ZealPC Clickiez switches review (GMMK Pro)

[Chyros]

Forgot to post this from yesterday . Today we look at the new click leaf switches, "Clickiez", by ZealPC! A very interesting combination between Alps and Cherry MX. Hope you enjoy the video!

[Lalaland124]

Forgot to post this from yesterday . Today we look at the new click leaf switches, "Clickiez", by ZealPC! A very interesting combination between Alps and Cherry MX. Hope you enjoy the video!

I was pleasantly surprised by the sound, especially with the bigger keycaps. Will be awesome to see what custom boards/mods people will come up with (and how they will sound in a different chassis). Great video as always!

[Muirium]

Aye. Very informative.

How about upstroke damping? I’m a sucker for that stuff: it cleans up the whole keyboard’s sound for me, muffling return stroke “noise” from the downstroke “signal” far as I’m concerned. Are these as damper friendly as Alps or (recent) MX?

[zrrion]

Did you have foam inside the GMMK for the review? I think it would be good to have a typing test of these with and without foam in the GMMK for thorough comparison.

[Chyros]

Aye. Very informative.

How about upstroke damping? I’m a sucker for that stuff: it cleans up the whole keyboard’s sound for me, muffling return stroke “noise” from the downstroke “signal” far as I’m concerned. Are these as damper friendly as Alps or (recent) MX?

They don't come with dampeners by default and there are no cutouts for them. I'm not sure if Zeal has any plans of making those, and I'm not aware that Gateron sells and dampened CAP stems. I'd consider it a "no" for now.

Did you have foam inside the GMMK for the review? I think it would be good to have a typing test of these with and without foam in the GMMK for thorough comparison.

I never added or removed anything from the GMMK Pro chassis so whatever it is by default, it's still that.

Tbh I'd be interested in an acoustically OK hotswap keyboard but all the hotswap boards I have atm are terrible for sound. Someone ought to make one that resembles a Leading Edge case xD .

[Go-Kart]

I'm surprised a switch of such design hasn't been done sooner. Very happy to see it's been done well.

[Muirium]

In the video, he does talk at reasonable length about an 80s or 90s (I already forget) attempt at just this concept, which he even has some examples to demonstrate. And does! But, yeah, I get your point. There’s been a lot of goofing around lately without getting here till now.

Strange to think about those vintage clone innovators, and how disappointing it must have been for their product to die an early death. They were keyboard nerds decades ahead of their time!

[Findecanor]

Aye. Very informative.

How about upstroke damping? I’m a sucker for that stuff: it cleans up the whole keyboard’s sound for me, muffling return stroke “noise” from the downstroke “signal” far as I’m concerned. Are these as damper friendly as Alps or (recent) MX?

They don't come with dampeners by default and there are no cutouts for them. I'm not sure if Zeal has any plans of making those, and I'm not aware that Gateron sells and dampened CAP stems. I'd consider it a "no" for now.

Too bad that the slider and bottom housing is non-compatible with Cherry MX. I wonder why they chose this. Is it so they could use a main spring with a less steep progression or something?

Before I noticed that I thought for a moment that it would have been possible to at least try a slider from a Cherry MX Silent Red ("Pink") in there. That slider appears to have mating surfaces that could interface with the teeth on the click leaf.

[Chyros]

Aye. Very informative.

How about upstroke damping? I’m a sucker for that stuff: it cleans up the whole keyboard’s sound for me, muffling return stroke “noise” from the downstroke “signal” far as I’m concerned. Are these as damper friendly as Alps or (recent) MX?

They don't come with dampeners by default and there are no cutouts for them. I'm not sure if Zeal has any plans of making those, and I'm not aware that Gateron sells and dampened CAP stems. I'd consider it a "no" for now.

Too bad that the slider and bottom housing is non-compatible with Cherry MX. I wonder why they chose this. Is it so they could use a main spring with a less steep progression or something?

Before I noticed that I thought for a moment that it would have been possible to at least try a slider from a Cherry MX Silent Red ("Pink") in there. That slider appears to have mating surfaces that could interface with the teeth on the click leaf.

They're Gateron CAP stems, Gateron made them because apparently it increases stability (and probably is supposed to increase smoothness as well), you know, the usual yadda yadda. They're by no means exclusive to this switch, Zeal just hiked along with the ride.

[oofers]

I like the sound quite a lot, shame they're so expensive.

[Elrick]

Good review Chyros. Nice to see more Clicky-switches getting some love here on DT.

A true pure breed 'Mongrel Switch', that deserves its existence and praise.

[Elrick]

I like the sound quite a lot, shame they're so expensive.

The really GOOD switches, tend to always be slightly higher in cost.

Best to suffer the cost than suffer another day's use, of a standard Cherry MX designed switch.

Have already put in an order for these clicky-babies, nice release for 2022.

[JCMax]

Awesome! I think I'll add these to the to-try list. It's so cool they've made the switch type adjustable. It looks like the clones are starting to finally try to bring back the goodness of the switches of old. I'm with you in the "cherry sucks" department!