Topre’s factory silent switch

Now, I got my little hands on the Ducky Channel’s Realforce keyboard with the silent switch.  (Another good example keyboard that uses the factory silent switch is the ever popular Happy Hacking Keyboard Type-S.  Yes, the one that costs even more than the regular kind with Topre switches.)  I must say that it is different from the custom mod that I have written about earlier.  This version most definitely is different from the regular switch as well.  It’s kind of in the middle of those two extremes, I suppose.  So, in the one extreme, we have the custom mod, which is the quietest version that I have seen.  The factory silenced version is in the middle.  It’s fairly quiet, but not as quiet as the custom mod one.  However, it is also not as springy as the regular version either.  Again, there’s a cost for silencing the keys.  Physics always wins….  The bounciest Topre keyboard I have around is probably the Leopold FC660C.  That keyboard is one chatty and perky unit.  Anyway, back on topic.  The silent switch feels quite close to the original switches.  I suppose Topre didn’t want to compromise too much in the name of silence.  Thus, it’s more like a regular Topre Realforce than the one with custom mod.  The coveted “thock” sound is still present.  The upstroke clack is now more muted just like the mod version.

Overall, I think Topre leaned closer toward keeping as much of the regular feel as possible.  So, they didn’t go all out after silencing the key stroke.  After all, the auditory feedback is, for some folks, an important aspect.  The tactile change is also minimized.  I don’t see too much changes in this aspect either.  Due to the decompression of the O-ring (or disc), the key weight is slightly lower, but honest, it’s probably undetectable unless one is paying careful attention.

So, overall the silent switch on the Ducky Channel keyboard didn’t make too much compromise and kept as much of what makes a Topre switch a Topre switch.  The custom mod version probably took a bit too much out in my view, but again, that is in the eye of the beholder and ear of the listener.  The custom mod is one of the quietest keyboard I have worked on. So, if silence is golden, then be ready to pay the price of admission while retaining many of the welcoming aspects of the Topre switch based keyboard.  For some, that balance may have gone too far, so the middle ground is probably better suited.  Again, it’s good to have choices, once one understands the trade off and knowing the goals that one is trying to achieve.