Okay, so I’ve been on this quest to make my keyboard as quiet as possible, right? And one of the big questions was: are tactile switches quiet? I mean, they have that bump when you press them, so wouldn’t that make noise?
I started by grabbing a bunch of different tactile switches. I got some Cherry MX Browns, some Zealios V2s, and even some of those fancy Topre switches everyone raves about. I figured I needed a good variety to really test this out.
The Testing Begins
First, I just pressed each switch on its own. I wanted to get a feel for the sound and, well, the feel of each one. I put each in its own switch tester.
- Cherry MX Browns: These were kinda scratchy, and yeah, there was a definite click, even though it wasn’t as loud as a clicky switch.
- Zealios V2s: These felt smoother, and the bump was more pronounced. The sound was there, but it was more of a “thock” than a “click.”
- Topre: Okay, these were weird. They felt… different. The sound was definitely muted, almost like typing on rubber domes, but with a more satisfying bump.
Next, I put each switch type into a full keyboard. I figured the sound would change when it was surrounded by other keys and a case.
The Real-World Test
I typed on each keyboard for a while, doing some writing, some coding, just getting a general sense of how loud they were in normal use. To be extra thorough, I even recorded the sound of each keyboard with my phone.
- The full board of Cherry MX Brown: It’s better but still not super quiet in my opinion.
- The full board of Zealios V2s: It’s much better than the Cherry MX Brown.
- The full board of Topre: It’s quiet as expected, very great.
My Findings
Here’s the deal: tactile switches aren’t silent. They’re not going to be as quiet as, say, linear switches with O-rings or silent switches. But, they’re not as loud as clicky switches, either.
The level of noise really depends on the specific switch. Some tactiles, like the Zealios, are designed to have a more muted sound. Others, like the Browns, are a bit louder. And then there’s Topre, which is in its own category of quiet, thocky goodness.
So, are tactile switches quiet? It depends. But they can definitely be quieter than clicky switches, and with the right choice, they can be pretty darn pleasant to type on without disturbing everyone around you.