I see myself in that image and I don’t like it.

I take this as an attack on the glorious ISO enter key :-|

I firmly believe that Cherry MX Blue in the right case / right materials can still feel / sound very good :-)

I used to think the same, but with the right setup (keys, plate, case) they can be quite satisfying. I abandoned clicky ones though 😅

Have fun exploring the hobby, it’s all about the journey :-)

I understand U4Ts are top tier, you’ll need something with its own well defined “character” to really find something different and satisfying.

Maybe you can check linear ones like KTT Strawberry, they are quite good and smooth.

Stock Creams feel smoother than stock CS Lavender and they are even a bit cheaper. I’d go with Cream Blues. I’ve not tried lubed lavenders yet (only stock) so I don’t know if live is a game changer here.

I personally like them. Akko V3 Cream Blues feel like smoother Lavender, I did not lube mine. Cream Yellows are also good , quite smooth stock but not the smoothest (I.e. my KTT Strawberry are way smoother), still I’d choose them over Gateron Yellow G Pro 2.0.

Both have a distinctive “marbly” sound that differentiate from the rest of Akko switches.

Brown switch family is good and all, but you can also consider trying other budget tactile switches with a higher activation point (you feel the bump when you start pressing the key). Akko CS Lavender and Akko V3 Cream Blues are cool alternatives if you want to try something a bit different without breaking the bank.