BSUN Milk Tea Siam v2: Review by Vere

Opening Words:

Hello friends, there are quite a few new releases these days so I'm working to pump out some reviews in time for all of them. I do have my hands on some new material to work with so I will try to go over them and go into detail as usual. That being said, I should also clarify that switches do have objective traits and values but it always comes down to personal preference. I always hope that people will enjoy these reviews but don't forget that it's important to look at things from your own perspective and preference when it comes to this hobby.

 

Switch Introduction:

The BSUN Milk Tea Siam V2 are long-pole linears with a POM housing and LY stem. They also carry an LED diffuser which is appearing in BSUN's new releases.

They have a 20mm double-stage extended spring with an operating force of 37g and bottoming out at 45g.

They have a 3.9mm travel which is much longer than your average long pole. They bottom out on the pole and not on the rails.

These switches are designed by PH Studio who are responsible for a few other themed switches such as the BSUN Aniya/Yor and Tecsee Bocchi.

These switches are a V2 of the Aniya mold and improve upon that base.

(I suppose this is the origin of the name)

Short Summary

 

Stock Experience:

As with most BSUN switches, the Milk Tea V2 uses a mix of Krytox 205 and GPL 105 on the bottom housing rails and dry film lube on the stem rails, legs, and on the spring. There is not much lubricant on the leaf, it seems to only be the lubricant from the stem legs that touch the leaf.

 

(Thick coating on sliders, dry film lube on legs)

Quick recap on the Krytox 205 + 105 combination, it is a mixture that is thinner than standard Krytox 205g0 and allows for preservation of the sound profile without sacrificing smoothness. The main drawback to this combination is that the two different lubricants will eventually separate as one is an oil and the other is a grease. (This doesn't affect too much in the long run as the amount of 105 used is minimal compared to 205)

(Coated on the bottom rails as well)

Due to the lack of lubricant on the leaf, I assumed that was the reason why I heard some occasional ticks, but even after lubing the leaf, that sound didn't go away. This is something that is present on most BSUN switches, unfortunately I still can't figure out the cause.

 

(Residue from the stem legs touching the leaf only)

Would I re-lube them? Maybe not, as the ticking sound is actually overshadowed by the volume of these switches and they are capable of covering up unwanted noise. There isn't much reason to re-lube the other parts of the switch as it is already as smooth as can be.

 

 

Main Changes:

The original switches that used the previous mold were the BSUN Aniya, BSUN Yor, and the BSUN Milk Tea Siam.

These switches had minor differences among each other such as materials or travel distance.

The Aniya and Yor both had 3.2mm travel, but the Milk Tea had 3.6mm travel.

The Aniya and Milk Tea had the same materials, but only the Yor had a PC top housing.

All three of them had different spring weights but used single-stage springs.

The Milk Tea V2 now uses a double-stage spring with a snappier return but still has a light spring weight that most of BSUN's switches share, however the double-stage spring does help balance this out with requiring more force initially.

(A vast majority of BSUN's switches use single-stage springs)

The Milk Tea V2 now also comes in a 3.9mm travel, which makes the bottom out feel slightly more substantial with the increased amount of travel. In my opinion, longer poles do feel and sound harsher when the travel is short, but when the travel is increased, the overall bottom out feels more satisfying when there is more to press in. 

(Difference between 3.9mm and 3.3mm, Aniya was at 3.2mm)

Switches that bottom out on the rails can't help but feel different when the impact of the stem pole is missing. This doesn't mean that one is better than the other, it ultimately falls down to preference.

 

 

Overall Design:

This really comes down to personal preference as to what people would desire more out of a switch.

I personally did not enjoy the Aniya switches as I couldn't enjoy typing on such a light weight with extremely short travel. The experience right out of the box was good in terms of stock form, but unpleasant for actual use. With such short travel, the Aniya was designed to easily bottom out and have a harsh feeling on the pole when typing. This can be considered BSUN's style or flavor when it comes to their switch design, but not everyone would enjoy this.

Then how do these compare? Well, they still have a light spring weight at 45g, but the double-stage spring makes them feel more like 50g+.

On top of that, 3.9mm travel is infinitely closer to full travel than other long poles which helps alleviate the previous feeling regarding the original Aniya. With the LY stem, it is a pleasant bottom out that sounds and feels appropriate for daily use.

This BSUN switch is now my go-to recommendation for newcomers to BSUN, as it maintains their strong sound profile while having a pleasant feeling. Previously, the BSUN Bunny was my personal favorite as it fulfilled a similar purpose, but these Milk Tea V2 are also fantastic in that regard.

Would I consider this an upgrade? Personally yes, but someone out there may consider it a downgrade if they preferred the more fierce bottom outs of previous BSUN releases.

 

 

Smoothness: Phenomenal

The new molds used for this switch seem to be a literal upgrade as it is slightly smoother than the original switches to my memory. There is also no scratchiness that can be found from the POM and LY contact.

BSUN's lubing technique covering both bottom housing rails and stem leads to great smoothness, though I cannot guarantee the switch would be smooth without it.

Compared to some of BSUN's other releases, these switches are either in line or perhaps slightly better when it comes to smoothness.

 

 

Sound Profile:

Though these switches have a less harsh feeling, they still retain the strong poppy sound that occurs on the bottom out. With their material combination, the sound profile is reminiscent of pebbles or marbles in a literal sense. These switches have that kind of "block-like" Lego sound.

Poppy refers to a bright and explosive tone similar to popping bubble wrap, I wouldn't use this to describe switches with softer or controlled tones that don't exactly hit hard on the bottom out.

Marble-like or Marble-y sounds refer to when switches have mostly mid tones that are similar to the sound effect of PE foam. A "blocky" sound like stepping onto a gravel path or the sound of Lego.

Overall, with a decent volume, full tone, and satisfying sound profile, these switches are quite competitive in terms of sound.

 

 

Direct Comparison to other linears:

Keygeek MZ Y1 (PA66/PBT/Y1 Stem) 3.8mm Travel

• These switches only share a slightly similar travel and no other material traits. (High volume and resonant sound profile)
• The MZ Y1 is slightly louder than the Milk Tea V2.
• The MZ Y1 has a slightly better stock form. (Less tick)
• The Milk Tea V2 is slightly lower pitched.
• The MZ Y1 has slightly more wobble in all directions. (Good Control)
• They have similar smoothness stock.

HMX Macchiato (PA12/Mod. Nylon/POK Stem) 3.8mm Travel

• These switches only share a slightly similar travel and no other material traits. (High volume, moderate pitch, thinner sound.)
• They share a similar volume.
• The Macchiato has slightly better stock form. (Less tick)
• The Milk Tea V2 is lower pitched.
• The Milk Tea V2 has slightly more N/S wobble. (Great control)
• They have similar smoothness stock.

Huano Caramel Latte (POK/PA66+Fiberglass/POM Stem) 3.6mm Travel

• These switches share no similar materials and are slightly different travel. (Moderate pitch and volume, balanced sound.)
• The Milk Tea V2 is slightly louder than the Caramel Latte.
• The Caramel Latte has a slightly better stock form. (Less tick)
• The Milk Tea V2 is slightly lower pitched.
• The Milk Tea V2 has slightly more N/S wobble. (Great control)
• They have similar smoothness stock.

 

Flaws:

So far, the only notable flaw is the aforementioned slight tick that is common among BSUN switches.

Thankfully this switch doesn't suffer as much from this problem compared to some other switches, but this could be a deal breaker for people who don't want to deal with any kind of unwanted sound.

After all, some competitors have near flawless stock performances so this switch could be seen as inferior in that regard. That being said, I do believe that this switch has its own merits, but it falls down to preference.

 

 

Personal Build Recommendations: (Preference/Opinion Based)

I had a good time using these switches on Nylon Top Mount.

With the sound profile consisting of mostly mid tones, I feel that most plates would work fine for this switch. Top mount felt good with how consistent the switches felt and the overall louder tone was accentuated well with the resonant sound of top mount.

I think these switches could easily find a spot in a Polycarbonate Top Mount build, or something standard like Aluminum Gasket Mount. Since the sound is loud and balanced, you can go towards your preference.

BSUN switches do well with foam, as the tone is on the deeper side, but they are loud enough to not become deadened by the foam.

 

 

Closing Summary:

To close up this review, I have high hopes for future BSUN releases. I think that BSUN has had some inconsistent releases after the BSUN Hutt and they haven't been able to draw me in until now.

For $0.38 per switch, BSUN offers a smooth and comfortable option that doesn't disappoint in the sound department while maintaining good stock form, though it is slightly ordinary.

With a middle ground pitch that's slightly muted, it offers a pleasant pop in the bottom out with a sound that reminds you of marbles. The price is also lower than a lot of other manufacturers, though it is slightly higher than HMX.

If you've been away from BSUN for a while due to the HMX craze, it might be time to go back to visit our old friend from 2023. If you are tired of harsh bottom outs or thinner sound profiles, then take a break with BSUN's new blend of Milk Tea, a bit of a mix-up might be what you need!

 

Final Scoring: 7.8/10