Cherry MX Black MX2A vs Kailh BOX Black
Weight is the real gap here: 10 g between the Cherry MX Black MX2A and the Kailh BOX Black at bottom-out, which is enough to change how a long session ends. Our switch library links the two to each other for that reason. Play the A/B bursts below to hear them back to back, match the volumes, then read the spec table and the verdict.
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 | Cherry MX Black MX2A | Kailh BOX Black |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Linear | Linear |
| Brand rates force at | actuation | actuation |
| Actuation force | 60 g | 60 g |
| Bottom-out force | 80 g (our estimate) | 70 g (our estimate) |
| Pre-travel | 2 mm | 1.8 mm |
| Total travel | 4 mm | 3.6 mm |
| Silent (dampened) | No | No |
| Factory lubed | Yes | No |
| MX-compatible stem | Yes | Yes |
| Price tier | Mid-range | Mid-range |
| Street price | varies | varies |
Cherry and Kailh both advertise an actuation force, so the two headline figures in this table are measured at the same point and can be read against each other. The two figures marked "our estimate" are our own derivation and not a manufacturer number, because neither Cherry nor Kailh publishes a bottom-out figure. What actuation force actually measures .
Verdict
This is a linear versus linear contest: the Cherry MX Black MX2A and the Kailh BOX Black share the same stroke character, which makes the smaller spec gaps decisive. There is a real weight gap too: 80 g against 70 g at bottom-out, so the Cherry MX Black MX2A asks noticeably more of your fingers over a long session. Neither Cherry nor Kailh publishes a bottom-out figure, so both of those are our estimates. Only the Cherry MX Black MX2A arrives factory lubed, which is an evening of work saved on a full board. Split by use: the Kailh BOX Black for gaming, the Cherry MX Black MX2A for typing and a shared office.
- Gaming pick
- Kailh BOX Black
- Typing pick
- Cherry MX Black MX2A
- Office pick
- Cherry MX Black MX2A
Force curves
Cherry MX Black MX2A
Cherry publishes no bottom-out force for this switch, so the 80 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 BOX Black
Kailh publishes no bottom-out force for this switch, so the 70 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.
Cherry MX Black MX2A or Kailh BOX Black: the long answer
Put the two side by side on paper before you trust your ears. The Cherry MX Black MX2A carries the heavier spring at bottom-out, 80 g to 70 g. That is a real 10 g without being a change of bracket. Neither Cherry nor Kailh publishes a bottom-out figure, so both of those are our estimates. Type is not in play. Both are linears, and both give you spring resistance and nothing else. Neither the trigger point nor the depth matches: 1.8 mm to actuation on the Kailh BOX Black against 2.0 mm, and 3.6 mm of total travel on the Kailh BOX Black against 4.0 mm. Same stroke character, so the spring is the fact to weigh.
The ears usually get the last word here. Put them through the player above and the Cherry MX Black MX2A lands as deeper, firmer bottom-out than Red; controlled and solid where the Kailh BOX Black lands as firm, clean clack with no rattle. As everywhere on the site, these are simulations built from published specifications and documented character. Accurate enough to compare, not a recording.
On what they cost to fill a board, both are mid priced. Factory lube is on the Cherry MX Black MX2A alone. Budget the extra time if you pick the Kailh BOX Black and want it at its best.
All three questions get different answers on this pair. Fast inputs: the Kailh BOX Black, because the two are close enough here that either works, and our scoring gives it the nod by a hair. A long draft: the Cherry MX Black MX2A, since its keystroke stays consistent and comfortable across a full day of writing. A room with other people in it: the Cherry MX Black MX2A, as it makes the least fuss of the pair in a shared space. Match the trims above, play both, and trust whichever one you keep replaying.
There is more on both than a head-to-head can carry. Start with the Cherry MX Black MX2A page and the Kailh BOX Black page, or test how your current keyboard performs with our free keyboard tester.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Cherry MX Black MX2A or the Kailh BOX Black the better gaming switch?
We pick the Kailh BOX Black 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 Cherry MX Black MX2A or the Kailh BOX Black?
Neither is dampened, so volume comes down to your board and your typing force. The one audible difference on the spec sheet is lube: the Cherry MX Black MX2A is lubed at the factory, which takes out spring ping and scratch rather than loudness.
Which switch is heavier, the Cherry MX Black MX2A or the Kailh BOX Black?
The Cherry MX Black MX2A on the figures this page carries, 80 g to 70 g at bottom-out, but the comparison is not manufacturer against manufacturer: neither Cherry nor Kailh publishes a bottom-out figure, so both of those numbers are our own derivation from the forces they do publish.
Do the Cherry MX Black MX2A and the Kailh BOX Black need lubing?
The Cherry MX Black MX2A arrives lubed from the factory, so it is usable straight out of the bag. The Kailh BOX Black does not, and on a full board that is an evening of work if you want it at its smoothest. Plenty of people run unlubed switches happily; it is a question of whether a slightly drier stroke bothers you.
More comparisons
More vs Cherry MX Black MX2A
More vs Kailh BOX Black
Or browse every switch comparison on the site.