like on mechanical keyboards sound way off/different to the rest.  This is pretty normal on most mechanical keyboards  space being the worst offender of making some different noises that the regular keys dont. 

[geo3]

Switching to a keyboard with a non steel plate helps. Installing sound dampening foam under the PCB helps. But the only way to eliminate switch ping is to lube the springs in each switch with something like Krytox.  You'd need to open each switch housing and depending on the keyboard this might require removing the switch first.

[ChiefBigFeather]

8 hours ago, michaelocarroll007 said:

 

Space enter + Shift Backspace  and many of the mutikey spaced like on mechanical keyboards sound way off/different to the rest.  This is pretty normal on most mechanical keyboards  space being the worst offender of making some different noises that the regular keys dont. 

I have used my fair share of cherry keyboards. Space and Enter  usually sound different. But none of them had a ping sound like this. It's like every power supply producing a different fan sound. You might like it or not. But Coil Whine is something different entirely and very annoying to many people.

 

After looking at more keyboards today, it seems there are quite some 'high end' 'gaming' keyboards having issues with ping.

7 hours ago, geo3 said:

Switching to a keyboard with a non steel plate helps. Installing sound dampening foam under the PCB helps. But the only way to eliminate switch ping is to lube the springs in each switch with something like Krytox.  You'd need to open each switch housing and depending on the keyboard this might require removing the switch first.

Sadly, there is not really an alternative product that I know of. But thank you very much for your in depth advice. Is there a tutorial on how to do that with Romer-G switches?

 

After watching some YouTube videos it might be the space bar/enter stabilisers. But from the sound of it I think it is more likely that the whole back plate reverberates. Maybe finding out where the noise actually comes from and solving the issue might be my only option. I'm kind of reluctant to do that though, as I think a keyboard in the price range of the G613 shouldn't have the issue in the first place.

[geo3]

7 minutes ago, ChiefBigFeather said:

Maybe finding out where the noise actually comes from and solving the issue might be my only option.

I'm telling you, with 100% certainty,  the sound comes from the springs inside the switches. The back plate amplifies it and makes it more noticeable.

 

7 minutes ago, ChiefBigFeather said:

Is there a tutorial on how to do that with Romer-G switches?

Not that I know of. I only have experience with MX clones. There are tutorials for that.

[ChiefBigFeather]

52 minutes ago, geo3 said:

I'm telling you, with 100% certainty,  the sound comes from the springs inside the switches. The back plate amplifies it and makes it more noticeable.

Oh, thank you!

 

After doing some google search, it really seems to be an issue with romer g switches. I found another example highlighting the problem even better:

 

Do you think I can get rid of the problem entirely if I lube the switches correctly?

[geo3]

14 hours ago, ChiefBigFeather said:

Do you think I can get rid of the problem entirely if I lube the switches correctly?

Possibly. I'm sure it would be greatly reduced. Though I've never seen the inside romer-g so I can't say for sure.