Cherry MX Black Clear Top Nixie

Quick Summary

Cherry’s MX Black Clear Top Nixie is a heavy linear reissue of a switch originally built for Nixdorf hardware in the 1980s, now updated for modern boards. It pairs the firm, deliberate 63.5g weighting MX Black fans love with a cleaner stock travel and a milky housing made for diffused RGB. If you want a vintage-flavored heavy linear that doesn’t demand a full mod job to feel good, this is an easy recommendation.

Specs and Feel

This is a linear switch through and through: no bump, no click, just a smooth straight push down a 2.0mm pre-travel to a 4.0mm bottom-out. The 63.5g actuation is the headline: heavier than the typical 45-50g linear and a touch above even classic MX Black, so it lands with authority and resists mis-keys. The gold-plated stainless steel spring gives the press a clean, consistent return without the spring crunch older Cherry switches were notorious for.

Stem wobble is well controlled, in line with Cherry’s usual tight tolerances. Stock smoothness is the pleasant surprise: there’s still a faint trace of the old MX texture on the downstroke, but it’s far from the dry scratch the originals were known for. The nylon bottom housing and milky clear top give a deeper, more rounded sound signature, and the diffused top genuinely softens RGB into an even glow rather than a hotspot.

Tuning

These are good enough stock to skip modding entirely, but a quick hand-lube is the obvious upgrade: it erases the last bit of MX scratch and lands the feel squarely between vintage character and modern glassiness. Films aren’t necessary given the solid stock wobble, so most builders can stop at lube.

Verdict

Buy these if you want a heavy linear with real MX heritage and a smoother, RGB-friendly modern execution. The 63.5g weight makes them a poor fit for anyone who prefers a light, fast actuation, but for deliberate typists and vintage-leaning builders they’re a good value. Lightly lubed, they punch well above their modest price.