Shockwafe Ultra 9.2.4 Channel Dolby Atmos/DTS:X Soundbar with Dual 10" Subwoofers (Wireless), 4 Rear Surround Effects Speakers, eARC and SSE Max Technology (2022)

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

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

I purchased the original in 2019 for $999.00. It was a great buy. I had owned a Definitive Tecnology system before this. I could never keep the surround speakers paired! I spent hours in the morning trying. I ended up ditching the whole system. It was a a$1,000.00 mistake. I did research on line. Nakamichi drew my attention. It was different; two subwoofers and four surrounds. I waited until they added Atmos. I was very happy with the sound. I never regretted buying it. After 6.5 yrs. the HDMI went out. I replaced it with the9.2.4 Earc. It is a huge improvement over the older model. Through the Earc passes the best sound I have ever heard. The bass is deeper, the surrounds are greatly improved: clear and distinct. The improvement in the tweeters give the sound bar a much stronger front presence. But like any system the right set-up will make the difference. Use passthrough with no side enhancers. Turn off DRC, movie, music, and all others. Once I did these I found the sound I have been looking for. Breathtaking surround, bass that I can feel, Atmos I can follow, and clear voices I can hear. One other improvement is the remote. It is easier to see, use, and it is infrared. I brought this 1300 watt power house for $1,099.00. At to price I would highly recommend it. The drawbacks are small. I am not a huge fan of blue tooth( never use it) And for some people the surrounds are wired to the subwoofers! Neither is a problem for me. I play music through my Amazon music app on my Google TCL TV. The best sounding music I have heard since the1970s when I owned a Sylvania 3748 quad receiver.

Well I waited a few weeks before I wrote this review because we all know a new broom always sweeps clean. Now before I write this review I want everyone to know I have been a huge fanatic of electronics and even more so home and car audio. I been enjoying this for over 35yrs. I even went to school for it. I’ve owned quality and very powerful systems from Rockford top line power series to Boston acoustic,NAD, and more. I’ve had 7.3 systems i designed myself and I won many competitions during my prime. I’m here to tell you this is a great system. I was doubtful in the beginning because all it talked about was max output and not rms. If u know u know lol. I thought abt this for a few weeks before I decided to get it. Once u get it set up all im gonna say is it will rock your house. Its sound is so clear. You can hear every note of every instrument to every little sound as a paper clip landing on a desk. Not only is this system loud but it’s extremely powerful,smooth, and clear. You not only hear the sound but the sound fills up the whole room to give you such a life like experience. I know in one review someone stated he blew the subwoofer the first day and I need to clear that up. He definitely didn’t. When your setting it up the Bluetooth is finding its own signal and during that time the subs n side speakers make make a sound that sounds like they are blown. They are not. If he read the manual it will explain this to him. It happened to me and I read why. Guys listen I put this system thru a lot. I’ve turned it almost all the way up and left it for several hours like that for a party and not one time did it cut out or sound bad in anyway. The only thing they say is better then this is the dragon and that may b so but I like the satellite speakers to spread ard the room to get that fuller sound n I feel I made the right decision. The only other advice I can say abt this system is when u first get it don’t b that guy and crank it. Treat it like anything new and over a few days play it louder n louder because it’s the heating up and cooling of the coils that blow when a speaker goes bad so doin that will help your speakers and amps last longer and it’s best for powerful equipment for those who don’t know. But for the rest of u if u know u know lol. Everyone, I know u will enjoy this and u will see my review didnt let u down. Trust me ur neighbors will thank u one way or another lol. I love it and I know I will enjoy it for years to come. Every day it seems to sound better and better.

Overall, this is a great sound system with excellent value for the price. It delivers powerful bass, impressive surround sound, and is very easy to set up. I use it for movies, music, and gaming, and it performs well in all three. The system creates an immersive experience that is much better than a typical soundbar. However, there are two issues that keep me from giving it 5 stars. First, the side speakers occasionally sound distorted or experience frequency interference, which can be distracting during certain scenes. I believe this may be related to the wireless frequency or connection. Second, the eARC HDMI port doesn’t feel very secure. The HDMI connection can become loose easily, causing the video to cut out for a few seconds before coming back. This is frustrating, especially when watching movies or TV shows. I also own the Nakamichi Dragon, and I experienced a very similar eARC HDMI port issue on that system as well. I eventually had to send the Dragon in to Nakamichi for repair, so I hope the company improves the durability of the HDMI connection on future products. Despite these issues, I still think this is an excellent home theater system thanks to its powerful bass, immersive surround sound, and versatility for movies, music, and gaming.