The Leopold FC750RBT V2 / MX2A is essentially the same as the old model—refined, premium and durable. With the new Cherry MX2A switches and the smoother typing experience they offer, Leopold may be able to expand their fanbase to the new generation of keyboard enthusiasts.
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There was a time when Cherry switches were the gold standard for premium mechanical keyboards. Today, however, people seem to care less about this brand. If you search for “mechanical keyboard” on Google or Amazon, the top results are dominated by keyboards that use switches from Cherry clone brands such as Geteron and Kailh. You’d have to dig further down the list to find one with genuine Cherry switches. Even HHKB, one of the few keyboard makers that I put above Leopold, has gone with Kailh switches for their latest model. How times have changed…
Around 2014, the patent for Cherry MX switches expired, triggering a wave of clones. While these clones weren’t as durable or precise, they introduced their own innovations—along with significantly lower price tags. This shift expanded the market to younger consumers, many of whom now associate mechanical switches with the improvements made by the clone brands. Meanwhile, Cherry remained silent for nearly a decade, with no major updates. Then, last year, they introduced the MX2A series—newly designed switches that borrow ideas from their competitors, featuring factory lubrication, a barrel-shaped spring, and other enhancements, seemingly aimed at appealing to this new, younger audience.
As the name suggests, the Leopold FC750RBT V2 / MX2A is largely the same as the older FC750RBT model but now includes the new Cherry MX2A switches, an additional sound-absorbing pad on the PCB, and a fresh Coral Blue color option. Leopold is a premium keyboard brand and a long-time partner of Cherry. Both brands, being slow to change, have seemingly missed out on the recent mechanical keyboard market boom. Will the same old keyboard with new switches and minor tweaks be enough to catch up? For this review, I have chosen the FC750RBT V2 / MX2A in Coral Blue paired with brown switches. Brown is what I consider to be the basic mechanical switch. There is also the fact that I already own the original FC750RBT with brown switches, making it the natural choice for comparison.
| THE GOOD | THE BAD |
| – Kept all the good stuff from the old model – MX2A switch feels smoother and has less noise | – LED indicators still don’t work |
The first thing you’ll notice—before even opening the box thanks to its new design—is the vibrant, pastel Coral Blue color. Leopold has released some strange colors in the past, like Swedish White, for people who don’t feed their guests, or Mint White, presumably a collaboration with the police force to collect addresses of future murderers. But Coral Blue? It’s surprisingly nice, joining the ranks of Leopold’s good colors, like Black… and Grey Blue!
While Black and Grey Blue appeal to a more professional audience, Coral Blue clearly targets younger, more style-conscious users. With the rise of girl gamers and the trend towards cutesy, pastel aesthetics in keyboards, it makes sense that Leopold would offer a color like this. On my desk, though, it feels very out of place. The old FC750RBT offered 13 color options, including Swedish White and Mint White, and recently added Coral Blue to make the total 14. But the V2 / MX2A is only available in Coral Blue or Grey Blue, at least for now. I already own three Grey Blue Leopold keyboards, so I went with Coral Blue this time—though setting the keyboard on my desk, I see why I bought three in the same color. Hmm…
The FC750RBT V2 / MX2A looks exactly like the old FC750RBT, and that’s a good thing. It retains the same minimal, practical design with a clean, 87-key TKL layout. As always, the build quality is top-notch—solid, heavy, and reliable. The premium, almost indestructable, PBT double-shot keycaps are still present, and the familiar Step Sculpture 2 profile pairs perfectly with the new MX2A switches, providing a comfortable typing experience.
On the underside, you’ll find the on/off switch, Bluetooth connection button, and battery compartment, which takes two AAA batteries. As with the old model, the batteries should last at least six months under heavy use. The keyboard can connect to up to four devices via Bluetooth and one more via USB-C. There are also four dip switches for swapping key functions of Alt, Control, Caps Lock, and Windows keys. All the good things from the old model are here—including one annoyance: the LED indicators.
For some reason, Leopold decided to keep the same weird LED behavior. The caps lock and scroll lock indicators only work when connected via USB-C. In Bluetooth mode, they switch to battery and Bluetooth status indicators only. This feels like an unnecessary limitation that could have been fixed in this version.
According to Leopold’s website, the new model features a sound-absorbing pad on the PCB. This additional layer is designed to dampen keypress sounds, resulting in a quieter, more refined typing experience. Compared to the older model, the V2 / MX2A does sound better. It’s less clacky, and there’s no metallic pinging noise. But it’s hard to tell how much of the difference comes from the sound-absorbing pad and how much is thanks to the new MX2A switches. Either way, the overall sound profile is quieter and more premium.
Here’s what typing sounds like on the old FC750RBT with Cherry MX Brown switches:
Here’s what typing sounds like on the new FC750RBT V2 with Cherry MX2A Brown switches:
One major complaint about the old Cherry MX switches was the lack of factory lubrication. For years, Cherry clone brands like Gateron and Kailh have offered factory-lubed switches, setting a new industry standard. That meant, for many users, that Cherry switches required additional time, effort, and cost for aftermarket self-lubing. Personally, I never minded using Cherry switches without lubrication, but the MX2A is definitely a step up in smoothness compared to the old switches.
Cherry has made some design changes as well, such as introducing a barrel-shaped spring and altering the structure of the crown and socket dome. These updates are intended to reduce scratchiness and eliminate pinging noise—and yes, the difference is definitely noticeable. However, as a long-time Cherry keyboard user, I have to admit the new switches feel like they’ve lost a bit of… character. I’m sure newer users, especially those who started with Gateron or Kailh switches, will appreciate the MX2A for its smooth, quiet operation with robust typing feel. But for someone like me, who grew fond of the slight scratchiness and occaisional pinging—well, you know what? Despite the loss of character, I find myself to value the smoothness of the new MX2A switches more. Now, why didn’t I get it in Grey Blue?
Both Cherry and Leopold continue to sell the older models alongside the newer ones, and the FC750RBT V2 / MX2A is priced just $11 higher than the previous version. This small price difference makes it an easy recommendation for anyone purchasing a new mechanical keyboard. The FC750RBT V2 / MX2A delivers the same excellent build quality but with smoother, quieter switches and a typing feel that aligns with the latest trends.
For users of the older model, upgrading to the newer version isn’t really necessary. The original Cherry MX switches are still great—they just don’t offer the same level of smoothness or noise reduction that today’s younger audiences seem to prefer. In fact, you might not even like the new switches, like this person here. While I do like the V2 / MX2A model, I’ll probably let it go since the color doesn’t match my desk. That said, I won’t be buying a new V2 / MX2A in Grey Blue either, because my current keyboards with the older Cherry switches, while not as smooth as the V2 / MX2A, are still a joy to type on.
If you want to learn more about Leopold keyboards, check out my previous review of the Leopold FC660MBT.
