How quiet is quiet...

[JWMiddleton]

Many of you will not have my problem for years, thus you might now be able to answer my question. I got hearing aids this week thanks to 10 years in the U.S. Army to include a tour in Vietnam where my hearing was damaged. Because of this, the VA has fitted me with these devices. They really help, but it is taking a bit to get use to, especially when on the computer as the various Logitech keyboards I have are SOOOO loud!! Without the hearing aids, I can hardly hear the keys. Now it is super annoying.

A search on this site shows the Corsair K70 RGB MK.2 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard as a quiet option as it uses Cherry MX Brown switches. One of the posts copied this info from Amazon: "Low actuation force, quiet tactile bump. Can be viewed as a compromise between the Red and Blue, typists generally prefer the tactile 'bump' feeling, yet the key is quiet so it won't annoy your neighbors."

All the keyboards I use are wireless non-mechanical type and really don't want to pay bunch of money for a mechanical keyboard.

So, are Cherry MX Brown switches the quietest? Or, do you have another suggestion?

John

 

[igor_kavinski]

The 6 Best Quiet Keyboards - Fall 2022: Reviews - RTINGS.com

You may know that these guys approach everything scientifically so their recommendations tend to be pretty good.

 

[JWMiddleton]

BTW - Not interested in RGB lighting on keyboard.

 

[JWMiddleton]

The 6 Best Quiet Keyboards - Fall 2022: Reviews - RTINGS.com

You may know that these guys approach everything scientifically so their recommendations tend to be pretty good.

Thanks Igor. I saw that and like rting.com. I used that site to find my current TV. I asked the question here as quiet is subjective and possibly none of the folks here are in my situation and can really help.

John

 

[igor_kavinski]

Two options that may be what you are after:

Logitech G PRO TKL Wired Mechanical GX Brown Tactile Switch Gaming Keyboard with RGB Backlighting League of Legends, Blue 920-010533 - Best Buy

Matias Quiet Pro Keyboard for PC

They have sound clips so you can get some idea of their loudness.

Looks like someone here thinks the Matias is ultra quiet: Mechanical keyboards and hearing aids.. : MechanicalKeyboards (reddit.com)

The guy's wife has the same issue as you.

From the same link:

Topre. Either silent realforce or a type s HHKB. My favorites and completely replaced my need for cherry style switches. Way more tactile then your browns and way more quiet as well. In addition, the sound that is there is a much lower pitch softer sound so it won’t be as jarring to your wife as the cherry style switches.

Zilent® V2 Switches (Silent Tactile) - Zeal Generation Inc. (zealpc.net)

Hope these end your quest

 

[In2Photos]

First of all, thank you for your service!

The Best Buy here has quite a selection of keyboards that you can possibly tryout in store (if you have one around) to see if there is a key type that you like. I think a lot of keyboards have the same loudness, but they have different pitch based on the key type. I hate "clicky" keys as they are higher pitched. I enjoy the orange switches in my Razor keyboard a lot. Note that most of the nicer "gaming" keyboards are going to come with RGB. That said, the RGB can be turned off. Or you may choose to use a white backlighting at dim levels for use when it's dark.

 

[OlyAR15]

While the MX Brown switches themselves may be quiet, the keys will make a loud clack when they bottom out. You will most likely need o-rings to reduce that sound. I have a Ducky TKL with the MX Browns (two of them, in fact) and really like them. The noise doesn't bother me at all, so I didn't go to the expense of buying those o-rings. If tactility isn't an issue, you might be better served with a membrane or scissors type keyboard instead.

 

[JWMiddleton]

Thanks to everyone for the quick responses!

First of all, thank you for your service!

You are very welcome! I was no hero as I was within weeks of being drafted in Oct 1965. By joining I ended up in Finance and got to live in some fantastic places like Japan, Germany, Belgium and Colorado. Plus, I got a college degree that would have never been possible otherwise.

The Best Buy here has quite a selection of keyboards that you can possibly tryout in store (if you have one around) to see if there is a key type that you like. I think a lot of keyboards have the same loudness, but they have different pitch based on the key type. I hate "clicky" keys as they are higher pitched. I enjoy the orange switches in my Razor keyboard a lot. Note that most of the nicer "gaming" keyboards are going to come with RGB. That said, the RGB can be turned off. Or you may choose to use a white backlighting at dim levels for use when it's dark.

Great idea on BB. I'll check them out.

John

 

[sdifox]

I don't see how mechanical kb can be quieter than membrane kb.