circle26 t1_j98nwq5 wrote on February 20, 2023 at 2:29 AM

I could be wrong, but the acoustic different between ABS & PBT should be flipped

LikeableMisfit t1_j98yfsb wrote on February 20, 2023 at 3:58 AM

the most up-to-date theory that i am personally aware of is that total mass is the leading factor in a keycap's effect on sound pitch.

JimmyTheDoor OP t1_j98qx1t wrote on February 20, 2023 at 2:53 AM

I just looked into it and from different sources I get different information. I'll dig a little more into it and rework that section to be more factual. The way I wrote it might be misleading.

Thanks for your feedback :)

circle26 t1_j98tgfz wrote on February 20, 2023 at 3:15 AM

I can't speak the actual material science behind both plastics, but generally PBT is know of a deeper sound, aka "thocc" and ABS higher pitched, aka "clack"

AFAIK (but some one please correct me if I'm wrong) PBT has a higher melting point but the material is still more malleable when solid so it resonates with lower pitches more; ABS on the other hand has a lower melting point but more brittle, hence the resonance with higher pitches

For all factors (but not definitive) aspects of a keyboard that could effect sound, [here's a link]!(https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15XmznA5T9d4PkfBG0TDS82ou6ihBh0oqr8Aux24SNz0/edit#gid=1460450169)

JimmyTheDoor OP t1_j99t72n wrote on February 20, 2023 at 10:04 AM

Thanks for chipping in! I really had it wrong the more I look into it. That link is a great ressource as it goes in great details about all the keycap materials and thickness (which I have not really mention) that may be overlooked when shopping, I've added it to the guide thank you so much <3

GibberMusic t1_j99bh0t wrote on February 20, 2023 at 6:09 AM

The sound differences between abs and pbt caps are mostly related to the density/mass of the materials. Pbt is a denser material than abs, so in general pbt keycaps are heavier than abs and therefore sound more muted/lower pitched.

Abs is technically a "softer" material than pbt, but the difference is negligible, especially when compared to the impact mass and density have on acoustics. This is probably what causes many of the misconceptions.

Not sure if it would be too heavy for a beginner's guide, but adding a little blurb about keycap thickness couldn't hurt. With many of the budget keycaps beginners tend to buy, thickness tends to matter the most. Cheap abs keycaps tend to be pretty thin (less mass, higher pitched), and cheap pbt caps are sometimes even blends of both pbt and abs

JimmyTheDoor OP t1_j99tnzt wrote on February 20, 2023 at 10:11 AM

Thanks for your feedback. I have edited the post to be more factual and added the link provided by /u/circle26 as it is a great ressource to really understand how different materials and thicknesses really affect the board. I really had it wrong at first but this is exactly why I made this post! Learning new things everyday :)

Thank you so much <3