dang that sounds nice I might have to try this one
Yummy monster switch.
Have you had any issues with extremely-fast actuation on these? Heard some feedback that the lightwave stem actuates really high in the keypress like a speed switch, but not sure if thatās related to the housing or stem
In my testing last night, it looked like the switch was actuating roughly halfway through the travel, @ about 2mm, but I didnāt take any actual measurements.
Now Iām pondering a simple travel-measurement dodad I could 3d print⦠I wonder which would be easier - that, or finding my digital calipers I havenāt seen in two monthsā¦
I havenāt actually tried the Lightwaves by themselves in a board yet; Iām pretty impatient about taking stuff apart and messing around with it. 
Edit for subsequent scrollers; the Lightwave V2s themselves are definitely speed switches.
Interesting! Iād be curious to see if you have a different experience with the stock switch but itās good to know thereās at least one part thatās franken-worthy
Iāll definitely be mounting them in a board soon, probably this weekend. I can tell you now that the housing is as weird as the stem, and they do seem to be designed with each-other in mind.
The stem has wider āshouldersā - or the parts a stem normally tops-out on. These are broad and flat, which cause it to top-out early in many housings because of the more narrow tapering at the top of the channels they fit into. The KTT ones have a similarly broad and flat channel for them to strike - and I think the broadness of that surface interaction makes for that extra loud return clack.
Similarly, the KTT housing seems to have a higher āfloorā that the dampening leg things strike; the other stems I tried in the housing seemed to bottom out pretty early, especially Gazzewās silent stems, which have slightly taller shoulders and lower feet than most stems - they sit noticeably low in the KTT housings.
discord.gg/40percent
Just control+F ācop carā or ācopreā, itās basically the only place Iāve found discussion about it.
You did or did not lube the stems to make these?
Thinking about doing ultimate lemon build on Bacca60 poly - these switches and Infinikey Strawberry Lemonade Keycaps 
Mine are currently un-lubed (or only have the trace factory oil on the stem pole, anyway) for the moment.
If I have enough time this weekend Iām planning to do a sound test comparing them lubed and un-lubed, and comparing those to Lightwave V2ās lubed an un-lubed.
So I got my Kailh Polia and finally had some time to play with the stems. My comparisons will be mostly to the U4T because I only tried the Polia stem in the Boba housing and my favorite tactile currently is the U4T (and Boba U4)
Lubed Stock Polia (with Krytox205g0):
Itās not bad, but not for me. I wouldnāt use Polia stock.
Polia stem in Boba housings:
Slightly less tactility than the U4T stem. Sound signature is fairly similar to the U4T switch, which wasnāt too surprising. The wobble with the Polia stem seemed very similar to the U4T stem in the Boba housing - meaning it lacked wobble and felt very secure.
Tactility: Polia vs U4T
The bump is slightly smaller on the Polia stem verus the U4T stem. I donāt have that much experience with various stems and comparing them, but theres a bit more room after the bump on the Polia while the U4T is basically all bump. The Polia has a āPā bump and U4T stem has a āDā bump.
I really do like the Polia lavender/purple color =D Itās very pleasing to the eye. I can see myself using the stem for color themed builds. The tactility is fairly nice.
Final thing Iād say isā¦opening the Polia switches is an annoying process that I did not appreciate.
(Please note that I also havenāt been in the hobby that long and donāt have that much experience trying different tactiles)
I like Polia stem in boba housing as well, they are less sharp compare to holy boba and U4T and produce a deep muted sound as well
Ordered me the parts for some Deadpools. Very excited to build them!
To be entirely honest, I couldnāt think of a better place to post this announcement:
Does the new Ultra-Premium Zeal tax got you bummed out about your Zykos switches? Well, if there was ever a better time to be excited about a switch review, this week Iām bringing you Cannonkeysā new Neapolitan Ice Cream switches which are billed as a one-switch, stock Zyko alternative. Do these really stack up to your favorite finger-breaking tactility, or are these too sweet of a deal to be real?
Website Link: https://www.theremingoat.com/
Article Link: Neapolitan Ice Cream Switch Review ā ThereminGoat's Switches
Instagram Link: https://www.instagram.com/theremingoatmk/
Twitter Link: https://twitter.com/GoatTheremin
Patreon Link: https://www.patreon.com/theremingoat
Hope you all enjoy, as these were really fun to get to try out!
Cheers,
ThereminGoat
Not sure how I missed your review before I bought a batch of the Hippos this makes me feel much better about taking the leap. I had a feeling Gateron would be able to control the QC on the stems better than any of aftermarket UWHMPE stems weāve seen & your reviews seems to confirm that! Canāt wait to get my batch in & get some properly lubed up, will definitely report back when I do!
Thatās pretty clever going with Giant springs. Even with a light spring weight, thereās still enough preload to get over the bump eliminating the tradition of needing to go heavy.
@Deadeye had a bit on this.
IMO, these do sound a bit scratchy on linears. Iām thinking since thereās like double the spring coil, this leads to more contact with the stem pole during actuation. ![]()
this made me try the matcha stem in a full Boba housing, which I overlooked thinking it would stick. but it works! NOICE
Arenāt polia stems just recolored halos according to @Deadeye? Holy bobas and polia bobas should feel the same
Hello and welcome!
Iām pretty sure theyāre the same - but not 100% certain. At minimum theyāre very close.
When it comes to Boba housings specifically, it might depend where you get them. Some places ship them bone-dry, but I could swear the ones I got from Gazzew have been carefully lubed - which will mellow the bump a bit. I have two batches of 62g Boba U4s, and one batch is more smooth with a bit more gentle peak tactile force - which Iām all but sure comes down to lube.
At some point Iāll have the force-curve dodad finished, but if thereās anyone else who would be down to take force-curves of a few switches with each stem, Iād be happy to send the samples - because at the end of the day, measurements are more precise than my eyeballs.
Iām very curious to see if my hunch is correct, or if there really is a meaningful distinction between the two stems - and if so, what that difference is. (Iām also curious to see if the upcoming Kailh Canary switch has yet another iteration of the same shape, or something completely different.)
They are close but not the same. Polia is a bit rounder in terms of the bump compare to halo.
All the halo stem have small difference between them due to the material and the tooling. Another example I can think of is Tecsee halo clone, their halo clone are less tactile compare to true halo in my opinion
