Linear vs Tactile · sound comparison
Red vs Brown
sound test.
The two sensible choices, head to head: the smooth linear most people game on against the gentle tactile most people type on. Neither clicks — so the differences are all in the texture. Type the same sentence on both and listen closely.
Now playing
This test needs JavaScript and audio enabled.
Type a sentence on A, then flip to B and type it again
What to listen for
The difference
you'll hear.
Neither switch has a click mechanism, so both sounds are the keystroke itself — which makes this the subtlest comparison of the set. The Red is a plain linear: one soft, rounded thock per press, low in pitch and even from key to key. The Brown adds a tactile bump partway down, and because most people push through that bump and land firmly, its bottom-out reads as a slightly harder, more present knock.
The spring weight shapes the rest. At 45 cN the Red is the lightest common Cherry switch and sounds like it — less force in, less sound out. The Brown's 55 cN gives each press a touch more body. Side by side, the Red is the smoother hum and the Brown is the crisper tap.
The player above is loaded with Ruby Thock (Cherry MX Red) and Chestnut Bump (Cherry MX Brown), this site's names for the two recordings. Comparing both on the same typed sentence tells you far more than tapping one key on each.
On paper
Side
by side.
| Cherry MX Red | Cherry MX Brown | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Linear | Tactile |
| Feel | Linear — no bump, no click | Tactile bump, no click |
| Operating force | 45 cN | 55 cN |
| Pre-travel | 2 mm | 2 mm |
| Total travel | 4 mm | 4 mm |
| Hear it alone | Red sound test | Brown sound test |
The honest version
Which one
is for you?
Pick the Red if
- You type or game for hours and want the least fatiguing, most even sound of the lineup.
- You like the deep, uniform thock that modern keyboard builds chase.
Pick the Brown if
- You want to feel each keystroke register. The Red gives your fingers nothing to confirm the press.
- You rest your fingers on the keys — the Red's light spring makes accidental presses easy, the Brown's bump resists them.
This one is about feedback, not volume — they are close in loudness. Pick the Brown if you want the keyboard to talk back to your fingers, and the Red if you want it to get out of the way. On sound alone, the Red's even thock is the one most people find easier to listen to all day.
Keep comparing
Other
match-ups.
Or open the full keyboard sound lab to play all eight packs, race the clock in the typing speed test, and read the full four-way switch comparison.
Take them with you
Both switches,
on your Mac.
This page only makes sound while the tab is focused. TypeLouder plays the same Cherry MX Red and Cherry MX Brown recordings system-wide — in your editor, your terminal, your email — on whatever keyboard you already own, so you can live with each sound for a day before buying any hardware.
It never reads or stores your keystrokes, and it has no network access at all.
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Good questions
Red vs Brown
questions.
Which is quieter, Cherry MX Red or Brown?
They are much closer than most comparisons on this site. The Red is slightly softer because its lighter 45 cN spring puts less force into each bottom-out, while typists on Browns tend to push through the tactile bump and land harder. Neither is quiet in absolute terms — both still knock audibly across a desk.
Is Cherry MX Red or Brown better for typing?
Typists usually prefer the Brown, because the bump lines up with the point where the key registers and gives your fingers confirmation. The Red is smoother but silent to the touch, and people switching to linears often bottom out hard for the first week to compensate. For long gaming sessions the positions reverse — the Red's light, uniform press wins.
Do Cherry MX Reds and Browns sound different enough to matter?
In a quiet room, yes, but it is a difference of character rather than volume — the Red is rounder and lower, the Brown a touch sharper on the bottom-out. Type the same sentence on both recordings above; if you cannot hear a difference that matters to you, choose on feel instead.
Can I try both sounds on my current keyboard?
Yes. The recordings on this page are the same audio TypeLouder plays on a Mac, so you can give the keyboard you already own either the Red thock or the Brown knock on every keystroke, and switch between them whenever you like.
The audio on this page comes from community-recorded sound packs of Cherry MX Red and Cherry MX Brown boards, used under the MIT licence. Cherry and Cherry MX are trademarks of their respective owner; this page is not affiliated with or endorsed by them.