Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Bookshelf Speakers

Chesky Audio’s $498 Audiophile Bookshelf Speaker is Kicking Ass and Taking Names at CAF 2024

Can an innovative 17-year old speaker designer with a familiar last name breathe new life into the jaded audiophile loudspeaker industry?

Chesky Audio LC1 loudspeaker

As a parent, you kind of expect your kids to be a bit rebellious. Whether its in their taste of music, selection of life partner or choice of a career, the apple sometimes tries to distance itself from the tree. So I would imagine that David Chesky, owner of the audiophile recording label Chesky Records, may have been a bit surprised when his 17-year-old son Lucca came home from his summer physics research program at Princeton University and said, “Hey, Dad, I have a great idea for a new loudspeaker design.”

But as any good parent would do, the elder Chesky encouraged his son to “go for it.”

Experimenting with different absorptive and anti-resonant materials and advanced 3D printing techniques, Lucca Chesky toiled for weeks refining his concept, building prototypes and ultimately deciding on a final design. And so Chesky Audio, and its first product, the LC1 Bookshelf Monitor was born.

Chesky-Audio-LC1-900px
Chesky Audio’s LC1 made its public debut at Capital Audio Fest 2024.

The design itself is relatively straightforward. It combines a high-resolution 6.5″ bass/midrange driver with a wide-dispersion 1″ dome tweeter surrounded by what Chesky calls “Unique Tessellation diffraction control.” It features a hardwired silver soldered crossover with Solen film capacitors and uses high quality Kimber Kable internal wiring. To maximize bass response from the tiny cabinet, the LC1 features dual inertially-balanced 8-inch fluid-coupled “subwoofers” which are said to extend bass all the way down to 40 Hz. And the speaker comes in at a surprisingly affordable cost of $498/each ($996/pair).

In Lucca’s words, “I wanted to offer that high-quality audiophile sound to a younger generation of buyers, who may not have the space – or the budget – for a pair of high quality bookshelf speakers from one of the more established brands.” Chesky’s exposure to advanced damping materials at Princeton’s labs inspired him to incorporate these into 3D-printed cabinetry to create a more optimized loudspeaker housing, free from the resonances that can impact a speaker’s performance. And, from what we’ve seen and heard so far, he seems to be onto something.

We got to hear the Chesky Audio LC1 at Capital Audio Fest in Rockville, MD this week and have to say we were impressed by what we heard. This “little speaker that could” was holding its own at a high end Hi-Fi show where some of the systems ran into the half million dollar range and beyond. The LC1 features pinpoint imaging, surprisingly robust bass and a toe-tapping tuneful musicality that was missing from many speakers at more than five times the size and cost. I had left the room and resumed my weary ambling when a cut from Hans Zimmer’s “Dune” soundtrack called out to me, bringing me back to my seat to just sit down and enjoy the music emanating from the LC1s for a few minutes longer. For those attending this year’s CAF show, be sure to stop by room #859 to hear these little gems for yourself.

Of course, no loudspeaker is perfect and the design tradeoff in making a small speaker that can reach down so low is that its efficiency rating is only about 83 dB (2.83V@1m). So you will want to pair this with a fairly powerful amplifier. And, while the system was loud enough in a medium-sized hotel room to capture the dynamics of songs from a variety of different genres, you can’t expect it to reach cinematic reference levels in a larger room. Also, the speaker is currently hand-made in New York City by the young Master Chesky himself. So if you order a pair when he’s got a final exam or a school project due, you might have to wait a few days.

Specs from the Manufacturer:

  • Wide-dispersion 1” dome tweeter surrounded by tessellation diffraction control technology
  • High-resolution 6.5” bass/midrange driver with polypropylene cone
  • Dual inertially-balanced 8-inch fluid coupled subwoofers
  • Frequency Response: 40Hz-20KHz
  • Sensitivity: 83 dB (2.83V@1m)
  • Dimensions (HWD): 10″ x 8″ x 10″
  • Weight: 18 Pounds

The Bottom Line

In an industry that is slow to innovate and hard to infiltrate, it’s refreshing to see a new voice taking a new approach to providing affordable high-quality sound to the next generation of music lovers. We were seriously impressed by what we heard and are hoping to get a pair in soon for a full review. Meanwhile, those interested in checking out the LC1 now can visit the company’s web site: Cheskyaudio.com.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

4 Comments

4 Comments

  1. Brady

    November 11, 2024 at 3:56 am

    No measurements?

    • Chris Boylan

      November 11, 2024 at 6:41 pm

      Hard to measure speakers at a trade show.

      • Ian White

        November 11, 2024 at 7:40 pm

        Impossible to measure at a trade show. But I think he was asking if they supplied a specification sheet?

        IW

        • Chris Boylan

          November 11, 2024 at 9:04 pm

          The only specs published on the manufacturer’s site are 83 dB efficiency at 2.83V/1 meter and “40 Hz to 20KHz” frequency response. But without the dB level of the frequency sweep and the +/-3dB points, published specs aren’t super helpful, IMHO.

          In terms of physical dimensions, the speaker measures in at 10″ high, 8″ wide and 10″ deep and each speaker weighs 18 pounds.

          I’ll add the physical specs to the article.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement

Latest Products

HiFiMAN Arya Unveiled Planar Magnetic Headphones Side

New Products

At $1,400, the fourth-generation Arya Unveiled features a removable “Magnetic Veil” back panel and Stealth Magnet Technology.

FiiO BTR17 Portable Bluetooth DAC and Headphone Amplifier FiiO BTR17 Portable Bluetooth DAC and Headphone Amplifier

Dongle DACs

Pocket size FiiO BTR17 offers desktop headphone amp power and performance for $199, using the latest Qualcomm, ESS and THX tech.

Chord Electronics Alto Headphone and Speaker Amplifier in the studio Chord Electronics Alto Headphone and Speaker Amplifier in the studio

Headphone Amps

At $4,320, the Chord Alto is a compact desktop amplifier that powers up to four headphones, a pair of speakers, and also functions as...

Chesky Audio LC1 loudspeaker Chesky Audio LC1 loudspeaker

Bookshelf Speakers

Can an innovative 17-year old speaker designer with a familiar last name breathe new life into the jaded audiophile loudspeaker industry?

Eversolo DMP-A10 Music Streamer Front Angle Eversolo DMP-A10 Music Streamer Front Angle

New Products

At $3,680, the Eversolo DMP-A10 music streamer packs in so much it just may be the Swiss Army Knife of network streamers.

Shanling SM1.3 Network Music Streamer White and Black Shanling SM1.3 Network Music Streamer White and Black

Digital Music Systems

For $1199, the Shanling SM1.3 music streamer comes loaded with features including MQA, DSD512 and up to 32-bit/768kHz hi-res audio.

Gift Ideas?

Splurge Gift Guide for Hi-Fi Audio and Home Theater during Holiday 2024

Gift Guides

Share the love of music and movies with hi-fi audio and home theater gift ideas that are guaranteed to impress.

You May Also Like

New Products

From $6,000, the Pro-Ject Classic Reference turntable combines a vintage look with high-end construction and performance for audiophiles.

CD Players

Add CD playback to the Ruark R410, R610 and R810 music systems for only $350 with the new R-CD100 CD Transport.

Music

Dolby Atmos mix of Flaming Lips classic Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots album on Blu-ray takes earlier surround mix to the next level.

A/V Furniture & Accessories

Do expensive video cables really make a difference? The $45 THX HDMI Interconnects prove you don't have to spend a fortune to achieve all...

Headphone Amps

At $1,999, the Technics HA-507 is a pure analog headphone amplifier and preamplifier with a balanced/dual mono configuration.

Articles

Eric Pye continues his trip north taking in the Jazz Kissas of Tohoku.

Bookshelf Speakers

As Black Friday 2024 approaches, Amazon and KEF are teaming up with big discounts on some of the company's best loudspeakers.

New Products

At $999, the Audio-Technica AT-ADX3000 open-back headphones use the same driver technology as its flagship AT-ADX5000.

Advertisement

ecoustics is a hi-fi and music magazine offering product reviews, podcasts, news and advice for aspiring audiophiles, home theater enthusiasts and headphone hipsters. Read more

Copyright © 1999-2024 ecoustics | Disclaimer: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.



SVS Bluesound PSB Speakers NAD Cambridge Audio Q Acoustics Denon Marantz Focal Naim Audio RSL Speakers