Akko CS Silver vs Kailh Speed Silver
The Akko CS Silver and the Kailh Speed Silver swap places on weight depending on where you measure, which is exactly the kind of thing a spec table hides and a comparison page should not. Our switch library cross-links them because this matchup keeps coming up. Start with the A/B bursts below, then take the spec table and the picks in order.
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 | Akko CS Silver | Kailh Speed Silver |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Linear | Linear |
| Brand rates force at | actuation | actuation |
| Actuation force | 43 g | 40 g |
| Bottom-out force | 50 g (our estimate) | 60 g (our estimate) |
| Pre-travel | 1 mm | 1.1 mm |
| Total travel | 3 mm | 3.5 mm |
| Silent (dampened) | No | No |
| Factory lubed | Yes | No |
| MX-compatible stem | Yes | Yes |
| Price tier | Budget | Mid-range |
| Street price | varies | varies |
Both makers rate these 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. The two figures marked "our estimate" are our own derivation and not a manufacturer number, because neither Akko nor Kailh publishes a bottom-out figure. How that derivation works .
Verdict
Stroke character is a tie. Two linears feel alike under a finger, which pushes the decision onto the rows below the type row. The springs cross over, so neither is simply the heavier switch: the Akko CS Silver leads at actuation, the Kailh Speed Silver leads at bottom-out, and which you feel depends on how far you press. Neither Akko nor Kailh publishes a bottom-out figure, so both of those are our estimates. Price splits them too: the Akko CS Silver is the budget friendly option while the Kailh Speed Silver sits in the mid priced bracket, which adds up across a 70 switch board. Where we land: the Kailh Speed Silver for gaming, the Akko CS Silver for typing and a shared office.
- Gaming pick
- Kailh Speed Silver
- Typing pick
- Akko CS Silver
- Office pick
- Akko CS Silver
Force curves
Akko CS Silver
Akko publishes no bottom-out force for this switch, so the 50 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.
Kailh Speed Silver
Kailh 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.
Akko CS Silver or Kailh Speed Silver: the long answer
Start with feel, because it settles most switch arguments before sound comes up. Weight refuses to pick a side: the Akko CS Silver is the firmer press at actuation by 3 g, and the Kailh Speed Silver is the heavier of the two at bottom-out by 10 g. Neither Akko nor Kailh publishes a bottom-out figure, so both of those are our estimates. Travel differs at both ends, with the Akko CS Silver registering first at 1.0 mm and the Kailh Speed Silver running deepest at 3.5 mm. Type is not in play. Both are linears, and neither one puts a bump or a click in the way of the press. Nothing here is decisive on its own, which is why the sound comparison matters more than usual on this pair.
Now the part spec sheets cannot carry: the voice. Through the A/B player above, the Akko CS Silver comes through as short bright tick, quick and shallow, while the Kailh Speed Silver reads as short, sharp clack that fires early. The usual caveat applies. Nothing here is a studio recording; both packs are synthesized from published specs, and the players say so.
On the practical side, the Akko CS Silver is budget friendly, while the Kailh Speed Silver is mid priced. Only the Akko CS Silver comes factory lubed, so the Kailh Speed Silver asks for either an evening with a brush or tolerance of a drier stroke.
All three questions get different answers on this pair. Fast inputs: the Kailh Speed Silver, because the two are close enough here that either works, and our scoring gives it the nod by a hair. A long draft: the Akko CS Silver, since its keystroke stays consistent and comfortable across a full day of writing. A room with other people in it: the Akko CS Silver, as it is the one of these two you would not apologize for. Whichever way you land, listen to both above with the volume trims matched before you spend anything.
There is more on both than a head-to-head can carry. Start with the Akko CS Silver page and the Kailh Speed Silver page. If you are here to check the board you already own, use our free keyboard tester.
Frequently asked questions
Akko CS Silver or Kailh Speed Silver for gaming?
We pick the Kailh Speed Silver for gaming. This is close to a coin toss. The scoring hands it over by a margin you would not feel in a match.
Which is quieter, the Akko CS Silver or the Kailh Speed Silver?
Nothing in either one is built to reduce noise, so on raw volume this is a tie decided by your keyboard rather than your switch. What you will actually hear is a difference of pitch and texture, which the player above shows better than a sentence can.
Is the Akko CS Silver heavier than the Kailh Speed Silver?
That depends on where you measure, because these two cross over. The Akko CS Silver is the firmer press at actuation, 43 g against 40 g, but that reverses at bottom-out, where the Kailh Speed Silver is the heavier of the two at 60 g against 50 g. Both of these are advertised at actuation, so the actuation figures are the ones the makers stand behind. Neither Akko nor Kailh publishes a bottom-out figure, so both of those numbers are our own derivation from the forces they do publish.
Which is cheaper to fill a board with, the Akko CS Silver or the Kailh Speed Silver?
The Akko CS Silver sits in the budget friendly bracket and the Kailh Speed Silver in the mid priced one. We do not hold a reliable per-switch price for both, so the bracket is the honest answer rather than a total.
More comparisons
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