Tag Linear switches

I have been using the Jelly Purple switches for a while now on a daily basis. The Jelly Purples rekindled my love for tactile switches. I like my switches to have a little weight or feedback to them. Well fortunately for me the great people at Akko reached out. They gave me the opportunity to review the Jelly Black switches. According to Akko these are their most populair switch at the moment. So lets see if I can stand behind this product, shall we?

Unboxing the Jelly Black

Well, if you’ve read my review about the Jelly Purple switches you know where this is going. Akko’s Jelly Black switches come in a nice little box. The theme is consistent with their keycaps and keyboards. Inside this box are the switches in a nice plastic case. They are not just thrown in a bag like many brands do. Instead they are individually hiding in their own little foxholes. This helps reducing the risk of getting bend pins. Once again all switches came in perfect shape. Kudos to Akko!

Up close and personal

The Jelly Black switches are nice to look at. In the hand they feel solid and there is no obvious ping when pressing them. First impression is that of a smooth transition while being pressed, but definitely with a bit of weight behind them. They have a black stem with a dust cover which also helps against wobble. The translucent housing is made of poly-carbonate material. It has a bit of a smokey color to it, which makes it really classy to look at. The official name of the switches is CS Jelly Black; CS stands for Custom Switches. These are switches made after getting feedback from Akko’s customers.

RGB makes things go brrr

For you RGB lovers out there, here is how they look compared to the Silvers and Purples.

Specs of the Jelly Black switches

As can be seen in the column above, the Jelly Black’s are a heavy switch; in fact these are Akko’s heaviest switches at the moment. For me this was an interesting test as previously I have had experience with a linear switch on the other side of the spectrum; the CS Silver switches. The Silver switches are extremely easy to activate. The biggest difference here is the pre-travel which is 1.0 compared to the 1.9 of the Black. Be sure to check out all the Akko switches here!

Jelly Black and CS silver side to side

Opening both switches with my tool and comparing them side to side, there are some obvious differences. The bottom is made of a grey nylon on the Silvers while the Jelly Black has a pc bottom. Another difference you can see is the pole on the stem which is longer on the Silver switches. Both springs seem to be the same.

My Dutch readers can buy a set with a switch opener along with all the other basic tools here. If you are an international reader check out a great switch opener from Epomaker here.

Lubing the Jelly Black switches

The Jelly Black switches didn’t seem to have much crunch or ping to me. I must admit I am not the most sensitive person out there when it comes to hearing spring ping though. The blacks are a nice feeling switch and I would argue that it is not a must to lube these. Having said that, a little bit of lube never hurts. So I lubed the switches with the well known Krytox G205g0. Lubing made the switches even more smooth, so if you have the time, sure lube them!

Check out my guide if you want know how to lube switches here. Or if you are looking for a nice complete lube kit, check this one out.

Conclusion

So, do I like them? The short answer would be; Yes, I like them, a lot. For me they are not my full keyboard switch though. Let me explain myself a bit here.

I have been using the Black switches for about a week now. Compared to the silver switches I think these are nicer to type on. I tend to make less mistakes because I can actually feel the key that I am pressing. They also sound more “Thocky” then the Silvers do if that is what you are after.

So far I have used four pairs of linear switches; Cherry Red, Gateron Yellow, Akko Silver and Akko Black. Of these switches I find the Blacks the most interesting. If I had to choose a switch between these four for a full layout, I would go with the Gateron Yellow though. The reason behind this, is that I experience some fatigue whilst typing on the blacks after a while but your mileage may vary.

For people who don’t really like tactile switches but do want to feel a bit of force while using their board these can the perfect solution.

Keep in mind though that the extra force needed can be a bit of a downside for those having to type for long sessions or playing fast FPS games.

My current daily is an Akko 3098B (review here) with the Akko Jelly Purple and for the numpad and F-row I use the Akko Jelly Blacks. These are perfect for me when crunching numbers for example.

Coupon

If you want to get 10% off on any purchase on Akkogear.eu just use coupon HELLOAKKO or use this link.

Disclaimer

This product was send to me by the Akko. Opinions are my own. This review may contain referral links. By using these links you support this website and allow us to get products in for review and testing.

Intro

Dive into the world of mechanical keyboards and soon you will read about people lubing switches.
People will talk about things like smoothness, spring-ping, switch openers. You might start to feel overwhelmed or unsure. You may ask yourself: “Can’t I just use my mechanical keyboard the way it is, what lube do I need, what tools do I need?’
In this article I will try to explain a bit about lubing along with some advice about what to look for.

The purpose of lubing switches.

The main purpose of lubing switches is to make keypresses feel more smooth and consistent. When lubed up the stem will slide in and out the housing a lot easier. The Crunchy sounds from bottoming out can also be reduced significantly.

You can always buy pre-lubed switches. However, lubing switches is also an important part for enthousiasts to make their keyboard feel unique

What do you need for lubing your switches?

Types of lubricant

If you are going to lube your switches it is important to choose the right lube. If your switch is of the tactile kind you will want a thinner lube. On the other hand when lubing a linear switch you should go for a bit thicker substance. For best results lubing the springs should be done with an oil-like substance.

Tactile switches

My go to lubricant for tactile switches is Trybosis 3203. It gets the switch smoother without reducing the tactile feeling. That is, if you lube it right, more on that later.
Thanks to its low viscosity it is quite easy to apply with a brush.

Linear switches

For linear switches the most used lube is Krytox GPL205 grade 0. This lube has more viscosity and is more buttery-like. An alternative to this could be Trybosis 3204. Linear switches are a bit easier to lube in that you don’t have to worry about not getting the stuff on the stem legs.

Clicky switches

Personally I’d leave these alone. But if you want to lube these do the same as with the tactiles.

Springs

For the springs I recommend Krytox 105. Since The springs need to be as flexible as possible a thin oil is preferred here over a thicker lube.

What you need

Lubricant

First off you will need your choice of lubricant. For tactile switches Trybosis 3203. For linear Krytox GPL205 or Krytox 3204 and Krytox 105 for springs.

Brushes

I recommend at least two small brushes. Grade 0 or 00 for example.

Switch opener for mechanical keyboard switches

A switch opener lets you open up the switches easy, fast and safe. There are several options here for example one from Homepage Homepage” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener nofollow sponsored”>Ali-express or Epomaker.

Switch puller

For taking out your switches you will need a switch puller. I recommend something like this. Its a lot less prone to making scratches then some other alternatives and gets your switches out easy. An alternative is this 2-in-1 from Epomaker.

Jewelry crown

This is a handy tool to pick up your stem without getting the grease all over your fingers.

Tip: here you can find a complete package!

Shout out to Alex from Phoberos, Real cool guy who sells genuine lube on Etsy. He delivered fantastic service when my lube got lost in transit.

Optional

A Lubing station is an optional accessory which can come in handy while lubing a lot of switches at a time and you want to put the parts away safely.

Lubing the switches

Opening up your mechanical keyboard switches

Open up the switches by putting the switch in the opener and gently press down until the top housing gets off. After gently removing the top take out the stem and spring.

Housing

When lubing the housing a tend to do this only with the bottom of the housing. First paint on of the sides, then the other and then gently go around the outside of the center hole. All this with a very thin layer, you should not see any white residue.

Stem

Spring

The springs can be lubed with a brush but to avoid this tedious task many people tend to “bag-lube” the springs. Simply put about a pea-size of Krytox 105 in the bag and “paint” the inside of the bag. After this put the springs in, ad a bit of air by blowing in it and shake that thing!

Done

And that’s it! you can put your switches bag together and enjoy the smoothness!

Disclaimer

Opinions are my own. This article may contain referral links. By using these links you support this website and allow us to get products in for review and testing.

Introduction

About two years ago I bought my first hot-swappable keyboard. I really liked the hot swap concept. After buying the board with Gateron browns I later switched to Gateron yellows. Soon I started to look at other possibilities like different kind of keycaps and cables. After that there was no turning back the rabbit hole, no light to be seen behind me anymore! I started watching Youtube video’s, reading blogs and forums regarding mechanical keyboards. Things like “tape mods”, “lubing”, “Thocky” etc. started to fill my head…. Ok I had to get my hand on new stuff! After having bought the Macaw keycap set from Akko for my Glorious board I started looking at what else they had to offer. I finally settled on the Akko 3098B.

Enter Akko

Akko is a Chinese company which was founded in Shenzhen in 2016. They are widely known for their high quality double shot pbt keycaps like their Neon keycap set and beautiful special editions like the limited edition PC75B plus Year of Tiger 75% keyboard. Their keycaps come in beautiful boxes with a magnetic closing mechanism and a keycap puller. This for prices that are a lot more wallet friendly then those of GMK for example. The Cherry on the cake is here that there are no group buys or long waiting times. People gave Akko got some criticism about their keycap designs being quite similar to other more expensive brands in the past but lately they are releasing more unique designs.

Keycaps

Keycaps from Akko come in different profiles like Cherry, OEM and OSA but they also have their own ASA profile. This profile is almost the same height as OEM but the looks are more in line of SA. Akko has their own website for Europe as well. This saves extra risks of customs and tax costs as these are calculated at checkout.

Switches

Akko also sells various types of switches and collaborates with TTC and Gateron among others. Next the usual suspects Akko also has more and more switches in their CS line of switches. These switches are modified existing ones which have been adjusted after receiving feedback from customers. For the 3098B I have chosen the CS Silver switches which is a fast linear switch.

So much to choose from

After browsing online and comparing different switches I finally decided I wanted a 96% percent keyboard. This because I liked the fact my TKL was pretty compact but I missed my numpad. For me this was a good compromise. What I liked about the 3098B was the fact not all keys are were cramped together like some brands do. The next difficult task for me was to figure out which look I wanted. I finally decided I would go with something neutral with to option to add some flair to it.

Unboxing the Akko 3098B

The box itself has a cover which shows a nice image of the board itself in full color and on the back there are images of some important shortcuts like volume control and media keys. Inside the box itself the keyboard comes well protected with a dustcover, a plastic sheet and on top a nice protective layer of thick foam. There is a carton box at the top which holds the extra keycaps, a manual, an usb-a to usb-c cable, a wireless usb-a dongle for 2.4ghz connection and a keycap puller. Unfortunately there is no switch puller included. Lucky for me I had one laying around.

The board itself

The frame of the board itself is all black and has a little Akko logo on the front right. The standard keycaps are black with a yellow font and grey ones with the same yellow or “golden” font.

The added accent colors are very nice to look at indeed. Personally I am not using them at the moment because most of my setup is mostly (boring!) black. But I plan of putting them back in as soon as my matching aviator cable arrives! After a short test run with the keyboard I was very impressed by the stock feeling of the stabilizers. No rattling and need to throw these out for replacement. What a difference compared to my previous board! The stabilizers come pre-lubed but aren’t clipped out of the box.

Opening up the Akko 3098B

I gently opened up the keyboard by going around the frame with one of those triangular shaped opening picks. After that I removed some screws that were onder the keycaps and presto! Now the keyboard can gently be opened. Be careful not to take the SMASH approach, because the PCB has two removable wires connected to the battery compartment and daughter board. Between the PCB and upper frame is a layer of sound dampening foam.

On the bottom there is a blue silicone pad to reduce the hollow sound which a keyboard can produce. This isn’t worlds best solution but I was surprised by how good the keyboard actually sounds stock! Apart from remembering to put the cables back in their sockets be careful the align the little switch at the back of the PCB with the plastic slider seen in a cutout in the blue foam. Otherwise you will have trouble using the USB/MAC/WIN switch at the bottom of the board. I made this mistake the first time 🙂

Switches

Choosing between switches was one of the hardest things buying a new keyboard in my case. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go with linear or tactile switches. I was leaning towards the Jelly Blue switches because they sounded interesting, having two tactile bumps. But I ultimately decided to go with the CS Silver, mainly because they got a lot of praise from people saying they were very fast and easy to operate.

Software

Akko has an optional software called Akko cloud. It isn’t QMK or VIA but it gets the job done. There are customization options like macro’s, light affects and assigning different functions to keys. When first opening the software I immediately received both a firmware update for the keyboard itself and a software update. The software is completely optional and not required to use the keyboard. The included manual also points out the different shortcuts for using the wireless modes for example.

Conclusion

Overall I am quite impressed with what Akko delivers for around €99,- ex VAT. I think it’s insane value considering you get some great quality PBT double shot keycaps, extra keycaps in the gold theme, a wide choice of linear and tactile switches and a keycap puller. On top of that you get not only a wired option but also bluetooth + wireless 2.4 ghz. The size is just a little bit bigger then my previous TKL board but has almost the same functionality as a full size board. I love the fact there is a bit of space separating the arrow keys and the numpad from the main part of the board, this is the way! The stock stabilizers were actually very good and rattle free. The 3098B comes in many different colors and themes so chances are you will be able to find something that gets your freak on.

Too bad Home and End were sacrificed, who uses Ins? Well at least you can add those functions with the software Akko provides. Another thing I didn’t like so much was the fact the board was a bit hard to open. Oh and Akko, please provide a switch puller with your hot-swap boards 🙂 But that is just nitpicking especially since this board already is in pretty good useable condition straight out of the box. Even without mods this board is a solid option in this price range!

Pro’s

• Very good price to quality ratio
• Hot swappable
• Extra keycaps
• Almost full size in function
• Size just a bit bigger then TKL
• Very good pre-lubed stock stabilizers
• Wired + wireless options
• Wide choice of themes and switches

Cons

• Difficult to open
• Missing Home and End keys
• No switch puller provided

This review was originally posted by me in Dutch on Tweakers.net

Coupon

If you want to get 10% off on any purchase on Akkogear.de just use coupon CLICKSMASHSTUFF or use this link.

Disclaimer

This product was bought by the author. Opinions are my own. This review may contain referral links. By using these links you support this website and allow us to get products in for review and testing.