Whitefox Eclipse keyboard review (Mute BOX Jade)

Skip to 7:31 for a typing demonstration.
Get the keyboard here: apos.audio/products/whitefox-...
Get the switches here: novelkeys.com/products/kailh-...
Today we look at a compact brick (truly a unit) with a history behind it! The Alpaca Whitefox Eclipse keyboard. Hope you enjoy the video!
Intro by Kyle Carter
Outro by Facundo Cabanne
My keyboard reviews: bit.ly/1TbOtft
My switch teardowns: bit.ly/2C1QGHz
My TOP X videos: bit.ly/2FmpZfd
My XL typing demos: bit.ly/2OoAW3w
My tutorials and featurettes: bit.ly/2OrkLUh
My unboxing videos: bit.ly/2TSrr0m
I'm Thomas and I do videos and reviews on mechanical keyboards ranging from the most sickening modern RGB gaming keyboards to vintage hardware relics, or sometimes keycaps or keyswitches ranging from Cherry MX to Alps SKCM to IBM buckling springs and anything in between.
Follow me on Twitter for updates on my keyboard videos! / chyrosran22
The practice sentence was: "Hello my name is Thomas and I'm typing on a Whitefox Eclipse keyboard right now. I'm not sure this was exactly a disappointment keyboard-wise, but I had hoped more for the switches!"

[@thethriftyfawn]

That conversion chart tho... 😂

[@CaveyMoth]

I'm just surprised it fit in the video frame.

[@snorklewacker]

This review is like what happens when you hound a professor for a recommendation when you got a C- in their class: you may not get the recommendation you wanted! One of the things I love about your reviews is that you don’t just say you didn’t like something or even only what you didn’t like, you’re very careful to delineate “this is objectively bad because…” from “this is my opinion/taste/preference because…”. I’ve learned an inordinate amount about keyboards and switches from your videos that way, and I feel like it does the manufacturers a solid even when you didn’t necessarily like their product.

[@Chyrosran22]

Thanks! I like to think so too, because manufacturers often come back for more even after a bad review, or they want feedback even without a video review!

[@ivy_47]

The sound of that faceplate clanking back on to the frame is actually super satisfying. solid metal clack!

[@exynos632]

babe wake up, new chyrosran22 vid dropped

[@XanthinZarda]

No, I genuinely just like watching your videos; I prefer keyboards more in the bigger sized category such as the AEK II or Model M.

[@thehorsefromGOTs8]

as far as small keyboards with arrow keys go, a normal sized right shift key is always a win in my book.

[@adityak28]

Hi Thomas. Hate to ask you this again but can you review a keyboard with the Asus ROG RX clicky (that was a mouthful) switches? They’re an optoelectric clicky switch with built in stabilizers in the switches. It looks interesting

[@Chyrosran22]

That looks interesting. Thanks for the tip! I'll see if I can arrange something:) .

[@voidmachines]

The sound on the typing test sounds ok ..ish. I got the original whitefox just as a piece of modern keyboard history. Never really used it. But I appreciate Matteo's contribution on the modern keyboard.

[@kesser1197]

Just a couple notes on the Mute Jades, The signature "mute" sound and clickbar feel is made from a combination of the special bent clickbar and the white extension coming off of the top housing. Said extension presses down on the clickbar, essentially making it rest in a half-cocked position that activates more easily and doesn't snap back as harshly as a normal clickbar, reducing tactility and noise. This also means that you can turn any other box switch into a Mute Jade variant by replacing the top housing and clickbar. Additionally, since many tactile Box switches have the tactile bump AND the clickbar activation notch (the tactile bump is generated by tension from the contact spring through the transfer bar, while the click is generated on the clickbar notch on the opposite side of the slider), you can combine the bump of a tactile switch and the click of a clickbar to make a very unique crunchy feeling switch! Here's the recipe for what I call the Box Eunuch (Royal but Mute) Box Mute Jade top housing Box Mute Jade clickbar Box Royal slider Box Mute Jade spring Box Royal Bottom housing The box Brown and the Box Royal have identical sliders, but the Royal's contact spring is a lot stronger leading to significantly more tactility. Since the bump from the contacts is a separate activation event from the clickbar, this creates a series of slightly offset tactile events which result in a very crunchy tactile feel. This also means you can pop clickbars into Royals to get some very clicky very tactile switches. You will probably need to get stronger springs to overcome the combined resistance of the clickbar and the Royal contact spring though.

[@CaveyMoth]

I always wondered when silent clickies would become a thing. Well, I guess you could say that box silent browns are silent clickies.

[@thethriftyfawn]

If you live with shift workers, you get to CONTINUE to live with an option like that lol

[@BreadTeleporter002]

Woooo lets go Thomas, some weird shtuff.

[@gg9xfrx4m30]

I really wish they would've done a nightfox variant of this keyboard as well as supporting a split backspace. I love the split backspace on my nightfox so much that I can't give it up.

[@insertnamehere6559]

Ever since your review of box whites in that frankenboard you soldered together years ago, I've used them almost exclusively and never looked back. I love light clicky switches. I've been putting these in boards for, gosh, what's it been, 6 years now?

[@greyareaRK1]

Shame about the silent Jades. Click and Thock recently gave a glowing review to Outemu Cream Yellows (silenced tactiles). Curious what you think of them?

[@BeerDone]

Oh no, they made him type without all the useful keys again!

[@1fareast14]

5:31 haimu heartbeat switches may be worth a go, they are supposed to be sikent with no mush

[@jacksontaylor7448]

hey I know it has been a minute, but have you considered doing a review on the new beamspring keyboard that ellipse has made, it looks very promising but different and wanted to see it in action.

[@Chyrosran22]

Oh definitely, I should be getting a review unit when it's ready :) .

[@NatalieT505]

2:32 I know Dutch men are famed for their height. But I’m admittedly still stunned to discover the cause of it. On the switch front: It’s disappointing the keyfeel is so poor, given (as noted) the box switch should be a promising basis for silent modification. Very "meh" overall, alas. The impartial review is as always appreciated, thanks Thomas ! :-)

[@GurtTarctor]

I've noticed that switches 'feel' different if I've got headphones on and I'm listening to music loud enough to almost totally drown out the noise from the keyboard, it's kind of a psychoacoustic + haptic perception effect. I wonder if you did that with these switches and went back and forth between the clicky and mute versions if you might still notice the difference? Could be worth a quick experiment perhaps?

[@alfredklek]

I wonder if those magnets are strong enough and close enough to your wrists to screw up a mechanical watch. I imagine that there's probably a fair deal of crossover between mechanical watch people and boutique keyboard users. Anyway it seems to be missing about half it's keys and where's "Field Exit?"

[@Chyrosran22]

Meh, I doubt it, I use a mechanical watch near magnetic equipment in the lab that is vastly stronger than these little magnets and even then it's fine.

[@werlydon]

Is there ANYWHERE I can buy the box mute jades?? I can't find a single place that has them in stock or any resellers that have the box MUTE jades and not just the box jades. As far as I've seen, it's the only switch that has that large bump but without the loud click of the regular jades. If you can think of anything else like, I'd love to know :)

[@MCTAP]

have you tried fucking googling it

[@quasistellar]

Oh man huge bummer about these mute Jades. I have Jades in my numpad and love them. I find them just a bit too stiff for using on alphas, though.

[@dubbu3543]

ooooh fancy keyboard

[@unattributed1641]

Totally agree about the muted Box Jade switches. Something about that conversion just kills all the qualities that make Box Jade what they are... I don't recall them feeling scratchy though, but the stiffness and low of tactility were extremely disappointing. I questioned why they still wanted to call them Box Jades as they really good no resemblance to the original switches. Personally I love that keyboard layout. It's really designed for typists who focus on the alphanumeric portion of the keyboard, and want to quickly access the navigation cluster (I can hit the whole navigation cluster with my pinky). Great for users of editors like vim. The downside is the function keys being on the second (fn) layer. IMO, I've wanted to see a keyboard with this layout that restored the function row... Maybe one day someone will do it.

[@xaytana]

Has anyone actually looked into why the tactility is different? I wouldn't think a small bumper would change the tactile feel, especially when tactility comes from actuation of the clickbar which the bumper has nothing to do with. Is it possible they used a thicker clickbar spring? I would assume this is the case, change the resonant frequency then dampen that, dampened thock rather than a dampened clack. Possibly coupled with a differently weighted main spring to re-balance the clickbar change? It's just so odd that A=B in naming but A≠B in feel, when the only change should be how the clickbar interacts with the housing itself on its independent upstroke which shouldn't inherently affect tactile feel during the switch's downstroke at all. Perhaps it's also in part due to psychoacoustics and haptic perception?

[@alexcorll90]

Looks interesting, but the magnets aren't ideal imo. We've also lost the classic Whitefox HHKB style backspace placement. I would be interested, but without that layout I'm not sure. I had an original whitefox which was nice, but a bit rattley and noisy overall.

[@ciaduck]

I used to type on box jades. They were nice, but not wife approved. I switched to Boba U4 68g switches. The tactile event is very much like the jades, but without the noise. You should try them out if you're looking for a "silent tactile" switch.

[@zso2]

The WIN keycaps are switched in the review unit :)

[@snarfbot]

Keyboard nerds on reddit spend thousands of dollars per week trying to replicate that dell rubber dome feel in a mechanical keyboard. Amazing

[@nickthaskater]

....what?

[@user-kz9rz8ui1c]

Are you schizo or something? There are exactly 0 enthusiasts who spend that much on rubber dome esque switches lmao.

[@Yipper64]

3:45 this is actually a deal breaker for me honestly.

[@M3e36-99]

My favorite keyboard is still from the IBM 3270 family. You can turn on a solenoid to feedback actual input. I copied that. I just posted a video.

[@pokepokepoke64]

One of my favourite jokes is the fact that the Alas60 (basic ass 60% keyboard) is 3.5kg with a brass plate. what the fuck, thats a heavy unikorn

[@Arae_1]

It's like a drop cstm80

[@lukeumhoefer]

The typing test is almost sounding like a weak, wet fart :/ It's a shame, I loved what NK did with the box Jades but I can understand how making a silent clicky switch can start to ruin keyfeel.

[@AbackZucchini]

I couldn't concentrate the whole video because your WIN keys are misplaced :(

[@JackOfHarts96]

First

[@DanielPetre]

2:29 best metric to whatever-bullshit-americans-use

[@keagan5379]

I was really excited when these first came out because the prospect of sharp, clean, clicky like tactility without the noise was right up my ally. I was really disappointed when I heard these feel closer to mx clear then to jades 🥲 the sound does seem to improve greatly though when put into a roomier case funnily enough