Leopold FC980C disappointing

Submitted by laedinbed t3_yg9x31 in MechanicalKeyboards

Let me start with the positives:

The topre switches are amazing. Typing feels so incredibly fluid, as if my thoughts are just materializing onto my screen. The 30g topre makes my reds feel heavy.

Maybe I just had unreasonable expectations for Leopold. Unfortunately, this keyboard feels less solid than my $100 Durgod TKL. Something about the keycaps or switches makes typing feel very unsatisfying.

I wish there were better pre-built keyboards with topre, I don't know if i'm deep enough into the rabbit hole to build my own yet.

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QWERKey-UK t1_iu7sz7g wrote

>The lack of doubleshot PBT keycaps makes typing feel very unsatisfying

If they are terrible, it's got nothing to do with not being PBT and Double shot. Many really nice key caps are neither PBT or double shot. I have a Leopold board, and it's fine.

You said typing feels incredibly fluid, as if thoughts just materialise on the page, then say the keys make typing feel very unsatisfying. What exactly, apart from the plastic chassis do you feel is wrong with it? It's still one of the better ways to get a fairly decent Topre board. You can always add weight to it if you feel it needs to be a bit more substantial.

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laedinbed OP t1_iu7yfps wrote

The $99 board I mentioned in OP has a very satisfying feeling when bottoming out. If it's not the doubleshot caps I can't put a finger on what else it could be.

Both boards I own have a plastic chassis, but the Leopold doesn't have the same satisfying Thonk. The Leopold's chassis also has a relatively rough surface while my old one has a really smooth surface. Maybe I'm used to the latter but all of these details just make the $260 Leopold feel cheaper than my $99 Durgod.

You mentioned that many really nice key caps are neither PBT nor double shot, are you talking about the build or design? Both of my keyboards are pretty monochrome and bland, I really like this simplistic look.

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insolentpotato t1_iuc9erj wrote

>The $99 board I mentioned in OP has a very satisfying feeling when bottoming out. If it's not the doubleshot caps I can't put a finger on what else it could be.
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>Then I'm really not sure why the board with the reds feel better bottoming out than the topre ones, could it be the spring on the switch itself?

Are you a heavy or forceful typer? You may prefer the 45g variant then. 30g is very light and linear for a lot of people, especially those who prefer the tactility of higher dome weights . But it looks like you like linear switches on steel plates (Durgod). 30g won't be making the same sound or feel--it will be a lot more pillowy or squishy even for some people. I happen to like that, but I also like pounding away on 55g domes (usually in Realforce TKLs) or u can find aftermarket domes by Deskeys in more weights (but they have a different sound signature.)

As for the case build/chassis...only the Heavy-9 by Norbauer exists for 980C at the moment, but who knows what else may appear. You can't really beat Leopold caps or case quality tbh. It's ok to prefer a smoother texture though, if you like that. And having owned a Durgod full size before, I did not have any complaints about its case whatsoever.

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laedinbed OP t1_iuca16w wrote

Thanks for the interesting reply. The squishy feeling you mentioned is something I noticed but couldn’t put my finger on!

Do you think a 45g topre would help with the tactile feedback here and satisfaction of bottoming out, or should I consider a different switch all together?

I thought there 30g would be nice but I didn’t realize I was as forceful as I am when it comes to typing.

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insolentpotato t1_iuj098j wrote

I'm not you so I don't know if 45g will give you the feedback and bottom out you're seeking. See if you can go to a keyboard meetup in your area to try other boards/switch types so you can figure out what experience you'd prefer. Otherwise, picking up a 45g board on the aftermarket may be your move if budget allows. Sales do come up around the holidays so you might get lucky on a deal.

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QWERKey-UK t1_iu7zfun wrote

I'm talking of quality. Double shot is just a means of producing the legends. There are loads of superb quality caps that are not double shot and there are loads of high quality caps that are not PBT. GMK are ABS. Milky way are not double shot.

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laedinbed OP t1_iu80qtz wrote

>Post Insights

Thanks for the clarification. Then I'm really not sure why the board with the reds feel better bottoming out than the topre ones, could it be the spring on the switch itself?

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desyphium t1_iu9bjwy wrote

Topre doesn't use springs in the same way that discrete switches do. Your reds have a slider that bottoms out against the bottom housing of the switch. With Topre, you're pushing down against a rubber dome that sits directly on top of the PCB.

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QWERKey-UK t1_iu84l2u wrote

There are loads of mods you can do with To pre 😁

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