Cherry MX Speed Silver MX2A vs Kailh Speed Silver
The Cherry MX Speed Silver MX2A and the Kailh Speed Silver are separated mostly by spring weight, 5 g of it at actuation, with the Cherry MX Speed Silver MX2A the firmer press and the Kailh Speed Silver the easier one to hold down. Our full switch library puts these two on each other's shortlist, and the player below is the fastest way to settle it: match the volumes, then work down through the 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 Speed Silver MX2A | Kailh Speed Silver |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Linear | Linear |
| Brand rates force at | actuation | actuation |
| Actuation force | 45 g | 40 g |
| Bottom-out force | 70 g (our estimate) | 60 g (our estimate) |
| Pre-travel | 1.2 mm | 1.1 mm |
| Total travel | 3.4 mm | 3.5 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
Cherry and Kailh are selling the same stroke here, so the Cherry MX Speed Silver MX2A and the Kailh Speed Silver separate on spring, distance and voice instead. The Cherry MX Speed Silver MX2A is the firmer of the two at actuation, 45 g to 40 g, though 5 g is not much to choose between. Only the Cherry MX Speed Silver MX2A arrives factory lubed, which is an evening of work saved on a full board. The scoring splits them: the Kailh Speed Silver for gaming, the Cherry MX Speed Silver MX2A for typing and a shared office.
- Gaming pick
- Kailh Speed Silver
- Typing pick
- Cherry MX Speed Silver MX2A
- Office pick
- Cherry MX Speed Silver MX2A
Force curves
Cherry MX Speed Silver MX2A
Cherry 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.
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.
Cherry MX Speed Silver MX2A or Kailh Speed Silver: the long answer
Specs first, since the feel gap is what you notice in the first minute of typing. The Cherry MX Speed Silver MX2A carries the heavier spring at actuation, 45 g to 40 g. That is a real 5 g without being a change of bracket. The stroke itself is shared: both give you spring resistance and nothing else. On distance the Kailh Speed Silver registers at 1.1 mm against 1.2 mm, and the full stroke runs 3.4 mm on the Cherry MX Speed Silver MX2A against 3.5 mm on the Kailh Speed Silver. Neither one out-feels the other on type, so the small differences in the table are where the decision lives.
What the table cannot tell you is how either one lands in a room. Through the A/B player above, the Cherry MX Speed Silver MX2A comes through as short, tight clack that arrives early, while the Kailh Speed Silver reads as short, sharp clack that fires early. Worth repeating: the audio here is a simulation built from specs and community descriptions, not a recording of either switch.
On what they cost to fill a board, both are mid priced. Only the Cherry MX Speed Silver MX2A comes factory lubed, so the Kailh Speed Silver asks for either an evening with a brush or tolerance of a drier stroke.
The picks split by use. Take the Kailh Speed Silver if games come first, because this axis is nearly a tie, and it comes out ahead only once the scoring is added up. Take the Cherry MX Speed Silver MX2A if the board is mostly a writing tool, since it holds the same feel from the first hour of writing to the last. Take the Cherry MX Speed Silver MX2A if other people have to sit near it, as it is the quieter of the two once the room is listening. Before you order either, match the volume trims above and hear them back to back.
Want the full story on either switch? Read the dedicated Cherry MX Speed Silver MX2A page and the Kailh Speed Silver page. Or leave switches aside for a minute and run your current keyboard through the free keyboard tester.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Cherry MX Speed Silver MX2A or the Kailh Speed Silver the better gaming switch?
We pick the Kailh Speed Silver for gaming. The two are close enough for gaming that either works; our scoring defaults to it by a small margin.
Which of the Cherry MX Speed Silver MX2A and the Kailh Speed Silver is quieter in a shared room?
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.
Which has the heavier spring, the Cherry MX Speed Silver MX2A or the Kailh Speed Silver?
The Cherry MX Speed Silver MX2A is heavier: 45 g against 40 g, both measured at actuation, so this is a fair like-for-like comparison.
Do the Cherry MX Speed Silver MX2A and the Kailh Speed Silver need lubing?
The Cherry MX Speed Silver MX2A arrives lubed from the factory, so it is usable straight out of the bag. The Kailh Speed Silver 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 Speed Silver MX2A
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