All > Kinetic Labs Gateron Husky
Kinetic Labs Gateron Husky
Retail Price
$36.40
Lowest Price
$9.99
Release Date
N/A
Those looking for something similar to a Durock linear, and those who want something a bit different, can try the Kinetic Labs Gateron Husky because they seem to sound good. However, it’s not a great candidate for lovers of thock, and if that’s your only criterion, then it’s better to look elsewhere.
Overview
- Conclusion
- Design
- Recommendation
- Positive
- Negative
Conclusion - Its springs are long, yet it felt uncharacteristically scratchy. It also has thin pieces of plastic on the rails, which you wouldn't find on chinaglides, and you have to break in the switch. It's its piece of plastic, in every switch, inside the rails, on the external side of the rail, on the bottom housing hooks for the tops to slot into, and you can't brush the excess pre-lube away as you have to pick at it with tweezers to remove it. Verdict, don't support vendors that don't QC.
Design - The combination of design elements to elicit some semblance of uniqueness in a crowded linear switch market is appreciated. It's almost polarizing, but those who like them will like how they sound. A user is tempted to use it for their build even if it's different from what they're currently looking for.
Recommendation - Those looking for something similar to a Durock linear, and those who want something a bit different, can try the Husky because they seem to sound good. However, it's not a great candidate for lovers of thock, and if that's your only criterion, then it's better to look elsewhere.
Too Much Tech
06/01/2021
Keebs n’ Stuff
09/18/2021
Sources
Tags
- Conclusion
- Design
- Recommendation
Sources
- ThereminGoat’s Switches
- YouTube
See All Sources
Build & Design
- Design
- Housing
- LED
- Material
- Slider Rails
- Spring
- Stem
- Positive
- Negative
Design - Its fastening legs are hollowed, and while it can make them slightly more pliable and easier to open, it can also cause them to easily bend and break without anything other than pure conjecture to throw.
ThereminGoat's Switches
05/30/2021
Housing - The interior has a fairly similar design point to other recent Tecsee releases, including the pairs of mold circles on the underside of all 4 sides of the top housing, while the bottom housings come in a darker ash-colored gray, which is fairly unexceptional for macro-scale details. Also, it has a ring of 8 mold circles around the upper lip edge and a number placed on the bottom side of the housing, indicating the mold.
LED - They come in a fairly light-grey color with a wide LED slot. The interior of the bottom housing has an LED-side spring collar and 4 mold circles deep in the corners of the switch, and in specific lighting, there's a sort of ridged texture from east to west across the bottom housing, though it's very subtle. Also, centered on the underside interior edge of the LED slot, a mold number is stamped like the Neapolitan Ice Cream and Naevy V1.5 switches.
Material - It features a custom polycarbonate polymer touted as Tecsee's blend finished in varying shades of gray. Specifically, the top and bottom housings are made from PC polymer, and the stem is made of POM.
Keebs n’ Stuff
09/18/2021
Too Much Tech
06/01/2021
Slider Rails - The stems come in a lighter yet still light shade of grey, and it has a tapered slider rail, frontside mid-set mold circles, and a step-like taper to the bottom of the slider rails.
ThereminGoat's Switches
05/30/2021
Spring - It features a long pole PIM stem, 5-pin, or PCB style mount with extra-long, 63.5g symmetric double-staged springs that have been popping up recently in Tecsee switches. The springs are also sold separately by Kinetic Labs. Specifically, the 2 characteristics of longer springs work in conjunction with the long pole stem, which reduces travel distance and increases feedback on the bottom out to create a unique linear switch experience with short and strong keypresses resulting in a satisfying typing experience of a short and punchy feeling. Performance-wise, the springs are light, snappy with a quick return, nice for gaming, enjoyable for typing, and help make a non-traditional sound profile.
Stem - The stems are long at 13.40 mm in total height, though not as tall as the Neapolitan Ice Cream or Purple Panda, which are around 13.80 mm in total. Specifically, it shortens the travel distance and changes the bottom out from having 2 contact points (the bottom of the stem sides against the rails) to one, the pole in the inner cavity of the bottom housing concentrating the contact point and reducing travel distance, it's able to bring a change-up in sound and feel in a linear switch. However, the long pole can lead to a fatiguing typing experience.
Sources
Tags
- Design
- Housing
- LED
- Material
- Slider Rails
- Spring
- Stem
Sources
- ThereminGoat’s Switches
- YouTube
ThereminGoat's Switches
05/30/2021
ThereminGoat's Switches
05/30/2021
ThereminGoat's Switches
05/30/2021
ThereminGoat's Switches
05/30/2021
ThereminGoat's Switches
05/30/2021
ThereminGoat's Switches
05/30/2021
Keebs n’ Stuff
09/18/2021
Too Much Tech
06/01/2021
ThereminGoat's Switches
05/30/2021
ThereminGoat's Switches
05/30/2021
Too Much Tech
06/01/2021
ThereminGoat's Switches
05/30/2021
Keebs n’ Stuff
09/18/2021
Keebs n’ Stuff
09/18/2021
ThereminGoat's Switches
05/30/2021
Keebs n’ Stuff
09/18/2021
Keebs n’ Stuff
09/18/2021
See All Sources
Performance
- Housing Tolerance
- Leaf Pinging
- Lube
- Performance
- Performance - Clackiness
- Resistance
- Responsiveness
- Scratch
- Smoothness - Lubed
- Smoothness - Unlubed
- Sound
- Thock
- Typing
- Wobble - Stem
- Positive
- Negative
Housing Tolerance - The housing does not budge despite being manipulated in hand, which translates to great stem wobble and sound. The housings can contain the vibrations generated by a keystroke to great effect.
Keebs n’ Stuff
09/18/2021
Leaf Pinging - There's a bit of leaf pinging on both the Husky and Salmon switches, but after lubing, most of it went away with the crunchiness at the bottom out of the spring press gone. Thus, it's highly recommended to lube the leaf by hand when modding the Husky or Salmon switches.
Too Much Tech
06/01/2021
Lube - They have been factory lubed with a bit of oil, but the experience is bad, and the application of lube dampened the sound signature considerably as the clackiness reigned in.
Performance - The sound will likely divide some people, but otherwise, it has no glaring shortcomings and presents a unique typing feel for a cost-effective price.
Keebs n’ Stuff
09/18/2021
Performance - Clackiness - Some may interpret the sound as cheap, while the clackiness elicits some feelings of a cheap knock-off Transformer from the local dollar store, but they're lively and fun to type on. Also, the sound is not as reverberant as expected from a polycarbonate switch, but it remains distinctly clacky and loud, while the bottom out is a short and sharp clack, and the snapback is a subdued preceding clack.
Keebs n’ Stuff
09/18/2021
Keebs n’ Stuff
09/18/2021
Resistance - The springs provide a distinctly different experience from most normal-length springs as they are significantly preloaded once the housing is closed, resulting in a greater initial resistance in the keypress than a normal 15mm Cherry spring in the same weight and greater force in return. The effect is a tendency to exert a greater force on the switches, like a heavier bottom-out weight based on the initial force felt.
Keebs n’ Stuff
09/18/2021
Responsiveness - The responsiveness is quite nice, with the stems springing back up into place in a satisfying manner.
Keebs n’ Stuff
09/18/2021
Scratch - It feels a tinge scratchier than Hippos, which feels a tinge scratchier than Tangerines, but a bit worse than Gateron Yellows. There's no audible, tangible scratch heard nor felt when in board stock, but taking several switches, holding them up to the ear, and actuating slowly produces some scratchiness.
Hipyo Tech
07/16/2021
Keebs n’ Stuff
09/18/2021
Smoothness - Lubed - It's sufficiently smooth as you can get stuck on the pedantic of friction coefficients and get lost in chasing broken-in and lubed Tangerines as the holy grail of smoothness, but the Husky is fine though with a factory oil meant to help with the smoothness; however it's too lacking though it will be fine once lubed.
Keebs n’ Stuff
09/18/2021
Keebs n’ Stuff
09/18/2021
Smoothness - Unlubed - Unlubed linear switches come out fairly strong in terms of smoothness and overall collisions with the housings; while a bit unorthodox in how thin and light feeling the topping out and bottoming out are, it's still a strong performing switch in a vacuum with a slight scratch feeling to it.
ThereminGoat's Switches
05/30/2021
Sound - It's thin but firm in the bottoming out, thinner, less firm, and louder in the topping out, which are the antithesis of a theoretical pure nylon switch and will most certainly be the most polarizing point about it.
ThereminGoat's Switches
05/30/2021
Thock - The thock makes you feel like you're in keyboard heaven.
Hipyo Tech
07/16/2021
Typing - It's shorter but sharper on the ears, with the bottom out on the long pole acting as a punctuation mark on typing. The experience is nice and can elicit a unique sound signature, such as the Raeds' trademark clackiness. Also, the combination of the long spring and long pole stem creates a punchy and responsive typing feel that some may find a bit harsh for their sensibilities.
Keebs n’ Stuff
09/18/2021
Keebs n’ Stuff
09/18/2021
Wobble - Stem - It comes with a fair amount of N/S and E/W stem wobble, the equal magnitude in both directions. However, it is not enough to be unacceptable except when using high-profile caps or when particularly cognizant of wobble.
ThereminGoat's Switches
05/30/2021
Sources
Tags
- Housing Tolerance
- Leaf Pinging
- Lube
- Performance
- Performance - Clackiness
- Resistance
- Responsiveness
- Scratch
- Smoothness - Lubed
- Smoothness - Unlubed
- Sound
- Thock
- Typing
- Wobble - Stem
Sources
- YouTube
- ThereminGoat’s Switches
Keebs n’ Stuff
09/18/2021
Too Much Tech
06/01/2021
Keebs n’ Stuff
09/18/2021
Hipyo Tech
07/16/2021
Too Much Tech
06/01/2021
Keebs n’ Stuff
09/18/2021
Keebs n’ Stuff
09/18/2021
Keebs n’ Stuff
09/18/2021
Keebs n’ Stuff
09/18/2021
Keebs n’ Stuff
09/18/2021
Hipyo Tech
07/16/2021
Keebs n’ Stuff
09/18/2021
Keebs n’ Stuff
09/18/2021
Keebs n’ Stuff
09/18/2021
ThereminGoat's Switches
05/30/2021
ThereminGoat's Switches
05/30/2021
Hipyo Tech
07/16/2021
Keebs n’ Stuff
09/18/2021
Keebs n’ Stuff
09/18/2021
ThereminGoat's Switches
05/30/2021
See All Sources
Comparison
- Comparison vs Hippo
- Positive
- Negative
Comparison vs Hippo - The long spring feels like it has a clacky sharp return similar to the matcha linears or any JWK recolor. They look cool, but the Hippos represent better. The difference between them is at 4%, as in keyboards; most things are exaggerated even with just minimal difference in switches, but if you're trying to do a themed build and they fit the color scheme, go for it.
See All Sources
Miscellaneous
- Issue - QC
- Positive
- Negative
Issue - QC - There seems to be an issue with the PME material used in switches as a whole, and the Blue Velvets also suffer from the same issue, which can be due to a lack of QC on their part. Therefore, people should consider such when buying any switch made with it from any vendor rather than lambasting a specific vendor.
r/mechanicalkeyboards
07/28/2021
Sources
Tags
- Issue - QC
Sources
r/mechanicalkeyboards
07/28/2021
See All Sources
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