« Review: Sanwa Denshi Silent JLF Joystick Lever, 2014 Model »

The JLF lever is one of Sanwa Denshi's crowning jewels in arcade stick parts. Introduced in the early 1990s, the JLF stood the test of time for its solid performance for fighters and other arcade games. The lineage can now be found on most retail arcade sticks in the market. In recent years, Sanwa reintroduced the JLF in a new iteration with the Silent variant. Instead of the tried-and-true clicky microswitches found in normal models, the Silent JLF reduces the noise with new switches allowing for near quiet volumes without compromising on performance. While proven to work very well on both ends of the spectrum, Sanwa didn't stop improving as it has created a new version of the Silent JLF (JLF-TPRG-8AYT-SK).

On first glance, the new Silent JLF bears near similarity to the original model, slightly more than the previous silent variant. One of the latest changes found in the revised model is the noise-reduced OMRON D2RV-G switches assembled as one PCB instead of four separate units. This adjustment not only makes it look closer to the original JLF, it's also easier to install the lever in most arcade sticks as it accepts 5-pin harnesses instead of .187 quick disconnect cables.

Another trait special to the revised Silent JLF is the restriction plate. Compared to the original plate, the new gate is slightly larger, likely to make it easier to activate the switches. With a blue hue, the gate only features square restriction in the plastic mold. Players wanting to use the octagonal or circular restriction will unfortunately have to buy them and the original JLF gate separately.

When playing, the new JLF performs just as well as both the regular JLF and original silent JLF. Outside of user error, performing fireball, shoryuken, half-circle and full-circle motions have been consistent. More advance motions including Tekken backdash cancelling and wave dashes also perform efficiently. While the original Silent JLF's switches have a very light feel, the new switches have small give when activated. It might take a bit of time for players to acclimate due to the lack of click and activation in the regular JLF.

While it functions well, what matters the most is if the lever keeps the volume down. Fortunately, the revised model succeeds in outputting low noise like its predecessor. Unless you are putting your ear close to the lever, you will hear very little of the microswitches. The only noise you will encounter is the actuator contacting the restriction plate, a small thud sound. Tested in a room with low sound leakage and a Mad Catz Arcade FightStick Tournament Edition 2, the revised Silent JLF outputs around 60-70db when lightly used while doing more complex motions put out 75-82db. Using the same parameters, the original Silent JLF had identical results.

Whether you live in an area prone to noise complaints or play in a tournament where you don't want your opponent to listen to your stick, the Silent JLFs are invaluable but come at a high price. While a regular JLF can be found for $20, the original silent model comes at $60 with the new edition at $70. With the only competitor being the predecessor, which performs the same, the 2014 Silent JLF is a better deal thanks to the convenient installation process.

Sanwa improved in what it were aiming for in making noise-reduced levers while still maintaining competitive-grade performance. If you are willing to deal with the premium price and the minor limitation with the restriction plate, the revised Silent JLF from Sanwa does a great job in low volume while still performing effectively.

The Sanwa Denshi 2014 Silent JLF lever is available on Arcade Shock, Jasen's Customs and Focus Attack.