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Matias Quiet Pro review: a mechanical keyboard with less clickety-clack
Keyboards aren't always high on the list of considerations for folks buying a new computer or looking to upgrade an old one. Some may be more likely to splurge on a high-end monitor, or cram in as much RAM as possible. For this writer, though, the keyboard is one of the most important components of a computer, if not the most important. For the past 10 years or more, that's meant a split-design ergonomic keyboard in the vein of Microsoft's Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 -- at least when not exclusively using a laptop. That style certainly takes some getting used to, and is always guaranteed to start a conversation, but it has some clear benefits for comfort (not to mention the well-being of your wrists) over the long term. More recently, however, that old standby has given way to a mechanical keyboard with a traditional design -- the Matias Tactile Pro 3, specifically. A split-design mechanical keyboard would be ideal, but those are unfortunately quite a rare breed. While a something like the Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 has advantages over your average keyboard in terms of overall comfort, it still feels like a regular keyboard. That is, it's slightly mushy and generally less tactile given its use of a rubber membrane for the keys instead of the individual switches found in a mechanical model like the Tactile Pro. As anyone who's used both can attest, the difference is immediately noticeable. With a good mechanical keyboard, you don't have to worry about a key press not registering; the keys have more spring to them for a crisper feel and (here's the contentious part for some) they make more noise. It's not a typewriter-level racket, but there's a good chance you'll be frowned upon if you're sharing a desk with someone, or are trying to take notes while on a conference call. It's that potential issue that led Matias to try something different with its latest keyboard -- one that it claims is the world's quietest mechanical keyboard. Did it deliver? Read on to find out.
Matias Quiet Pro silences the mechanical keyboard
The feel of a mechanical switch keyboard is something much sought after in a certain segment of the technical world. The resistance of the keys as they travel, the spring back to their original positions -- these are things that touch typists value, always chasing after the ultimate keyboarding experience. It's something of a secret group of fellow travelers. "Oh," one says, with a raised eyebrow and a knowing nod. "You prefer ... the mechanical switch." For years, I've been buying Matias. My initial USB 2.0 was a gateway drug. It felt so much better than the cheap keyboards I'd been typing with. Soon, I needed more -- I needed better. It wasn't long until I was haunting back alleys in search of the ultimate typing high. The Tactile Pro. Matias' premium keyswitch technology offered the kind of responsive clickiness my mechanically trained fingers had been longing for. One premium-priced Matias followed another, as it became my typing choix de poison. But like other habits, it came with a price. The sound. The unbearably loud sound -- the audible track marks of a Tactile Pro "user." Soon others began to drift away. They tried to be tactful. "It's not you, it's me. I'm just not good with loud noises." Or they would ask, "Maybe you could type after we get off the phone?" Some were simply honest. "I refuse to suffer through CLACKITY-CLACKITY-CLACKITY when the two of us are brainstorming." There was nothing to do but stand my ground. "But... but... I need my mechanical switches. I need the type-feel. I need my Matias." In response, there were sad looks, sighs and resignation. It seemed a hopeless situation. I would surrender my keyboard when it was dragged from my cold, dead, highly-muscled fingers. That is, until Matias announced the new line of Quiet Pro. Available for both Mac and PC, the US$150 Quiet Pro is the methadone of the mechanical typing world. Created with new "Quiet Click" mechanical keyswitches, the Quiet Pro balances feel against sound, providing a softer typing experience without overly sacrificing tactile feedback. I received my review unit, and immediately put it to work. Although not a quiet keyboard in any sense of the real-world meaning of "quiet," compared to the Tactile Pro, the Quiet Pro is a gentle rill of a stream next to the raging Mississippi. There are, of course, sacrifices. The key travel isn't as crisp, isn't quite as clean as the Tactile Pro. The bounce back feels slower, a little more muffled. But when juxtapositioned with other keyboards, the Quiet Pro is clearly mechanical. It stands well above the experience you get from standard keyboards. It's, after all, a Matias. The Quiet Pro is ideal for office scenarios, for teleconferencing, and talkcasts -- situations where data entry must be "social," and where concern for other persons' well-being must take precedence over the perfect typing high. It's a really good keyboard, too. It has excellent bounce and a nice clicky feel. If it weren't for my side-by-side testing, I might not even have noticed how the perfection of the Tactile Pro ever so slightly takes away the blue ribbon from the excellent performance of the Quiet Pro. Nearly anyone who loves the mechanical experience will value the sound / feel balance the Quiet Pro offers. So how quiet exactly is the Quiet Pro? The video below demonstrates the difference in sound levels. All in all, the $150 Quiet Pro represents an excellent entry in the mechanical keyboard arena and a wonderful innovation for anyone who has to balance sound against key feel. Recommended.
Matias Quiet Pro claims to be the 'world's quietest mechanical keyboard'
Canada's Matias Corporation has made something of a name for itself with its tactile keyboards, but those have primarily appealed to those who also enjoy (or at least accept) the sound of a mechanical keyboard in addition to its feel. The company's hoping to bring a few more into the tactile fold with its new Quiet Pro, though, which it claims is the "world's quietest mechanical keyboard." That, Matias says, comes without any sacrifices to tactile feedback, and is said to be the result of more than two years of work. As usual, the keyboard comes in both PC and Mac specific models (all-black and silver & black, respectively), each of which boasts three USB 2.0 ports and laser-etched keys with beveled keytops as opposed to the increasingly common flat variety. Not surprisingly, you can also expect to pay a bit of a premium over your average keyboard -- each model will set you back $150, with US models available today (UK, German and Nordic versions are promised for January). Interestingly, the company says it is also planning to sell the new switches it's developed to other companies for use in their own keyboards, and even to hobbyists interested in going the DIY route. Additional details on that are promised soon.
