BKE REDUX domes review (in a Topre Realforce)

Chyros · 01 Sep 2018, 09:49

Today we look at BKE REDUX domes for Topre keyboards. Hope you enjoy the video!

haanuman · 01 Sep 2018, 13:45

Great content as always : )

davkol · 02 Sep 2018, 21:30

the_marsbar · 03 Sep 2018, 12:15

I was pretty sure you'd like these when I saw your review of the Realforce keyboard.

I found the domes to produce more sound as well. Personally I wouldn't like to use these domes without some type of dampening.

Chyros · 03 Sep 2018, 13:19

davkol wrote: I've seen people complain about even the lightest BKE domes being too loud… I wonder about that one.

I guess the stiffer domes produce more sound on the upstroke. For the lighter ones though, I don't really see how they'd be noisy Oo .

Hypersphere · 03 Sep 2018, 19:25

@Chyros: Many thanks for your splendid assessment of the BKE Redux domes!

Some time ago, I replaced the standard 45g domes in one of my HHKB Pro 2 boards with 55g domes from a Realforce 87U board. At first, I appreciated the heightened tactility, but now I find the 55g domes somewhat fatiguing after lengthy typing sessions.

Indeed, I find even my 45g Realforce 87U more tiring than my 45g HHKB Pro 2. I attribute this to the unyielding steel plate in the RF compared to the case-mounted switches in the HHKB.

Naturally, people differ in their keyboard preferences, but these observations might nevertheless be helpful to some who are contemplating putting BKE Redux domes in their Topre-switch keyboards.

XMIT · 03 Sep 2018, 21:30

Not too long ago HaaTa and I measured a Plum board with 55g "Korean Domes" and found the force curve to actually be closer to 40g. https://plot.ly/~haata/573 and https://www.ebay.com/itm/112137004390.

So Hypersphere, maybe you could give these a try.

Hypersphere · 03 Sep 2018, 22:27

@XMIT: Good to be in touch with you again, albeit indirectly.

Thanks for the tip about the Korean domes. However, I find the 45g domes in the HHKB to be just right (with Hypersphere silencing rings, of course). Oh, and with lubed stabilizers and switch rails (Superlube 21010 grease on the stabs and Superlube 51010 oil on the switch rails).

Muirium · 04 Sep 2018, 16:20

Someday I might lube my HHKB’s spacebar. But I really can’t afford knocking it out of action. My other keyboards are all to some degree expendable (I can always swap them) while the HHKB alone is vital and has no backup.

the_marsbar · 04 Sep 2018, 16:31

Muirium; it seems like you don’t have enough HHKBs

I’d have a hard time without the two I have. And I’d still like a BT one.

Khers · 04 Sep 2018, 16:44

One HHKB is never enough. Two might do it, but, the more the merrier.

Muirium · 04 Sep 2018, 17:34

Indeed. If I can ever afford anything nice again, I’d go for a black BT model. Then regret it for the bump. And the obnoxious lack of silencing.

Would like a black one though. I’ve white caps to put on it. Bought them at the same time as my HHKB! Forward thinking. But didn’t pan out as Topre is too miserable to make a black Type S.

Hypersphere · 05 Sep 2018, 14:29

@Muirium,

You need to acquire a set of the one true Silencing Rings along with some lube (and a spare black HHKB or two)!

As you may recall, my HHKBs are black, but lubed and ringed. I've kept all the mods except Fn, which is red. The alphas are blue with a red Esc. Most people who see it seem genuinely complimentary.

I still fiddle with a variety of other keyboards, but thus far, I have returned to my HHKB for serious work.

wobbled · 05 Sep 2018, 19:24

Hypersphere wrote: @Muirium,

You need to acquire a set of the one true Silencing Rings.

Yes! KBDfans silence-x are incredible

Hypersphere · 05 Sep 2018, 19:47

wobbled wrote:
Hypersphere wrote: @Muirium,

You need to acquire a set of the one true Silencing Rings.
Yes! KBDfans silence-x are incredible

Yes, here in the USA, we believe in the benefits of healthy competition!

Laser · 12 Sep 2018, 17:48

Some ideas for future reviews in this area, if you're interested: 1) how BKE domes affect the sound of the keyboard (e.g. on the upstroke) and 2) effect of silencing rings (Hypersphere, KBDFans) on various types of domes, from the point of view of sound and tactility.

wobbled · 12 Sep 2018, 21:50

Hypersphere wrote:
wobbled wrote:
Hypersphere wrote: @Muirium,

You need to acquire a set of the one true Silencing Rings.
Yes! KBDfans silence-x are incredible
Yes, here in the USA, we believe in the benefits of healthy competition!

Haha if I lived in the USA I'd buy hypersphere, unfortunately shipping to and from the USA is always a painful ball ache

the_marsbar · 12 Sep 2018, 21:54

I recently installed ironed soft-landing pads, and they work very well in the Novatouch. They are, however, much more time consuming to iron (they need to be paper thin) and install. They can be bought from maxgaming in Sweden.

Chyros · 13 Sep 2018, 02:52

Laser wrote: Some ideas for future reviews in this area, if you're interested: 1) how BKE domes affect the sound of the keyboard (e.g. on the upstroke) and 2) effect of silencing rings (Hypersphere, KBDFans) on various types of domes, from the point of view of sound and tactility.

I've been trying to get PFU to send me a Type-S for the Top X Most Silent video as well as a siund comparison between silenced and unsilenced Topre, but they have proven to be highly uncooperative xD . I may have to reach out to the community soon to borrow one xD .

Elrick · 13 Sep 2018, 04:57

Chyros wrote: I've been trying to get PFU to send me a Type-S for the Top X Most Silent video as well as a siund comparison between silenced and unsilenced Topre, but they have proven to be highly uncooperative xD .

They're Japanese hence their suspicion of any Western analysis of their product is understandable

.

Chyros wrote: I may have to reach out to the community soon to borrow one xD .

There are heaps of HHKB fanatics on 'Geekflap' and some individuals here on DT, just prying their hands off their own keyboards, to send one to you for a review is extremely difficult.

Some of these disturbed individuals would rather lose their right hand than to give another person, the opportunity to use their HHKB. Also your review isn't paid for hence they may feel humiliated for ever buying that HHKB in the first place.

Sometimes ignorance has it's place for any HHKB owner, it helps keep them sane and grounded

.

Laser · 13 Sep 2018, 09:17

And here's Elrick, always ready to use the occasion at hand and throw some more dirt into some imagined category of users or other!

Muirium · 13 Sep 2018, 09:27

Hey, at least *he* doesn’t need to be asked first. Asked! Of all the nerve!

Laser · 13 Sep 2018, 11:31

Muirium wrote: Hey, at least *he* doesn’t need to be asked first. Asked! Of all the nerve!

I can see Elrick already packing his manly, full-size keyboards to send them to Chyros for a review, just to spite us!

Spoiler:

the_marsbar · 14 Dec 2018, 13:10

Chyros; I have to ask, what technique did you use for mounting the domes/springs?

I thought I was going insane after I had assembled my HHKB with BKE lights for the 20th (or so, I lost track) time. It was such a pain to avoid any sticky keys that I almost gave up.

The experience of typing on the keyboard is quite strange (I use Hypersphere's silencing rings to try to take the edge off the tactility, done on purpose).

Chyros · 14 Dec 2018, 14:52

Just took off the pcb, removed the domes, carefully placed the new ones on, put on the springs, and reassembled. Didn't really use a special technique Oo .

the_marsbar · 14 Dec 2018, 14:59

But did you then avoid having keys that would hesitate when bouncing back after being pressed? The test I used was to do quick alternating presses of neighboring keys to hear if one of them would be noisier on the return (indicating that it had been stuck).

I did the same as you, but every time there was 1-6 keys exhibiting this problem, until finally I was able to assemble the keyboard without having the issue.

I mean, sure, they domes are very easy to install. But installing them without this issue was really difficult for me. Perhaps I’m too perfectionist, but I can’t have such uneven sound/feel.

Chyros · 14 Dec 2018, 15:57

No. That sounds like the domes or springs are misaligned. I never had that problem. All keys felt perfectly normal afterwards, too.

Come to think of it I might have elevated the sides of the board, to avoid the keys getting pressed while being upside down.

the_marsbar · 14 Dec 2018, 22:23

I see. No matter what I might not try to do another install right away.

Thanks

the_marsbar · 18 Jul 2019, 13:14

I've been using the keyboard with BKE lights as my main keyboard for the past half year. Now my Type-S is out of the drawer, and the difference is really huge. Not sure what I prefer at the moment (it's nice to have both), but I made quite a few typing mistakes just writing this post with the Type-S.

The domes are louder, even with ironed soft-landing pads, but not so much that it's annoying (still quieter than a stock Pro 2).

Overall quite a positive experience actually. I think I'll leave them in my Pro 2 for a while.