I tried some silent switches recently and I was quite surprised by which one was the quietest

Submitted by Paraless t3_11bsm2d in MechanicalKeyboards

I got a new keyboard and wanted to make it silent, so I did some research about silent switches and bought some:

  • Gazzew U4 Boba
  • Durock Shrimp
  • Durock Dolphin
  • Durock Daybreak
  • Kailh Midnight Pro Linear
  • Kailh Midnight Pro Tactile
  • Outemu Silent Peach
  • Outemu Silent Lime

And now here are some highlights:

MOST SILENT SWITCH

  • Outemu Silent Peach/Lime: would you have guessed that the cheapest switches on this list are the quietest? I was so surprised! For me there really is no contest: if you want quiet switches (I bought them to use at the office), these are the ones 100%. I gotta say, the tactility on the Limes is a bit weird, like there's a double bump? I'm fairly new to this hobby and even newer to tactile switches, but it feels a bit weird. I like how light they are though (Limes 35g operating force; Peaches 40g operating force).

BEST FEEL

  • Gazzew U4 Boba: if you're looking for a silent tactile and want the best tactility, I think this is definitely king. Sorry I don't know how to describe it because, as I've said, I'm kind of new to this hobby and also English is not my first language, but they feel great!

WORST SILENT SWITCH

  • Kailh Midnight Pro (Linear/Tactile): oh man, the disappointment was BIG with these two. First of all, they are by far THE LOUDEST. Of course they are not as loud as a normal linear/tactile, but personally I'd hardly classify them as silent, maybe semi-silent. And regarding the tactile one, where's the tactility? It feels almost the same as the linear, like... I don't understand how that's possible, but they both feel the same! And to think I almost bought 100 switches without trying them first... I dodged a bullet for sure.

DUROCKS:

  • Shrimp/Dolphin/Daybreak: don't get me wrong, I don't think they are bad switches (Silent Alpaca is supposedly a recolor of the Dolphin), but they aren't as silent as the Outemu nor do feel as good as the Gazzew U4 Boba, so in this particular list they fall in the middle. From what I've read, they are way better after being lubed and filmed, but honestly I think I have lubed and filmed enough switches this year. I'm currently using the KTT Strawberries for my non-silent board and Outemu Silent Limes for the silent one; both are factory lubed and I'm delighted, so from now on I will probably just buy switches that don't need lubing because it really is time-consuming. Out of these three, the Shrimps have the best feel; Daybreaks are the loudest, Dolphins are the quietest. All three kind of sound like there's something loose inside? Like a rattle, I don't how to describe it; maybe it's leaf noise? I'm not sure.

Anyway, English is not my first language and also I'm quite new to this mechanical keyboard stuff, but still I hope this post isn't completely useless and can actually help somebody buy their next silent switches.

If you have annything you want to say about these switches or if you want to suggest different switches, that would be great! Cheers!

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Comments

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Previous_Raisin5568 t1_ja03hn8 wrote

Actually I'm not that surprised - a lot of good silent switches aren't focused on complete silence so much as maintaining decent feel while being very quiet. If you give up 5% noise to get 20% better feel, most people will make that tradeoff.

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Nyohn t1_ja0e9wd wrote

Haimu Heartbeat are the quietest switch I've ever tried and it does it all without rubber dampeners, so it feels exactly like a regular switch. Can really recommend for office use

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-Kasu t1_ja15fcl wrote

They are still pretty far from a normal switch, better than traditional silicone for its quietness, but still mushy

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Futuristick-Reddit t1_ja1fgig wrote

Uh oh, I was going to get Whispers for my next build because I hate the mushiness of U4s. Are they noticeably bad?

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-Kasu t1_ja1thra wrote

Feeling wise they are better than u4 in regards to bottom out feeling (less mushy), less tactile than u4 though but very comfortable

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sayqm t1_ja2c6ie wrote

Less mushy than u4 but still slightly mushy at the bottom

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Nyohn t1_ja2at4a wrote

They are a normal linear switch with holes drilled in the bottom to allow sound to escape which is what makes them silent, so there is absolutely no mushiness.

Edit: haven't tried the whispers since tactiles aren't my favourite but I believe the whispers aren't quite as silent since that tactile bump produces a little bit more sound of course.

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RockyValderas t1_ja2gnic wrote

The stems also have little leaf spring type bits that dampen the bottom out (might be on the top out too). That’s the part that makes them feel slightly mushy.

I got the Heartbeats to try out, but I couldn’t get over the feel. Silent switches just aren’t for me.

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Nyohn t1_ja2mofm wrote

Mushy is not the word, they have a slight cutout at the bottom of the stem which softens the impact a little bit but it's more like bending your knees a bit when landong after a jump compared to landing on a mattress. So not even remotely like the mushy feeling rubber dampeners have.

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RockyValderas t1_ja3xvjz wrote

Definitely better than the silicon dampeners, but also definitely not like a normal switch either.

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Nyohn t1_ja2au6t wrote

I'm not sure we're talking about the same switch

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phlurker t1_ja137bs wrote

What other silent switches have you tried in the past?

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Nyohn t1_ja2bcnu wrote

Zilents, U4, Cherry and Gateron silents. And then some UHMWPE linear switches which aren't marketed as silent but I do find them quieter than pom or nylon based switches and without any dampeners.

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phlurker t1_ja2kdse wrote

Just clarifying but are they quieter than U4s or just quieter than switches without dampeners? If it's the former, then I'll probably be trying them out.

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Nyohn t1_ja2mwg8 wrote

I can't say for sure regarding the whispers tactile since I haven't tried those, but comparing the U4 with the heartbeat the heartbeat is quieter, and feels just way, way, better. I would guesd that the whispers are probably on par with the U4, the tactile bump probably increases the sound just slightly over the linears. But the whispers I would assume have the U4 beat in feel.

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-Kasu t1_ja33tok wrote

They are not quieter than u4, u4 is still one of the quietest tactile switches. Whispers still have a bit of a top out noise. It isnt as dampened on the upstroke.

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kool-keys t1_j9zwx3e wrote

The U4T isn't a silent switch. Do you mean the U4?

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Paraless OP t1_j9zya3c wrote

Sorry I meant the U4 Boba! Fixed it.

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tms t1_ja026ms wrote

Would love to try the Outemu Peach and Lime switches. I use both U4 and Midnight Pro (the very lightly tactile one) and I enjoy them both despite the latter being more noisy, it makes a very soothing marbly sound on in my kbd67 lite (PC plate, foams).

U4 was the quietest switch I had tried until Mode Anthracite. They initially felt too heavy, but they're growing on me. I'm so pleased that mode even bothered making a silent switch and they bring something new. Less tactile than U4 but still noticeable.

To make a quiet keyboard you have to start with the switches, they are the source of vibrations to begin with. But the plate material and case have a lot to say what happens to the sound that is left. A metal plate in an open case is certainly going to accentuate any spring ping, leaf making contacts and plastic scratching.

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Lukeski14 t1_ja3x8d7 wrote

Give the Outemu Cream Yellows a try if you can. They're a better Boba, more silent, same feel.

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NoOne-NBA- t1_ja4adv6 wrote

Gateron Aliaz switches are extremely quiet as well.
The bump on them has a bit of pre-travel, then crosses the bump, and increases in weight as it approaches bottom out.

By contrast, my Zeal Zilents, drop off the bump almost immediately, and decrease in weight as they approach bottom out.
That feels better to me, but is a bit louder than the Aliaz switches, although still very quiet.

I run both of those with Gateron White springs in them, to lighten them up to 35g.

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Jrifty t1_ja24qfg wrote

I wanted the boba but they were sold out in my region. Went with the durock shrimps due to their availability on Amazon and easy returns. Non lubed they’re quite mediocre but after lubing they totally transform. Compared to my friends board which has the boba switches I don’t feel I’m losing out and they’re cheaper too.

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bootilious t1_ja575lw wrote

How do the mode ones stack up to anyone who owns this.

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SouLBusterFr t1_jaciuka wrote

What should I buy if I want mid budget silent switches (up to 40 bucks 70pcs) to use at the office? I like the linear and tactical switches but like you I'm a newb to this so I don't really know, based on what you said the Gazzew or the Outemu seems pretty attractive to me but I don't know how I'd appreciate it, at the office I have currently a basic cherry keyboard (the first one you usually see on their website) at home for gaming I have proprietary linear switches from my Corsair keyboard but for desktop work at the office I don't really know

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Paraless OP t1_jack226 wrote

I had many people complain in the office when I had normal linears (they were very loud) and that's why I switched to silent switches. No one complains anymore.

If what you want is minimal sound, then definitely go for the Outemu. The feel on the Gazzew is better, but they are also heavier which makes typing for me a bit more tiring. The Outemu are lighter and also cheaper.

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SouLBusterFr t1_jackh5r wrote

Thanks you so much for the fast answer, I think I'll go for the outemu but I wonder if the colour of the switch make it ugly on the keyboard overall,

Planned to get myself an alpha 87 barebone with domikey-knight keycap set (mostly white - blue colours)

Don't know If I could go for a cheaper alternative for a keyboard tho

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[deleted] t1_jaclgal wrote

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SouLBusterFr t1_jacmhd7 wrote

May I ever know what my man was trying to tell me 😂🙏

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