KTT Hyacinth vs. Everglide Tourmaline Blue
An in-depth look at the KTT Hyacinth and the Everglide Tourmaline Blue switches—which one is the best fit for you?
Overview
The KTT Hyacinth and Everglide Tourmaline Blue are both linear mechanical keyboard switches with their own unique characteristics. The Hyacinth stands out with its 3.5mm travel distance, designed to avoid the commonly experienced hard bottoming-out feeling. This design choice aims to create an ideal balance between tactile feedback, auditory experience, and user comfort. In contrast, the Tourmaline Blue offers a deep and thocky sound profile, immersing users in a satisfying typing experience. With a lengthened single-stage spring, these switches provide a bouncy feel with each keystroke. The Tourmaline Blues strike a balance with their standard spring weight, making them enjoyable and accessible to a wide range of users. However, let's dive in a bit deeper beyond these generalities so you can best decide on the switch that suits your preferences and typing style.
By the numbers
Technical specifications
Actuation force
45g
Actuation force
59g
Bottom-out force
56g
Bottom-out force
67g
Pre-travel
1.90 mm
Pre-travel
2.00 mm
Total travel
3.50 mm
Total travel
4.00 mm
Factory lubed
Yes
Factory lubed
Yes
Stem construction
Standard
Stem construction
Standard
Stem material
POM
Stem material
POM
Top housing material
Polycarbonate
Top housing material
Polycarbonate
Bottom housing material
Nylon
Bottom housing material
Polycarbonate
Mount type
PCB (5-pin)
Mount type
PCB (5-pin)
Spring
22mm spring
Spring
Gold-plated
Housing materials
The KTT Hyacinth and the Everglide Tourmaline Blue both utilize polycarbonate for their top housing. This material choice provides a sharper, higher-pitched, and crisper sound profile for both switches. Additionally, the transparency of polycarbonate allows for the use of RGB lighting in these switches, making them visually appealing. Therefore, if you are looking for a switch with a clear housing and wish to experience similar sound profiles, both the Hyacinth and the Tourmaline Blue would be suitable options.
Where the two switches differ is in their choice of bottom housing material. The Hyacinth uses nylon for its bottom housing, while the Tourmaline Blue sticks with polycarbonate. Nylon creates a deeper and fuller sound profile when typing, as it is a relatively softer plastic that absorbs more sound than harder plastics. On the other hand, polycarbonate's stiffer nature produces a more clear and resonant sound profile. This means that the Hyacinth will give you a duller and rounder sound experience compared to the sharper and crisper sound provided by the Tourmaline Blue.
When considering the overall typing experience, the combination of top and bottom housing materials employed in each switch will play a significant role. While the bottom housing of the switch impacts the bottom-out sound and feel when pressed down, the top housing influences the sound when releasing a key. Therefore, the Hyacinth's nylon bottom housing and polycarbonate top housing will provide a nuanced typing experience with a deeper bottom-out and a sharper release sound. In contrast, the Tourmaline Blue's polycarbonate top and bottom housing will deliver a more consistent, clear, and resonant sound profile throughout the typing process.
Weight
When comparing the actuation force and bottom out force of the KTT Hyacinth linear switch and the Everglide Tourmaline Blue linear switch, there are noticeable differences between the two. The actuation force of the Hyacinth is lighter, requiring 45 grams to trigger a keystroke, while the Tourmaline Blue is heavier at 59 grams. This means that the Hyacinth would provide a lighter touch, allowing for longer periods of comfortable typing or extended gaming sessions. On the other hand, the Tourmaline Blue would offer a stronger push feel, resulting in a more substantial typing experience.
Moving on to the bottom out force, the Hyacinth requires 56 grams, which is slightly heavier than the actuation force, indicating a consistent force throughout the keystroke. In contrast, the Tourmaline Blue has a bottom out force of 67 grams, which is also heavier than its actuation force. This suggests that the Tourmaline Blue would provide a more pronounced resistance when fully pressed down.
In summary, the Hyacinth offers a lighter actuation force and a medium-light bottom out force, making it suitable for those who prefer a lighter touch and a smoother typing experience. On the other hand, the Tourmaline Blue has a heavier actuation force and a medium-heavy bottom out force, catering to individuals who desire a stronger tactile feedback and a more robust typing sensation.
Travel distance
When comparing the travel distance of the KTT Hyacinth linear switch and the Everglide Tourmaline Blue linear switch, it is evident that the Tourmaline Blue has a slightly longer travel distance of 4 mm compared to the Hyacinth's 3.5 mm. In terms of traditional travel distances, 4.0 mm is considered more standard, while 3.0 mm is considered shallower. However, with the prevalence of shorter travel distances in recent times, gamers especially gravitate towards switches with shorter distances for faster response times. If responsiveness is your priority, the Hyacinth with its 3.5 mm travel distance would be the better choice. On the other hand, those who prefer a deeper, more substantial feel might find the Tourmaline Blue with its 4 mm travel distance more appealing. Ultimately, it depends on personal preference and the specific tactile experience one desires.
Price comparison
Which switch is more bang for your buck?
The KTT Hyacinth has an MSRP of $4.03 per 10 switches. At Milktooth, we are able to pass on savings to our customers and offer the Hyacinth for $3.75.
The Everglide Tourmaline Blue has an MSRP of $6.86 per 10 switches. At Milktooth, we are able to pass on savings to our customers and offer the Tourmaline Blue for $3.89.
Here at Milktooth, we offer the best prices on switches (on average, 27% lower the competition). In addition, we offer free shipping on orders over $49.00. We also offer free returns and exchanges, so you can shop with guaranteed satisfaction.
That said, while price is an important piece of the puzzle, our opinion is that you should ultimately pick the option that most suits your unique preferences since you’ll be using these switches for years to come. In other words, finding something perfect for you is, in our view, the most important criteria.
Typing experience
When it comes to sound, both the KTT Hyacinth and the Everglide Tourmaline Blue switches offer a neutral sound profile. This means that they have a moderate actuation force requirement and a moderate sound profile, making them suitable for most intents and purposes, whether you are a beginner or advanced user, or if you plan to use them at home or work. However, it's important to note that the sound of a switch is also influenced by other factors such as the keyboard board and keycaps used.
In terms of feel, the Hyacinth switch is described as silky and subtle. A silky switch provides an exceptionally smooth typing experience, enhancing the overall smoothness of the typing feel and minimizing resistance when pressing and releasing keys. Additionally, it has a gentle resistance that maintains a light typing feel, and its sound signature is not resonant, making it suitable for shared spaces.
On the other hand, the Tourmaline Blue switch offers a buttery and easy-to-press feel. A buttery switch implies a smooth and fluid keystroke experience, providing a seamless and effortless typing sensation. It also has an easy-to-press characteristic, requiring minimal force to activate. This light actuation force makes typing comfortable and reduces finger fatigue during extended typing sessions. Overall, the Tourmaline Blue switch enhances the typing experience by offering a responsive and low-impact feel. Additionally, it is described as mild, offering a more gentle typing experience compared to switches with more pronounced characteristics. These qualities make it approachable to most users, as it stands in a safe middle-ground zone.
Based on the available information, both the KTT Hyacinth and the Everglide Tourmaline Blue switches have their unique qualities in terms of sound and feel. The Hyacinth aims for a more neutral sound profile with a silky and subtle feel, while the Tourmaline Blue provides a neutral sound profile with a buttery, easy-to-press, and mild feel. Depending on your preferences and typing style, you can achieve similar results with either switch. It is important to consider your specific needs and preferences when choosing between the two options.
Conclusion
To sum up, if you are looking for a more medium-light switch with a focus on user comfort and a balanced tactile feedback, auditory experience, and overall typing feel, the KTT Hyacinth linear switch would be a great choice for you. Its 3.5mm travel distance and single-stage elongated spring provide a consistent force curve and avoid the hard bottoming-out experience.
On the other hand, if you prefer a medium-heavy switch with a deep and thocky sound profile, the Everglide Tourmaline Blue linear switch would be the better option. Its lengthened single-stage spring offers a bouncy feel with each keystroke, and the standard spring weight strikes a balance for a wide range of users.
In terms of sound and feel, both the Hyacinth and Tourmaline Blue switches fall into the neutral category, making them suitable for most intents and purposes, whether you are a beginner or advanced user and regardless of whether you plan to use them at home or work.
The Hyacinth switch provides a silky and subtle typing experience, enhancing smoothness, minimizing resistance, and offering a gentle typing feel. On the other hand, the Tourmaline Blue switch offers a buttery and easy-to-press typing experience with a mild overall feel. Both switches aim to enhance the typing experience by providing responsive and low-impact typing feel.
Ultimately, your choice between the KTT Hyacinth linear switch and the Everglide Tourmaline Blue linear switch will depend on your personal preferences for bottom out force, design features, sound profile, and typing feel. Consider what aspects are most important to you and select the switch that aligns with your desired typing experience.
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