Categorizing HMX Switches Based On Sound Profile/Clacky, Thocky, Creamy, Deep, etc.

You may have heard somebody say at some point that all HMX switches sound the same. They are not wrong, but also not completely right. In this article, we are going to categorize HMX switches based on their sound profile. We are also going to investigate further to see which factors determine switch sound. Let's get right to it.

High-pitched, Clacky, and relatively Thin Sounding Switches

Switches in this category

1. Cheese switch
2. Xinhai switch
3. Swift V1 switch
4. Deep Navy switch
5. Poro switch
   
6. Hyacinth V2 switch
7. Sunset Gleam switch 3.5mm
8. Snow Crash switch (Rail bottom-out)
9. Emo switch

Characteristics and Traits

Sound: The very classic HMX sound profile. Loud, clacky, a bit thin, and high-pitched.

Material: These switches come with LY or POM stem and Nylon bottom housing with a large amount of fiberglass added; Mainly PA-2, PA2.0, P2, or PA30 bottom housings.

Travel Distance: Most of them have a travel distance of around 3.6mm except for Snow Crash switches

Molding: All of them use HMX's OG 2.0 mold

Sound Reference:

 

High-pitched, Clacky, and slightly fuller Sounding Switches

Switches in this category

1. Cloud switch
2. Lotus switch
3. Blue Topaz switch
4. Jammy/Perky/Lucky switch
5. Gravel switch
   
6. Macchiato switch
7. Hyacinth V2U switch
8. Sunset Gleam 3.9mm
9. Neo Azure switch

Characteristics and Traits

Sound: Loud, clacky, high pitched, but not as thin as the previous category

Material: Most of them come with LY or POM stems except for Macchiato switches. Bottom housing comes with less or nearly zero fiberglass; Mainly P3 or P4 bottom housings.

Travel Distance: The average travel distance appears to be longer. Most of them have a total travel between 3.7-3.9mm.

Molding: HMX's OG 2.0 mold

Sound Reference:

Loud, Clacky, and Full Sounding Switches

Switches in this category

1. Sugar Rush switch
2. Swift V2 switch
3. TT Red switch
4. Oil Tank Martini switch V1
5. Yogurt switch
6. KD200 switch
7. Monochrome switch
8. Chu/Raw switch
9. Twilight switch
10. Joker switch
    

Characteristics and Traits

Sound: Loud, clacky, and full sounding. Some of them are lower-pitched than switches from the previous two categories. Examples include KD200, Yogurt, Chu etc.

Material: Most of them come with LY or POM stems. The bottom housing is made of nylon with less or near zero fiberglass; 

Travel Distance: Average travel distance is around 3.7mm

Molding: Most of them were made with HMX's newest mold set which majorly contributes to the fuller sound signature

Sound Reference:

Medium-Pitched, Thocky and Full Sounding Switches

Switches in this category

1. Canglan V2 switch
2. Purple Dawn switch
3. Oil Tank Pink Pig switch
4. Oil Tank Gulf switch
5. Mist switch
6. FJ400 switch
7. Caramel Pudding switch
8. Eva switch
9. Hibiscus switch
10. Vintage Citrus switch
    
11. Serene Green switch

Characteristics and Traits

Sound: Relatively thockier compared to other HMX switches. Medium-pitched, more balanced, and full sounding. Not overly loud.

Material: They come with either UPE or T series stems. Mostly T2, T3, or T4 stems which are UPE blends but not overly soft. Bottom housing comes with a decent amount of fiberglass added.

Travel Distance: They have a slightly longer travel distance at 3.7mm on average

Molding: Serene green, FJ400, oil tank Gulf, oil tank pink pig, and Mist are made with the new mold. The rest are made with the OG 2.0 mold.

Sound Reference:

Lower-pitched, Thocky, and Quieter sounding switches

Switches in this category

1. Gachapon switch
2. Ice Cendol switch
3. Game 1989 switch

Characteristics and Traits

Sound: Drastically lower-pitched than other HMX switches. They sound obviously quieter.

Material: They come with either UPE or T series stems. Mostly T4 or T5 stems which are the softest. Bottom housing comes with less or near zero amount of fiberglass added.

Travel Distance: They have a 3.9mm travel distance.

Molding: Game 1989 is made with the newest mold. Gachapon and Ice cendol are made with the OG 2.0 mold set.

Sound Reference:

Deep and Quiet sounding switches

Switches in this category

1. Su Color R2 pink, purple, and blue
2. Hades V2 switch
3. All Su re-color switches

Characteristics and Traits

Sound: They sound quiet and deep. Not the typical HMX switch you would expect

Material: HMX can only make one truly deep and quiet switch at the moment, and it has PA12 housing and a T5 stem.

Travel Distance: 3.6mm travel distance on average.

Molding: They are made with the new PA12 housing mold and new T5 stem mold.

Sound Reference: