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Ducky or Das?

18K views 21 replies 12 participants last post by  Huff 
#1 ·
Hey guys, brand new here because I was hoping you could help me with a problem I have.
Which keyboard should I buy: a Ducky Shine or Das Ultimate S
I have used mech boards before, and I know I prefer MX Blues, but I am torn between the blue/white backlighting on the Ducky or the badassery on the blank Das (touch typing isn't a problem for me, and it would amuse me along with my 6400 dpi mouse as well when friends are over)
So OCN, which should I get?
Oh also, I've looked around and tried various boards and narrowed my choices down to these two so please no 'Get a Deck board'
Thanks
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#2 ·
Hello, owner of both here. They are both very different keyboards, but similar in many ways. I had an MX Red Ducky Shine that I gave away here on OCN, and I currently have owned an MX Blue Das Ultimate Blank for almost a little over a year and a half, maybe more. The Das to me is a perfect mechanical keyboard. I don't really like LEDs or anything, but I don't hate them either. The Das has a much more tough and professional feel to it compared to the Ducky.

Both great keyboards... but they offer different things.

Also, the Das comes with two USB 2.0 ports on the right side of the keyboard. As little as that sounds, it's a pretty big deal-breaker for a lot of people, including myself.

I have a pretty basic at best review on YT of the Ducky Shine that you can check here if you'd like:
 
#3 ·
The main differences between the 2 boards:
The Ducky's build quality is almost undetectably inferior to the Das'.
The Ducky uses Cherry stabilizers (easier to swap keycaps) whereas the Das uses Costar (slightly better, more mechanical feel).
The Ducky uses an MX Green switch on the spacebar (it's a heavier MX Blue if I'm not mistaken) and that really really sucks for me. It's harder (considerably) to actuate the spacebar, and it slowed me down substantially and felt odd when the rest of the board was in Blues (in my opinion, if anything, the spacebar's switch should be lighter than the rest).
The Das, however, has an annoying glossy finish which is a pain to take care of and keep clean.
The Das also has a USB 2.0 hub, as E-Peen kindly mentioned above, which is pretty useful.

Make the decision on your own
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#4 ·
Thanks for the really quick responses guys, and E-Peen i have a similar attitude on those LEDs to you
well i think i'll go with the das, partly cos it reminds me of my old model m
thankyou for the warning about the gloss though, and the usb ports sound nice
however, one last thing, I have noticed people talking about contouring on the Das' keys, is that weird at all or nothing i should worry about?
 
#5 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by csm725 View Post

The main differences between the 2 boards:
The Ducky's build quality is almost undetectably inferior to the Das'.
The Ducky uses Cherry stabilizers (easier to swap keycaps) whereas the Das uses Costar (slightly better, more mechanical feel).
The Ducky uses an MX Green switch on the spacebar (it's a heavier MX Blue if I'm not mistaken) and that really really sucks for me. It's harder (considerably) to actuate the spacebar, and it slowed me down substantially and felt odd when the rest of the board was in Blues (in my opinion, if anything, the spacebar's switch should be lighter than the rest).
The Das, however, has an annoying glossy finish which is a pain to take care of and keep clean.
The Das also has a USB 2.0 hub, as E-Peen kindly mentioned above, which is pretty useful.

Make the decision on your own
wink.gif
Yeah, but the Ducky has that awesome autograph.....

Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk 2
 
#6 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by MithrandirKai View Post

Thanks for the really quick responses guys, and E-Peen i have a similar attitude on those LEDs to you
well i think i'll go with the das, partly cos it reminds me of my old model m
thankyou for the warning about the gloss though, and the usb ports sound nice
however, one last thing, I have noticed people talking about contouring on the Das' keys, is that weird at all or nothing i should worry about?
The Ducky and the Das have the same key profile. It's a standard one and shouldn't worry you at all. It *may* take a day or two to get used to if you're coming from a flat rubber dome keyboard.
Here is what I am talking about (see the lines in pink, and the yellow Esc key doesn't come with the keyboard):
KH6y3.png
 
#9 ·
I want a DAS professional cherry blue so badly, but I just wish I didn't want backlit.
frown.gif
I only really want glossy finishes, which makes the DAS and the Black Widow the best looking for me. There's too many things about the Razer that puts me off though. Why oh why won't DAS make a backlit version with the same shape and glossy finish. I'd snap it up in a heartbeat. Also, listen to the sound of the DAS and the Razer both with cherry blues. It's like night and day, the DAS sounds so much sweeter and more clicky if these samples are close to accurate.

http://www.mrinterface.com/keyboardsims/blackwidow/razer.html

http://www.mrinterface.com/keyboardsims/das3/index.html

For those that buy the DAS and don't care about backlighting, I envy you. To me, it seems like the ultimate in mechanical keyboards
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#10 ·
The strange thing is, the Blackwidow sounds more like my actual Das sounds in that simulator than the Das... but I think that's because I'm always bottoming out. I would still recommend Das in the end, but it's all up to what you want. I would strongly advise you not to get a keyboard just based off of it being backlit, but if that's your preference and what you want, then that's what you want
smile.gif
 
#11 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by E-Peen View Post

The strange thing is, the Blackwidow sounds more like my actual Das sounds in that simulator than the Das... but I think that's because I'm always bottoming out. I would still recommend Das in the end, but it's all up to what you want. I would strongly advise you not to get a keyboard just based off of it being backlit, but if that's your preference and what you want, then that's what you want
smile.gif
I just find it hard trying to come to terms with no backlight. I was fine years ago with a non backlit cheapo rubber dome, but since owning a lycosa for the past 2 years, it just makes me happy to see blue leds, it's like the keyboard is 'on' and.. 'alive' so to speak, lol. It adds visual warmth. The DAS though is really stunning to look at though with very nice text style on the keys.

I wrote to DAS last year about a backlit version and got this reply:

"Hello,

Thank you for your interest in Das Keyboard! We don't disclose information on future design plans, but we encourage you to check our website, blog, Facebook page or Twitter feed for updates."


Do you think that might suggest they could be considering backlit or very unlikely?
 
#13 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by csm725 View Post

It's possible they're considering it, but not so likely considering their current line up and target market.
I wouldn't wait on it.
Pity. I honestly think they'd make a killing in sales if they had glossy (I seem to be one of the few that actually prefers glossy finishes), and non glossy with backlight. The quality is there, they use costar stabilisers which are supposed to be better, so all they need is a backlight version and their sales would probably go through the roof.
 
#15 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by E-Peen View Post

Glossy is really nice, I like the way it feels. I stopped caring about how dirty it gets less than a week after I owned the keyboard.
Definitely. Glossy looks (and feels, like you say) awesome. My lycosa is glossy (it's not the mirror version but the rubber coated keys with glossy surrounding frame) and I love putting a cloth over it and seeing the shine come back, it looks like a brand new keyboard every time after that. You can't get that 'clean' feeling as much from a matt finish.
smile.gif
 
#16 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by MithrandirKai View Post

Hey guys, brand new here because I was hoping you could help me with a problem I have.
Which keyboard should I buy: a Ducky Shine or Das Ultimate S
I have used mech boards before, and I know I prefer MX Blues, but I am torn between the blue/white backlighting on the Ducky or the badassery on the blank Das (touch typing isn't a problem for me, and it would amuse me along with my 6400 dpi mouse as well when friends are over)
So OCN, which should I get?
Oh also, I've looked around and tried various boards and narrowed my choices down to these two so please no 'Get a Deck board'
Thanks
biggrin.gif
You chose das for the badass blank keys. You can buy blank keys on ebay and replace them. Now would you choose ducky over das?

I have a das ultimate right now. I might get a shine 2 and get BLANK Semi-clear key caps. Im going to keep the LED setting on reactive so its subtle. But im worried about the build quality and the feel. Blue key switches should be blue key switches, but ive tried the black widow and those keys suck. And whats this about the spacebar being a green switch?
 
#19 ·
Hi, I have just got both of these keyboards and with the 2012 revisions of these models I'd say that the Ducky is an all-out winner. The quality now is actually better than the Das I'd say, feels more robust, the keys better quality. The illumination is a nice addition whereas the USB port is not so greatly needed as with the Das in my opinion. Here's a quick review video I put together:

 
#20 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by CHeNeRiC View Post

You chose das for the badass blank keys. You can buy blank keys on ebay and replace them. Now would you choose ducky over das?

I have a das ultimate right now. I might get a shine 2 and get BLANK Semi-clear key caps. Im going to keep the LED setting on reactive so its subtle. But im worried about the build quality and the feel. Blue key switches should be blue key switches, but ive tried the black widow and those keys suck. And whats this about the spacebar being a green switch?
Not sure what you're talking about with the spacebar being a green switch (if you're talking about the Ducky's), all of the keys on a Ducky keyboard are whatever switch you chose.

The build quality of the Ducky IMO (and many other's) is that it's sturdy and has a robust, solid feel. When I pick it up it doesn't feel flimsy; it's a good weight and instills confidence in me that it's not going to break after a few months.

My friend got the Das with blue switches which is amazing to type on; I have the Ducky with browns, although I think he wishes he got the Ducky for the backlit keys though
wink.gif
 
#21 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by efficacy View Post

Not sure what you're talking about with the spacebar being a green switch (if you're talking about the Ducky's), all of the keys on a Ducky keyboard are whatever switch you chose.
The mx Green is a stiffer version of the blue, found in the spacebar on a few mx blue keyboards... I thought one of the versions of the Ducky had a green spacebar, but I don't know which.
 
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