BSUN Usagi/537: Review by Vere

Opening Words:

Hello everyone, I've been distracted recently playing new games and got delayed on writing some reviews for the recent releases. This time around we've got some cool stuff from BSUN, seemingly experimenting with some fiberglass which adds a little more kick to their already poppy sound profile. They've also created some new molds which help a lot with stem wobble and overall stability.

These switches are definitely a bit simple though, as a result, this time's review is also a bit straightforward.

 

Switch Introduction:

The BSUN Usagi are long-pole linear switches with a PC top housing, modified PA66 bottom housing, and their new Y3 material. (Same as Y3X)

They come with a 20mm single-stage extended spring with an operating force of 45g and bottoming out at 51g. There is a variance of 5g among them. I should mention that these feel much heavier than their rated spring weight.

They have a mostly normal long-pole travel of 3.6mm.

These utilize BSUN's newest mold which seems to be noticeable with the lack of LED diffuser and slightly different texturing and shape of the top housing.

 

(I thought they meant Usagi as in rabbit, but the golden color scheme makes me think of Usagi from Sailor Moon)

Short Summary

 

Stock Experience:

The BSUN Usagi utilizes the standard mix of lubricant that BSUN has been using since 2023, a combination of Krytox 205 and GPL 105 to create a slightly thinner mix that helps keep the sound profile from being muted. The stem legs utilize a thicker dry-film lube instead which applies onto the leaf and spring. The nickel-plated springs also make a return on these switches after appearing in the Jade Rosales.

 

(Fairly decent coverage and not too thick)

(Dry-film lube)

(Streak marks from contact point)

The Krytox mix is applied on the bottom housing railings in smaller amounts, which ends up applying onto the stem rails. I also noticed that the amount is considerably less than previous iterations. In the past when I compared the lubricant used by various manufacturers, BSUN had the heaviest application but now it seems to be just in-line with HMX's amount. It is good to see that BSUN is also innovating and changing their methods to keep up with their rivals. 

 

(Extremely minimal dry-film lube on leaf legs, but it seems to get the job done)

Besides the lubricant, I am glad to see that the updated molds seem to be very effective at controlling stem wobble. With the Y3X material it seems there's not much to worry about in terms of being overly soft or malleable.

 

(Nickel-plating seems like be a mainstay for now with BSUN)

The one thing to note is that in my batch of 90, literally 1 switch was slightly over-lubed, but it could have been a fluke. Besides that, there is some extremely minor actuation leaf tick which has been around on BSUN and HMX for some time.

Would I re-lube them? Maybe if there were a few noisy outliers when it comes to leaf tick, but it's definitely not as noticeable as the past. I would say its currently better than HMX in that regard but I haven't tried HMX's newest batches with their old leaf.

 

Y3 and Fiberglass combo:

I mentioned before in the previous reviews that BSUN managed to alter their Y3 stem to become much firmer than previous iterations to help with stability and consistency. As a result it can be considered as a very firm version of UPE or at least a firmer LY substitute.

Combined with the effects of fiberglass in PA66, we have a very crisp sound profile and a very solid feel on the typing experience. It still retains great smoothness with this combo and reminds me of the earlier BSUN switches like the Sarokeys Strawberry Wine and BSUN Aniya without having any issues on stem wobble or leaf noise.

I think that I definitely prefer more of the Y3 switches as opposed to the LY stems that BSUN tends to use.

(As a reminder on the effect of fiberglass in switches, it is an extremely lightweight yet strong material which has the properties of adding a sharper and more glass-like sound profile. It is great for reinforcing other materials and is commonly used in PA66 and PBT as an additive material. With the reinforcement of fiberglass, it improves the impact strength and resistance of the plastic.)

 

Overall Design:

There isn't much to say about these switches, they are simple, consistent, and perform excellently.

As mentioned earlier above, with the current design of having slightly modified materials to brighten up an otherwise deeper switch, we have access to a clacky long-pole with a slightly deeper undertone. I think that BSUN's switch design has a good synergy with fiberglass, as their switches were already quite poppy and had harshness in their bottom-out.

The molds do a lot of the heavy lifting, as the feel of these switches are way more consistent thanks to the controlled wobble and more solid bottom-out. I feel like my typing experience is also more comfortable when using these switches compared to other BSUNs switches as the springs are not extremely light.

To add more about the Y3 material, I found it to be quite versatile when I reviewed the Jade Rosales, as it doesn't carry any of the main flaws of UPE. Previously, I always had a bit of a jaded view on switches with UPE or LY as I knew what to expect with the sound, sometimes I even had to prepare for some flaws with the integrity, but the new Y3 performs excellently as a proprietary material in both consistency and stability.

I think that this switch will be great for people who just want a loud and crisp long-pole to use in any build.

Smoothness (Phenomenal):

These switches have superb smoothness which is in line with most releases these days.

I will mention that these have a slightly heavy feeling to them which isn't related to the smoothness, it is possibly due to the spring and their new mold being slightly tighter than before but it could just be my imagination.

There's no reason to add more lube as it'll just dampen the sound.

 

Sound Profile:

Regarding the sound profile, I can describe these as poppy and almost harsh, akin to most of BSUN's popular releases. The additional modification of fiberglass in the bottom housing is the source of the harshness that emanates from the firm bottom-out, adding a slight resonant tone.

They have a crisp bottom-out, without much top-out sound, which leads to a very clean sound profile that hits very well on solid plates. The pitch is mostly in the midrange but the overall sound is full, a versatile switch that can fit on most builds.

There is no audible scratch but there is still some minor leaf tick which is still audible on some of the new BSUNs.

Crisp refers to having a solid bottom-out that is clear and easy to hear, doesn't necessarily mean loud and bright.

Full refers to a sound profile that doesn't sound shallow to our ears, or isn't dull and empty. (To be more specific, it has all kinds of frequencies in the sound, lows, mids, and highs.)

Clean refers to a sound profile that is mostly one-note or consolidated, lacking excess noise from factors like scratch or having a top-out that is much quieter than the bottom-out.

Resonant refers to having a sound that almost reverberates outwards while typing, the type of sound that can be heard when the bottom-out's impact is too strong to be kept within the confines of your board. 

The BSUN Usagi may be one of my top linear switches for 2024 when it comes to sound alone.

 

 

 

Direct Comparisons to other linears:

Keygeek Y1X (PA66/PBT(GF30)/Y1 Stem) 3.6mm Travel

• These switches share similar travel and usage of fiberglass, but different overall materials.
• The Y1X is slightly louder.
• They share similar stock experiences. (Extremely minor leaf noise)
• They share a similar pitch.
• They share similar wobble control.
• They share similar smoothness stock.
• They share similar fullness in sound.
• The Y1X has a firmer bottom-out.

HMX KD200 (PA12/P2/LY Stem) 3.5mm Travel

• These switches surprisingly share a similar composition, with a UPE blend stem and fiberglass mix in the bottom housing.
• They share a similar volume.
• They share similar stock experiences. (Extremely minor leaf noise)
• The KD200 is higher pitched.
• The Usagi has barely more wobble in all directions.
• They share similar smoothness stock.
• The Usagi has a slightly fuller sound.
• The Usagi has a firmer bottom-out.

SWK Dragon Ghost (Nylon/Nylon/POM Blend Stem) 3.5mm Travel

• These switches share almost no similarities besides long-pole travel and nylon based bottom housing.
• The Dragon Ghost is louder.
• They share similar stock experiences. (Extremely minor leaf noise)
• The Dragon Ghost is slightly higher pitched.
• The Usagi has barely more horizontal wobble.
• They share similar smoothness stock.
• The Usagi has a fuller and cleaner sound.
• The Usagi has a firmer bottom-out.

 

Flaws:

The only real flaw I can think of would be the slightly noticeable leaf tick which has been improved upon with the new releases of BSUN.

It more or less has to do with the leaf itself, so I usually ignore it and don't bother applying additional lube. Plus these switches are quite loud and do a good job of masking the tick.

If you're used to HMX, then this flaw isn't news to anyone.

 

PERSONAL BUILD RECOMMENDATIONS: (PREFERENCE/OPINION BASED)

With how bright these switches were, I went with the ol' Aluminum plate on Top mount. Their resonant nature and crisp feeling definitely synergized well with the feedback of a metallic plate.

I would probably avoid foam with this one and stick to builds with more lively sound profiles, like Aluminum or Polypropylene.

If you wanted to slightly alter the sound profile and hit a deeper spectrum, I would try POM or PC, as these switches do have some midrange tones.

Mounting style of preference would lean towards the firmer side.

 

Closing Summary:

BSUN makes a return to the stage with a series of releases and new molds, and these Usagi switches showcase an evolution of BSUN, just like a magical girl transformation.

For $0.35 per switch, BSUN offers a heavy-hitter in the sound department once again, with a crisp feel and powerful sound.

Thanks to their amazing Y3 material which contends well in the world of proprietary materials, smoothness is no issue and the sound also isn't dampened by overly soft materials.

With the new addition of what is presumably fiberglass in the bottom-housing, BSUN also takes a step in experimenting with the popular material this time in a successful way.

If you're interested in a strong long-pole linear or if you're interested in getting some switches from manufacturers other than HMX, look no further! 
The BSUN Usagi will leave you star-struck with their wonderfully crisp sound profile and solid type-feel.

 

FINAL SCORING: 8.4/10