Yes it is the worst compared to ALPS blues, buckling springs, etc.
No it isn’t. The worst is (specify:_____)
0voters
I’m talking about Cherry MX Blue, Cherry MX Green, Gateron blue, Outemu blue, Kailh blue, etc.
ALPS blues are greatly praised especially IBM’s buckling springs. Matias clicky switches, although not as good as ALPS blues are still highly praised. BOX Whites, Jades, and Navies have fans and aside from the recent stem problem don’t have any haters. MX Blues and its clones however have many haters especially the high-pitched, rattly, and plastic-like sound and weak tactility. What say you? Is it the worst clicky switch? If not, what is?
I’d say box Jades are the worst clicky switch I’ve ever tried. They feel broken to me (the way they catch on the way back up) and I cannot stand to type on them.
Totally forgot that BOX Jades have a bad reputation of sticking. Never thought it would be worse than the terrible sound and weak tactility of the click jacket. Makes me curious what it feels like. I have outemu blues on a cheap Chinese keyboard and it just pales in comparison to BOX Navies.
Some people like them. It’s just not for me I guess. I’m also not a fan of box navy b/c I think they require way too much force to overcome the click bar. Again, not in the majority opinion, I’m sure.
My favorite of the box clickies are the heavy pale blue or white, although I don’t really like the sound of them.
I don’t know if MX blues are the WORST clicky switch out there, but they don’t stand out at all. They’re just so bland. Their tactility is weak, they’re fairly scratchy (like most Cherry switches), and their click sound is satisfactory at best. Maybe these could be made into nice switches with spring modding and lube and slider modifications, but I’d just start off with a better switch if you’re going to put in that kind of effort. I prefer Gateron blue personally, since they’re less scratchy, a bit more tactile, and otherwise of similar quality for less $$$.
Again, probably not the worst clicky switch out there, but probably the most widely-hated by both people who know keyboards and the people who don’t. Let’s call it a win for most popular to hate on.
Edit: Chyrosran22 puts Cherry MX Blue on his list of worst sounding switches, but I personally don’t agree with his assessment. I just think they’re boring, not ear-scathingly awful.
I’m know these things always come down to personal preference, but Box Navy with MT3 is righteous and solid. My son built a board with Gat Greens and topped it with GMK Cherry profile—the click will pierce concrete.
The case can make a huge difference too, I’m sure. We brought two boards to KeyCon, both had Box Navies. The two boards have radically different sound. Unfortunately, the noise level was so high at the venue, it was difficult to have a conversation, much less get a good take on switch sounds.
I’ll also put in a vote for the much-maligned Cherry MX White. My first board had those, and I loved the muted click. My son would walk up behind me and say, “You know those are inconsistent”. Then I would accuse him of smoking crack.
At any rate, my feeling is that the click should be subordinate to the tactility, and a byproduct. There are other ways to achieve tactility, certainly, but there’s nothing like the feel of bucking spring. The feel of Box Navies is in the area, but it’s definitely heavier and (depending on the setup) louder. I’ve said it before, they feel like what I remember, even though I know my memory is a liar. At least they don’t ping.
The return on jade clickies is like the finger equivalent of missing the bottom step on the stairs when youre walking down and suddenly losing your footing. I really hope mike releases a future revision with a slightly heavier spring.
I hate everything about cherry blue switches and their clones. I hate the hysteresis, the rattly sound they make, how they’re somehow simultaneously too heavy on the downstroke and too light and slow to return on the upstroke. I hate the long travel distance. They’re more fatiguing to type on than my click-modded ALPS and those are at least 20g heavier in spring-weight.
lol not saying its gonna happen or that it would even make financial sense, but if given the option, i would swap a spring into either navies or jades that is in-between both weightings
So far, I haven’t met too many clicky switches I didn’t like. I have tried APC green Alps clones and they were weird. The click is different. Other than that, I also had some unbranded blue clones that felt kinda garbage. I like cherry greens and the board at my desk at home right now has heavy razer green clickies (spring swap with 80g springs so they’re actually green level)
*edit: I reread the original question and I don’t think you can compare them to Buckling springs. they’re just so different. And further to that point, the feel is different as well. I’d say you can compare most alps to cherry, but not necessarily all.
I watched the videos. Copam click is the only clicky switch on the list. Never heard of it. I would guess it’s likely a rare and obscure switch. Most of the switches on the list are that but linear. MX Blues and its clones are also considered by him to be by far the worst sounding switch.
I just figured I’d link to his worst switches and worst sounding switches lists because they’re interesting in the context of the discussion. I don’t really agree with Chyrosran22’s feelings about blues. But he seems to feel pretty strongly about them.
Chyrosan has entertaining videos and one of the best voices I’ve ever heard, but I have not taken him seriously since the first time I stuck it out at the end to watch him “type”. I honestly thought he was kidding.
He wasn’t.
I’m a big fan of everything else though. And he’s good for provoking discussions like this one.
I’m curious, what is it with his typing that made you not take him seriously? Because I use my right index finger for space bar. I sometimes use my left thumb but only when my right hand is at the mouse (when gaming) or is busy with something. I mostly use the right shift key for capitalization. Left shift key is only for capitalizing ‘I’. My right pinky is only used for apostrophe/quotation mark key and the enter key. Anything else on the right side beyond the realm of the middle finger, my ring finger does it. With this, I can achieve 100WPM with my lowest being in the 60s. Will I get laughed at by other keyboard enthusiasts with this typing?
i take his recommendations with a grain of salt because many of the boards he recommends are only an option if you want to spend time searching on ebay for new old stock or a lightly-used 20+ year old board, and then go through the process of adapting it…assuming you can buy it for a decent price to begin with.
i mean im not exactly crazy about blue switches myself for typing, but i think he exaggerates his distaste for effect sometimes, and maybe just a wee bit to get a rise out of the “modern” enthusiast community. i could be wrong though
You might, if you put up typing videos. Look, I personally don’t care if you type with your nose. (That might actually be interesting!). My only issue would be that those things you find compelling or best for you, would not apply to me. See what I’m saying?
This is an idiosyncratic group. I’m sure typing methods are all over the map with this community. I learned on a manual typewriter, I hover my hands, my fingertips impact the keys not the finger pads. Is it any wonder that I love spherical scooped caps and nice, stiff switches? It just makes sense for me since that’s the way I type.
So, if you identify with the Chyrosan method, you might pay more attention to his opinion than I do.
I respect that he doesn’t try to hide anything. It’s all out there on display. And, his videos are freaking great. He is a fantastic resource. But, yeah, I giggle at his typing demonstrations.
This is mostly how I approach his videos. I’m very grateful that someone is out there curating the sounds of so many switches and keyboards all with the same recording equipment, and he’s pretty entertaining and knowledgeable about the history and tech. I don’t always agree with his opinions but like anything in life, our preferences don’t have to be shared by everyone. I don’t have access to nearly as much keyboard equipment as he does and his videos help me to understand the subject of my hobby better, so I feel I’m better for it and I respect his work a lot.
Where in my post am I trying to push my typing style unto others?
This is the reason why I shared my typing style. You say you don’t care about other people’s typing style and yet reading the statement above, you seem to judge people by how they type. This means you believe in a correct typing style that everyone should follow and anybody who doesn’t can’t be taken seriously.
Also, I don’t identify with Chryosran’s method. I developed this typing style of mine in my childhood years from typing on IBM Model M2 when diskettes were prevalent.
I just don’t see the point in bringing up a person’s typing style as a criticism.