We should have a tag for keyboards, instead of just peripherals. I've been using the lovely Royal kludge RK61 Bluetooth wired dual-mode 60%. I love the keyboard but I must admit, it is a bit noisy and others have complained. If I picked up the version with Cherry brown would it be perfect or should I look for something similar from another brand? What are reasonably priced options for 60% with backlight?
If it's noisy, I'mma guess Blues. If you like the keyboard as-is, Browns would be quieter - unless you're bottoming out, in which case they'll be about the same volume. If that's the case, you need to either train yourself to stop at the actuation point or fit rubber dampers.
I agree logical assumption says blues, but if you assume you make an ass of u (&) me.... i also agree that bottoming out has a bigger impact on typing volume than the switch itself; SWMBO's keyboard is a membrane and she makes more noise than I do on my mechanical with browns...
The switches are brown, but they aren't cherry. I think it could be a combination of factors. I'm typing on them and lightly tapping the keys (not pressing them) is as loud as typing. It may be that the stems are a bit loose. I have rubber rings but didn't install them as I don't think the sound is from bottoming out. The keys have a lot of movement but I don't have a keyboard with Cherry switches to compare.
Switch tester, sampler or something yup. You can find those on Amazon, usually in the 5-15 quid range.
If browns are too noisy, you could try reds, or you could look for some of the switches specifically marketed as quiet (zilent for one, but i have no experience with them personally). But as sugested by @Jeff Hine and @Andersen you'd definitely be best trying them out via switch test first.
Nope - depends on the build of the keyboard as well. A cheapy plastic may be louder than a more solid plate-mount one, as there's more to bounce and bigger open spaces for it to bounce in. I'm typing on a Filco Majestouch II with Blues right now, and the main keys just make a gentle click (though the space bar makes a more noticeable "thunk" thanks to the Costar stabs.) The ergonomic keyboard with MX Blacks, by contrast, is pretty much silent despite being a massive hollow plastic thing - probably because the angle of typing means I'm not hitting the keys so hard.
It seems I will need to think about investing in a more premium keyboard. Do I have many options with 60%?
Ducky Mini has a metal plate I believe, along with the newest Poker possibly? If you're not bottoming out it shouldn't make much/any more noise than a non mechanical I would have thought. I'm quite a heavy typist so I always bottom out but have yet to have any complaints (I use blacks at work)
If you are happy with paying postage both ways I can loan you a switch tester. Edit....It's one of these has 17 different switches.
I have a collection of 420+ unique keyboard switches. Aliaz switches are both smooth and quiet (they're silent switches). Cherry and Gateron silents feel scratchy. Zilent switches are also very good, but are the most expensive by a decent margin. Any hot-swap keyboard would work if you don't want to solder. GMMK makes one that is decent enough. I use it but rarely swap out the switches.
It has been suggested that mine are probably a copy of brown switches made by the RK company by Kailh. I don't need absolute silence but would like reasonably quiet.
None of the "silent" switches truly are silent. The biggest benefit they have is that the bottom of the stem, the part that "bottoms out" and hits the inside of the switch housing, is cast with little pieces of rubber to soften the landing and dampen the noise. You can look up images of how Aliaz, Zilent, and Gateron silent switches do this compared to Cherry silent switches. Another way to dampen the noise (that I've used successfully) is to get car sound dampening mat and cut it down and install into the inside of the keyboard case. It's cheap and will cut down the hollow reverb noises and a few db from the keyboard.
There's the old 'O-ring trick' of placing a small soft o-ring around the protruding portion of the keyswitch shaft such that the keycap cannot bottom out (due to contacting the o-ring instead). This made its way into some production keyboards to reduce noise (e.g. the Logitech G710+).
The problematic noise is created when my fingers make contact with the keycaps, not from the actuation or bottoming out.
If the noise is from just having your fingers on the keycaps, but not necessarily typing, then there could be a few solutions. Sound dampening mat inside the keyboard will help. Thicker keycaps that absorb more sound. "Box" style switches, which tend to have less play Softer switch housing material, like POM. Heavier case and/or plate
I dunno about noise, but I *do* know that my Filco with ABS keycaps was 'orrid then I threw some PBT caps on there and it was lovely.
