Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra 9.2.4 Channel Soundbar System with Dolby Atmos/DTS:X, Dual 10" Subwoofers, 4 Rear Surround Speakers, 1300 Watts Max Output Power

I'll start by saying that I upgraded from the Nakamichi elite 7.2 system with two surround speakers and two 8" subs (older model from 3-4 years ago), to the Ultra 9.2.4 (newest model just behind the dragon) and I'm comparing the two, and wow.... What a difference. This is long, but if you are trying to decide if spending the extra cash is worth it, I hope this helps. Bass - the bass is felt vs being heard. The Ultra has very deep bass that shakes the room, just like your favorite theater experience. The elite with the dual 8" subs were great, but the balance of sound vs bass coming out of them was just slightly off. I didnt feel this way until I heard the 10" subs and then I really noticed. You would hear what sounded like muffled voices trying to come through the speakers from the elite. I'm a big bass lover when I watch movies. If you like that rattle your windows, feel it in your toes kind of rumble, go with the Ultra. Great power without the voice distortion. Clarity- the highs are so much better with the Ultra. My dad who is hard of hearing commented on the clarity the first time he heard the system. He could actually hear it all, even with the system being turned down a bit. I really had to crank up the elite to get the clarity. That could be due to the 8" subs always drowning the highs out slightly with too much sound coming through them instead of rumbling low bass. It was a catch 22, I wanted to feel the bass, but by turning it up it would drown out a bit of the highs. It just wasn't as balanced. I think I was looking for too much bass out of the elite. That's on me. The elite is more than enough for 90% of home viewers. Surround- this system makes movies so much fun. It's truly a theater experience. I can't tell you how many times someone has looked over their shoulder looking for the noice they just heard. It takes scary movies to the next level. If you are a gamer, you can tell what direction something is coming from and respond as needed. Behind you, next to you, in front of you... Very emersive. Yes there are wires, so there's limitations on how you set it all up depending on your room. Connectivity- this was the game changer. The elite had issues with the Bluetooth from the sound bar to the subs, which means connectivity issues from the sub to the rear speakers. Most of the time it was a non issue. Other times it was maddening and because it was unpredictable, you just never knew what to expect. It is what drove me to the Ultra to be honest. That crackle of the rear speakers and distortion of bad as it would momentarily disconnect drove me insane and nothing seemed to fix it. Though I never changed the frequency that my router ran on (Nakamichi recommended) and to be honest, I shouldn't have to. When my family replaced their cell phone's and we were working on transferring data and updating to current software, the elite was rendered almost useless during that time. We also often had to keep the cellphones in the other room to limit any potential Wi-Fi disruption. Crackle, crackle, crackle, went the rear speakers and talk about a very distracting thing to be happening during your favorite F-18 dog fight scene in Top Gun Maverick. The Ultra has had zero issues with connectivity regardless of the phone or router placement. Huge win for Nakamichi. I'm sure the newest elite models have corrected this issue, mine was older. Elite will give you the small town theater experience. Great value, big sound, solid bass, but it takes more adjusting settings to get the most out of it. Ultra will give you more of the iMax experience. Big sound, ease of use with sound settings, and you will feel like you are in the storm vs watching the storm through a window.

Before we even get to the soundbar itself, the customer experience needs to be highlighted. I received several communications from Nakamichi before I even installed the system, each providing detailed information about what to expect, how to install, and how to configure the system. Their configuration tool asks you to input the other equipment you are using and then spits out how to connect them all. It could not be simpler. On their site they even give you a guide on what streaming boxes, game consoles, etc will spit out Dolby Atmos, even down to the detailed level of what App on what box will do what. Its information i couldn't even get from Roku. They will also have direct links, from their system configuration site to any and all accessories needed to complete your setup(speaker stands, streaming boxes, etc). From the first second, they want you to have all the information you need and make the entire process as easy and straightforward as possible. As for the performance. It's by far the best system i've ever used. Sound is amazing, and the cable runs to the Side and surround speakers is much longer than i need(32'). I haven't had time fully fleshing out all the features and capabilities, but right out of the box, it's been excellent with almost no tweaking. The 2 subs have not been overpowering, and actually provide an excellent amount of bass, yet do not shake our walls unnecessarily like our Vizio Elevate sub does. Dialogue, even on movies/shows where it sometimes is subdued on our other system(Vizio Elevate, Quite good itself, but not close to this one) is clear and discernible. The system does a good job balancing the direct audio and the surround so that one isn't overpowering when it shouldnt be. The system includes ALL the hardware you need to wall mount the speakers, the remote, Duracell abtteries for the remote(not cheap Chinese batteries) 32' cables to connect the 4 surround speakers to the subs, an optical cable, a certified Ultra High Speed HDMI cable, and a 3.5mm headphone cable. All of the included hardware is solid in build(as is the system itself). On top of all of this, lays a 4ft long cardboard setup guide. It lays out, step by step, how to connect the system, and multiple QR codes that link to their tech support website that has guides that are even more detailed. They flood you with information to help you setup(which for those who need it, is VERY clear and simple to understand). For the price, one would really expect the ancillary stuff to be cheap. Nakamichi really pays attention to the details, and seems to understand that their customer ranges from the AV pro to the novice and their information covers the entire spectrum. This system would be well worth it even if the price was substantially higher. As priced, its a home run.

I replace my old TV which was on the fritz with an LG OLED and in order utilize newer technology I decided to replace my 20 year old Cambridge Sound works audio system which I still think sounds great but not like this. This one utilizes the HDMI Arc feature which is one cable from the TV to the soundbar that turns it on/off plus raises and lowers the volume. On top of that there it has Dolby Atmos which I wasn't familiar with but all I say is WOW with what it does with this sound system. it has 2 thundering bass cubes 2 side and 2 rear speakers plus a sound bar with 9 speakers. I watch TV, play music and DVDs everything sounds fantastic.

Setup was easy and it worked out of the box. I read the instructions and changed settings to fit my needs. I use the all channel stereo for playing music over Bluetooth and it gets pretty loud and sounds good. I've watched a couple movies via Chromecast and Disney+, sounds good but I wasn't really paying attention to the surround. For the price, it has some issues that shouldn't exist. -The power cable doesn't fit and has to bend out of the bar is sitting on a surface. Mounted on a wall it could come out of the bottom. It should fit regardless. -Surround speakers have quiet static when nothing is playing. No audio signal should equal no signal to the speakers. -Does sometimes sound like a tin can on certain media. However, it does have the tr+/- buttons and I adjusted the treble way down. Seems to help. -Included cables are cheap AF. The RCA's and power cables are the type you get with the lowest cost cheapest electronics.

This entertainment system is literally no joke. The sound quality is amazing. I’m a big fan of this product. I had their cassette deck back in the day (Nakamichi dragon). It does not disappoint. The Bluetooth Never disconnects. I use it to watch movies and listen to music. Many settings to adjust sound. The 2 Subwoofers are well-made, heavy and really vibrate to the point where it makes your stomach percolate. Overall, it’s an excellent system. Lots of features that I am still trying to learn (a wonderful problem to have). Whether you are the kind of individual that does not read manuals because you’re pretty savvy and know what to connect or not it took a while to Setup. Had some tech challenges, but that’s more on me than it was on The System. It will take some time to memorize and understand all the features. But well worth. Again, a wonderful problem to have. Please note I would have turned on the system in my video, but this was recorded at 3:11 in the morning (I couldn’t sleep ) and didn’t want to wake up the family. If I am able to add another video so you can hear the sound quality (this will be coming from my phone), I will add it. It may not give it to justice it deserves, but at least you’ll get an idea, hopefully. 🙂

I have had many soundbars in the past that were ok, some that were junk like Vizio and everything in between. Sony, Bose, JBL ect. I read the reviews and thought I'd try this. For what this is it is amazing! Easy set up, very well made and the sound is crystal clear high and low. Imaging is also very good. This is easily one of if not the best soundbar combo you can buy. Now it is not as good as a traditional high power home theatre but you do not need to have a theatre closet full of equipment an engineer has to assemble and then tune either. I put this in my cabin with a 58" Sony and it is more than enough.

Place speakers apart and make sure you have 4k wifi speed, for best sound .

Very good soundbar and I like the connection for the rear speakers coming off the subs. The clarity of the front bar to me sounds a bit "plastic" meaning voices sound like cupping you hands over you mouth. Perhaps that due to the speaker being able to handle a lot of power therfore the cone material is rigid, ths affecting the purity of sound. One major let down is there is no record out jack or audio out jack, its all inputs. Not even an optical out. So you can't tie it to another room or system. Set up is super easy, and the added hardware prodvived a very nice touch. I will say the box I got for the money was an issue - looks like it came from the back of the warehouse and packing was destroyed. I can't believe someone actually let this on a truck and shipped it. But the system did run so I did not return.