NAKAMICHI DRAGON 11.4.6 Home Surround Sound System REVIEW | Dolby Atmos | DTS:X Pro

[@ceez0079]

I don't even know where or what to say! I AM SPEECHLESS!! Mine just arrived today. I hooked it up and it is ABSOLUTELY AWESOMELY AMAZING!!! no need to pay over 10k in a surround sound. If you live in an apartment, better let your neighbors know it's about to get loud. I'm so impressed and excited. Really sounds like you're in a movie theater. Worth the wait. 🙏👍👍

[@ealanosborne]

Hooray!! 🎉

[@RedLeo-pf9yo]

Forget your neighbors, It’s time to Rock !!!!

[@jamesrose298]

My neighbors already complaining they say they can’t feel the bass lol now so I don’t have to hear them cry the sub levels are set to 3 and still sounds good

[@ceez0079]

@jamesrose298 Hahaha, I'm no expert on sound and I'm sure 98% of population isn't either. So, for those that have negative stuff to say that it doesn't have this and that. We don't know nor care what the heck they're talking bout. The rest of the 98% think it's AMAZING! hahaha

[@iikatinggangsengii2471]

ah 1st friend, congrats, its jh owner though, thought it would be a18t first

[@RedLeo-pf9yo]

I just want to thank the people at Nakamichi for being so awesome !!!!!!!

[@MaZEEZaM]

I just wish they would export to Australia so I can buy the system.

[@iikatinggangsengii2471]

its great and well worth the money, but go for m17 if you want more 'upgradeability' not that sp3000 cant, its just not as cost efficient

[@iikatinggangsengii2471]

cayin is great, and expected lul, but tbh go for astells if you decide to go portable n30le isnt much better, but better

[@3rd_gen_j]

I was lucky enough to get in on the first 500. I absolutely love how clean and loud it is! I currently rent my house, so a dedicated AVR and separate speakers is out of the question. This definitely fills that void, and then some! Set up is amazingly easy. It has enough inputs for the Apple TV, PS5, and Xbox. I personally think the price is a steal for what you get, plus free shipping

[@MsMarco6]

I don't understand why would renting prevent you from having separate speakers. None of your speakers have to be wall mounted, my atmos setup is all on stands and I don't see why that would be a problem.

[@Jacob-ed1bl]

​@MsMarco6 Speakers getting knocked over, speakers and other equipment taking up to much space, just to name a few.

[@HTadd1ct]

Is sound quality and immersive Dolby atmos not important? I had a soundbar and will never on my entire life have another one ever again.

[@shannonlewis6087]

Hey, I'm wondering with what TV you are paring this with. With your tv and this sound bar and the PS5 and series X, with all of the settings optimised. Are you able to get all possible top settings and in a practical, does it all work as it should using different brands together? So to explain a bit more, if you play a game on either console, your getting Max audio and visual possible with your set up? And with both options of using the e arc and plugging your consoles into your tv directly and using the pass through.

[@RealCounterfeitCash]

Had mine for 24 hrs and cranked it halfway and was blown away by the highs and fidelity. As for the lows. The system definitely had low end power when you crank it. It's clean and efficient. I am a Tru basshead with 3 18 sundown zv6 in custom enclosure with 15k watts. With that said my ears are tunes to bass. The dragon has plenty for the average enthusiasts but I found myself wanting more. My dragon levels are maxed out on bass and treble. You have to lower the levels of the highs in order to be able to turn the system up higher to get more bass. Otherwise the highs are excruciatingly loud. I've barley gotten halfway to the maximum setting of 100

[@keithskoglund10]

That's good to know. I just bought the Dragon mainly for TV audio (movies/shows), but I also had a pretty high end car audio setup and I love EDM, so if I play music I definitely need it fulfill bass duties. I went more hi-fi system but went big on subs cuz hi-fi subs dont do shit lol. Focal KX3 fronts, Focal KX2 rears, 2x - Alpine PDX v9 amp actively powering single drivers, Limitless 45aH spare battery, then for bass - dual Fi 12' Q Neo Sub (1ohm), dual taramps hd3000 amps, DD audio DSI-2 sound processor, and some high end pioneer headunit at the time (forgot model).

[@hellterskeltor]

I absolutely love this thing, just unreal of a beast system unreal, and im still testing and tweaking the system. i have had mine now for 2 weeks and loving it. Thank you for your awesome review. It was very detailed and organized. I don't go past volume 20 on mine with 4k discs. However, on streaming platforms, i bump it up to 25. It gets very loud quickly and fast...the power of the dragon is awesome 😊 lol...

[@ealanosborne]

Right?! The fact that it can go up to 100 is insane. But for good reason! 😁

[@JollyGiant1213]

He was only at 20 but you can go up to 100?!? This is blasphemy madness!!!😵

[@iikatinggangsengii2471]

lul

[@azuezx619]

That intro tells all about the product. Great review! You are stepping up the reviews every time!

[@ealanosborne]

Thank yooouuu! 🤘

[@frozengfx1]

Amazingly detailed yet easy to understand. Ealan, you've taken your time with this video and it paid off. Thank you for reviewing this awesome unit. There isn't a lot that I understand in terms of the codecs and technology that sound systems use but you always manage to break it down in bite sized pieces. Thank you bud! Great Job 👏👏👏

[@ealanosborne]

Thank you so much! 😁🎉

[@fragranceandcooking]

A great value system that offers the technologies you only get with the best receivers! Sound is great and Nakamichi clearly has a winning product!

[@MaZEEZaM]

I'm not sure about value as it was going to cost $7,000+ AUD in Australia but it clearly is a darn good speaker system. Sadly they decided not to sell into Australia regardless of demand.

[@ericspear3610]

Great review. Very thorough coverage of all the settings. It is even better for me now that I have been using my Dragon for a couple months now. I haven't watched as many movies on it as some owners have and I mostly watch streaming so am usually listening to Dolby Atmos MAT from Prime, Disney+, and Netflix. I watched The Matrix last night (now in Dolby Atmos) and the best Atmos scene I have ever experienced to date was when Neo rescues Morphius from the agents and they are both dangling under the helicopter. There is one part when Neo touches down on the roof of a building and the helicopter goes over your head and then down in front, it is in slow motion, so you get the wop, wop, wop of the rotors. I only had the volume at 20 but in my room, the sound pounded off the ceiling overhead. It was awesome! While this system is not cheap, I am so glad I grabbed one of the first (and $400 cheaper) ones out. Takes movie watching for me to a whole new level. Funny thing is, it was your review 10 months ago that made me pre-order the Dragon in the first place as soon as they opened ordering for the first 500. Ordered mine April 26 and received it on September 6. One question I have is why do you set the crossover to 120? Is that a standard setting for crossover on AVS systems?

[@ealanosborne]

Thanks for your kind words! And congrats on owning your own Dragon! 🎉 So, any Low Frequency Effects added by the mixing engineers are capped at 120 Hz, so I wanted to include all those effects. One thing I didn’t mention in the review (since it was already becoming so long) was that I tested the lowest frequencies that the main unit speakers could handle, which died around 80 Hz. So it was more like 100 Hz at normal volumes that they could handle. So because of that, I set the subs to 120Hz to cover all the low frequencies the rest of speakers wouldn’t be able to reproduce. 🎉

[@ericspear3610]

@@ealanosborne Thank you Ealan for that detailed explanation. I will relay this info to my Dragon owners Facebook group as a few of them had the same question about where to set the crossover frequency and why.

[@michael-4k4000]

This channel should have 1M subscribers. It’s that simple Jack!

[@ealanosborne]

Thank you very much! I WISH I had 1 million! 😁🎉

[@RedLeo-pf9yo]

This sound bar system is straight from the gods !!!

[@billmulvihill8452]

Your gods that don’t care about music reproduction!

[@dongidongi]

Thanks for the super detailed review Ealan! My unit is about to ship in the next couple days - I'm looking forward to setting it up over the Thanksgiving week. I have a nice long rectangular shaped room with walls on both sides - but an open area at the back. It might work better for me with some of the negatives you noticed. Appreciate the super detailed review here!

[@ealanosborne]

Oh for sure! I think the placement of objects will work much better for you! 😁🎉 Contrats! Just in time for family gatherings! 🦃

[@dongidongi]

Also, I ended up finding your videos trying to learn about AVRs and component-based systems - maybe about 2 years back. Now I went a totally different direction - and great to see you producing some content around that!

[@dongidongi]

Well, UPS and Nak effed it up. I might get it late next week:(

[@ealanosborne]

@@dongidongi Awwww, bummer!

[@dongidongi]

First world problem, really ;)

[@watch_your_six]

I received my unit and this thing is an absolute BEAST. No regrets here. It fits my current needs.

[@MrBjorn6]

That's how most owners feel!

[@rjfreimuth]

Mine literally just showed up on the door step.. You aren't joking 120 plus lb box. I used a furniture dolly to help me out. Can't wait to get them setup and fired up. I'm retiring a Denon 7.1 AVR that was powering an old Cerwin Vega 5.1 speaker setup. Thanks for the review and tips.

[@ealanosborne]

Niiiiice! Congrats!! 🎉🎈

[@nekerrivera]

As usual great review Elan. Since this is an hour long I thought about watching it tonight having a drink and smoking a good cigar but I was getting so impatient and I just finished watching it oh oh man what a good review. Hopefully my dragon will arrive early next week.

[@ealanosborne]

Yes, hopefully! 🤞🤞

[@ThomasBaird]

Thank you Ealan for an excellent review that covered so much information about the Dragon. I have no regrets purchasing one of the first 500 as I wanted to experience 360 degrees of sound in my open concept living room without breaking the bank on a high end AVR, multiple amps, and having physical speakers wired and installed in the ceiling. Check out the Dragon Cinema System if you want the same results..... Cheers! PS: you reminded me that I need to watch the first John Wick film and Gladiator, LOL

[@ealanosborne]

You’re welcome for the reminders! 😁 And I truly appreciate your kind words.

[@Noldy34]

Great review Ealan! Thank you for being very detailed and for sharing your thoughts. I have the Nakamichi Dragon in my loft and the Costco home theater 5.2.2 in my living room and honestly speaking the Dragon slayed the Klipsch speakers.😂 The Dragon height channels are so pronounced and very audible in my ears than my Costco Klipsch front firing floor speakers. I want to ask if you tried doing the Nakamichi Dragon demo out of the box? I did first and I was blown away. Anyway, great review sir!

[@ealanosborne]

I did not do the demo. I will before I have to send it back, though, for sure! 😎🎉

[@Noldy34]

Please let me know your thoughts after. Thank you and congratulations on your success!🎉

[@michael-4k4000]

The dragon will eat your lunch!

[@gareatouai]

oooh, we were waiting for that review for some time now! Can't wait to watch it!

[@Dionesus]

Has the system been updated to fix the bottoming out?

[@matttafakt]

You need the Firmware 2.1 update which requires a usb thumb drive . Contact Nakamichi directly to receive it.

[@drberrydds1]

I have a ton of respect for you and another KZbinr that gave this high marks, nice to see some agreement.

[@ealanosborne]

Not sure if it’s because of the Limited Edition version I got straight from Nakamichi for this review, but I know what I heard and experienced. Not a flawless system, but sure has a ton of power. 🤘

[@julioirizarry4262]

Another home run of a review!! Unfortunately I’m already deep invested with 2 subs , era’s 300 surround and the arc, which is for now okay. Will definitely think in switching at some point, since this system as you reviewed sounds amazing. Great content and long time subscriber. Julio

[@ealanosborne]

Thank you for your kind words! 🌈

[@techsamurai11]

I'm not sure it's worth the switch, you already have an amazing system. You'll see the cons as much as the pros. I was thinking of getting the Sony avrs for the spatial but I was watching Spiderman across the spiderverse. I have a 5.1 with a denon 4800h and an amp and the effects are still better than my iMax (the real ones) theater. I have to lower the volume all the time so my family won't kill me. Sometimes we get crazy looking for a 2% upgrade...

[@sj7624]

hey just know the sonos does NOT decode any dts formats

[@mikemmikem2758]

Thank you for such a thorough and honest review of this system. Interestingly, I have about the same room and acoustics as you; open with big windows and patio door. Another excellent video. Thanks again.

[@ealanosborne]

Thank you very much!

[@michael-4k4000]

We need GameChanger boys, GameChanger

[@princemak4155]

The narrative was very informative. Was a tad disappointed though that there was no actual sound demos therein.

[@ealanosborne]

I choose not to do sound demos on KZbin since it never translates correctly. Perhaps someday if I get a binaural microphone and ask viewers to put headphones on during demo portions. But until then, it doesn’t represent what I’m actually hearing. 👍

[@marksentowski9851]

$3900? ……sure, maybe if I had that much……but I spent less than $1000 for my 5.2 Klipsch cinema 600 system and it’s great…… I guess I’ll start saving my pennies because this thing looks like a beast. Great review as always

[@MohsinWadee]

The Klipsch Cinema 600 doesn't do Atmos though. I have it.

[@ealanosborne]

Thanks!

[@hackztor]

Plenty of cheaper soundbars out that are still good. The samsung 990c would top that list of budget. Then if/when you have money sonos/nak would be the premiere list. For people who wants receivers lots of options too. Not everyone does though. Try buying a receiver that can do as many speakers as the Nak and its no longer cheap.

[@peterlundskow4061]

Thanks for the great detailed review! I am more a traditional stereo person but, have been looking into this kind of system that can do a good job in both fields. I actually own a high quality Nakamichi cassette deck that I have had for decades & it still impresses compared to advances in audio since. It is nice to see the quality has been brought back away from the junk they had produced in the years in between.

[@michaelrarela5734]

I own the Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra 9.2, which I rate at 4 stars. I drop a star for the Ultra because the frequency response is way too warm (no clear highs), and the EQ treble controls need to be more precise. However, I love the Ultra's rear surrounds on a 7.1 mix, as they are so much more immersive than a 5.1 system. Has anyone owned both a Shockwafe and Dragon? If so, how do you compare the two?

[@andrewe1253]

I have the 9.2.4 eArc and am looking to get the dragon. I read a lot of people saying the dragon is in another league, but I can't justify the cost of the dragon yet until I hear it myself. I think it will likely have an improvement over the 9.2.4 eArc, but by how much. Also the audio debth compared to traditional avr.

[@jasondhamm]

It's always fun to see reviews for current unobtainium! It's a great concept for what it is. Thanks for this review!

[@jamesrose298]

This thing paired with the ps5 or Xbox series x playing games in atmos is insane

[@JCATG]

I waited months for this! Thank you finally doing a review on the Nakamichi Dragon! I watched thoroughly from beginning to end-every second of it-and I had fun. Eversince I saw your initial experience video on the Nakamichi Dragon awhile back, I was intrigued by it and I eagerly looked for reviews online, both written and audio-visual. Your review here was more than fair. The criticism you gave regarding the pinpoint accuracy was just logically honest since we can only 'fool' the brain so far into perceiving sound from somewhere. You have my like for this video, man! God bless you. 🙏🏼 P.S. I hope you would do more videos of this, especially with trying it out on your home theatre room to hear the contrast from your living room and to truly maximize the experience as it was made to be.

[@ealanosborne]

Well unfortunately I had to send it back already. But thank you for the kind words!

[@muhammadwasim9861]

Caleb from DT, NeverEnoughTech, Techno Dad abd You are doing great. Great Review Man. ❤

[@ealanosborne]

Thank yooouuu! 🎉

[@luiscordova1065]

I think for $4000 is not bad compared to make you own sourround system, I ready have the nakamichi 9.2 sounds bar I'm very happy with it My dream is to buy the new one same day 😂, good review my friend you have a beautiful house 🏠

[@ealanosborne]

Thank you very much! 😁🎉

[@riteshdhoot7]

Most comprehensive review. Amazing job Ealan. Thank You. Thank you so much.

[@ealanosborne]

Thank YOU! 🎉

[@SynjynB]

HEY Ealan! Great Review!!! Love the intro!!! Too expensive for my taste, but not surprising with how much you get. I still love my Sony A9 though.

[@MrAhaus-gu4fn]

I plan on buying one after watching this review. Thanks for this detailed non biased review

[@ealanosborne]

You’re welcome! 🤘🎉

[@JonahMatthes]

Only part way through the video, and it looks great so far! Just a note on the Xbox "Dolby Atmos". I believe it using Dolby MAT. It's a specific piece of hardware that encodes, decodes, and "adds in" the "Atmos" effects to PCM audio. It's very odd and there isn't a ton of information on it, but I talked a little bit about it in my Dolby Atmos Explained video. Great job Ealan!

[@ealanosborne]

Correct! Every time I played a disc thru the XBOX, it would display Dolby Atmos MAT on the Dragon, not TrueHD, which was a bummer. And thanks! It means a lot to hear from the Soundbar King himself. 🤴😁🙌

[@joelgonzalez8289]

Is there a discernable difference in Atmos between the Xbox Dolby MAT and the Panasonic?

[@joelgonzalez8289]

I was always under the impression that if the Xbox One S or X was set to bitstream it allowed the receiver to decode it. On my Yamaha it reads it as Dolby Atmos or TrueHd.

[@ealanosborne]

@@joelgonzalez8289 Yes, i have mine set to having the receiver decode the audio, with the XBOX passing the audio through. And yet, it still gives me Atmos MAT. Every once in awhile it’ll say TrueHD out of nowhere. Just strange. 🤷‍♂️

[@jakubp8641]

​@@ealanosborneMaybe try setting output to 5.1 or 7.1 PCM, but leave bitstream on of course. Then it shouldn't be mixing up those two different Atmos outputs.

[@matttafakt]

i'm working with an electrical engineer that is working on taking the wireless part of the Dragons subs and putting them into (2) 1600sw Klipsch's. :) Looks like i'll need to use the Dragon subs as "non functional dummies" with the signal wire coming from them and going to the Klipsch's. And with the settings for the dragon i'll only be able to choose 1 or 2 subs with only 2 separate subs .. not all 4 Dragon sub speakers... unless i go with 4 separate Klipsch subs, then i'll have to use 2 signal wire pairs coming from each Dragon sub to power 4 smaller 1400sw's (1) in each corner of the room. We may come up with a better alternative. Hope this all makes sense and it's looking very doable so far :) We'll see.

[@ealanosborne]

Whoooaaaa! I always love a good experiment. FOR SCIENCE! 🧪😁

[@matttafakt]

@@ealanosborne Update: The (2) Klipsch 14's are working using the #1 the and #3 dragon sub channels at the moment, and now i'm considering using (4) Klipsch Reference Premiere 1200's instead.. one for each corner of the room. Not sure yet.. i'm really diggin the 14's. I'm really trying to keep this on a budget and (4) 12's may be the right decision in the end. This was a fairly simple and straight forward mod with the help of my friend. Not something just anyone could do without some electronics knowledge and the right tools. So basically all he had to do was disconnect the Naka 8" drivers from the internal amp.. find the preamp signal.. and use each dedicated (preamp) signal wire on the circuit board and solder in some Rca's wires lol. This is not something you can do w/o the system powered up and receiving a signal !!! Also this is something i Do Not suggest the average person that knows nothing about this kind of stuff do, which is Exactly why i had my friend help me with this! Anyway.. There are now 2 pairs of high quality 35"ft long audio RCA's coming out of each of the bass ports from the dummy nakamichi subs now. I really didn't want to run any cables but i will be able to hide them by tucking them under the baseboard and carpet for the cable runs to rear subs.. and i will most likely shorten the front Rca's since the Klipsch's will sit right next to Naka's. Btw.. The Naka cabinets were not modified at all. We're only using 1 pair of Rca's from the left and 1 pair from the right at the moment which is why we're only using the #1 sub left channel and #3 right sub channel. Both the Klipsch subs had the LFE and Gain and phase set and matched to one another before i started adjusting the parameters on the Naka. If i decide to go with 2 more rear 12's or 14's, they will also be matched to front LFE, Gain and phase settings to start with. Now i just need dial this sucker in over the next few days.. so far i love it. I'm sure 90% of Dragon owners will be very very pleased with the Nakamichi subs as am i, but i just wanted more and i wanted to know if it was possible to do what i just did. The Dragon is awesome.. and yes,, SCIENCE IS COOL :)

[@matttafakt]

Btw .. Nakamichi could've easily included this hardware option on their subs ! 2 RCA channels and a bypass switch.. or maybe just a wireless receiver with Rca's to plug into any other current wireless sub which would eliminate even having to use their subs to do what i just did. I'm no expert with electronics but it's 100% possible and i'm wondering if there is anything on the market that already solves this need ?

[@MrTrentonMakes]

Great detailed review, it might be even more enjoyable in a different room with walls and a lower ceiling. I’m certainly jealous that my Sennheiser plus soundbar doesn’t have surrounds to go with two subs but my couch is against the back wall in my living room so it fills the space nicely. Don’t know if the Ambeo affect is comparable to the Dragon, maybe something to compare.

[@ealanosborne]

I’ve tried getting the Ambeo numerous times. Although it’s been awhile. I should hit them up again! 😁🎉

[@eventhorizon2873]

i can't afford a dragon though i was thinking to buy one, but my income would not alow it😢 you cannot have everything you want, but i am happy with my 990c, wich is full of bs smart functions i do not want, but sound is great. i am happy for you guys if you got one, it is by far the most awesome avr/soundbar ever made.

[@henrichandrew]

Great review Ealan, I agree the Nakamichi is not just a common soundbar like other else. This Nakamichi Dragon soundbar is one whole complete package of Hifi audio, speakers, sound processor, receiver/amplifier and immersive sound experience. At least it stated on their website....Their engineers goal are outstanding and uncompromising hifi audio in more simple way in the appearance of a soundbar. As I know, this is the first in soundbar ever that using AMT (Air Motion Transformer) as its tweeter drivers. AMT use in high end HIFI speakers. The looks maybe not beautiful, but it's bulky and eye catching, once you see it, you'll notice that is not just a common and decent soundbar.

[@ealanosborne]

Exactly. No other soundbar has AMT tweeters. Maybe this will set a precedent that others will follow. 😁🎉

[@tylerdurden4483]

I'm trying to decide if i should buy one.. it's expensive.. but is it worth it?

[@ealanosborne]

Up to you, dude! I still prefer a traditional AVR+wired speaker system, personally, but you can't beat the fact that it's plug-and-play and powerful as hell.

[@andyveres6245]

Superb, detailed, thorough review.

[@ealanosborne]

Thank you! 🎉

[@antiWhiteism777]

​@ealanosborne --- Could two extra subwufers be connected to it?

[@ealanosborne]

No, sorry. There are no subwoofer output connections. It's strictly their own proprietary wireless communications with their own subwoofers.

[@antiWhiteism777]

@@ealanosborne--- Could more of their subwoowers be used? Or a firmware update?

[@ealanosborne]

@@antiWhiteism777 It’s possible, but I haven’t heard any rumors that Nakamichi is planning on that. 🤷‍♂️

[@rbellot11]

Dude! Thank you for the very thorough explanation! Excellent.

[@ealanosborne]

You’re very welcome! 🎉

[@serjfernezian957]

As usual you never disappoint!! Thank you for your awesome review. 🔥👍

[@ealanosborne]

Thank you very much! 🎉

[@michael-4k4000]

Ealan Rocks

[@frankvee]

Great review of the DRAGON. And, I really like your sense of humor.

[@ealanosborne]

Thank you! 😁🙌

[@mipogrow]

Thanks! MiPo

[@joshfoti]

Also wanted to add; you had the “thank you” note flashed on screen with a QR code on it. (Just before the 9 min mark) And the QR code takes you to a cool booklet :) That was a good treat!

[@ealanosborne]

Oh cool! Totally unintentional. 😄🙌

[@soolee6352]

Thanks!

[@ealanosborne]

OMG, thank you so much!

[@soolee6352]

B.R.O. the replay value of this review alone is insane! I keep going back through the chapters 😂 Imagining the time it took for this review to piece together is daunting. Attention to detail of this caliber is paramount which is why your reviews are so awesome. I salute your dedication to your viewers, keep it coming 🙌

[@ealanosborne]

@@soolee6352 Thanks, man! This was by far my most in-depth and longest review ever. It made sense, though, since it’s the first of its kind and SO many people were very curious about it. I felt it was my duty to do it! 😄🌈

[@MaZEEZaM]

For me powered speaker systems like this and the fantastic Sony HT A9 I think it was named, is that each speaker plus the receiver box in the case of Sony requires a plug socket. In Sony's case that's 6 power plug sockets 5 for the Dragon system vs a single socket required for a traditional receiver with wired speakers. For me in a room with only 2x double wall sockets, running powerboards on a few of them, finding room for just 1 new required socket is a constant issue. I just couldn't add a further 5 or 6 sockets. I'm in a traditional 4 wall room, I'm sure it would be a similar issue with open concept rooms having to run power cables to the middle of the room to power the rear speakers.

[@ealanosborne]

Luckily there’s a hidden socket in the floor beneath my couch, so that’s how I powered the rear surrounds. But I totally get it! I think it’s stilly how all these companies keep claiming “no hassle, wire free setup,” when in fact you still need to deal with a lot of power cords and sockets. 🤷‍♂️😄

[@tracer073]

@@MaZEEZaM extension cables my friend that’s all you need

[@kinhtang808]

Thanks for the detailed review! No thanks to Nakamichi for not shipping to Hawaii! I would've had one in my house by now.

[@ealanosborne]

Hopefully soon! 🤞🤞

[@MaZEEZaM]

In your round up, when asking questions like "Can it accurately pinpoint sound like a traditional speaker system? No" You really should have said Not in an open concept room like you have it in, BUT it's likely to be much more accurate in a traditional four wall enclosed room, you don't know as you haven't tested it in such a room.

[@arthurhughlett2292]

I randomly came across this video and the intro is hilarious 😂

[@michaeljude8142]

Mine should be here in January. Ordered about 3 weeks ago.

[@ealanosborne]

Yayyyy! 🎊🎉

[@smkaz81]

Great content 👌 👏 👍 Question, can you connect something to the dragon to make it part of a multi room system like a sonos connect or heos 🤔 Keep up the great content 👌 👍 👏

[@ealanosborne]

Sure! The Dragon does have an Optical input, to which you can connect something like a Wiim Pro, which can sync up to other Wiim products around the house. 👍

[@pulDag]

Thanks for proper introduction and through out review of the unit, Ealan. Review shortcomings: - unpleasantly loud due the very lively environment without anything soft to tame the decay (should be pointed out) - Amt drivers have very limited vertical dispersion oppose to horizontal. - hour long video and no measurements? FR as a whole on couch and FR of subs with SPL capability/compression would be nice. Soundbar shorcomings: - if no Auto EQ with microphone (which should be standard on higher end soundbars); Why no PEQ? And if not, why at least Graphic EQ especially for base units? ..or I missed it?

[@hectic1219]

If the market wants sound bars like that, I think Sonos has the upper hand of delivering a powerful arc or subs or surrounds in the near future to compete and the beauty you can always keep upgrading

[@ealanosborne]

Sonos has definitely gotten EQ/DSP down much better than Nakamichi, so they have that upper hand. 🤘

[@MiguelRamirez-me2xz]

How well does it perform when streaming music from a phone to the soundbar using AirPlay, Spotify Connect, or Tidal Connect?

[@ealanosborne]

I mentioned in the video that it does not support Wi-Fi, which in turn means it does not support music streaming apps like AirPlay, Spotify Connect or Tidal Connect. It does support Bluetooth audio, which is how it listened to music on it, and it sounded spectacular! Classical music in particular was dynamic and filled my entire living room. 🎉

[@MiguelRamirez-me2xz]

@@ealanosborne I appreciate your feedback, and I apologize for the oversight regarding Wi-Fi support. It's great to hear that the Bluetooth audio delivered a spectacular experience, especially with classical music enriching your living room ambiance.

[@techsamurai11]

These ears are my car-ear! 😀 Love it Ealan! Beautiful Home!

[@ealanosborne]

Thank you! 🎉

[@pedroortiz9744]

Amazingggg review, I was waiting for you review💯

[@ealanosborne]

Thank you! 🎉

[@marcofranco6974]

Its literally a dragon, no soundbar system comes close, the sonos arc would be a chicken compared to the mighty monster that is nakamichi

[@jmatt98]

I have a nakamichi sound bar. It is not high fi.

[@MrBjorn6]

Which one do you have? They are many?

[@awdrpepper]

If you are going to spend 4K on a soundbar that isn't really a spundbar, why not just buy a proper full sized surround system?

[@SharedAccount-yz9zb]

​@@awdrpepperbecause u r actually paying for the feasibility and convenience. M sure this still won't give u the same experience as a full fledged home theatre but getting nearly good experience is what the customer must be looking for

[@Jacob-ed1bl]

​@SharedAccount-yz9zb My last home had a dedicated fully treated 7.2.4 room with around 35K of equipment. I haven't had a theater for over four years and needed something that was easy to set up and take that sounds good, I'm very pleased with the dragon to get me by till my next build and the dragon will be going in my bedroom.

[@BornIn82]

What an epic intro 🤣

[@ealanosborne]

You’re welcome! 😄🎉

[@kx8960]

Being a long time fan of the brand from the '80's, and in fact owning a BX-300 tape deck I bought back in maybe '85 (because I couldn't afford a Dragon deck), I would really like to listen to this. I'm not interested in BUYING it because my home theater now has 7 Focal Chora 826's powered by an Onkyo TX-RZ820 (for now, until I get the NAD M28 I want) plus a dual 10" sub and so it's obviously a LOT better, but for an "all=in-one" box solution, it's probably the best out there, certainly better than any of the Bose cr@p.

[@667Gurba]

The Xbox One X can output bitstream for proper surround. Used mine as 4k player a few years ago and that worked fine.

[@MRSTEEL15]

So the two rear speakers are enough?

[@ealanosborne]

For some people, I’m sure. 🤷‍♂️

[@jualbertorivas]

awesome review as usual

[@ealanosborne]

Thank you! 🎉

[@pablocirtes8904]

Hola anigo excelente video y excelente sistema de sonido o soundbar como se denomina este dragón debe ser genial pero mi pregunta ponerla frente a frente a un sistema de donido home cinema 9.2.4 cual crees tu tendras mejor inmersión dragon o avr con esas características 9.2.4

[@ealanosborne]

I believe an AVR system will still win in the end. The Dragon is amazing and convenient, just needing to connect it to a TV. But you have more control in the end with an AVR system.

[@kenkrugger]

I’m old enough to remember the Nakamichi Dragon from the 80’s. It was a legendary tale deck. I believe it cost several thousand dollars. I’m surprised no one here has mentioned it. I think there was a dragon turntable too.

[@RJArrayCPA]

Would this system be ideal for an Ultra Short Throw Projection set up? The soundbar would have to be placed in front of the UST unit. And any recommendations on a UST unit, I.e, Epson, AWOL, For Movie Theatre, etc?

[@ealanosborne]

Eh, if it was me, I’d get something like the Sony BRAVIA Theatre Quad with a UST, since you can make the front soundstage as wide as you need (given that USTs can project an image up to 150” or larger). A soundbar might get in the way. And I’ve only reviewed AWOL USTs so far, and they’ve been great!

[@RJArrayCPA]

@@ealanosborne Interesting recommendation! I've never heard of that system before. Ironically, the last sound system I had that I just sold was the Sony ST-9 Soundbar that debuted in 2015. Now, I'm wondering if you'd be able to use the UST built in speaker as a 5th center speaker in conjunction with the Quad system? Would you still be able to connect a PS5 to the Quad/UST since the Quad only has 1 HDMI input and 1 HDMI output? I would def add the SW5 Sub with this system. Thanks again! 🤙🤘

[@ealanosborne]

@@RJArrayCPA As far as I know, the only way to utilize a center speaker with the BRAVIA Theater Quad is with a Sony TV that has Acoustic Center Sync. 🤷‍♂️

[@tourenvi1]

Hi, How overall products weight? Thanks

[@ealanosborne]

If I remember correctly, the box it shipped in was about 150 pounds (68 kg)

[@tourenvi1]

Thanks for your reply. That's massive!@@ealanosborne

[@JeffreyFrye]

Great detailed review, and yes awesome intro! Hopefully you will get a chance to review the other wireless soundbar systems out there eventually as I'm always getting questions as to which soundbar system people should get if they don't want to go the discrete speaker/AVR route.

[@ealanosborne]

Me too! I want to test out the Q990C especially, since I have a Samsung TV, so I can check out their Q Symphony feature. 🎉

[@MrBjorn6]

@@ealanosborne That would be interesting to hear your opinion of the 990 c vs the Nakamichi Dragon especially with the price difference. The Nakamichi Dragon is $3899 vs the 990 c for $1399 on sale!

[@OrangeBiker]

Hi I recently bought the frame tv 2024, would like to know how does this tv cec command works with various av receivers

[@ealanosborne]

It works okay, for the most part. I wish I could see the volume number on the screen when I change it up or down, but it doesn’t show it, which is a little annoying. But the CEC function seems to work with whichever receiver or soundbar I connect to it. 👍

[@shamad58]

WAW Thanks this is why I was waiting for your review

[@ealanosborne]

You’re welcome!! 🎉

[@mujiburchoudhury4552]

I cant see this for sale anywhere in the UK! Anyone know where to buy one?

[@michaelwyckoff7593]

Hey buddy I snaggaed one of those Panasonic blu ray players on sale at Amazon. Good looking out. 😊

[@ealanosborne]

Oh sweet! Hell yeah! 🤘

[@Gage3333]

Thanks for going over all the settings. You need a demo room.

[@MrFaleh1129]

will it work as well if you had a ceiling with grooves and cutout as part of a design , as i dont have flat ceiling ?

[@ealanosborne]

It’ll still work, but ideally a flat ceiling would be best 🤷‍♂️

[@dbarnette89]

Big fan of the channel, had a curious question. Could be wrong, but assuming the frame tv has an in wall media enclosure with power behind it. Have you considered running another outlet to either behind the soundbar, or on the top of the mantel? Completely understand potential challenge of redoing the millwork of the mantel, but curious if you’ve thought about adding an additional outlet behind the soundbar, but having it turned 90 degrees to not see it behind the soundbar.

[@dbarnette89]

Scratch that, needed to keep watching the video and saw the Samsung box behind the Xbox. If you can, and I think it would be great content, do a video install of the in wall media enclosure for the frame tv. It’s not hard to install, did it at my in-laws house. Would be curious if there’s an outlet on the floor above, or the room behind that’s easier to fish, than to try to do from stud to stud in the millwork. I ended up fishing from the floor above in the install I did because I only had to drill through one stud location.

[@ealanosborne]

There is in fact an outlet behind the TV itself, but since the Frame is so thin and meant to be virtually flush against the wall, you can’t really plug anything into it. 😄 But this was temporary with the Dragon review. I have plans on installing some speaker wire soon with a speaker system that I’m dying to reveal to you all hopefully in December! 🤘

[@jonathannoone4435]

Great review but just needs one 'tweak'. Creative Labs were actually ahead of Nakamichi in trying to bring to market an uber high-end 'hifi' grade soundbar with the Sonic Carrier which was a 17 speaker 11.2.4 arrangement with a $4000 (approx) price tag. However it kind of got forgotten as this was a LOT of money, especially in 2018!

[@HPMIKE55]

Great job bro! 😎👍

[@ealanosborne]

Thank you! 🎉

[@shoug8387]

for the Xbox One S issue: Did you make sure to have "passthrough audio to AVR" set to on? By default Xbox does its own processing and you have to turn the passthrough on in order to get the audio without any extra encoding.

[@ealanosborne]

I did have that boxed checked, yeah. Still did weird stuff. 🤷‍♂️

[@Runsteady]

I am also one of the lucky owners of the first 500 units. After having used it for the past 3 months, I would say that overall it has met expectations, but wish it had exceeded it instead and I agree with pretty much most of what was said in the review. I want to note that the room size calibration seems a bit too shrouded for me. I ended up using the spatial audio CD and had to fine tune every speaker to odd lengths until it sounded proper to my ears. Though I’m not an audio expert or even an audiophile by any means, the standard heights just didn’t sound good to me, until I made my own adjustments. It always had somewhat of a muddled tone, and maybe it had something to do with my sound bar unit sitting below ear level, but even with the room size adjustments it just didn’t sound good at all until I made the modified calibrations myself. Anyway, overall, I don’t have the space or the time, nor the money for a full on avr atmos system, so the Naka Dragon worked perfectly in my living room setup. It has a small footprint and more power than I’ll ever need. And it’s pretty to look at.

[@ealanosborne]

Amazing insight into your situation. Thank you!!! 🎉

[@IronmanToday]

Thanks for the video!! Amazing review! Could you share the link for the Speaker stands you used ?

[@ealanosborne]

Here you go! www.aperionaudio.com/collections/stands-wall-mounts/products/sanus-steel-series-sf34b-34-speaker-stand-pair?ref=xgnDvScPYS9H3

[@wayneiceman]

This was a truly mega review Ealan. Both in content, coverage and class. Well done 👏

[@ealanosborne]

Man, I really appreciate comments like this. Thank you very much. 😎🎉

[@wayneiceman]

@ealanosborne are you going to get a new Denon 3800 or 4800? I am really interested to get your thoughts on directional bass with 4 subs.

[@kvtess]

Hey what are the chances of you reviewing a Samsung Q990c? at half the price I'd like to know how it stands up against the dragon. I haven't heard the dragon but I have the Samsung and it really rocks my entire living room.

[@ealanosborne]

Hopefully someday! Or perhaps the new Q990D… 🤞

[@waynenguyen2806]

Can I just run it with the center soundbar and the subwoofer?

[@ealanosborne]

I believe you can? Not 100% sure, though. But that would be a lot of money to spend if you’re not even using the entire system. 🤷‍♂️

[@MohsinWadee]

How did you test the music tracks? From disc? Does the USB port play music from sticks etc?

[@ealanosborne]

According to the manual, the USB port is for firmware upgrades only. I just streamed music via Bluetooth and it still sounded great! But I could’ve gotten better fidelity if I would’ve played music through my AppleTV 4K via the Music App. That or the aux input, I guess. 🤷‍♂️

[@richardmyers7181]

Ealan i have the denon avrx 4800h what external amplifier would you recommend for use with my Android Wear thank you on the demo of the Nakamichi dragon

[@ealanosborne]

Hi Richard! To be honest, I’m not sure I understand your question, since Android Wear is a smart watch operating system if I’m not mistaken? In general, if you need some external amps to power your main speaker zone, I always recommend Emotiva BasX amps, since they are very affordable.

[@muhammadwasim9861]

WoW..... Now That's a Review..... 👍

[@ealanosborne]

Thank you! 😁🎉

[@MrMegan1962]

Just got the Samsung 990C, but would love this but i don’t think my neighbours would.

[@FatFolksProductions]

Great Review, very detailed. I think the lack of WiFI, Bluetooth , Chromecast..ect isn't a huge deal because most newer displays already have those features. The Dragon would go great with our 75' Samsung QN85B but then my wife would put her foot up my....HELLO....once she found out what the price tag was! 🤭

[@ealanosborne]

🤣🤣 The Wife Acceptance Factor is real! That’s why we got the Frame TV! She wouldn’t go with any other TV

[@hackztor]

@@ealanosborne Or sometimes wifes just do not get their way. What a concept.

[@TechTy]

Can this be used with a projector?

[@ealanosborne]

Yes, as long as you’re using the projector strictly for video only and you have other components plugged directly into the Dragon (gaming console, AppleTV 4K or Roku, Blu-ray player, etc).

[@joshfoti]

Woah waiting for this for ever!

[@ealanosborne]

Me too! So stoked to finally put it out there! 🎉

[@rjq8135]

Great video! Question… how’s the bass with music? I want something that hits hard but wireless lol. I have Nakamichi 1000w but doesn’t seem to hit has hard?

[@ealanosborne]

I think the subs were probably the most problematic since they would bottom out sometimes. They got down and rumbled the house, for sure, but that was with movies. Since music bass tends not to dig down as deep as cinematic bass, I’d say it was sufficient, yeah. 👍

[@pablocirtes8904]

Hola como estas consulta los atmos realmente se siente al ver tu sala es muy amplia pero no se si tendras un claro efecto rebote

[@Seven7ails]

Daaaang! Im 9 days late on the review lol. My bad! Awesome sauce even though I have one already. Have a good Thanksgiving 🦃 Ealan

[@ealanosborne]

Sweet! Congrats on getting one for yourself! Happy Thanksgiving 🍁🦃😁

[@terrellturner485]

What speaker stands did you use for your surrounds? The stands you have seem pretty stable. Not to bad a setup for movie nights though, Awesome video!

[@ealanosborne]

www.aperionaudio.com/collections/stands-wall-mounts/products/sanus-steel-series-sf34b-34-speaker-stand-pair

[@JuanJose-wt5yj]

Thanks for the video. Have you made measurements with REW? Did you put the soundbar at ear level? It is poorly located vs the ears. Written with a translator. Greetings

[@ealanosborne]

I did not go so far as taking measurements with REW. Another reviewer may do that in the future. 🤷‍♂️ And since I’m tall, the soundbar is only 1 foot above my head and I’m sitting 11.5 feet away, so it’s not bad at all.

[@JuanJose-wt5yj]

@@ealanosborne Thanks for answering. At the moment, if no one makes measurements with REW, everything is very subjective data. I hope another reviewer can do measurements with REW. 1 feet (30 cm) above your ears probably has a lot of room for improvement. You would have to specify all this in your comments so that people are clear.

[@ealanosborne]

@@JuanJose-wt5yj I’ve personally moved away from measurements because 99% of my audience doesn’t have a care in the world about them. So I’m not going to continue to include them to please that 1%. A large portion of my subscribers are budget conscious and fairly new to home theater, so they just want to know if it’s good or not, worth it to buy or not. If you really want measurements, follow Joe n Tell and Erin’s Audio Corner who are fantastic (and my friends), and use measurements in just about every video. 👍

[@JuanJose-wt5yj]

@@ealanosborne Thanks for answering. Without objective and rigorous measurements I would not be able to recommend anything to my family and friends. I already know the 2 youtubers he mentions. Too bad neither of them have done a review of the Dragon. I'll be on the lookout in case they make it one day.

[@tomaszszeliga7531]

Not buying yet. But what a great review - thank you

[@mettycarlson]

Danke für das sehr detaillierte Reviews. War sehr interessant. Die Einstellmöglichkeiten sind ja schier unglaublich. Was mir aber einfällt zu der Lautstärke die ja bei 20 bis 30 schon sehr laut ist. Ich habe gesehen, dass deine Lautsprecher sehr hoch eingepegelt sind, daher kann es sein dass die Maximallautstärke früher erreicht wird und gar nicht bis 100 hoch geht. Jedenfalls ein sehr geiles System. Schade dass nicht nach Deutschland geliefert wird.

[@ealanosborne]

Nakamichi are trying hard to find reliable distributors in the EU. Hopefully soon! 🤞🎉

[@richlandzee8686]

Now, compare this to the HT-A9 next as promised! It should be much easier to get the system these days and the prices have dropped quite a bit if you know where to look. I have the HT-A9 and it's sound stage blew my 950T out of the water even though I had to crank up the volume to 60 but that also depends on the source. I watch YT alot and each video sound can vary from one to another. Still waiting for the sub price to drop further before I get it. Also planning on getting the Sony OLED TV to complete the center chanel system as my 2019 X900F Sony TV is too old to work with the unit.

[@ealanosborne]

I keep getting denied by my Sony rep to have them send an HT-A9 to me. Guess I gotta save up for it out of my own pocket. 🤷‍♂️

[@hackztor]

People who have compared said Nak still sounds better. HT-A9 really needs to add a dedicated center speaker (least make it optional purchase).