Cherry MX Black MX2A vs Outemu Black
The Cherry MX Black MX2A and the Outemu Black match on every force figure either brand publishes, which makes this a comparison of everything the spec sheet does not measure. Our full switch library cross-links them because this matchup keeps coming up. Start with the A/B bursts below, then take the spec table and the picks in order.
Hear them back to back
simulated from real specssound loads on your first tapShortcuts: press A or B anywhere outside a text box to fire that burst. Use the volume trims to loudness-match the pair before judging which sounds better.
Spec by spec
| Spec | Cherry MX Black MX2A | Outemu Black |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Linear | Linear |
| Brand rates force at | actuation | actuation |
| Actuation force | 60 g | 60 g |
| Bottom-out force | 80 g (our estimate) | 80 g (our estimate) |
| Pre-travel | 2 mm | 2 mm |
| Total travel | 4 mm | 4 mm |
| Silent (dampened) | No | No |
| Factory lubed | Yes | No |
| MX-compatible stem | Yes | Yes |
| Price tier | Mid-range | Budget |
| Street price | varies | varies |
Both makers rate these at actuation, which is the one case where the advertised numbers compare directly. Every other force row still has to be matched basis to basis. Neither Cherry nor Outemu publishes a bottom-out figure, so the two figures marked "our estimate" are our own derivation from the forces that are published rather than a rating. How that derivation works .
Verdict
Stroke character is a tie. Two linears feel alike under a finger, which pushes the decision onto the rows the spec sheet cannot fill in. Every force figure either brand publishes lands on the same number, so the spring is not the tiebreak here. Budget also has a say, since the Outemu Black is budget friendly and the Cherry MX Black MX2A is mid priced. We land on the Cherry MX Black MX2A for every use we score, and it is the safer of the two in a shared room, so the Outemu Black makes sense only if you preferred its voice in the player above.
- Overall pick
- Cherry MX Black MX2A
Gaming, typing and a shared office all point at the Cherry MX Black MX2A, so printing the same name three times would tell you nothing. One pick it is.
Force curves
Cherry MX Black MX2A
Cherry publishes no bottom-out force for this switch, so the 80 g at the end of the stroke is our estimate and the run into it is dashed. Everything up to actuation comes from the published numbers. How we derive it.
Outemu Black
Outemu publishes no bottom-out force for this switch, so the 80 g at the end of the stroke is our estimate and the run into it is dashed. Everything up to actuation comes from the published numbers. How we derive it.
Cherry MX Black MX2A or Outemu Black: the long answer
The table above already holds the answer. Here is what it means under a finger. Weight settles nothing: 60 g at actuation and 80 g at bottom-out, identical on both. Neither Cherry nor Outemu publishes a bottom-out figure, so both of those are our estimates. Both are linears either way, so both give you spring resistance and nothing else. Travel is a straight match, 2.0 mm of pre-travel and 4.0 mm in full on both. With the stroke and the rated weight both matched, this comes down to sound and to how each one is built.
What the table cannot tell you is how either one lands in a room. The Cherry MX Black MX2A sits at deeper, firmer bottom-out than Red; controlled and solid; the Outemu Black answers with firm mid-pitched budget clack. The usual caveat applies. Nothing here is a studio recording; both packs are synthesized from published specs, and the players say so.
On cost and convenience, the Cherry MX Black MX2A is mid priced, while the Outemu Black is budget friendly. Only the Cherry MX Black MX2A comes factory lubed, so the Outemu Black asks for either an evening with a brush or tolerance of a drier stroke.
Who buys which, then? One switch takes every axis we score: the Cherry MX Black MX2A is our pick for gaming, for typing and for a shared desk. On speed, the honest answer is that either would do, and it wins on a margin too small to feel. On typing feel, it holds the same feel from the first hour of writing to the last. On noise, it is the quieter of the two once the room is listening. That leaves the Outemu Black to anyone who preferred its voice in the player above, which is a good enough reason on its own. The player above is the cheapest part of this decision, so use it before your wallet is involved.
Want the full story on either switch? Read the dedicated Cherry MX Black MX2A page and the Outemu Black page, or test how your current keyboard performs with our free keyboard tester.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better for gaming, the Cherry MX Black MX2A or the Outemu Black?
We pick the Cherry MX Black MX2A for gaming. Honestly either is fine here. It takes the nod once the scoring is added up, and only just.
Cherry MX Black MX2A or Outemu Black: which one is quieter?
Neither is dampened, so volume comes down to your board and your typing force. The one audible difference on the spec sheet is lube: the Cherry MX Black MX2A is lubed at the factory, which takes out spring ping and scratch rather than loudness.
Which switch is heavier, the Cherry MX Black MX2A or the Outemu Black?
Neither: they match at actuation and at bottom-out alike (60 g at actuation), so any difference in feel comes from the stroke rather than the spring. Neither Cherry nor Outemu publishes a bottom-out figure, so both of those numbers are our own derivation from the forces they do publish.
Which is cheaper to fill a board with, the Cherry MX Black MX2A or the Outemu Black?
The Outemu Black sits in the budget friendly bracket and the Cherry MX Black MX2A in the mid priced one. We do not hold a reliable per-switch price for both, so the bracket is the honest answer rather than a total.
More comparisons
More vs Cherry MX Black MX2A
More vs Outemu Black
Or browse every switch comparison on the site.