deskthority

I have a Dell AT101W (black Alps) and while I like the switches well enough, the sound drives me batty. I like a clicky keyboard, but relative to a Model M or Apple AE II the Dell sounds hollow, echo-y and cheap.

I’m wondering if this is a case issue, a keycap issue, or both. Has anyone tackled this?

I would think that some thick PBT keycaps would help, but such a thing doesn’t exist (at least not in a new set I can buy). Tai-Hao has double-shot ABS keycaps and a stepped Caps Lock that would fit, but I doubt that would make enough of a difference relative to the cost.

Other than that, the only thing I can think of is to put some sound-deadening foam inside the case.

Many years ago I had a Monterey K102 (blue SKCM) with the same issue. I put some 1/8 inch closed cell foam between the PC board and lower case and that helped dampen the sound. I had forgotten about that until I opened it up a while back to compare to a white SKCM K102 I bought and found the foam inside. It's not as much of an issue with the desk I have now, but that does affect the overall sound. Not that most of us are going to change desks to fine tune the sound of our keyboard.

Thanks, I’ll try that!

Fuzzyman wrote: 27 Feb 2021, 22:31 I have a Dell AT101W (black Alps) and while I like the switches well enough, the sound drives me batty. I like a clicky keyboard, but relative to a Model M or Apple AE II the Dell sounds hollow, echo-y and cheap.

I’m wondering if this is a case issue, a keycap issue, or both. Has anyone tackled this?

I would think that some thick PBT keycaps would help, but such a thing doesn’t exist (at least not in a new set I can buy). Tai-Hao has double-shot ABS keycaps and a stepped Caps Lock that would fit, but I doubt that would make enough of a difference relative to the cost.

Other than that, the only thing I can think of is to put some sound-deadening foam inside the case.

I've had success with swapping out the keycaps on my AT101Ws with some Tai-Hao doubleshots, it makes the switches sound quite a bit better IMO.

I confirm that keycaps can alter the sound a lot. I had 2 sets of spare, relatively thin doubleshot ABS caps - one from a Focus board and one from a Tai-Hao "Clicker" generic dome with slider board. Surprisingly, the Tai Hao cheapo caps - marginally thicker but narrower, though more or less the same height - sound bassier and more pleasing than the Focus ones. Both sound better than the stock caps. To eliminate rattling on stabilized keys, put a small amount of lube on the plastic nubs that are held into the mounting plate. No need to lube the wire itself.

Also, if you have spares, the clips on the keycaps that hold the stabilizing wire can be changed. I swapped the open jawed (like a C shape at the end) stock Dell white ones with closed jaw (like a D shape at the end) gray ones I had from the Focus board, and these reduced the rattling as well, presumably cause the wire has less room to move around when the key is pressed.

Adding case damping didn't improve the sound and can mess with closing the case flush and flexing noises if the clips aren't affixed right.

The hollowness comes 80-90% from the keycaps; the rest the plastic nubs and clips of stabilized keys.

I got two 101s, both pretty clean. One of them I did the budget keeb thing. I packed the chassis with that foam you find in sheets that they wrap T.V.s and monitors in. Sandwiched two big, heavy metal rods in between the foam. Secured the stabilisers on the mounting plate with little strips of electrical tape. Greased the wires of the stabs. Cost me next to zero, board still looks stock but damn does it sound better! It ain't god-tier or anything but I can put the modded board next to the stock one and it sounds deeper and tighter. Obviously, no stab rattle at all. The ISO enter may be the nicest sounding Enter I've heard.

Cheap, worth the effort and all easily reversible if so desired.

It's both. You can put Tai-haos on it to improve it slightly, and maybe dampen the case with some foam or something to shut it up or at least deepen it a bit.