Cherry MX Brown MX2A vs Cherry MX Clear
Weight is the real gap here: 20 g between the Cherry MX Clear and the Cherry MX Brown MX2A at actuation, which is enough to change how a long session ends. Our switch library puts these two on each other's shortlist, and the player below is the fastest way to settle it: match the volumes, then work down through the table and the verdict.
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 Brown MX2A | Cherry MX Clear |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Tactile | Tactile |
| Brand rates force at | actuation | actuation |
| Actuation force | 45 g | 65 g |
| Bottom-out force | 60 g (our estimate) | 95 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 | Mid-range |
| Street price | varies | varies |
Both of these are rated 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. Cherry publishes no bottom-out figure for either of these, so the two figures marked "our estimate" are our own derivation from the forces that are published rather than a rating. How we derive a bottom-out figure .
Verdict
Both the Cherry MX Brown MX2A and the Cherry MX Clear are tactiles, so this matchup comes down to weight, travel and sound rather than feel. There is a real weight gap too: 65 g against 45 g at actuation, so the Cherry MX Clear asks noticeably more of your fingers over a long session. Only the Cherry MX Brown MX2A arrives factory lubed, which is an evening of work saved on a full board. We land on the Cherry MX Brown MX2A for every use we score, and it is the safer of the two in a shared room, so the Cherry MX Clear makes sense only if you preferred its voice in the player above.
- Overall pick
- Cherry MX Brown MX2A
This pair does not split by use case: the Cherry MX Brown MX2A comes out ahead of the Cherry MX Clear on all three, so there is one pick here rather than three.
Force curves
Cherry MX Brown MX2A
Cherry publishes no bottom-out force for this switch, so the 60 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 Clear
Cherry publishes no bottom-out force for this switch, so the 95 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 Brown MX2A or Cherry MX Clear: the long answer
The table above already holds the answer. Here is what it means under a finger. The spread at actuation is 20 g, 65 g on the Cherry MX Clear against 45 g on the Cherry MX Brown MX2A, which puts them in different weight brackets rather than two shades of one. These are two Cherry MX tactiles, so each one puts a felt event in the middle of the stroke. Distance is not the difference: both register at 2.0 mm and stop at 4.0 mm. Same stroke character, so the spring is the fact to weigh.
The ears usually get the last word here. Through the A/B player above, the Cherry MX Brown MX2A comes through as soft, slightly sandy mid-pitch tap, while the Cherry MX Clear reads as deep thud with a heavy, emphatic bottom-out. Worth repeating: the audio here is a simulation built from specs and community descriptions, not a recording of either switch.
On price and practicality, both are mid priced. Factory lube is on the Cherry MX Brown MX2A alone. Budget the extra time if you pick the Cherry MX Clear and want it at its best.
This one does not split. Every axis we score points the same direction: the Cherry MX Brown MX2A is our pick for gaming, for typing and for a shared desk. On speed, it wins on a lighter spring at actuation. On typing feel, nothing about it gets tiring by the afternoon, which is the whole test for a writing switch. On noise, it is the one of these two you would not apologize for. That leaves the Cherry MX Clear 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.
Each of these has a page of its own with the full spec sheet and the sound notes. Start with the Cherry MX Brown MX2A page and the Cherry MX Clear page. If you are here to check the board you already own, use our free keyboard tester.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Cherry MX Brown MX2A or the Cherry MX Clear the better gaming switch?
We pick the Cherry MX Brown MX2A for gaming. Of the two it has the quicker, less intrusive stroke, winning on a lighter spring at actuation.
Cherry MX Brown MX2A or Cherry MX Clear: which one is quieter?
They are close. Neither is a silent switch and neither clicks, so loudness depends mostly on how hard you bottom out and the board they sit in. Their character differs though: the Cherry MX Brown MX2A leans toward soft, slightly sandy mid-pitch tap, while the Cherry MX Clear is deep thud with a heavy, emphatic bottom-out.
Which has the heavier spring, the Cherry MX Brown MX2A or the Cherry MX Clear?
The Cherry MX Clear, and the comparison is clean: actuation on both sides, 65 g to 45 g.
Do the Cherry MX Brown MX2A and the Cherry MX Clear need lubing?
The Cherry MX Brown MX2A arrives lubed from the factory, so it is usable straight out of the bag. The Cherry MX Clear does not, and on a full board that is an evening of work if you want it at its smoothest. Plenty of people run unlubed switches happily; it is a question of whether a slightly drier stroke bothers you.
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