Cherry MX Silent Black MX2A vs Durock (JWK) Silent Alpaca
The Cherry MX Silent Black MX2A and the Durock (JWK) Silent Alpaca are separated mostly by spring weight, 12 g of it at actuation, with the Cherry MX Silent Black MX2A the firmer press and the Durock (JWK) Silent Alpaca the easier one to hold down. Our full 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 Silent Black MX2A | Durock (JWK) Silent Alpaca |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Linear (silent) | Linear (silent) |
| Brand rates force at | actuation | bottom-out |
| Actuation force | 60 g | 48 g |
| Bottom-out force | 80 g (our estimate) | 62 g |
| Pre-travel | 1.9 mm | 2 mm |
| Total travel | 3.7 mm | 3.8 mm |
| Silent (dampened) | Yes | Yes |
| Factory lubed | Yes | Yes |
| MX-compatible stem | Yes | Yes |
| Price tier | Mid-range | Premium |
| Street price | varies | varies |
Cherry advertises an actuation force for the Cherry MX Silent Black MX2A and Durock (JWK) a bottom-out force for the Durock (JWK) Silent Alpaca, so the two headline numbers are not measured at the same point. Compare row by row, not brand claim to brand claim. Cherry publishes no bottom-out figure for the Cherry MX Silent Black MX2A, so the figure marked "our estimate" is our own derivation from the forces that are published rather than a rating. What actuation force actually measures .
Verdict
Cherry and Durock (JWK) are selling the same stroke here, so the Cherry MX Silent Black MX2A and the Durock (JWK) Silent Alpaca separate on spring, distance and voice instead. 12 g at actuation is a bracket apart, not a shade, and it is the Cherry MX Silent Black MX2A carrying the heavier end at 60 g. Price splits them too: the Cherry MX Silent Black MX2A is the mid priced option while the Durock (JWK) Silent Alpaca sits in the premium priced bracket, which adds up across a 70 switch board. Where we land: the Durock (JWK) Silent Alpaca for gaming and typing, the Cherry MX Silent Black MX2A for a shared office.
- Gaming pick
- Durock (JWK) Silent Alpaca
- Typing pick
- Durock (JWK) Silent Alpaca
- Office pick
- Cherry MX Silent Black MX2A
Force curves
Cherry MX Silent 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.
Durock (JWK) Silent Alpaca
Cherry MX Silent Black MX2A or Durock (JWK) Silent Alpaca: the long answer
Start with feel, because it settles most switch arguments before sound comes up. The springs are a long way apart: 60 g against 48 g at actuation, so the Cherry MX Silent Black MX2A asks noticeably more of your fingers across a long session. The stroke itself is shared: nothing sits between the top of either key and the bottom. Travel differs at both ends, with the Cherry MX Silent Black MX2A registering first at 1.9 mm and the Durock (JWK) Silent Alpaca running deepest at 3.8 mm. Everything else about them is close enough that the spring is the honest tiebreak.
Sound is where most people finally pick a side. Put them through the player above and the Cherry MX Silent Black MX2A lands as dampened and deeper; a muffled, weighty press where the Durock (JWK) Silent Alpaca lands as muted cushioned patter, the silent-linear standard. Dampening pads are on both, which puts the whole comparison inside a narrow band of volume and moves it onto tone. 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, the Cherry MX Silent Black MX2A is mid priced, while the Durock (JWK) Silent Alpaca is premium priced. Both arrive lubed from the factory, which is one project you can skip either way.
Where we land: the Durock (JWK) Silent Alpaca unless noise is the deciding factor. On speed, the two are close enough here that either works, and our scoring gives it the nod by a hair. On a long draft, its keystroke stays consistent and comfortable across a full day of writing. When other people are listening, the Cherry MX Silent Black MX2A instead, as a dampened bottom-out is the only version of this that a shared room forgives. Whichever way you land, listen to both above with the volume trims matched before you spend anything.
Want the full story on either switch? Read the dedicated Cherry MX Silent Black MX2A page and the Durock (JWK) Silent Alpaca page, or test how your current keyboard performs with our free keyboard tester.
Frequently asked questions
For gaming, should I buy the Cherry MX Silent Black MX2A or the Durock (JWK) Silent Alpaca?
We pick the Durock (JWK) Silent Alpaca for gaming. Honestly either is fine here. It takes the nod once the scoring is added up, and only just.
Which of the Cherry MX Silent Black MX2A and the Durock (JWK) Silent Alpaca is quieter in a shared room?
Neither, in any way you would hear across a room. Both carry dampening pads, so what is left of the noise comes from the case, the keycaps and your own typing force.
Cherry MX Silent Black MX2A vs Durock (JWK) Silent Alpaca: which one is the heavier press?
The Cherry MX Silent Black MX2A, by 12 g. Both figures are published at actuation, 60 g against 48 g, so they are measured at the same point and can be read straight.
Which is cheaper to fill a board with, the Cherry MX Silent Black MX2A or the Durock (JWK) Silent Alpaca?
The Cherry MX Silent Black MX2A sits in the mid priced bracket and the Durock (JWK) Silent Alpaca in the premium 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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