Interesting, I haven’t noticed any pinging on the Outemu Cream Yellow Silents (bought in March 2023).
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Thanks! That is indeed helpful, and I know a few people who would benefit from that information.
@jjkb
Maybe I just had a bad batch of Cream Yellow. The early samples I received weren’t bad.
I’ll have to go over that keyboard again to see if possibly something else is causing ping. It’s more of a ringing, really.
[the latest Cream Yellow variants I mentioned have tested well in a hotswap NCR-80].
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Not sure I can identify ping or ringing sounds correctly but I assume you’re talking about the same sound that I have an issue with in Cream Yellow. Recently tried the jade version as well and there were much fewer switches in the batch with that sound, like maybe 10% of them that I find unacceptable.
In my opinion Anthracite is still the best silent Outemu switch, at least concerning sound.
Thank you @schizobovine for your post about new and unmentioned silent switches. Gives me a good idea of what I’d like to try next.
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I just checked, and my OUTEMU Cream Yellow that are making noise in the board were received in Dec. 2022 or earlier.
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I received a pack of 10 Akko Silent Penguins about a week ago, and I’ve been using them alongside Outemu Cream Yellows (v3, aka “Jade”, translucent housing) in my silent build.
Overall, I think the Silent Penguins are a very good switch that is quite comparable (in feel and sound) to the Cream Yellows. I would definitely recommend people to try these out. The biggest differences are that the Penguins have a slightly heavier spring and exhibited just slightly more of a scratchy noise. However, when using them side-by-side, they quite easily blend into together, and I couldn’t really tell them apart while typing, unless I really slowed down and tried to carefully discern the differences. I’m going to stick with the Cream Yellows, but now I’m trying out the Penguins (likely long-term) under just backspace, enter, and spacebar to see how like that.
I should note that not all of the switches in my batch of Cream Yellows have been perfect either. I think I’m now up to about 6 that I’ve swapped out (over the months) due to them having a bit of high pitched scratchiness.
All of the switches mentioned are in stock state.
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Just a small experiment to answer a question about silents that was posed in this thread:
Basically, Sea Salt Lemon silent linear [Epomaker / KBDiy] was not quiet enough for someone.
I tested a couple in my silenced NCR-80, which has OUTEMU Silent Lemon / Lime in it.
Here are just some thoughts on the various switches I tried [which were OUTEMU Silent Lemon, TTC Silent Brown V2, Epomaker Sea Salt Lemon silent linear, OUTEMU Cream Yellow Pro V2 “Butter Yellow,” and OUTEMU Jade Yellow “Topaz”]:
Butter Yellow felt as if it were 25% louder and 25% more tactile than lubed OUTEMU Silent Lemon.
Butter Yellow felt subjectively a little bit lighter than Jade Yellow “Topaz.”
The Sea Salt Lemon silent linear seemed 10 - 33% louder than Butter Yellow. Especially if Sea Salt was allowed to “smack” or “thump” as it likes to do.
“Topaz” and “Butter Yellow” are about at the same volume level, but make slightly different kinds of noise.
They both make a number of sounds when typing - there is clearly stuff going on here. It’s not particularly ‘clean.’ In fact, “Butter Yellow” is indeed reminiscent of buttered popcorn tumbling down a bowl after being popped.
The TTC Silent Brown V2 are about 10% louder [when someone is talking] than the OUTEMU yellows.
From quiet to louder:
lubed OUTEMU Silent Lemon < stock “Topaz” AND “Butter Yellow” < TTC Silent Brown V2 < Silent Sea Salt Lemon linear
[They are all stock except for the Silent Lemon.]
Stock “Butter Yellow” is actually a pretty good stock switch. It’s close to what you get after lubing a Silent Lemon. [But still not there].
Hand-lubed Silent Lemon in a dampened board is more than adequate for a quiet office keyboard.
TTC Silent Brown V2 are the most ‘Brown-like’ in feel, as advertised. It’s not much more intense than MX Brown, but the bump is top-mounted [like DMT]. In fact, not far from Durock Medium Tactile.
The TTC Silent Brown V2 might have the best typing characteristics for someone accustomed to light-tactiles. However, not being as silent as OUTEMU, you’d probably want to lube them.
The OUTEMU Silent Lemon is sharper in push-feel than the TTC Silent Brown V2.
Ergo Clears are like a horse pulling a wooden buggy over cobblestones.
Silent Sea Salt Lemon linear are just the horse.
Overall, I think that lubing with 3204 produces the best improvement in OUTEMU silent switches, as opposed to buying some other switch.
TTC Silent Brown V2 and Epomaker Sea Salt Lemon silent linear have a propensity to “smack,” which makes them intrinsically less-quiet than the OUTEMU switches.
Someone accustomed with light tactiles (Browns) might be most comfortable with the TTC Silent Brown. They may actually be a little heavier at the top than the OUTEMU Silent Lemon / Lime. However, the TTC Silent Browns are more rounded.
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Haven’t really been following the conversation besides the want for something COMPLETELY silent, saw these on KBDFans just now and they seem quite interesting.
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I’m stoked about these.
I generally love Gateron but thought their Cherry-derivative silents were always kind of lacking, especially in their own housings. They tended to have a funky high resting position that would affect the feeling of switches that would otherwise be apples-to-apples with their non-silent counterparts in the form of extra pre-travel.
This update is a whole new approach, putting the dampening in the housing instead of the stem - which is something they now share with all my other favorite silents in-practice.
These also feature those nifty new “dual rails” which don’t appear to technically prevent wobbling, but do appear to provide a very stable and clean feeling in-use.
In my experience so far, switches with housing dampeners aren’t as hush-quiet as some of the stem dampeners, but they almost universally feel less mushy and more clean. I see some more shaping going on with Gateron’s bottom pad than what I’m used to, so hey maybe these will buck that trend. It also looks like the little bottom feet themselves have been replaced with dampened ones, eliminating the need for something like PCB foam to tackle vibrations between the switch and PCB.
I’m just glad to see the MX platform continuing to evolve.
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Found two Gateron 0° Silent Linear videos.
Sound is pretty decent. Not really silent but less annoying brush stroke like noise typically associated w/silent switches. Full 4mm key travel is great. But then I’m happy with TTC Silent Bluish White paired with GMK keycaps (which I keep around for situations where thick PBT doesn’t sound good).
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A few weeks ago, I obtained a full set (110) “v2 Silent Cream Yellows” (all white opaque housing). These are distinct from the “v3 Jade Silent Cream Yellows” (all white translucent housing) that I’ve had for almost a year now.
Some comparative thoughts (on the switches in stock condition):
- These two switches are very similar. It’s very hard to tell them apart side-by-side in the board unless carefully considering them. The main differentiating factor seems to be the sound.
- The v2 (opaque housing) seem to have a slightly louder and somewhat deeper sound profile than the v3 (“jade”, translucent housing).
- The v2 has a slightly higher actuation force than the v3s. I’ve seen this by pressing switches together stem-to-stem, but I find it difficult to tell the difference in board.
- The opaqueness vs translucence seems to have little noticeable impact (to me) on RGB shine though. They both have a fairly open light slot, and the opaque housing being white does still let light through. However, the RGB performance is not so important to me, so take this subjective impression with a grain of salt.
- So far, over a few weeks of use, the batch of v2s has shown better consistency than my batch of v3s. I simply put them into the board and I haven’t swapped any out due to performance variations. On the other had, I had about half-a-dozen v3s that I’ve swapped out over time.
Overall, I think that both variations of these switches are quite good. I’m continuing to use the v3s in my first silent build, which has a stiff metal plate that seems to amplify sound differences, but I’ve put the v2s into a second silent build, which has a plastic case and a PC plate.
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Looks like Dangkeebs is putting out a line of silent tactiles: [Pre-Order] DK Creamery - Red Velvet
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- 63.5g Bottom-out
PS - I think KTT makes these, and I can vouch for the design in general being good having tried the linear versions. Less mushy than Outemu or old Gateron silents, less firm than Kailh or TTC.
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Yeah, that’s pretty much what I’ve been finding.
Very little difference between “Jade Yellow” and “Butter Yellow.” Mainly in sound, and difficult to perceive.
The Jade Yellow felt lighter in-hand, which lines up with what you say, but once in a board, very difficult to tell the difference between the two.
So, ultimately it’s a matter of preference, and I’d be happy with either. Because I prefer a lower-pitch / deeper sound, maybe the Butter Yellow.
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Oh sweet! These look to have a lot in common with the Silent Brown V2, but look at that spring! Completely covered in a film of grease - that’s what I like to see. My only complaint about that Brown was its metallic noise, and I’d bet that spring treatment takes care of that.
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That was fast. o_0
Differences I noticed between SwagKeys x TTC Peanut Latte (vs TTC Bluish Whites):
- PCB mounting legs (“5 pin” instead of “3 pin”)
- Top and bottom housing are both a milky-white, translucent plastic
- Has a proper lens that is separate from the housings
- PL pole measures ~12.7mm (vs 12.5 for the BW)
- Pole bottom is flat with a slightly raised (1.1mm x ~0.5mm?) circle in the center (vs. a very rounded pole for the BW)
Side-by-side TTC Silent Bluish White vs. SwagKeys+TTC Peanut Latte.
Peanut Latte stems:
Silent Bluish White stems, for reference:
Side-by-side close up of the bottom housings, showing the mounting legs on the Peanut Latte.
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This is very interesting to me.
I recently discovered that TTC Silent Brown V2 go well in a particular board. But it would be nice to lube them, and use a lighter-weighted spring.
Do you think that there is any advantage going to the Peanut Latte, if I am going to use lubed aftermarket springs? And would you say it makes sense to lube the switch?
Something I noticed the other day: TTC Silent Bluish White sounds better with ABS keycap than PBT keycap, closer to Topre sound and less noise.
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Unlike in many cases, I found Silent Brown V2 to sound well with EnjoyPBT, on an M87 Pro.
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Cracking open a TTC Silent Brown (not sure which version) and comparing it to the Peanut Latte:
- The Silent Brown (SB) has the rounded bottom to the stem pole (just like the Bluish-White) vs. the more flattened of the Peanut Latte (PL)
- Very different spring – SB has a 16mm single stage spring, while the PL has a 22mm double stage.
- Very light lube, if any, on the SB, compared to a slightly more noticeable amount on the PL.
So for both of the things you talk about modding are going to be different stock for the Peanut Latte – you might not need to mod them at all, or might only need to change the spring. Definitely something to test with a few first before committing, IMO.
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