Have you tried BKE Ultra Light domes, as well? I’m waiting for KeyClack to open back up to get some for my 55g Realforce R2 that I’m planning on modding. Thanks!
Yes, I have ultralights on a FC660c and I prefer them over the lights because they are less loud and the tactility on lights is fun but too much for long typing sessions for me.
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I might help to identify what is about tactiles that you don’t like.
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as the switch gets a lot of good reviews I’m looking forward to experiments with other stems as I’m not a fan of silent switches.
How do they feel with halo stems inside?
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Holy Bobas are very crisp and snappy, very low-wobble, and have a more mellow sound than Holy Pandas. Feel is very similar to a Holy Panda, but “tighter” - with a more clean, less noisy profile to both the sound and feel - if that makes sense. Bottom-out feel is also a little less harsh thanks to the soft plastic in the housing.
Unlubed HP’s have what I would call a slightly rattly element to their sound (as many unlubed switches do), but unlubed Holy Bobas don’t. Tight and clean.
Boba housings ship bone-dry, so I do think you’ll want to lube whatever switches you make with them. They’re already pretty smooth with Halo stems in them dry, but I think some modest lube would only improve the already clean feel.
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Considering that many users here have more experience with and/or a greater repertoire of known switches and frankenswitches, I would like to ask for some recommendation(s).
I’ve used a number of Topre boards, but I wish to find an MX-style switch with similar keyfeel for portable use (less risk/cost associated with mechanical). While I understand that no mechanical switch will ever be able to replicate Topre’s tacility, I am essentially attempting to find/assemble a MX-style switch with a longer, rounder tactile bump. With this in mind, raw/pure tactility is not the priority for the switch(es) I’m searching for.
I’ve reached out and heard from @Deadeye regarding his experience with switches of this “genre”, specifically, his opinions and comparisons relevant to the Boba U4s and his frankenswitch creation of “Heisenbergs” (Many thanks mate). However, I was hoping to hear from more of the KeebTalk community if possible.
As an example, after perusing through keyboard forums and communities (r/MK, GH, KT), several comments have mentioned that Keebwerk Tacit stems + Aliaz housings and Boba U4 stems + Kailh Pro housings are decently round and [relatively] comparable to Topre’s keyfeel. Can anyone confirm and/or add to this list of potential Topre-esque MX switches/frankenswitches?
Thanks in advance everyone 
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This is a difficult comparison, and I’m not going to get into a big discussion of what MX switch feels like Topre.
Halo True and Pro Purple have a similar force profile to rubber-domes and Topre keyboards, with a tactile barrier at the top that rapidly collapses. With Pro Purple, they turn linear after actuation, that’s kinda their attempt to replicate Topre.
Pro Purple is around the weight of 45 G Topre, but much less tactile, Halo True is the heavier 55 G+ and is a heavy switch all-round.
I found that the U4 Boba in light springs 55-62 G feels kinda like Niz domes. Zilents have a quasi-rubber-dome tactility to them, and certainly emphasize bottom-out as much.
There are various MX switches with some similarity to Topre, but I haven’t found one that completely replicates it.
I have heard of various experiments involving Pro Purples and other switches, including the new U4 Boba. I hope to find out more in upcoming weeks. You can also put U4 stems in a Pro Purple housing, use a 68-72 G stem, supposedly very tactile (but scratchy).
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I’m actually getting a bunch of Frankenstein tactile switches soon, and in the upcoming weeks, so we’ll have to see.
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After typing on my Bobas with 65g TX springs for a few days, I think your comparison of them to Niz domes is warranted. Obviously, MX and domes will never feel the same, but my Bobas do give me similar experience to the 65g domes (aftermarket from Niz) in my Niz 87.
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Thanks for the input @HungerMechanic and @fatalruin.
I realize that Topre’s keyfeel is neigh impossible to duplicate in a mechanical switch (SKCM Browns/Neon Greens being by far the closest in feel in my experience, but they are neither readily available nor MX-compatible); but as I’ve mentioned, it’s not necessarily the exact Topre keystroke I’m looking for, but instead a D-shaped “rubber dome”-style tactile event.
Your statement here piques my interest, would you mind elaborating? I’m attempting to compile a list of different MX switches and frankenswitches with some similarity to Topre (aside from your aforementioned Halo True, Pro Purples, Boba U4s).
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Hi Heffy,
It’s actually a pretty short list so far. You have mentioned three of them. The other, I would say, are Zilents. I think you have to take Zilents pretty seriously as a Topre or at least rubber-dome-like switch.
With Zilents, you definitely have a fierce tactile barrier at the top, which is a very large (some say rounded) tactile bump taking up a good portion of the keystroke. In theory, there is no pre-travel, but in reality there is a tiny bit.
And then, when the switch has accumulated enough force to clear the bump, it kinda races towards the bottom. Which is more than a little mushy. So there’s definite parallels to rubber-domes here, especially high-tactility ones (and not just Topre).
[There’s also a variety of frankenswitches involving Zilent / Zealio V2, but I don’t have the money to test those.]
A new contender on the block is Kailh BOX Silent Brown. It’s a 2020 switch. I have some, and I can definitely tell you that they feel like a cross between BOX Brown and Zilent V2. So I’m not sure if they are Topre-like, but they are Zilent-like. [I find that the travel of BOX Silent Brown is too short to be a true Topre-like.]
As for the D-shaped, that’s definitely the Boba U4. Maybe a Boba frankenswitch is what you are looking for. I intend to test Bobas frankenswitched with Pro Purples, and Pro Purples combined with Cherry or OUTEMU parts.
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I decided to try a Kailh Pro U4; a little more tactility than a Purple, but still pretty mild. @HungerMechanic described the Pro Purple well, and it feels pretty similar with the U4 stem - just a little stronger and with the dampeners.
I’m also preparing an experiment for later today; lubing Silent Box Browns. I agree that they might be worth a look for you. I’ve also heard of (and experienced) inconsistency with these; some make light clicking sounds and others don’t, and I’m pretty sure it’s the leaf and plastic pusher hitting each other. So - my plan is to put a little bit of lube on these surfaces:
I’m going to try it with just inside the box, and another with both sides of the pusher lubed - I’ll let you know how that goes.
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Yep if you are looking for Topre feel in a non rubber dome switch those two are your best bet. There is a bunch of SKCM/L ALPS compatible 60% & TKL PCBs out there making ALPS build feasible. Alas those two are pretty high on the rareness list & what you’ll pay for them will reflect that heavily.
Alright - I tried the lubing procedure I mentioned above on the Silent Box Browns, and I got a very different result than I anticipated - but hey - that’s why we experiment.
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Lubing the rails, inside the box, and donut dipping the springs made the switch noticeably more smooth - but the biggest change to the sound profile is the absence of spring resonance.
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Doing the above plus the part of the pusher outside the box as well as the tactile cam on the stem made a pretty significant change: The switch feels even more smooth and with a more clean sound - BUT - lubing those components actually appears to have encouraged the notorious Box clicking. In addition, there’s the predictable change of reducing the tactile weight. The tactile event is less heavy, but more sharp - I think it’s because the plastic parts don’t drag on each-other as much.
So - for someone looking for a big, round bump that feels like a good quality capacitive dome, I would not recommend lubing the tactile components in SBB’s (though I do recommend trying stock ones / lubed only on the rails and spring).
However - for someone interested in a crisp tactile click with a much more muted sound presence and a less harsh bottom-out, these might be worth serious consideration.
They’re definitely audible, but seem practically hushed next to any purposeful clicky switch - and I really do enjoy the style of dampening on the silent Box switches. I think silent Box dampeners strike a very good balance between a crisp feel and reducing the harshness in bottom-out sound and feel.
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what are your results? I’m curious as some folks said 205g0 is too thick for the bobas. Also I’m wondering how is the feel after lubing the legs.
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I can’t speak for others, but lube ruined the feel of them for me. I tried out light applications of 3203 and 3204 on a couple of switches (not the legs mind you), and while the tactility size didn’t seem to diminish, the snappy/poppy feeling was gone, and the bottom out distance felt shorter for some reason. I ended up just oiling the springs (105) and calling it a day. Honestly, they seem to smoothen up with just a little use (not that they were really rough to begin with) – to me stock Bobas feel smoother than lubed V2 Zilents.
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I really appreciate your feedback!
It’s a little bit strange that “Sumthing” mentioned above that he tried it with 205g0 and he noticed an increase in smoothness. What do you have for a spring force? maybe it needs a heavier spring for maintaining the snappy/poppy feeling after lubing.
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I mean, the switches were a bit smoother than unbroken-in switches. The testing was done with the stock 68g springs (which feel really heavy with the bump profile) and with 65g TX springs which are in all the switches now. I would recommend lubing a few as you may not have the same experience as me – you can always wipe it off if you don’t like it or want to try another viscosity.
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All right, I’m gonna go this way. I also ordered 68g, but I still have 60, 62 and 65g TX Springs lying around.
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The 68g springs do make them pop, but they were a little heavy for me. I did repurpose them in some Silent Gat Inks though – they feel much lighter when used in linear switches. The 65g TX springs feel really good, still has a snap to the tactility. I actually ordered some 62g and 65g 16mm TX springs (linear curve) to test out in them.
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