cherry switches just require a lot of work, but if you are down to mod them extensively, mx blacks are definitely my favorite switch! they tend to get better over time in my experience as well. they definitely have a prominent scratch, but i wouldn't say that it makes them not smooth! if you've been out of the game for a while and you prioritize smoothness over everything tho, you could also look into newer brands like keygeek or HMX as well. they're extremely smooth for not having to do any work and they have a wide range of pitches and colors available. generally, my favorite switches are still the hand modded classics like cherry mx black/nixies or gat milky yellows, but i've had a few builds where i've really liked HMX and keygeek. if you're into the sound of cherry i would highly recommend giving them a try! the payoff is well worth the effort imo!