Welcome back to nearlucid. Today we’ll be taking a look at two relatively new budget
linears by akko, the CS rose red and the CS vintage white. These were provided by akko
for review, but as always that will not affect our opinion or statements in any way.
First, the unboxing. I never do an unboxing section for switch videos, because it’s
typically just taking them out of a bag, but akko has gone out of their way to make the
unboxing of these actually feel quite premium. They come wrapped in this paper sleeve with
specs. Once you lift the box open, you can see each individual switch in its own slot
in this plastic mold. Real packaging for switches, a very nice touch.
Now let’s take a look at the specs, starting with the rose red.
Rose reds are linears and have a clear pinkish reddish top housing, and a pinkish reddish
bottom housing and stem. They come with a progressive spring that is a light 55g. The
stem is made of POM, top housing of polycarb and bottom housing of nylon. They’re plate
mounted and do not fit films. Rose reds are 10 dollars for 45, or about 22 cents a switch.
Vintage whites are linears and have a clear top housing, white bottom housing and white
stem. They come with an extra long 22 millimeter spring that is a very light 35 grams. The
stem is made of POM, top housing of polycarb and bottom housing of nylon. They’re plate
mounted and do not fit films. Vintage whites are 10 dollars for 45, or about 22 cents a
switch.
So the only difference between these two, spec wise, is their spring and travel distance.
Rose reds have a progressive type spring that’s 55 grams, and a travel distance of 3.5 millimeters.
Vintage whites have a standard but extra long spring that’s 35 grams, and a travel distance
of 4 millimeters. Will this have an effect on sound? Let's take a listen.
So there’s really not much sound difference at all between the two. Lubing took away some
leaf crunch and plasticky noise. And about the feel, the stock smoothness is
average, and I wouldn’t say it's anything worth noting in particular. Interestingly,
after lubing the rose reds, the smoothness is still pretty average, and a lubed rose
red is actually scratchier than a stock tangerine. Vintage whites, on the other hand, are decently
smooth after lubing.
So how about the different springs? How do each feel?
The progressive effect of the springs in the rose red is very very subtle. If you don’t
know what a progressive spring is, it’s a switch spring that gets harder to press
the further down you press it. I can only feel this very very slightly, and only when
I press it super slowly, so if you were wondering how strong of an effect it is, it’s really
barely noticeable. And as for the vintage whites, of course,
the springs are much lighter than typical switches. These would be good for a gaming
oriented keyboard build, where you would want the switches to be easier to actuate.
In terms of stem wobble, it's really really well controlled in both switches. As stated
earlier, neither of the housings will fit films, which means the housings are very tight
already.
So which one is right for you? There are tradeoffs to getting both. Personally,
I believe the vintage whites are just a little too light to be typing on, but the rose reds
are a bit scratchier than you can get at this price point, ahem, jwicks. Ultimately, it's
up to you, and these are still both super solid switches.
And all this for the price of 22 cents, cheaper than gateron yellows, is quite enticing, and
something that I would seriously consider for a budget oriented build.
And that's all I have for you today. Thanks for watching this episode of nearlucid. If
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