Durock Piano vs. Outemu Yellow Silver
An in-depth look at the Durock Piano and the Outemu Yellow Silver switches—which one is the best fit for you?
Overview
When it comes to mechanical keyboard switches, two popular options to consider are the Durock Piano and the Outemu Yellow Silver. The Durock Piano is renowned for its proprietary material blend, delivering a typing experience that is smooth and satisfying. Users often praise its gliding push feel and deep, creamy sound signature. Categorized as 'Bassy', 'Frictionless', and 'Silky', the Durock Piano switch is a top choice for those seeking a comfortable and enjoyable typing experience. On the other hand, the Outemu Yellow Silver is highly regarded for its consistent quality. This switch boasts a light actuation force and a neutral sound profile, making it particularly appealing to gamers and typists who prioritize speed and responsiveness. Categorized as 'Neutral', the Outemu Yellow Silver is favored by those who value quick and precise keystrokes. However, let's dive in a bit deeper beyond these generalities so you can best decide on the perfect switch for you.
By the numbers
Technical specifications
Actuation force
N/A
Actuation force
45g
Bottom-out force
63.5g
Bottom-out force
55g
Pre-travel
2.00 mm
Pre-travel
1.30 mm
Total travel
4.00 mm
Total travel
4.00 mm
Factory lubed
No
Factory lubed
No
Stem construction
Standard
Stem construction
Partial box
Stem material
Mystery material
Stem material
POM
Top housing material
Proprietary POM blend
Top housing material
Polycarbonate
Bottom housing material
Proprietary POM blend
Bottom housing material
Nylon
Mount type
PCB (5-pin)
Mount type
Plate (3-pin)
Spring
Gold-plated
Spring
Stainless steel
Housing materials
The housing materials of the Durock Piano and the Outemu Yellow Silver differ significantly. The Piano's top housing is made from a proprietary POM blend, which offers a uniquely satisfying and deep sound profile. In contrast, the Yellow Silver utilizes a polycarbonate top housing. Polycarbonate is a relatively stiffer plastic, resulting in a sharper, higher-pitched, and crisper sound profile. Additionally, the Yellow Silver's translucent top housing is ideal for RGB lighting enthusiasts. Despite these differences, both switches aim to deliver a pleasing auditory experience, albeit with varying characteristics.
Moving on to the bottom housing, the Piano once again utilizes a proprietary POM blend. The exact details of the blend are unknown, but it is known to provide a uniquely satisfying and deep sound profile. On the other hand, the Yellow Silver uses a nylon bottom housing. Nylon is a classic switch housing material that enhances the sound experience by delivering a deeper and fuller tone. This is due to nylon's relatively softer plastic composition, which absorbs more sound, resulting in a duller and rounder sound profile. While the Piano and Yellow Silver utilize different materials for their bottom housing, both aim to enhance the typing experience with their unique sound qualities.
When considering the overall impact on the switch experience, the housing materials of the Durock Piano and the Outemu Yellow Silver play distinct roles. The bottom housing, whether a proprietary POM blend or nylon, significantly influences the bottom-out sound and feel when pressing down on the switch. This means that the choice of bottom housing material will greatly affect the tactile experience during typing. Conversely, the top housing material, whether POM or polycarbonate, has a stronger influence on the sound produced when releasing a key. Understanding the role of each housing material helps users choose switches that align with their desired auditory and tactile preferences.
In summary, the Durock Piano and Outemu Yellow Silver differ in their housing materials, showcasing both similarities and contrasts. The Piano features a POM blend top housing, providing a uniquely satisfying and deep sound profile, while the Yellow Silver's polycarbonate top housing delivers a sharper and crisper sound. Similarly, the Piano's POM blend bottom housing and the Yellow Silver's nylon bottom housing offer distinct auditory experiences, with the former providing a satisfying sound and the latter eliciting a deeper and fuller sound. Understanding the impact of housing materials on the typing experience will guide users in selecting the switch that best suits their preferences.
Weight
When comparing the actuation force and bottom out force of the Durock Piano linear switch and the Outemu Yellow Silver linear switch, there are notable differences. The Durock Piano has an actuation force that is unspecified, while the Outemu Yellow Silver has an actuation force of 45 grams. In terms of bottom out force, the Durock Piano requires 63.5 grams, which can be considered medium-heavy, whereas the Outemu Yellow Silver has a bottom out force of 55 grams, making it medium-light.
Considering weight, some individuals prefer lighter switches as it allows for extended typing periods, which is suitable for work environments or long gaming sessions. Conversely, there are those who prefer a stronger push feel to enhance their typing experience. For these individuals, switches with heavier forces are more appropriate.
While the actuation force for the Durock Piano is unknown, it is evident that the Outemu Yellow Silver requires a lighter force for actuation. However, when it comes to bottoming out, the Durock Piano is heavier in comparison to the Outemu Yellow Silver.
In conclusion, the Durock Piano linear switch is heavier in terms of bottom out force, while the Outemu Yellow Silver linear switch is lighter. Therefore, those who prioritize a substantial typing experience and heavier key presses may lean towards the Durock Piano switch, while individuals who prefer a lighter touch and extended typing may opt for the Outemu Yellow Silver.
Travel distance
The Durock Piano linear switch and the Outemu Yellow Silver linear switch have the same travel distance of 4 mm. This means that both switches will provide a similar experience when pressing down on a key, as they will travel the same distance from the top to the bottom. Therefore, whether you choose the Durock Piano or the Outemu Yellow Silver, you can expect to get similar results in terms of the travel distance of the switch.
Price comparison
Which switch is more bang for your buck?
The Durock Piano has an MSRP of $6.70 per 10 switches. At Milktooth, we are able to pass on savings to our customers and offer the Piano for $5.57.
The Outemu Yellow Silver comes in at $3.40 per 10 switches.
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
The Durock Piano linear switch is best known for its pleasant typing experience, characterized by a gliding push feel and a deep, creamy sound signature. This switch offers a bassy sound profile, which means that it produces a deeper and richer sound during key presses, reminiscent of bass tones. On the other hand, the Outemu Yellow Silver linear switch is favored by gamers and typists who prefer speediness and responsiveness. It features a light actuation force and a neutral sound profile, which is moderate and suitable for various purposes.
In terms of sound, the Durock Piano switch offers a bassy sound profile, providing a deeper and richer sound during key presses. This is ideal for those who enjoy a lower frequency range and a more robust sound. On the other hand, the Outemu Yellow Silver switch has a neutral sound profile, which means it has a moderate sound that suits most purposes. Keep in mind that the sound of a switch can also be influenced by other factors such as the keyboard board and keycaps used.
When it comes to feel, the Durock Piano switch is highly regarded for its frictionless and silky typing experience. It offers an extremely smooth and effortless feel, minimizing any sense of resistance or friction when pressing the keys. This switch ensures a fluid travel and enhances the overall smoothness of the typing experience. Unfortunately, no specific information is available regarding the feel of the Outemu Yellow Silver switch.
In conclusion, the Durock Piano and Outemu Yellow Silver linear switches possess distinct qualities. The Piano switch is known for its pleasant typing experience, characterized by a gliding push feel and deep, creamy sound signature. It offers a bassy sound profile and a frictionless, silky feel. On the other hand, the Yellow Silver switch is favored by those seeking speediness and responsiveness, featuring a light actuation force and a neutral sound profile. While there is not enough information available about the feel of the Yellow Silver switch, based on the provided descriptions and comparisons, one can expect a similar smooth and effortless typing experience.
Conclusion
To sum up, if you are looking for a pleasant and smooth typing experience with a deep and creamy sound, the Durock Piano linear switch would be a great choice for you. With its medium-heavy bottom out force of 63.5 grams, it provides a gliding push feel and a frictionless, silky typing experience. On the other hand, if you prioritize speediness and responsiveness, the Outemu Yellow Silver linear switch would be a better option. With its medium-light bottom out force of 55 grams and neutral sound profile, it is favored by gamers and typists who prefer a lighter actuation force. Overall, the Durock Piano is ideal for those who appreciate a luxurious typing experience, while the Outemu Yellow Silver is suited for those who prioritize speed and responsiveness.
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