It’s not often that a new speaker maker bursts onto the scene with a product that shakes up the establishment. And even less often that designer is a 17-year-old high school student. But that’s just what is happening right now with the Chesky Audio LC1 ($996/pair), a small but mighty bookshelf speaker, named after the designer himself, Lucca Chesky (“LC”).
The Chesky Legacy
If that name sounds familiar, it’s because his dad David Chesky operates a record label – Chesky Records – which caters to those who love not just great music, but great recordings of great music. Chesky, the elder, has a new project called The Audiophile Society, dedicated to providing the most realistic sound possible from just two speakers, or even a pair of headphones. But this story is not about him.
Earlier this year, Lucca Chesky came home from a summer research project at Princeton University’s Applied Acoustics Lab, studying under professor Edward Choueiri. Choueri leads in the development of 3D and Immersive Audio and created the BACCH DSP, and advanced stereo 3D imaging and binaural audio processing tool. There Lucca learned about some materials which had a fascinating ability to absorb vibrations or resonance. And as any 17-year-old would do, he immediately thought, “Hey, I could make a speaker cabinet out of this!” And so he did.
When he showed his dad the first prototype, David encouraged him to pursue his passion further. And so the Chesky Audio company was born, along with its first loudspeaker: The LC1 mini-monitor ($996/pair).
Bad Vibrations?
In a speaker cabinet, resonance and vibrations are the enemy of good sound. If a cabinet resonates at a particular frequency – which most do – it can color the sound that the speaker is trying to reproduce. So as far as speaker cabinets go, inert is good. Lucca used a 3D printing process to manufacture the speaker cabinet using these anti-resonant materials.
He then sourced top quality drivers and crossovers to make the actual sound happen. Lucca uses high quality components including audiophile-approved internal wiring from a well-known brand and silver solder throughout. Even the gold plated 5-way binding posts reek of quality. I use banana plugs for my speaker cables and the Chesky posts held onto these firmly, making a nice solid connection.
The speaker is a 2-way design, with a single crossover between the tweeter and midrange-low frequency driver. To supplement the bass in such a small cabinet, the LC1 employs dual inertially-balanced “subwoofers” – passive drivers which extend the low frequency output beyond what one would normally expect from such a compact design, at the expense of efficiency (there is no such thing as a free lunch).
The speaker comes without grills, allowing us to see the unique textured diamond-shaped design which surrounds each tweeter. This is more than just a cosmetic accent – it’s a tessellation pattern which helps diffuse any initial reflections off the cabinet itself.
Each speaker measures in at a petite 10″ depth x 8″ width x 10″ height (25.4 x 20.32 x 25.4 cm) and weighs a substantial 18 pounds (8.2 kg). When I played them for my wife, she enjoyed the sound but she loved the look, particularly the size. “Why do we need those big speakers in the living room?” she asked, somewhat optimistically. I did not have an immediate answer.
A Little Help from My Friends
With the Chesky family’s ties to the audiophile community, the designer was fortunate to be able to call upon some folks in the industry to offer feedback and opinions on not just the speaker design, but what to call it. Family friend Sandy Gross, one of the founders of Polk Audio, Definitive Technology and Golden Ear, offered a few suggestions.
“Lucca wanted to call it “The Whomper,” said Sandy. “I suggested a more boring, or ‘traditional’ name would probably make people give it the serious consideration it deserved. I offered some design suggestions as well, but really this is Lucca’s baby from concept to production. He made it happen.”
I don’t know. I kind of like “The Whomper” actually…
Chesky Audio LC1 Specs (from the Manufacturer)
- Wide-dispersion 1” dome tweeter surrounded by tessellation patterns to control diffraction
- High-resolution 6.5” bass/midrange driver with polypropylene cone
- Dual inertially balanced 8-inch fluid-coupled subwoofers
- Multi-layer high-mass non-resonant cabinet
- Frequency Response: 40Hz – 20kHz
- Audiophile-quality internal wiring
- Passive Hardwired silver-soldered precision crossover with high quality film capacitors.
- Sensitivity 83 dB at 2.83V/1m
- Weight: 18 Pounds
- Measurements: 10″depth x 8″ width x 10″ height (inches)
- Built by hand in the USA
- Warranty: 1-year coverage on all parts
Equipment Matching
With the rather low sensitivity (83 dB), you’re going to need to pair the LC1s with a fairly beefy power amp or integrated amplifier. Single-ended Triode tube amps need not apply. I tested the speakers with a number of different amps. The Conrad-Johnson Premiere 11a tube amp can put out up to 70 WPC, but it didn’t quite have the low frequency control and dynamics that the LC1s wanted. A better match was a pair of Marantz MA500 monoblocks (125 WPC Class AB solid state). These amps drove the LC1s very effectively without adding any stridency or harshness to the sound. I used these for most of my listening.
I also tested the LC1s with a Denon AVR-X3800H A/V receiver (105 WPC) in “Pure” mode (no processing or EQ) and found that this was a pretty good match, though the receiver imparted a bit of extra high frequency energy, compared to the other amplifiers used. So I went back to the Marantz monoblocks for the remainder of my listening.
According to the manufacturer, the new generation of high-end Class D amps match particularly well with the LC1s. At Capital Audiofest, they used a Mytek GanFET amplifier to drive the LC1s to good effect. Do you need to spend $10,000 on power amps to get good sound out of the LC1s? Absolutely not. But I’d recommend at least 100 watts of clean power, whether that’s Class A, Class AB or Class D is a matter of design, budget and preference. There are plenty of budget-friendly but capable integrated amps and power amps out there for those on the hunt.
We’re Listening
Specs are one thing, but it’s the sound that matters. I spent the better part of a week playing a selection of my favorite music tracks through the LC1s, from jazz to classical to rock to singer-songwriter to EDM and house music. System components included a WiiM Ultra Streamer as well as a Cambridge Audio CXN-V2 streamer, Systemdek IIX turntable with Linn K9 cartridge, Rotel RC1070 preamplifier with amplification provided by a Conrad-Johnson Premier 11a tube amp (70 WPC) or Marantz MA-500 monoblocks (125 WPC).
I listened primarily to streaming music from Tidal and QOBUZ, opting for lossless high resolution audio tracks where available. I also included a selection of high-res audio files from HD Tracks which were stored on a USB thumb drive. To round things out, I played a few old-school LPs from my collection on my vintage Scottish turntable.
It was clear early on that these are not your grand-daddy’s mini-monitors. They offer a degree of articulation, finesse and control that we don’t normally see (or hear) in such an affordable speaker. The first word I’d use to describe the LC1s is “natural.” Drums sound like drums; piano sounds like a piano; violins sound like violins and voices sound like actual human voices. While I was surfing through my frequently played tracks, Tidal suggested a blast from the past: the track “Tricycle” from the group Flim and the BBs.
This modern instrumental jazz album is extremely well-recorded and can be enjoyed in high resolution 24-bit, 88.2KHz lossless FLAC format on Tidal. Toward the end of the song, the drummer launches into an inspired solo which will test the dynamics of any HiFi system. The LC1s handled themselves admirably, reproducing the snap of the snare, the thwhack of the bass drum and the sizzle of the cymbals with aplomb. The very low bass was a bit lacking, but that’s to be expected in a speaker of this size.
Moving onto classical, the LC1s were equally at home reproducing small chamber pieces such as the Divox Antiqua release of Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” performed on period instruments. I can’t say I know exactly what period violins and cellos are supposed to sound like, as I wasn’t around in the 1720s when Vivaldi composed and originally performed the piece (I’m not quite that old). But, on the LC1s, the presentation was coherent and three dimensional without any unwanted stridency or harshness.
On more traditional “audiophile” fare, the 24-bit/192Khz high res audio stream of Nora Jones “Come Away with Me” and “Don’t Know Why” conveyed a lively articulation on the upright bass and a nice delicacy of brush work on the snare drum and cymbals. And the vocals were silky smooth with all of Nora’s seductiveness intact.
The Chesky Trifecta
I’ve mentioned Lucca’s dad’s work as a recording engineer and producer, but Lucca’s sister Paloma is also making a name for herself as a talented singer and performer. In my listening sessions, I explored Paloma Dinel Chesky’s album “Soul on Soul” – a collection of covers and original songs recorded on The Audiophile Society label. So that’s a Chesky recording of a Chesky singer played back on Chesky’s speakers. Oh, and their mom is an actress and singer as well. Is there anything this family can’t do?
Paloma Dineli Chesky’s cover of “House of the Rising Sun” exhibited some deep, solid bass drum thumps and nice definition on the electric bass and guitar. The clack of the rim shots laid out the rhythm while Paloma belted out some truly soulful vocals that belie her young age. On her original “Meet Me in the Morning,” the ensemble was augmented by tasteful keyboards and driven by an upbeat, groovy bass line. The LC1s did their job here, getting out of the way of this heartfelt and impressive performance. And the quality of the recording itself was exceptional with a three dimensional soundstage that was far wider and deeper than I had expected.
On lighter singer/songwriter fare, Aoife O’Donovan’s “Prodigal Daughter” features sweet female harmonies, delicate finger-picking guitar work and subtle percussive accompaniment with a light touch on the brushes. The vocals were silky smooth on the LC1s and details on the guitar-picking and brush came through cleanly and naturally.
But not all music is recorded for audiophiles.
I moved on to more challenging material like EDM. The Deadmau5/KX5 collaboration “Alive” has a lot going on, with complex synth layering, heavily processed vocals and driving electronic drums. When the bass drops 25 seconds in, you’ll know exactly how well your speakers can handle bass. The LC1s provide a glimpse of that low bass, but there’s only so much a speaker this small can do. There wasn’t much below 50 Hz here. At least the bass that is there stays firm and coherent where it can get sloppy on many speakers this size. If you’re a bass head, you will definitely want to add a dedicated subwoofer.
Spinning Some Vinyl
A speaker review wouldn’t be complete without a little bit of vinyl. I dug out one of my first LPs – Meco’s “Star Wars and Other Galactic Funk” – a Christmas present from when I was 10 years old. Spinning this on my vintage Systemdek turntable brought back fond memories of a simpler time, when gasoline still had lead in it, and people waited in line for the privilege of buying it. Meco’s disco version of the Star Wars soundtrack plays on John Williams’ themes, giving them a funky dance groove. In the 70s, I was firmly in the “Rock” camp (Disco sucks!) but this one was my guilty pleasures. On the LC1s, the album sounded better than it ever did in my younger days, with systems of hand-me-down receivers and department store speakers.
Moving on to Ultravox “Vienna” and Genesis “…and then there were three” also on vinyl, that analog warmth drew me in. I forgot I was “reviewing speakers” and just sat back and enjoyed the music.
To EQ or Not to EQ?
As a bookshelf speaker, the LC1s are never going to be able to reach the lowest octaves of music. Their specs list “40 Hz to 20 KHz” as their frequency range, but really I didn’t hear much below 50 Hz, and even that was down a few dB. I also noticed a minor peak around 8 KHz and again at the 16 KHz harmonic, but suspect that this was a room resonance as I got a similar peak on the KEF speakers I was using as a comparison. I used the Room EQ built into our WiiM Ultra streamer to bring up the low bass a bit and tame the room peak at 8KHz. The other option would be to apply room treatments to reduce any negative room interactions.
EQ should be used with caution on any speaker as it can change the tonal balance and the imaging in negative ways. But a few dB of gain or cut in a parametric EQ can make a good speaker sound even better and can tame minor room anomalies. So feel free to experiment with EQ/room correction on these or any speakers.
Also, those who enjoy low bass reproduction will want to consider adding a subwoofer. I performed most of my listening with no sub, but when I added in a 12-inch powered sub (an NHT model with a custom amp module), the low bass gained a full octave and made tracks like deadmau5/KX5 “Alive” and Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust” much more enjoyable with that deep rich bass that I crave.
A Quick Comparison
My usual budget bookshelf reference speaker is a well broken-in pair of KEF LS50s ($1600/pair). I spent a few hours switching back and forth between these and the LC1s. Compared to the LC1s, the KEF speakers were a bit more polite and understated, while the Chesky Audio LC1s were a bit more forward. Or really I should say more “commanding” as they brought the music forward and made me pay more attention to what was going on.
The KEFs are a tad more efficient (85 dB at 2.83V/1m), making them slightly easier to drive, but the LC1s did offer extended bass response by comparison. They are both excellent speakers for their price, but the LC1s reveal more of those details that are sometimes hidden in great recordings. The LC1s may not make the best choice for “background music” as the speakers will draw you away from anything else you are doing and suck you into actually listening to, and enjoying, the music.
A Few Caveats
No speaker is perfect, but the LC1’s sins are mostly of omission, not commission. With their low efficiency, the speakers maxed out at about 92-94 dB with my review set-up, which was actually quite loud in my smallish listening room. But they may not make the best choice for a multi-channel immersive home theater system as they won’t be able to reach cinematic reference levels. Also, on their own, they can’t reproduce the deepest bass notes of a concert bass drum, a bass guitar or a synthesizer. For this, you’ll want to pair them with a nice responsive powered subwoofer. I’d suggest models from companies like SVS, RSL, REL or Golden Ear. EQ can only enhance the bass so much in a speaker this small.
The Bottom Line
The quest for a budget-friendly stereo system that can really let your music shine can be daunting. For under $1,000, the Chesky Audio LC1s represent an impressive first offering from a talented young designer who grew up surrounded by people who actually care how music sounds. Pair it with a budget streamer like the WiiM Ultra, Cambridge Audio CXN100 or BlueSound Node and a nice integrated amp or power amp and you can get yourself an excellent-sounding starter HiFi system without breaking the bank. And if you want to call them your Whompers, who am I to judge?
Pros:
- Wonderful articulation and definition
- Natural-sounding timbre, overall
- Good imaging and soundstage
- Compact and attractive design
- Affordable
Cons
- Not much low bass output
- Low efficiency makes amp selection critical
- New manufacturer so brand longevity is unknown
Related Reading:
Chesky Audio’s $498 LC1 speaker is kicking ass and taking names at Capital Audiofest 2024
