Ultimate Linear Switch Comparison (ft. Zakus, Epsilons, CJs, Oil Kings, and 20 more)

Comparing some of your favorite linear switches! As mentioned, do take these sound tests with a grain of salt, but hopefully this video inspires your next linear switch purchase! What sounded best to you? and what switches am I missing that deserve to be added in?
Also, all switches are amazing in their own way! My preferences are just my scuffed opinions so don't take them too seriously (: Look out for the tactile comparison coming soon!
Sound Test Configuration
Board: KBD67 Lite R3 w/ PC plate
Lube: Krytox 205g0 and 105 for springs
Film: Deskeys
Keycaps: GMK Hennessey
Timestamps
0:21 Switch Overview
0:57 Sound Test Disclaimer
1:32 43 Studios Popu (stock)
1:53 Gateron CJ (stock)
2:12 Gateron Oil King (stock)
2:32 KTT Mint Linears (stock)
2:53 Durock Linears (stock)
3:17 Durock POMs (stock)
3:40 Momoka Frogs (stock)
4:04 Prevail Epsilons (stock)
4:27 Zakus (stock)
4:52 Panghu Giant V5s (stock)
5:16 SP Star White Meteor (stock)
5:39 ThicThock Konpeitou (stock)
6:03 Zeal Tealios V2 (stock)
6:26 Tecsee Ice Candies (stock)
6:50 Lavendars (stock)
7:16 C3Equalz Banana Splits (stock)
7:42 C3Equalz Tangerines (stock)
8:08 Gateron KS3 (stock)
8:32 Gateron Yellow (stock)
8:56 Jwicks (stock)
9:22 Alpaca V2s (stock)
9:46 NK Creams (stock)
10:11 Gateron Black Ink V2s (stock)
10:36 Cherry MX Hyperglides (stock)
11:01 43 Studios Popu Switch (L/F)
11:25 Gateron CJ (L/F)
11:50 Gateron Oil King (L/F)
12:17 KTT Mint Linears (L/F)
12:45 Durock Linears (L/F)
13:13 Durock POMs (L/F)
13:40 Momoka Frogs (L/F)
14:05 Prevail Epsilons (L/F)
14:29 Zakus (L/F)
14:53 Panghu Giant V5s (L/F)
15:17 SP Star White Meteor (L/F)
15:42 ThicThock Konpeitou (L/F)
16:05 Zeal Tealios V2 (L/F)
16:30 Tecsee Ice Candies (L/F)
16:54 Lavendars (L/F)
17:16 C3Equalz Banana Splits (L/F)
17:40 C3Equalz Tangerines (L/F)
18:05 Gateron KS3 (L/F)
18:32 Gateron Yellow (L/F)
18:57 Jwicks (L/F)
19:21 Alpaca V2s (L/F)
19:47 NK Creams (L/F)
20:10 Gateron Black Ink V2s (L/F)
20:33 Cherry MX Hyperglides (L/F)
20:58 Price Comparison
21:37 Smoothness Comparison
22:09 Sound Comparison
23:04 Final Thoughts & Recommendations

[@keywolf23]

Really liked the transparency in your comparison charts. Great video!

[@MichaelBertolino]

This is such an awesome video! Love thorough and objective reviews like this!

[@tropicalstarburst7364]

Bro this video was insanely helpful. I appreciate the way every test was back to back without wasted time between. This vid deserves way more views!

[@JayHigginbotham]

You’re a King for doing this one. Earned my sub! Hope you do some more switch reviews in the future!

[@michaelmarquez7778]

This is one of the best and most helpful comparison videos I've seen. Very detailed, really thorough without deviating from the main points. You covered all points beautifully, thank you.

[@dlalleman3874]

Be aware that the acoustics of his room highly impacts how you hear all of the switches. I think it all sounds a bit more hollow than they could sound in your room.

[@cdey3886]

Awesome video, thanks for the effort you put into it! I can really see your channel growing!

[@Ry122]

Codey do you like glorious lynx?

[@akwanzambitionz]

dayum you are incredibly underrated!! And thanks for all the effort you put into this vid, it really gives gud insight!

[@JonathanYankovich]

Love your delivery and style. Pro vibes. Keep it up.

[@cyduck4085]

I got the oil kings for one of my builds and have had to wait 3 weeks for them to come and am so excited to try them

[@Warliege4400]

Amazing video, very specific. Love the chart ❤. Keep up the gut work

[@alexlorenlee]

Incredibly helpful video, I really appreciate the final thoughts and charts at the end. I’d love to see a video just like this with frankenswitches

[@stevie4347]

Alex, you helped me in java so much when learning it at uni!!

[@zhenyarpixel5506]

11:03 11:12 Popu 14:09 14:17 Prevail Epsilon 16:54 17:03 Lavendar 19:48 19:57 Novelkey 11:27 11:36 CJ 14:31 14:40 Zaku 17:17 17:27 Banana 20:11 20:20 Inc v2 11:53 12:04 Oil 14:54 15:04 Panghu Giant 17:43 17:52 Tangqrine 20:35 20:44 CherryMX 12:19 12:29 Ktt Mint 15:19 15:29 Sp-Star 18:07 18:18 KS3 13:40 13:51 Momoka 12:49 12:57 Durock Linear 15:44 15:53 Thick Thock 18:36 18:44 Gat Yellow 16:31 16:41 TS Ice 13:14 13:24 Durock POM 15:06 16:16 Zeal Tealios v2 18:59 19:07 JWK Jwick 19:22 19:32 Alpaca v2

[@Ladisdad]

ty bro lol

[@zhenyarpixel5506]

@@Ladisdad 🙌

[@carsonreed8709]

Wow. Amazing video! So much effort and I can only imagine how much money and time was spent 😂 keep up the great work and I’ll be happy to see when you blow up 🙌 (btw think I’ll go with momoka frogs or tangerines) :)

[@stardusteeveexxx]

great comparison! really liking the sound of the momoka frogs, it actually sounds kinda froggy to me lol

[@ThockyDocKey]

Amazing review brother! Cheers!

[@Aylott]

Yay! I feel justified in my Momoka Frog purchase (I have a 3 pin PCB so was limited). Although I did lube them (not film as those houses are TOIGHT). Love them, soooo smoooth and a nice muted sound that’s too my preference. Pretty cheap and easily available, would recommend.

[@mikokb]

Nice video. The amount of effort this must've taken... sheesh. Keep it up

[@brockmcdaniel2725]

Thanks for the vid, very helpful. Seems like going cheaper on the switch and then l+f is the bang-for-buck option. Lubed Budget Timestamps: 12:28 KTT Mint 13:50 Frog 18:17 KS-3 Yellow 19:06 JWKs I personally think the Frog sounds the best out of any of the switches tested when lubed (and stock is pretty good too), not to mention the best of the budget options.

[@MoonlitDelta]

Milky yellows are pretty good too tbh

[@DominikZalewski85]

Great comparison. I spent a week on watching many YT videos and tomorrow I'm going to build my first custom keybee. I went on recommendation and picked gateron ink blank v2 for my keychron Q1. I'm planning to lube and film them. I really want to try alpaca, lavender and novvelkeys cream.

[@jl25735]

Linear gang here boiiiiii! Waiting for that comparison I loved the Oil Kings, Tangerines and the Alpacas!

[@CimInc]

Interesting test! Got a kbd67lite myself and the Epsilon and Lavender sound the best to me.

[@kekeebs]

Haha interesting you point those two out cuz for me, the epsilons felt like a calmer, dampened version of the other long pole switches and the lavendars felt like calmer, dampened version of the other Durock switches. seems like you know what you want in your switches!

[@Ranu92737]

Damn the production quality of this channel is insane for having so little subs. You deserve more subs, so here is one from me!!

[@senpa]

amazing work with this video

[@urielalbertosanchezm]

Now I get why are yellows so loved!

[@aoxner9115]

Liked the video! Willing to see more content brother 😀

[@darrenm4417]

2:13 oil kings S 11:52 oil king LF 4:28 zaku S 4:04 epsilon S 14:06 espi LF 6:51 lavendar S Ignore me. I’m choosing what to buy haha

[@theomonteiro9530]

So what did you chose IMO oil king are clean AF

[@darrenm4417]

@@theomonteiro9530 ended up with oil king. I have them for couple of days already.

[@theomonteiro9530]

@@darrenm4417 great choice :)

[@user-darkness0000]

@@darrenm4417 How is the switch? Does it provide a deep sound in ur keyboard? Thx

[@j0eykarate264]

@@user-darkness0000 It provides very deep sound IMO. oil kings in my q3 with tempest+forcebreak mod and it sounds so deep and very thocky. I'm extremely pleased with my purchase of the oil kings

[@LateBandwagon]

GIVE THE MAN SOME LOVE

[@coryking7919]

Best video I have seen so far

[@coleydotmp4]

This video is awesome, there are so many switches on here that arent as well-known, and you put them up against the more well-known switches! Also, a lot of newer entries. Sit down gat ink blacks! As a Gat CJ user, I approve this message.

[@pjalona888]

thank you for the content and effort. :)

[@BeatsManiac98]

Popus sounds the best to me! Really like ur vids :)

[@hongkong583]

Such a good review

[@magnsai5566]

Would love to see a full popu switch review!

[@baeit]

2:32 KTT Mint Linears S 18:06 Gateron KS-3s L+F 18:58 Jwicks L+F 3:41 Momoka Frogs S 9:22 Alpaca V2s S 11:02 Popus L+F 11:26 CJs L+F 11:51 Gateron Oil Kings L+F 14:29 Zakus L+F

[@Gowski]

Very valaubae video,you're very underated channel

[@reviewforthetube6485]

Wow this kbd with pc plate is pretty sick sounding haha but awesome switch comparison pretty impressive how much clack those ktt switches had tbh My favorite actually are the mx blacks, popu/op, bannana splits, ktt.

[@LeoXTV]

Awesome video thanks fam

[@philipp594]

So interesting that you feel so different about the Gateron CJ than most other reviewers.

[@kekeebs]

Def think I should've put the CJ's higher for smoothness. the pom on pom feel of the switch was just so different from a lot of the switches but def refreshing!

[@philipp594]

@@kekeebs I haven't felt it yet, but I like the sound a lot. I just wish the color was more neutral. Hate the blue.

[@aikoYL]

3:02 Durock Linear 4:15 Prevail Epsilon 4:52 panghu giants V5 5:44Thic Thock Konpeitou 6:03 Zeal Tealios V2 6:50 Lavendars 11:01 43 Studios Popu Switch

[@hvntime]

cant wait for the tactile

[@0xArkemi]

Solid video, this is very useful, thanks for making this, are you planning on doing a tactile version ?

[@cloudconnected7008]

thanks for the vid. will make tactile switches test?

[@mutt251]

Very good video!

[@trungpham-pe5el]

Take my sub for this amazing video

[@BlazinWolfz]

Alpacas, Tangerines, and Ink Black V2s all sound incredible

[@laowu830]

I loved this video!❤ can you make one for tactiles??🥺

[@picblade]

Nice! Thanks! A little idea - add to video sound graph with dB measure. I think it will very interesting. We can see(!) scratches and loud :) And my choice momoka.

[@kekeebs]

awesome idea, thanks for the suggestion!! i'll look into figuring out how to do this

[@Frailejonn]

3:02 Durock Linear 3:21 Durock POM 3:45 Momoka Frog 4:15 Prevail Epsilon 5:34 Sp Star White Meteor 5:44 Thic Thock Konpeitou 6:54 Lavendar 7:45 C3Equalz Tangerine Switches

[@CosmicCatA350]

W COMMENT

[@MrFreeze79]

@@CosmicCatA350 not really, he missed a few switches at the start lol he made a BIG L on this comment.

[@MrFreeze79]

you missed some, delete your comment. and start over.

[@Frailejonn]

@@MrFreeze79 it was a note for myself

[@stefanusrianto8781]

you sir are a hero

[@paffin8687]

it best video where compared switch) thanks man

[@SleepySnorlax305]

THANK YOU

[@nickarathuzik26]

never heard of Momoka Frog Switches before this vid, i will be buying some to L&F

[@niko1even]

What a legend

[@random_5130]

i legit cant decide if i like the oil kings or the panghu giants better, i’m looking for the best sounding stock linear

[@Andu_Youtube]

Hi. According to your conclusions, apparently KTT mints are the best budget switches on stock condition whereas if you were to lube and film your switches then it would be JWK blacks or KS3 yellows for this instance. If I were to lube and film the KTT mints, would they be better in terms of smoothness compared to those two switches I mentioned earlier? Thanks.

[@geps08]

the tangerine switches are too smooth... wow

[@dynimaftw]

Can you do a tactile comparison also I really liked this video it’s useful

[@IronCan88]

What's your overall opinion of the epsilon switch? Can you also do one video for tactile switch? Thanks

[@Alex-xx3yc]

Thank you so much! It's so hard to decide when you are just starting! Any recs. on the most silent?

[@Sneyk64]

thank you.

[@zevan9592]

Wow. Nice video. Surprised by how thorough you were. Needs more comments and likes! Hook this guy up!

[@Damien_N]

Prevail Epsilons are the first linear switch I’ve bought - I’m all in on the tactilegang, but the progressive spring on the epsilon I find to be a nice middle ground in terms of giving me resistance to avoid bottoming out. Even the default factory lube is good, no scratchiness at all. I don’t feel the need to open, clean and relube them.

[@lenguyenquangvinh2684]

Tactile gang rise up!!

[@stevanmilovanovic9128]

11:50 Oil Kings (L/F) 17:16 Banana Splits (L/F) 20:10 Black ink V2s (L/F)

[@dig3014]

Any thoughts on the Everglide Aqua King? I've heard the factory lube job is pretty decent, but haven't heard anything in a while. Do you know how it compares to the rest? Thank you and have a nice weekend

[@QualityScrub]

I have them and absolutely love them.

[@Orion-redx7]

Odd he didn't have them

[@imjustvibinboi2406]

From batch to batch the lubing job is a bit inconsistent so, while your batch may be great others may suck

[@lukto1676]

It’s a great comparison! I would like to know whether you use any foam inside the board.

[@cesaresp101]

which do you think is the highest pitch? also perhaps in a future video you can add a pitch graph

[@RobSomeone]

Awesome video. Planning on doing one for the tacile lovers out there?

[@kekeebs]

Yup! Just waiting on a few switches delayed from shipment!

[@nikocayetano1805]

Still trying to find out what switches I like best, but the linear switches that I found interest in are Zakus, hyperglides spring swapped, gateron cjs, marshmallows, and box inks.

[@kekeebs]

Haven't tried the last 2 but all solid choices! don't think i gave the hyperglides enough love in the vid haha

[@nikocayetano1805]

@@kekeebs thats alright i mainly have a bias towards hyperglides cause i love them on gummy o ring boards like the bakeneko

[@marshallmaia8130]

I found it hard to pick which was switch was for me because they all sounded amazing after L&F

[@TyroneShulaces]

I like the momokas filmed and lubed, but the ktt kang whites sound the creamiest even though everyone labels them as a "budget switch"

[@maxkolbersberger1156]

2:40 KTT mint 6:58 Lavender 9:27 Alpaca 12:19 Mint 16:57 Lavender 19:28 Alpaca

[@acloudonthebluestsky9687]

after 2 year of military service, i need more of this xD

[@Axel-lt5jb]

17:16 Banana Splits (L/F) 14:06 Epsilon (L/F) 19:22 Alpaca v2 (L/F)

[@sako2874]

11:27 gat cj l+f 17:42 tangerine l+f 19:22 alpaca v2 l+f

[@generaltusky6289]

1:53 Gateron CJ Stock 2:33 KTT Mint Stock 8:58 Jwik Black stock

[@YayaKeebs]

since you like long pole switches, you should try the cow non-uwu. that boi has the longest switch stem in the world - LITERALLY. and I just wanna rant about konpeitous, they're so expensive and hyped up and i dont really know why. they're so muted and not even that smooth, and at that price?? manggg. Thanks for the video, must have taken a lot of time and effort. Appreciate this.

[@jak032]

I was looking at the banana splits, tangerines and alpacas and clicked on this video so I could compare them. You mentioned that you liked the feel of the alpacas but the other two sounded better 24:36. Any tips on how I can find out what I will like more?? Banana splits: 7:17 Tangerines: 7:43 Alpacas: 9:23

[@ste06ma]

why did you choose kbd67lite for this comparison test?

[@youtubeisannoying3907]

Thanks for this, been looking for a gateron oil king comparison and this answered my question. Just wanted to ask, when you lubed your Oil Kings, did you have to remove that excessive factory lube or you applied 205g0 directly without wiping it off?

[@kekeebs]

I wiped everything off before lubing. the factory lube was strangely some of the most inconsistent ive seen + they were using some really light lube, and i figured mixing it with a thicker variant like 205g0 would just cause inconsistent lubing across switches

[@kevin-sj3wt]

@@kekeebs and thats why i prefer the stock oil king in this video feels deep and just hit right in the ear.. This tangerine stock also better than lubed in this video, but the winner is Gateron milky yellow lubed, cheap price sounds expensive hahahaa

[@nomimizu7435]

thank you for making this, I like momoka but flamingo I don't know why the frog is too light for me and also I need invest some money for alpacas 😭 I still like my aqua king cause the stem is tight without film and after relube the stock damn what a creamy feel when I typing I don't know my finger is not like long pole I always sometimes get tired when typing with long pole stem, once again thank youu :)

[@stripedsweater520]

I really enjoyed the giant v5

[@SupTucks]

ink blacks are one of the smoothest out there lmao

[@SirD31V1D]

Come back man! We need more videos about KEYBOARDS! And also about sound test.

[@notoriousb.o.b9266]

20:34 MX Black 11:02 Popu

[@illinoia8357]

Are you going to do a tactile switch comparison?

[@darthSLAP]

Hi! Thoughts on the KKT Kang White? Is it better than KTT Mint when both stock?

[@vinhnhi1997]

Awesome content. Subbeddddd. What do you think about cobalt pom?

[@kekeebs]

Thank you! I sadly haven't tried the cobalt poms myself, sorry!

[@Jay-hh7ss]

18:07 ks3 l+f 11:52 oil king l+f

[@iavyy]

is the stem wobble bad in the oil kings? what's the reasoning of you needing to lube them

[@kokovideo404]

I need some quiet yet still nice sounding and cheap preferably switches. Which of these would be the quietest?

[@rickysoora7930]

Ik im late, but did you have the silicone sheet in your kbd67 lite?

[@megalodonmom]

Is the tangerine switches 62g or 67g?????????

[@Aaron_Lesse]

Does adding films create a mushier typing experience?

[@deenfredrikzen2850]

what would you choose Durock POMs or Gateron Oil Kings between what is deeper and smoother??

[@MuildGaster]

2023 update when? 💚

[@hAckoFt]

How much work has been done! like!

[@MightyRaph]

Which would you consider to be deeper? oil kings or epsilon? i want to buy either one of this 2 switch to put on my qk65

[@-keiskx1774]

how are cjs so low on the smoothness chart? theyre considered smoother than tangerines

[@MUDGameshows]

Do you think the Gateron CJ is a good choice? Is there any other good almost budgety clacky switches?

[@burgerboy3005]

The Gateron CJ’s a fantastic choice! Basically 100% scratch free, I can say that because I’ve felt it with my own fingers.

[@Stargazerxx]

i got insane deal second hand Blade65 keyboard with lubed Tealios V2, Domikey WOB keycaps and random ass glorious coiled cable All for $170 In that case tealios werent expensive lol, want to see like good review but everyone is hating on them because of the price