HYPE vs REALITY 🔍 The Nakamichi DRAGON Review

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

UPDATE: On August 15, 2024, Nakamichi announced the release of a new Dragon subwoofer that will reportedly play down to 19/20Hz, which was the Dragon's initial response the brand claimed could be hit upon the Dragon's launch. Their press release for this new sub confirms that existing Dragon systems never met the definition of a four-subwoofer home theater as initially stated. Furthermore, this new subwoofer comes at a substantial cost of $1499.99, and no verbiage was given on whether or not customers could exchange their existing subs for the new Dragon sub. Verbiage was shared that existing customers could purchase one or more of the new subs and add them to their existing eight-inch models in what (unofficially) a spokesperson for Nakamichi has started to call "mid-bass woofers" instead of subwoofers. Going forward, Dragon systems purchased with the new subs could cost as much as $8499.99, which is almost double the original MSRP of the Dragon itself. And yes, these subs appear to be only compatible with the Dragon system. No word on whether Nakamichi has addressed the many crossover concerns raised in our review, though nothing appears to have been done, meaning the gap between the bar's response and even this new subwoofer will likely remain. That's the update. Watch this space.

[@ValderFl-ho2bx]

@@andrewrobinsonreviews honestly 🤦🏼‍♂️, I am just disgusted that producers use us consumers as test subjekts instead of spending the time and money on making a finished product. I know that many do this trick, but that doesn't justify them doing it just because others do it 🤦🏼‍♂️. Create a proper product from the start instead of slapping something together and hoping for the best, and when people then complain about something, they fix it and just throw in a price increase for the now "much better solution" with everything costing 20-100% more 🤯. Again, I think this speaks for buying a "real surround" system because with that, you can replace each individual part or assemble parts as you like, unlike many soundbars where you are 100% locked into what's in the box. If you have a complete speaker system and need a new receiver, you can choose to go with a Denon instead of a Yamaha when Yamaha pulled this trick of adding features later in an update. You could just choose something else, and that was that. Looking forward to hearing your collective debate on all this in the follow-up video 🙂.

[@Jedi71]

I'm sure the new subwoofer will flesh out some issues with my Dragon but I'm not falling for it. I'm going to hold steady and wait for the Sonos All Era 300 system we hope is coming, or the Sony Quad Theater MkII.

[@theaudiofool5475]

@@andrewrobinsonreviews Wel lets see what they come up with😎

[@Dionesus]

I know you want to leave this dragon in the past, but I hope you are able to review the system with the new set up. I have a q950a and I feel the bass has alot to desire. We sit roughly 17 to 20ft from the TV and I have cathedral ceilings in Living room so the atmos bounce doesn't work for me. But I was hoping the dragon could me the room fully sound that the q950a simply can't do... I know the price increase is insane but it's a purchase you use for a long time.

[@keithskoglund10]

@@Jedi71yeah I’m not buying them either. No system is ever perfect, and the strive for perfection is the bane of existence in the audio world. I’m happy with the dragon and it sounds better than the various other complete soundbar setups in my room.

[@txerapng]

This review highlights the difference between taking a listen from a review sample and wrapping up a video, and actually living with the product and taking the time to really test it. This channel's commitment to "real world" reviews and testing is just admirable. Thank you.

[@snakesonn3590]

Great comment as usual Txerapng. You’re my hero .

[@johndayao857]

@@txerapng he didn’t live with it. He already returned it. Just for the review.

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

@@johndayao857 As with most purchases, every customer reserves the right to return a product within the return window. Just because someone comes to a different conclusion than you or has a demonstrably different experience doesn't disqualify their experience or attempt(s) to have a positive experience with said product. This notion that if someone is unhappy with a product, in this case, the Dragon, they still must keep it for their opinions and findings to be legitimate is a very weak argument and one I've actually never heard made before this review. In conferring with other reviewers, some of who were sent the Dragon, I know I was able to spend more time with the product than they were. I don't think this discounts their review, but it does provide some context as to why your argument holds no weight. Additionally, and this is potentially really important consumer awareness, Nakamichi's free shipping and return policy appears to ONLY apply to customers who purchase their units directly from Nakamichi's own website. People who buy from other authorized retailers, in my case Amazon, will be stuck with return shipping, which on a product this large and heavy could cost hundreds. While I ultimately opted to return my unit within my 30-day return period as set forth by Amazon, it still cost me $410 for UPS ground shipping back to Nakamichi HQ. $410 was the lowest price I could find, with some prices being over $1000.00. While I am not "out" $3575.19 (which is what I paid), I will still have to recoup $410 for this video (not including my time and production costs) to bring you and everyone else this video for free.

[@corbinarmstrong7419]

​@andrewrobinsonreviews that is a great and mature answer to give to people like me. Who not only watch reviews videos like yours, But also wanting to buy them as well. I do get cases of "FOMO" here and there. Wondering if what I bought with my hard earned money was a good or bad choice. Being responsible with what you buy is always gonna be different from other's opinions. But getting to try or hear what other people say about said products (like what you do) already makes me give you respect for your opinions. Having a conversation like this is good all around.

[@mercman009]

@@andrewrobinsonreviews intelligent rebuttal. Will Ferrell in "Old School".

[@nelsondesilva3916]

The reason I'm subscribed to your channel is that I have confidence in your assessment of the products you review. I don't see too many other reviewers bringing up products shortcomings or faults. It astounds me that you would be criticised for being honest about a product! Keep doing what you're doing, it's a great channel.

[@jfb6922]

Your reviews continue to be the Most helpful and valuable in choosing gear. I’ve made several buys with your recommendations. Thanks very much.

[@nickspeck]

I'm so glad you brought up the insanely antiquated GUI that the Dragon uses. The first time I saw it I said the same thing "is this from the late 90's?" The insane misrepresentation of the subs also immediately caught my eye. I would take the Q990D over this every day of the week, and consequently given the timing of this video, twice on Sunday. I appreciate the thorough and candid review.

[@jeremybirdwell2623]

I still can’t believe they took the name of the greatest Cassette deck ever and slapped it on a trash soundbar. Private equity firms are just horrible.

[@DustinDonohue]

and a pretty killer turntable

[@jeannoelsandrazie1874]

Is Nakamichi still japanese. I don't think so...

[@CoreysChannel]

@@jeremybirdwell2623 right! I came here for a cassette deck review and was disappointed. I suppose the name is largely lost to time.

[@ericspear3610]

I preordered one of the first 500 units and have had mine since September 2023. I absolutely love mine as it does everything I need it to do and sounds fantastic. It replaced a Bose 900 system with 2 subs and surround speakers. I am not an expert at audio/video just know what sounds good to me. I feel this was an honest review and doesn't pull any punches pointing out the good and the bad. Depending on who you are and what you like, the Dragon may not be for you. Personally, this review would not have prevented me from buying my Dragon but that's just me. Everyone has different tastes and enjoys different systems, has different experience levels and some are experts while some of us are not. In the end, it only matters if you feel what you bought was a good value and you enjoy it. If not, send it back. If this review changed your mind and now you won't buy a Dragon, so what? I take it for what it is, an honest review of a Dragon owner with plenty of detailed information. If we all liked the same sound, there wouldn't be literally thousands of products to choose from; there would only be one...

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

I sincerely appreciate you leaving this comment and I am genuinely happy that you are happy with your Dragon. Thank you!

[@KristiWright]

Hi Eric. Thank you for sharing your experience with the Dragon. We are glad to know you've been happy with yours. Thanks for watching!

[@ClintAvila]

I have a Dragon. Also have a Q990C. The latter is great for an average size room. Dragon is utterly awesome in a big room. Is it perfect? No. But it is unlike anything else I've experienced from a plug and play system. It's worthy of an audition if you want a simple solution that is leaps and bounds above what a typical sound bar is capable of

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

Thanks for sharing your experience. I'm glad you've found something that works for you!

[@jasmadahar9089]

One of the best and honest reviews I’ve heard in a long time. Just because something comes with a lot of channels and bass responses that could shake any room (that sound demo from the subwoofers really shocked me), it’s a cohesiveness in sound that I’m after. I’ve had a Senhiesser Ambeo that clearly couldn’t compete with this bar, but my Sony HT-A9’s are perfect for my home set up, and half of the price (not that you can get this from an official retailer in the UK I believe). Great review Andrew.

[@ealanosborne]

Having been the 2nd official review of the Dragon (only behind Caleb Denison/Digital Trends) I do have to admit that I was in fact swayed by the hype of it all, and I apologize for not digging a little deeper. That being said, I did mention even in my review that it wasn’t without its flaws, especially with the subs bottoming out. Is it powerful? OMG, nothing else comes CLOSE to how loud it can get. But my biggest concern is the build quality. Although I can’t confirm this officially, I can only assume that I may have gotten the same “review unit” that Caleb Denison received for his review, since a few weeks had passed between our respective videos. It’s been about 9+ months since my review, and I had to send it back as soon as I was done. But as far as I can recall, I could’ve sworn the soundbar itself (which was one of the first “500 special editions”) was in fact one solid piece of steel, not a plastic soundbar housed in thin metal sheets. Even going back to the footage I shot, that still looks to be the case. So if indeed Caleb and I got the “real” Dragon that’s being advertised, and those who have purchased it AFTER the 500 special edition were shipped received a cheaper version - like those who have been posting online showing their damaged units with thin metals sheets bent to hell - Nakamichi needs to come clean. I still think the Dragon is the undisputed king of “punch you in the face” loudness and dynamics, but if the units that consumers are receiving now have been built with cheaper parts than the system I reviewed? That’s SO not cool, in my book. Especially since their marketing materials still contain the same verbiage as when it was first launched. That’s just bad business.

[@MrJonathan32]

@@ealanosborne I can confirm my dragon is over a year old and the grills are a thin metal and the rest is a mdf or plastic outer casing. Unit seems thick and not the best quality but not the worst quality either. Feels a little plasticity. I don’t think anyone would say it feels cheap. Edit: after a close inspection I now believe the unit is all metal and it’s very thin so it can be mistaken for mdf or plastic on first touch and inspection. My bad guys it is all metal albeit very thin metal like Andrew had said. Not really an issue quality seems good enough to me.

[@TheMatsushitaMan]

Now that's a whole new can of worms. Full, entire solid steel for the 500 special editions, then a bait-and-switch to a cheaper MDF/plastic/steel-sheet bar? Someone needs to do some digging.

[@MrJonathan32]

@@TheMatsushitaMan I don’t see this as an issue. Super high end speakers are all mdf and it is perfectly fine. Not trying to create an issue and I love my dragon for movies and games. Best sound bar system I have ever had and I have had them all. Sennheiser ambeo max is the only that can compete.

[@MrJonathan32]

Actually on second inspection the unit might be all a very thin piece of metal easily mistaken for mdf or plastic. So I stand corrected I think it is all a very thin piece of metal all the way around.

[@ealanosborne]

@@MrJonathan32 Thank you for this!

[@gazman9468]

Hi Andrew - I work in the Hi-Fi industry as a speaker designer for a small UK based manufacturer. I just wanted to comment as I'd not heard of the Dragon until now and frankly it blew me away that such an overhyped product could exist in 2024. I thought your review seemed very well thought out, fair and unbiased. I think there are several glaring issues with the Dragon which IMO justify it being labelled as overhyped. Firstly, the horizontal off axis measurements leaving a hole in the upper mids is clearly due to the combination of the sideways MTM arrangement of the mid-bass drive units combined with a high x-over point of around 5khz to the AMT units. A dome type tweeter in the same arrangement with a lower crossover point could have avoided this... but AMT/Ribbons are "in" at the moment. Why such a large soundbar can only reach down to circa 300hz baffles me but they've clearly prioritised maximum output over everything else. I can only imagine the designer of this unit has never designed such a system before as it is surely blindingly obvious that a crossover point sub-100hz is optimal to properly integrate with a sub that could be as much as 20ft away. The subwoofer response dying below 40hz also clearly points to a system designed for maximum BOOM without any real consideration for accurate response. There's no excuse for a $3500 system to be designed in such a way and I can't imagine anyone who's spent time with any decent quality subwoofer setup would be happy with this. Finally, the website claim of 116,000 "airflow optimised holes" - for what is clearly just standard perforated steel mesh - is quite frankly cringe inducingly embarrassing. Anyway, great review and keep up the great work! Would be cool to see you reviewing a product from my company in the not too distant future...

[@techsamurai11]

It also advertises up to 370 pounds of power! That’s a lot of pounds!!! Maybe British pounds since weight makes little sense. And imagine if they had more audiodynamic holes😂 My speaker grilles have 2 million invisible holes per channel.

[@randyw2341]

Andrew, first thank you for taking the time to review this product! I've owned the Dragon Sound System (not sound bar) since Christmas 2023. Mine is used exclusively for movies & spatial audio discs (a trending type of music). I came from an Onkyo TX-NR3100 surround setup which served well for many years. Being north of 50 years old a couple of notes: * You did not note the system is wireless (no speaker wires to run, no speakers to mount in the ceiling) which is an important factor to older audiophiles and to the younger audience who does not want to invoke the labor involved with running speaker cabling or mounting speakers in the ceiling. That labor translates to $$$$. * There was no mention of the AMT (Air Motion Tweeters) which do a credible job. * Despite the Dragon not having built in room correction I would argue that an audio/movie phile will pull out their SPL meter & check the auto-room correction settings. Many times they will adjust these settings. * I fully agree this is a 11.2.6 system, not 11.4.6 & this Dragon product is not up to those from the 80's. * As you noted what is best for you, the end customer, is what matters................your comment on that is appreciated! * The Dragon is not the best & is not the worst. For a credible movie experience without the "hassles" of wiring, interconnects, etc. this product does meet the standard. I am enjoying mine & should I move in the future it will an easy setup..................again! I will note the home theater room is separate from the "audio room" with the stereo system for fully proper listening..........................................again, thank you for the review.

[@Newtworks7]

$3k+ and coming out the box with prints and dents? The hype is real folks!

[@joellouisfire]

Such a refreshing take and exactly the review I was waiting for. I needed somebody who could be trusted to review the Dragon before truly considering it, thanks for your honest feedback!

[@dat868]

So many reviewers have given the Dragon a tongue bath. We can always count on Andrew Robinson for a thorough and objective review of a soundbar. It sounds like while the bar has some merits it is more hype than anything.

[@jennifergala]

Oh boy. I appreciate the honesty. Also a big thank you I bought the whole Bose 600 system upon your recommendation and I love it. Love your channel. B

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

I'm happy to know that the Bose is working for you. Thank you for watching.

[@neverenoughtech]

Quality video as usual Andrew. Want to thank you for reaching out and chatting about your workflow. It was educational. Big of you!

[@jaytclark13]

@@neverenoughtech Both you and Andrew do a fantastic job with the reviews you guys do. I appreciate the hard work that both you guys put in so myself and many other people can make as educated buy as possible. I do wanna say again as I said before I’ve got a Sonos ultimate immersive set that (knock on wood has been working with very little issues with the app) that I’m completely happy with but love watching your videos anyway.. They truly are next level and make me laugh 🤣 a lot. Again with that being said, Thank you 🙏 both for the time spent to make these videos..

[@stang3106]

I appreciate both you and Andrew. Keep the great reviews coming!

[@195516Z]

I can't recall another time when you sounded so passionate in a negative review and remained respectful and accurate in your measurement. Admittedly, much of the terminology is lost on me, ( I'm still using equipment I purchased in the early seventies ) I learn a lot listening to you and am entertained as well.

[@SmallvilleJW]

Your reviews are awesome! Thank you for saving me $3,000+ 😂. Your gracious, polite bashing of Nakamichi's hype is so entertaining. I didn't want to watch for 30 minutes, but I couldn't stop. Your reviews are so jam packed with helpful insights. Thank you!

[@bluered3228]

I wish you could come over and listen to mine. I think it's fantastic and worth the money. Beats any soundbar I've listened to by a mile.

[@halshaw8056]

As someone who has owned a Dragon cassette deck and a TD1200 II, this sounds like kind of a slap in the face to vintage Nakamichi equipment.

[@patrikbjorling4391]

@@halshaw8056 Misusing the brand for easy profit.

[@FelixtheMetalcat]

Because it is. What's worse is the public doesn't necessarily know that this is all false advertising if you compare to the vintage Japanese company.

[@MatthewMcGowan]

Good afternoon from Ottawa 🇨🇦 This video is why I love this channel: the level of rigour, scrutiny and fairness in this review, but also the willingness to live with a product and not just report on initial impressions. This takes time and energy, and we all thank you for it. Can’t wait to hear what Kristi thought of it. See you on Friday for Unplugged 🔌

[@joeygonzo]

Definitely not worth it . NAKAMICHI name has been exploited . Thanks for the REAL HONEST review .

[@Bob-hq5lj]

Always refreshing if not astonishing how with every review I watch I feel like you are talking directly to me Andrew. You are one of if not the best in the biz right now. Thanks for you ongoing commitment to your craft.

[@KristiWright]

What a lovely compliment. Thank you for watching.

[@SENCORE_ISF]

“The only person who has to like the sound of anything is you” I don’t believe I’ve ever heard anyone say the equivalent more earnestly. Loved this review. Being I go back in AV sales to the late 90’s it was fun to see that old GUI again and hear a familiar take on a Nakamichi product offering. Annnd now onto the next…… Sorry NOT sorry 😉 Have you heard of the Cabasse Rialto? I was introduced to this product yesterday evening. Two Channel, Powered. An inverted front driver, the likes of which I have never seen and what on paper appears to be overall frequency response only to be found in either tower speakers or sub sat combos. Build quality “appears” to be stellar. This is definitely a product I am interested in offering my clients. Would love to hear your take. Thank you as always

[@Runsteady]

Great review! As an owner of a Dragon, I actually agreed with a lot of what you said, but I plan on keeping it for the long haul as the positives do outweigh the negatives for me personally . While it’s not perfect, it’s still a very thrilling experience for myself, and have no regrets purchasing it. I do wish Naka would let us customize the equalizer and have more specific controls over each sub level etc etc.. I don’t see why they can’t. It’s probably all software controlled by the looks of it. Anyway, this a nice review that balances out all the too many positive reviews out there that don’t do enough to point out its big flaws. I certainly am not a big fan of the lows frequencies and subwoofers to be honest, just like you mentioned, but if you mess with the settings enough, I found a happy medium. It just sucks that I have to tinker around with it so much. For anyone willing to give it a shot, try changing the distances for each speaker to what sounds good to your ears however arbitrary the distances might look on the setup screens, and you’ll be surprised that the hardware is capable of a lot of good. If Naka is seeing this or reading this some day, please just unlock full customization and equalizer settings for every speaker. Thanks again for your review.

[@CrassHysteria]

Also an owner and I agree - seemed like a pretty fair review. I think the lack of networking/wi-fi was a big miss on Nakamichi's part, as well as no auto room correction. We've had ours for nearly two years and haven't encountered any issues with audio not syncing to video. Have had occasional speaker disconnects, which have been remedied by resetting bluetooth or powering off the speaker. This has happened 3-4 times, it isn't especially problematic imo. Handling HDMI switching is a bigger issue - if we jump from our Roku to another device, then move back, at least 50% of the time we'll get no sound until we power the Dragon off and back on again. Again an easy fix but absolutely shouldn't be happening at this price point. All that said, to my ears the system sounds legitimately incredible. Best bang for the buck is definitely modern audio mixes off of 4K or Bluray discs. Streaming codecs sound fine but less "full" for lack of a better term. I haven't tried enough older DVDs to have an opinion there. The one area I genuinely disagree with Andrew is on music. I will typically listen to music using all-channel stereo and find the level of clarity and soundstage just outstanding. Type of music probably makes a difference; I listen to a lot of metal and punk. Ymmv with other genres. Also music sounds quite a bit worse if you leave the Dragon set to surround instead of stereo, though I'd be surprised if Andrew made that mistake. I don't have any regrets regarding the purchase and expect to stick with the Dragon for at least the next 5 years, but it's definitely not a perfect solution for everyone.

[@Runsteady]

@@CrassHysteria yes, 10000% to auto room correction and WiFi. For the price they’re charging, i think it would make sense. Also fix the ultra low frequencies on the subs.. If they’re taking notes, the next iteration will be worthy of the dragon name. Granted i still enjoy the current dragon. I actually put one of my subs directly behind my couch for the rumble. It’s quite the visceral experience.

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

Check out our follow up to the Dragon review here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/sKGXe42BZdGSptU

[@BobFrostV]

You guys rock! I'm so happy you guys went above and beyond here. This was super informative and was jaw-dropping from beginning to end, lol. This may have been the best video you've ever made. I might rewatch a 3rd time 😅

[@0128reg]

Man o man I have been waiting for this review from your channel 3 months ago when I bought mine. I have been self contemplating my purchasing decision. Every point you made just confirmed my thoughts and doubts. You watch the testimonies and reviews and think you are making the right choice, then you get it and turn it on and think wow it big and loud this is great! However it’s just a façade. I often prefer to watch movies and shows on my old Bose Lifestyle 650 from 2016 which actually hits lower and cleaner. This is a big blow to Nakamichi and the Dragon name.

[@rickbrookes9491]

When I sold Hi-Fi equipment 20 years ago or so, I’d get customers say, “I bet those get loud!” More than I’d like to admit. It sounds like the Dragon is marketed towards that sort of consumer…

[@CaBdosdos]

Seriously it's the first thing a sub set of consumers say and it makes me shake my head every time. When I told my dad I bought some new speakers he said "wow do they put your hair back?". Seriously when have you seen that happen and why would you want to.

[@CButti-x1s]

A pleasant Sunday morning Andrew and Kristi. Another great comprehensive review. Afraid to show my age but the last Nakamichi Dragon that excited me involved auto azimuth, auto reverse play and Dolby C. Looks like the modern day Dragon is all sizzle and no steak! Keep up the great work. Thanks.

[@techsamurai11]

Yeah, I can't believe they crossed over at 300hz - when I was setting up my SVS Micro, the SVS guy told me to cross over at 120hz and we spent an hour on the phone as I was demoing music and telling him that I could tell parts of the song were missing. We dropped to 60hz on the phone together - guitars were missing, voices had different depth. On my new AV pre/pro, I switched to 40hz but I think I'd prefer 50 for movies but there's no setting for that. I was shocked to hear Clint Eastwood's voice in the intro to the song Gran Torino literally reach under 80hz and the sub couldn't add it the same way the paper cones could or localize it the same way. People claim that low frequencies are the same regardless of where they come from, they are clearly talking about massive waves, not 40-120hz🙂

[@DPSingh-px4xu]

I worked for Nakamichi in the 80's and have the receipts to prove it in the form of an Etoku award from Nakamichi...many are unaware of this iconic companies innovations including amplifiers with Nelson Pass's fingerprints on them....at one time The Dragon was a cassette deck selling for thousands in the 80's....fascinating review of where Nakamichi decided to go with its products...

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

Sadly, the Nakamichi you worked for and the Nakamichi we're discussing here are NOT the same company. Nakamichi went out of business in the late 90s and a Chinese holding company (Grande) bought their IP and naming rights and is making soundbars under the name for easy brand recognition.

[@mascenikpinstriping5708]

@@DPSingh-px4xu did you work in Long Island or Santa Monica?

[@thestandardbearer6633]

Andrew, well done and great review. Thank you for being honest and quantitative.

[@nelsondesilva3916]

Brutal and straight to the point. I also had some concerns about some of the things said about it. You're only reviewer who spent more than ten minutes reviewing it and it wasn't all positive. This is why I subscribe, I get the facts. Well done

[@chrisveltman1795]

I got no skin in this Dragon game, but (for everyone that's a KZbin Hifi 'reviewer' that acts like they don't watch this channel, but really do...) this video is the standard. Well done A+K.

[@markchristopher8515]

For a £4000+ system, the flaws are not acceptable.

[@jsackett42160]

So....what did we learn? To quote the legendary Flavor Flav; "Don't believe the hype!" Can not wait for Kristi's take on this. I'm really disappointed in this system. Nakamichi used to be some of the best gear you could buy but like a lot of OG products anymore, the name was sold to some 3rd party that decided to capitalize on the name while making lower tier crap. Very sad.😒

[@jsackett42160]

@jamesmichael900 Bro, I 👎DON'T 🖖HAVE 🫵HEPATITIS B👆EITHER. But I'm pretty sure I wouldn't enjoy that.🤣🤣🤣

[@thomasmoreno3602]

I knew it, it was all hype. I am so glad I got. The samsung 990D Soundbar It's amazing I recommend it to everyone

[@nekerrivera]

I replaced the Samsung 990D with the Dragon and I couldn’t be happier, the dragon destroyed my old 990D and even my AVR-Denon 4300H

[@thomasmoreno3602]

The only thing the Dragon is good for it's loud that's it

[@PhillipKnox]

WOW, so appreciate you always telling it like you see it - great that we can count on the both of you!

[@Airbornekiteboarding]

Hot damn! I really wanted this review to live up to the hype but I'm glad you guys gave it to us raw. I will stick with my HT-A9 until something better comes around. Thank you for keeping it real!!!

[@4Kmichelinstarmovies]

Finally a honest no BS review thank you ! definatley doesnt sound like a $3200 product, sometimes dont believe the hype sometimes its better not too , bring on the new Sonos Arc 2.0

[@connorpearson8779]

As soon as I seen this review pop up I grabbed the popcorn 🍿 and sat back 😂 Ohh boy I can’t wait to see Fridays episode 😂

[@fuzz_spl]

A sub falling off a cliff at 40Hz? And the soundbar not playing below 300Hz? They must have done that so they could achieve the volume claims without blowing up the drivers. Also, sending everything 300Hz and below to the subs? I think they expected 90% or more of users to keep the subs in the same plane as the soundbar. I gotta admit, I was really looking forward to this review. Obviously, you never disappoint. It's just a shame this didn't perform better for the $3300 price tag. So, I guess the only question is......are you still inside your return window?

[@billwoods9302]

It's probably better that you purchased the system, rather than reviewed a system on loan. You were able to be completely, brutally honest about the system's shortcomings. Nakamichi set out to build a soundbar to rival home theater receiver systems, but that type of endeavor is likely doomed from the start because there are stark limitations to upgrading individual components as the system evolves over time. Soundbars serve a very simple function. They sound better than the stock speakers included in most modern flat screen televisions. And this is something that even non-audiophiles can appreciate. So you have spare TV's in bedrooms or a small family room? Soundbars are relatively inexpensive and will add volume and richness to the TV's sound. But I highly doubt any soundbar is going to rival a dedicated home theater system, no matter how many zeros you put on the price tag, or decibels in the SPL meter. Thank you for your honesty, Andrew.

[@Crowleywild]

I bought the Jamo Concert series towers, center, and rears based on your review. Also picked up the Onkyo TX-RZ50 thanks to your review. I’m quite pleased with it. I went ahead and bought the matching Jamo 12” subs to complete the package. They subs dont blow my socks off, but they produce a decent amount of bass for movies, music, and gaming. This was my first receiver based home theater system. Before that I had the Nakamichi 7.2.4 and the Samsung Q990C. I thought the Nakamichi was great when I had no prior experience with home theater equipment, but the Samsung soundbar sounded so much richer and fuller. The Jamo’s even more so than the Samsung. I will up upgrade to something better one day, but for now the Jamo setup with my 77” A95L is all I need. Thanks for everything you two are doing.

[@its1me1cal]

Kinda makes me glad I didn’t waste my money……

[@sterlonb.digital777]

Honestly, one of thee very best reviews, I've had the privilege to see! WOW!

[@genecase9464]

I guess you can put Nakamichi in the circular file with the likes of Pyle, Blaupunct, Jenson, Crunch, etc. Brands that just aren't what they used to be.

[@alexadelaide]

Your insight is so apparent and we really appreciate what you do. Story time - Around a year ago I was looking to upgrade my soundbar to a home theatre amp with a good stereo pair of speakers that I could upgrade to surround down the track. The main issues I wanted resolved were 1: inaudible dialogue - either the ability to change it or general clarity improvements 2: audio sync issues 3: somewhat future proof - hdmi 2.1 and WiFi was a requirement I ended up getting a Yamaha rx-v6a as this was modestly priced, had good feature set and I respect Yamahas lean towards clarity than power - but the speakers.. after Andrew’s review I opted for the speaker box 5 S2’s in blue Amazing I have a medium sized carpeted room so don’t need large speakers and they are SO CLEAN. There is no harshness so you can turn things up loud and they don’t sound loud. Or you can listen quietly and still hear dialogue perfectly. This detail was perfectly described by Andrew in the review and they are exactly what I wanted. For something as difficult as audio to describe, this man has a gift. And while the reviews are long, a point is never belabored as each point adds to the story and deepens the description. In case you are wondering I also later got a Yamaha NS SW300 sub on sale which is very nice Setup tips, come at me! 😂

[@SynjynB]

ROFL. Subs run out of steam @40hz. "Bottom out". Just wow. Thanks Andrew for the "real" review.

[@stevengagnon4777]

That kind of removes the sub part of subwoofer and what you are actually getting is a pair of out board woofers disconnected and distanced from the midrange and tweeters. Relieing on digital electronics to fix that problem . And you still need an actual subwoofer

[@liamporter1137]

Respect your candid review 👏👍. Most reviewers will ONLY share positive reviews which is to play it safe without creating bad vibe with the brands. Love this type of reviews.

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

I appreciate your comment, but please understand that we don't do reviews like this to score points with you or our audience; we tell it like it is. No brand has sway over us, nor am I concerned with my status with any brand. We've demonstrated to them and our fans that we will go around any brand's attempt at gatekeeping to bring viewers the content they want to see. We try and work with brands to get samples as that is easier, plus it gives us a direct line of communication should something go wrong that we need an official comment on, but just because we may be sent a sample doesn't guarantee a positive review (see our recent Sony Bravia Bar 9 video).

[@fatredditmod]

they share positive reviews to cozy up the companies that send free review units. Because, Naka refused to send a review unit to Andrew, he's ever been salty since, and this review totally reflects how he took it personally 😂

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

@fatredditmod, your comment here is demonstrably false and the fact that you have attempted to leave it (or others like it ) repeatedly is now crossing into spam/harassment territory. I cannot help but notice your talking points and how closely they resemble a post that was originally shared on the Nakamichi Dragon Owners Facebook group on August 4, 2024 (which has now been edited). In that post, and through a surrogate, the CEO of Nakamichi calls for behavior from "real Dragon owners" similar to what you're displaying here. Are you a member of that closed/private Facebook group? If you are, understand that I am fully aware of the tactics Nakamichi's CEO was calling for and have the receipts to prove it. I have even reached out to Nakamichi several times for a comment regarding these posts and his requests but so far no one has returned my request for comment. If you persist in this behavior I will have no choice but to block you citing spam and harassment.

[@fatredditmod]

@@andrewrobinsonreviews what facebook group? Now that you mention, I might have to look up and join the group. Peace.

[@krandletie1054]

My buddy bought a dragon and was more than excited. He spent time setting up and trying to dial it in before asking me if I’d help. I’m no audiophile…I think he just needed another set of ears and hands to help. No matter what we did, the dragon came across as ham fisted and only had life at insane volume. At that volume it sounded like a poorly calibrated IMAX theater. Quiet scenes and subtle cues sounded flat and almost non existent at times, then it would suddenly punch us in the ears when there was an action scene. Funny you compared it to 90s Avr setups because I had the same thought. It’s a very manual/physical process w regard to dialing it in. I was really hoping he’d get it dialed in and to be blown away, but it was just too loud and harsh to be enjoyable. Lastly, I think the bar looks like it was designed in the Soviet Union circa 1985.

[@KristiWright]

"Quiet scenes and subtle cues sounded flat and almost non existent at times, then it would suddenly punch us in the ears when there was an action scene." This describes what I experienced perfectly.

[@AndyHanson-tf6kj]

I'm of an age when the Nakamachi Dragon was a cassette deck. And an aspirational and highly regarded one at that. Times change.

[@ryanfromtexas84]

Was curious to hear more about the spatial audio performance/comparisons. But this was enough for me to feel affirmed in my recent Sony Quad purchase. Thanks for the honest take.

[@channelserf8666]

Thank you Andrew. I waited a year for the Dragon to come out and when I finally got mine I thought I was missing something, or was I just expecting too much? I had read so many rave reviews that I didn't want to believe that my experience just wasn't meeting my expectations. Your review has has brought into sharp focus what I have been trying to rationalize away. Tough to admit that I should have put that $4500. towards an AV receiver and speakers instead.

[@BernieBelcher]

I'm so happy to watch your review of this system, I very much enjoy watching your honest and much skilled review of equipment. I was looking into buying this system until I saw this review, now I'm not interested in buying this anymore there are other systems out there that cost less and would suit me better. Keep up the great reviews.

[@JoseMorales-pq9yu]

It seems that for the price this system doesn't cut it. And for that, I am grateful. Narrowing my choices to Sony, Samsung, and Ambeo. I'm grateful for your take on equipment and the fact that you always bring the receipts to your commentary. Thanks for saving me from making a mistake I'd maybe regret later. Keep up the good work.

[@kennethabbott3856]

Sadly, this review is spot on what I expected. I don't know Nakamichi's ownership history. I suspect that the name was bought by a company that produces garbage products and wanted credibility. Please, enlighten me about this. Andrew, thanks for finally putting the urban myth of this system's prowess to rest. To the Dragon fanboys: If you like the way it sounds, enjoy it! Everybody has different tastes.

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

The Chinese holding company Grande (apologies if I got the spelling wrong) now owns the name Nakamichi. They've used it to create a number of cheaper pieces of electronics dating back to the early to mid-2000s before going all-in on soundbars a few years ago.

[@kennethabbott3856]

@@andrewrobinsonreviews Thank you Andrew! I hope you and Kristi have a great week.

[@ChileanSpartanUSA]

I just changed my HW-Q950A for the new HW-Q990D and I am more than happy with my purchase. Your reviews are very helpful and thoughtful. Thank you!

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

Great to hear!

[@HellBoundSinner]

@andrewrobinsonreviews I am an owner of a Dragon after owning a 990C. I don't believe you're biased at all. I agree with you on points with the OSD, hand shaking, the overall loudness, etc. I did the calibration of the room with my tape measure and calibrated the speakers to 75 dB. For me, I feel my heights are night and day over the 990C. When I played reference material, my family members said they could notice a huge difference with the heights and surrounds. I love your indepth testing of the subs and I agree they should be saying 2 subs, not 4. I was wondering, do you think the sub issues is something that be corrected down the road with a firmware update or is it just a technical issue with the equipment? Huge fan of you and Kristi and I love this review in spite of me having one. I'm eager to see how Nakamichi handles this and see how they counter. Thank you both and yes for this money, this should have been more polished, more features, better sounding according to your measurements. However, for me, I enjoy this system much more than the 990C, but is it worth $2500 more...ABSOLUTELY NOT. I hope you have a follow up video with Nakamichi's responses to your issues with the Dragon. 😊

[@piqone1]

Yes it would be nice to see if Nakamichi has any recommendations or fixes that make any drastic changes

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

I sincerely appreciate your comment, and thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing it! We'll see what comes of this review, but thank you for watching and for sharing your thoughts.

[@lethaldonkey]

I’ve been waiting for this review for a long time, thank you sir!! Great review as always. I can’t wait to hear your opinion on the Sonos Arc 2 when it comes out.

[@mrobbins2406]

300hz sub crossover 😂

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

Technically, the subwoofer crossover only goes up to 200Hz if memory serves (I don't have my notes in front of me).

[@b_rad7686]

And sub only goes down to 40hz. But they are saying "better than receiver" 😂

[@j.rfrazier1855]

Considering my cozy environment, I was never considering the Dragon - but I was worried it was going to be all punch and roar and no subtlety. Maybe Nakamichi will take this feedback and put it towards the next model. Great review, as always! Love seeing the SPL meter, measurements, and charts being the nerd I am.

[@saltaormina9404]

I feel like we all need to meet up for a coffee and decompress after this one 😂😂😂 great review as always my friend 👌❤️👍

[@ListenToTheNEST]

Thank you for taking one for your team and acquiring this soundbar for review. I gotta say, I want a bookshelf with the form factor of those surrounds. That "tri-pole" design is just cool-looking, even though they probably wouldn't work that way. I wouldn't be surprised if Nakamichi designed this bar over a decade ago and just banked on their brand pedigree being able to sell it. The big red "all channel stereo" button is amusing.

[@spearmintaltoid]

Great review. No WiFi or room mapping at that price point is insane.

[@matttafakt]

All systems should be calibrated manually if you want the best sound, and the less wifi the better.

[@cawilliams188]

I have been waiting for this review for so long. Thank you for making me realize it's not worth the money compared to a traditional setup for about the same price.

[@brecwinchester8487]

Seen a couple reviews yhat praise this thing, if i recall, one even went through the set up and was saying it measures the distance to the surrounds during set up..... But honestly have never seen another video pop up from that person. Great info! Glad I didn't get one. Just more proof to the old saying..."if it sounds too good to be true".

[@FelipePerez-ro4zg]

Thanks for finally reviewing the Dragon. I would check everyday to see if you had reviewed it yet. Much appreciated for given it your honest reviews.

[@JR-ho5qm]

Just curious, do you have the Dragon, if so how do you like it?

[@FelipePerez-ro4zg]

No I don’t have one yet, I have been contemplating getting one for a while. Hopefully I can hear it sometime in a showroom somewhere. 4k is a lot to spend on a system that I have never heard with mixed reviews. I know their are plenty of audiophiles out there that have positive reviews and other who say it fell short of their expectations. So I have to experience the sound for myself.

[@gamerfinn3634]

Props for a review that is honest

[@MundoManu2049]

You can tell this is a trully honest review. Bravo.

[@NoisyBoy1990]

The Dragon has always come across like more of a statement piece to wow with, rather than something you’d buy to actually outperform other soundbars in SQ. You’ve pretty well confirmed their priority was SPL and physical presence. It’s a more money than sense product for the modern home theatre market.

[@isbestlizard]

I love how the on-screen display seems to be using a character generator from a 1984 acorn electron

[@marklloyd4153]

Omg I just realized my AVR system RZ 50 and Chora speakers with SVS sub cost $3600 . Just a little more than the Nak . Thanks again Andrew and Kristi ❤

[@dawaynecleckley8673]

What an awesome and thorough review Andrew!! And, wow, surprise, surprise. The old testament of tech 😆. I was also surprised by what you said about the dynamics of this unit. I was certainly expecting 'epic' due to the price tag. This is a great example of 'pricier doesn't mean better'. I'm sorry that you had to purchase it to review it. However, thanks for being completely objective, transparent and truthful as always!!

[@KristiWright]

Thank you for watching, DaWayne.

[@dawaynecleckley8673]

@@KristiWright I can't wait to hear your feedback on this during Unplugged!

[@limkloosterboer]

98dB is insane. I can understand that subtlety isn't in a 'Dragons' vocabulaire, but common😂.

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

I could argue the Dragon borders on damaging concerning its out-of-the-box volume.

[@mazinken1]

thanks for your honest review always a pleasure watching you're videos I really needed that comparison part in the end.

[@GamingRevenant]

No room correction is a huge L. That's a laughably stupid decision, perhaps except for those 0.0000001% that have an anechoic room.

[@RedLeo-pf9yo]

Keep your foot on their throat Andrew Robinson !!!!! Electronics are expensive, and we’re not rich, so when we decide to buy an expensive item, we expect it to do what the company says it’s supposed to do !!!!

[@terrykendrick8025]

I’ve never been remotely interested in the “Dragon” however, your review was comprehensive and enlightening. I wonder at the time, expense and effort it took for this review. You go way above the rim for your followers. My hats off to you.

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

Thanks for watching. I'm glad the video was informative.

[@syanhc]

Your living room keeps changing. In two years, three changes...❤I still enjoyed the original wood panels

[@techsamurai11]

Whatever happened to those? Andrew was mighty proud of installing those😂

[@ryanchappell5962]

Great review. I really appreciate you guys buying this yourself and being totally honest about it. The Samsung Q series measures way better than this and has directivity advantages since the crossover point between the tweeter and midwoofers is much lower. This is very important when you have a horizontal layout of your drivers.

[@kgc1911]

I fully agree with u. I ran tests at a store and omg, i was blown away at how touchy the system is and difficult it is to adjust and when u adjust for one movie, another sounded weird. I had to adjust it for every different movie i watched... for the price, its now where close to the Samsung 990 c or d or anything else...

[@robinsonmac]

I guess this is why they didn't want to send you a review unit.....they know the truth.... Good on you for not just towing the reviewer line.

[@alexandermikhailov2481]

The current Nak owners must have misspelled the model name judging by this review: it should be Draggin', not Dragon.

[@Diatonic5th]

The 300Hz crossover makes this system useless for any music with acoustic instruments. Acoustic guitars, pianos, strings, and horns will all suffer a lack of cohesion when the mid range is split between the soundbar and the subs.

[@Franksmediaandreviews]

I honestly think this is your best video. Bravo , sir 👏🏽

[@liamporter1137]

Awesome candid review. Thanks for sharing.

[@Pentenfi]

Yet another convincing argument why I think sound bars are messing up the audio industry and consumer expactions. This "more drivers, more Watts = better Sound" needs to stop

[@californiaballer]

Well, more drivers - if properly handled can revolutionize the sound industry. It’s not easy to create a proper sound bubble even with separate components as many things need to be just right and conventional AVRs are limited in how they can manipulate separate speakers that come from different vendors. Think of it as how computational photography is able to (in some circumstances) run circles around traditional cameras. You may invest into $2,000 lenses that would do just one thing right and only under the right conditions or you can snap pictures on your iPhone and rely on AI magic to get that perfect picture.

[@ChrisStoneinator]

Unfortunately the idea of the average consumer actually knowing/caring fuck all about sound was doomed when listening to MP3s through earbuds or portable speakers became the norm 20 years ago. Add to that the fact that it's become the norm to regularly replace a 4-figure TV and phone with another 4-figure TV and phone every 2 years whilst having no money left over to care about sound, and you have 99% of the population having zero idea what they're missing with home theatre, and believing it's a privilege reserved only for the ultra-rich, and needs a dedicated room built in the basement.

[@patrikbjorling4391]

Oh boy..that was a very diplomatic way of totally trash a peace of equipment built on marketing and plastic. And I LOVED it❤.

[@justkiddin1980]

Yeah my current system is going on like 15 years right now…I still live my Denon AVR-3311 and the System 5.2 from Teufel with two Teufel Ultima 40’s as floorstanding left and right…I would love to upgrade to Atmos and go big next time..But for sound quality and presence this is still an awesome system even at 15 years old..

[@gilbertleo8232]

Your honesty is appreciated as you come from a background of musical accuracy fir all types of music and recordings vis a vis the experience you have on evaluating high quality soundbars . Keep up the good work .

[@neilp192]

Last time I saw Nakamichi they were selling cheap, terrible headphones at Kmart. So, now when someone tells you they have a Nakamichi Dragon, you have to ask, "the legendary tape deck or the ridiculously overpriced home theater speaker thingy?"

[@KimmoJaskari]

Real separates and an AVR is still the way to go. Or, a soundbar if you just don't care that much and want better than TV sound. No soundbar can approach what you can do with a custom system built around a high grade AVR. And if you need that, then yeah, to heck with this Dragon thing... it's neither easy nor great, it's just something neither-nor in the middle.

[@coreyw4230]

The last couple of reviews I've watched for the Dragon (yours and LTT's) have been refreshingly... honest. While the Nakamichi is not without merit, there seem to be too many issues, too many outright flaws, and too much competition (either that gets you most of the way to the Nakamichi at a fraction of the price, or that surpasses the Nakamichi at an equivalent price) to seriously consider it.

[@matthewweflen]

Amazing review. Kudos on your thoroughness and integrity. I can't wait for the world to catch up with the idea that 90-100 dB movie listening is just plain nuts.

[@abrahamhernandez8506]

I rarely think people have SPL meters in practice to know what 90 db is in real life. 80db is already more than loud enough to give you those movie theater dynamics depending on your receiver and extra power amp. 90db and 100db is a guaranteed to have cops to your door with neighbors complaining.😆

[@matthewweflen]

@@abrahamhernandez8506 I took my kids to a Dolby Cinema screening of a comic book movie last year. I will never make that mistake again. I was plugging my ears during dialogue scenes FFS. 90 dB is INSANE.

[@Genehow-ard]

Thanks for another thorough review.

[@charlesking678]

I haven't heard this and trust your opinion, but it being super loud and powerful is probably the apeal to so many people.

[@mswaney81]

Thank you for this! Now I can put my "what if's" aside and be satisfied in my decision to not go with the Dragon. Best reviewer on KZbin!

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

Thanks for watching. Glad you found the review helpful.

[@DavidMiddleton101]

I'm one of the thousands of folks that was waiting for a decent review of these. We have a room that would suit these perfectly but, I may get something else now. Your review was absolutely what I needed to hear! Fair, balanced and I appreciated the geeky bits of some things I would have taken for granted otherwise. You even provided proof where necessary and that's huge! I can't help thinking... given the sad state of some manufacturers these days, that there'll be a lawsuit before they reach out and actually try addressing the issues laid out here. Really hoping they do the right thing... fingers crossed for a version 2 in the not so distant future

[@michaelkochan7868]

I think I'll be more than happy with my samsung Q990D. Especially at the price I'm getting it for 😉.