Tech

Chesky Audio LC2 Is a $1,995 Speaker Built for Your Den and Desktop Use: AXPONA 2026

Published

6 hours ago

19 April 2026

Sometimes the best finds at AXPONA 2026 aren’t planned. I walked into Chesky Audio’s room chasing Schiit Audio gear in Room 709; there was plenty of it, including the Yggdrasil Singular DAC, Loki Max, Kara, and a pair of Tyr monoblocks driving the new Chesky LC2 loudspeakers, but no one from Schiit to talk shop. So I stayed put, listened, and let the room tell its own story.

That story changed fast when the pricing banner came into focus: $1,995. Not each. Per pair. In a show full of six-figure loudspeakers, the Chesky LC2 doesn’t just feel affordable; it feels like a direct challenge to how high-end audio defines itself.

And that’s where this gets more interesting. If high-end audio wants a future, it needs more designers like Lucca Chesky. He comes from a family name that carries real weight in the music world, but he’s not coasting on it. He’s studying engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, and it shows in how he approaches both design and people.

There’s no gatekeeping here, no “you don’t belong in this room” energy. The LC1 and now the LC2 are priced where actual listeners can engage, and he speaks about them in a way that makes you feel like you’re part of the conversation and not being lectured from behind a stack of gear you can’t afford.

The kid gets it. And judging by what I heard in that room, he’s not just talking a good game.

Admittedly, a $1,995 price tag only matters if the speakers can actually deliver. The original Chesky LC1 set a high bar, earning multiple “Best of Show” nods from the eCoustics team at previous events; something Chesky made no effort to hide with the awards laid out on the table. So yes, I was a bit late to the party.

Better late than never.

I stayed for several tracks to get a clearer sense of what the team had already heard in the Chesky LC1, and what that might mean for the new Chesky LC2. It didn’t take long to recognize a familiar foundation, but with more scale and a bit more weight behind it, suggesting this isn’t a departure so much as a more developed version of the same idea.

chesky-schiit-room-axpona-2026 — Chesky Audio LC2 Stand-mount Speakers with Schiit electronics at AXPONA 2026

An Affordable Speaker With Real Ambition

Much like the original Chesky LC1, the Chesky LC2 sticks to a compact two way monitor format. It pairs a dual chamber aperiodic 1 inch tweeter with a roughly 6.5-inch mid bass driver, both modified in house rather than pulled off a shelf. The familiar passive radiator approach is still here as well, now using larger 8-inch radiators on either side to extend low frequency output without relying on a traditional port.

Where things diverge, and where Chesky is clearly doing its own thing, is the cabinet. The front baffle is a 5/8-inch thick slab of machined aluminum, and the rest of the enclosure is 3D printed around that structure. It is an unusual approach, but the result is a cabinet that feels both rigid and relatively lightweight for its size. Each speaker measures roughly 13 x 9 x 13 inches and comes in just under 30 pounds.

It is also worth noting that these are not outsourced, mass produced boxes. Chesky Audio assembles, finishes, and tests the speakers in New Jersey before they ship. In a category where “designed here, built somewhere else” is the norm, these are actually made in the United States, and that still matters.

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Lucca Chesky is also quick to point out that the drivers are not an afterthought. The mid-bass unit uses a cast-basket high-definition design more commonly found in higher-priced speakers, and the tweeter follows that same philosophy. He stops short of naming suppliers, but the implication is clear this is not generic OEM hardware.

chesky-schiit-axpona-2026 — Schiit Audio stack powered the Chesky Audio LC2 Speakers at AXPONA 2026.

The crossover is designed in house, although Chesky remains somewhat tight-lipped on specifics. Instead of locking into a fixed number, the crossover point is described as falling somewhere in the 3 to 5 kHz range. On paper, the speaker is rated at 86 dB sensitivity with a 4 ohm impedance that does not dip below 3.1 ohms across a stated 40 Hz to 20 kHz frequency range.

That combination suggests an easy enough load for most modern amplifiers, whether it is a vintage Kenwood receiver, a newer NAD integrated, or even a well-sorted ST-70 style tube amp build. But if our experience with the Chesky LC1 taught us anything, it is that specs do not tell the whole story. The LC1 benefited from more power than you might expect, and giving it better amplification paid off.

Until we get the Chesky LC2 in for a full review, it is too early to say how closely it follows that pattern.

Chesky LC2 in a Real Room at AXPONA 2026

Sound wise, the Chesky LC2 delivers clean mid-bass with solid detail and impact for a speaker of this size, but sub-bass is limited. That is not a surprise given the form factor. In a nearfield setup such as a desktop or small studio, there is enough low end to get by without a subwoofer, but in a larger room, adding one would make sense.

The midrange is where things come into better focus. There is a clear emphasis on clarity and balance, which aligns with what you would expect from anything carrying the Chesky name. Vocals come through naturally without sounding nasal or forced, and strings have enough presence to avoid sounding thin. That is not always a given with compact speakers, where cabinet limitations can work against natural timbre. The construction here likely plays a role, but that is something that needs more controlled listening to fully evaluate.

The top end had good energy and dynamic presence, but this is where the limitations of the show environment start to creep in. Between room noise and less than ideal setup conditions, it would be premature to draw firm conclusions without spending more time with the speakers in a more controlled space.

The Bottom Line

I can see several use cases for the Chesky LC2. Those looking for unpowered monitors for nearfield use will find them easy to live with as a standalone pair, and they also make sense in smaller rooms where space is limited. For larger spaces or mixed use systems that pull double duty for music and home theater, Chesky offers two, three, and five speaker packages that can be built out as needed.

Adding a subwoofer would round things out in those scenarios. Models like the REL Tzero or SVS 3000 Micro R|Evolution come to mind as good matches, offering tight, controlled low end without taking over the room or the budget.

With that kind of setup, the LC2 starts to make a lot of sense for multi purpose spaces where flexibility matters just as much as performance.

Where to buy: $1,995/pair at Chesky Audio

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Tech

How One Line Of TF2 Code Ruined This Simple Feature

Published

2 minutes ago

19 April 2026

NewsAdmin

Ever encountered a minor annoying bug in a video game? How about one dating back to 2018? Usually, you have no hope of fixing it, but this time is different. [Joey Cheerio] shows the first-time programmer approach to (with great difficulty) fixing a bouncy ball prop turning invisible when shot in Team Fortress 2.

It starts with a band-aid solution that hides the problem: just turn off jiggle physics! While that works, it also affects many other models in the game, and doesn’t tackle the root cause. Time to investigate. Because this ball often goes overlooked, [Joey Cheerio] didn’t even realize that it was supposed to have jiggle physics, accidentally removing it. Turns out, after scouring the internet for old footage, it’s supposed to jiggle after all.

Back to square one, [Joey Cheerio] infers that the jiggle bone accidentally removed was related to the problem, eventually figuring out that the specific type of jiggle bone used (is_boing) caused the issue. Time to dig in the code. Tracking down the problem is no small feat for someone who’s never programmed before, even with the help of LLMs, but eventually, at 4 in the morning, a breakthrough! The ball no longer turned invisible but retained the intended jiggle.

At the limits of his knowledge on the subject, [Joey Cheerio] posts his partial progress so far to GitHub, where [ficool2] tracks down the real problem and turns this second band-aid into a proper fix. [Joey Cheerio] finishes up by explaining the math of what exactly went wrong.

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Tech

Asus TUF Gaming A14 (2026) Review: GPU-Less Gaming Laptop

Published

12 minutes ago

19 April 2026

NewsAdmin

In the past, I’ve stayed away from Asus TUF laptops, as it was the bottom-tier in terms of design. That meant chunky chassis, poor displays, and thick bezels. The models from 2025 looked more modern, but the prices weren’t competitive with some of my favorite cheap gaming laptops like the Lenovo LOQ 15 and Acer Nitro V 16.

But again, the TUF A14 is something new, and the design is impressive. It’s right around the same thickness and weight as the 14-inch MacBook Pro, and the bezels around the sides of the screen are really trim. The bottom bezel is thick, primarily because the A14 uses a 16:9 aspect ratio screen. I won’t belabor that point, but it means less screen and more bezel in the same footprint. Overall, it’s very subtle. The gaming aesthetic is heavily downplayed, with only a few elements left, such as the typeface on the keycaps and the shape of the vents below the hinge. There’s not even per-key backlighting on the keyboard.

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You’d never know this was a gaming laptop based on the usability of the keyboard and touchpad; on gaming laptops versus work ones, these can often be afterthoughts. Here, they’re both excellent. The touchpad, in particular, is oversized and surprisingly precise. Although the laptop is made of plastic, it handled the pressure I was putting on it around the lid, keyboard, and palm rests without too much give.

The TUF A14 has a helpful assortment of ports. On the left side, you get a USB-A 3.2 port, USB-C port, HDMI 2.1, headphone jack, and proprietary power jack. You get an additional USB-A and USB-C (USB4) port on the right side, alongside a micro SD card slot. I really like the decision to put the USB4 port on the right side, as it means you can both charge the laptop or connect to an external display from the right side too. Only being able to charge from one side is one of my pet peeves, so good job, TUF A14.

More Than Gaming

Once I saw the resolution of the display, I knew the TUF A14 was no longer a real “budget” device. It’s 2560 x 1600, a big step up from the typical cheap gaming laptop. It also has a 165 Hz refresh rate, which is useful for when playing in 1200p—and let’s be honest, that’s the go-to the vast majority of the time. The higher resolution, though, plays into why the A14 is a solid hybrid device that can work as well for gaming as it does for school or work.

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Tech

NYT Connections hints and answers for Sunday, April 19 (game #1043)

Published

24 minutes ago

19 April 2026

NewsAdmin

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing ‘today’s game’ while others are playing ‘yesterday’s’. If you’re looking for Saturday’s puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Saturday, April 18 (game #1042).

Good morning! Let’s play Connections, the NYT’s clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

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Tech

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answer and Help for April 19 #777

Published

38 minutes ago

19 April 2026

NewsAdmin

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s NYT Strands puzzle features some real stumpers. Some of the answers are difficult to unscramble, so if you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: Small change.

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Adapt.

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

SMALL, CHANGE, STUD, MEER, REEK, RIDE, RAKE, JUST, PEER

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:

ALTER, TWEAK, ADJUST, REFINE, MODIFY, IMPROVE

Today’s Strands spangram

The completed NYT Strands puzzle for April 19, 2026.
NYT/Screenshot by CNET

Today’s Strands spangram is THEREIFIXEDIT. To find it, start with the T that’s the first letter on the top row, and wind straight across and down.

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Tech

Quordle hints and answers for Sunday, April 19 (game #1546)

Published

51 minutes ago

19 April 2026

NewsAdmin

Looking for a different day?

A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing ‘today’s game’ while others are playing ‘yesterday’s’. If you’re looking for Saturday’s puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Saturday, April 18 (game #1545).

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,400 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

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Tech

Is the Samsung Galaxy S26 an affordable phone now?

Published

1 hour ago

19 April 2026

NewsAdmin

Flagship Android phones rarely drop this far this fast, which makes the current pricing on the Samsung Galaxy S26 one of the more compelling reasons to upgrade if you have been holding off since launch.

That saving brings the Galaxy S26 down from £879 to £589, a reduction of £290 with an additional £10 top-up included on a 40GB data allowance, making this one of the stronger value propositions in the current Android market.

Samsung Galaxy S26 on a purple background