I have been using a cheap TKL AliExpress hot swap board for a little while, and I want to upgrade because:
- I miss the numpad
- Build quality is better than the average membrane keyboard, but still not great
I’m planning to get the keychron V6 because it is is one of the few keyboards that are:
- Not ultra expensive
- Full size
- Has a knob for volume control
- Reasonable build quality
- Hot swap
- QMK/VIA support is nice
The only issue is that I am not sure what switches and keycaps to get. I was considering saving my money and going with stock switches (keychron k pro reds) and keycaps (in-house “OSA” profile), but I do not know if I will like this keycap profile. My current board has OEM profile keycaps, and those are fine, but I want to try more “spherical” rather than “cylindrical” profiles, and it doesn’t seem like the stock keychron keycaps are particularly spherical, at least in photos. If they are more spherical in person, I might go this route.
My other plan I was considering was to try keychron’s other in-house profile, “KSA”, which seems more spherical to me (https://www.keychron.com/products/double-shot-ksa-pbt-keycap-full-keycap-set), or maybe a mt3 set (but I’m not sure about getting an abs set, my current keycaps are getting shiny). For switches, I was thinking of buying the tried-and-true gateron milky yellows, but I am not sure if there are better bang for the buck options out there for smooth linear switches.
TL;DR: Should I go with stock switches and keycaps to start out? Or should I get the bare bones keychron V6, a spherical keycap set (KSA or mt3), and budget linears like gateron milky yellows?
Before I spent more money and since you seem to like linears maybe just lube the reds and see if you like them after a few weeks. If you decide you don’t like them all you lost was time.
Same with the default profile/keys. Give them a shot and decide if you like them before you spend money. I didn’t think I liked my SA profile keys at first but after a week I started to love them.
I’ve got a V6, bought it around a month or so ago as my daily and it’s been great. I bought it assembled, and the stock gateron browns it came with were really nicely factory lubed. Same with the stabilizers.
Four layers of electrical tape later and some nice thick ASA keycaps and it sounds amazing! Gives it a unique look without being impractical too! If you’re looking to swap your knob out, guitar knobs fit pretty well, though they may be a little more flush with the case on the underside than you’d like unless you sand them down a little first.
In any case, the v6 is a great board. Really solid feeling, and VIA is a really nice workflow changer.
Also, it says that layers 0&1 are for Mac and 2&3 are for Windows, but you can use all four for whatever, that’s just the default they’re programmed for.
I coincidentally received my V6 in the mail today - it feels and sounds great stock and I bet it would sound even better than it already does if I tape modded it. The stock stabilizers are quite a bit better than my old AliExpress keyboard, and I can’t hear any ticking or rattle. I am still deciding whether to swap out the stock keycaps, but the switches are nice. I thought that they were keychron’s own custom switches though? Unless they partnered with gateron to manufacture them?
They’re labeled as Keychron Pros or something like that, but to my understanding they’re literally just Gaterons with a different name.
Glad you’re liking it! I’ve fallen in love with mine! Honestly, the sound never gets old! :D
