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) | Plug-and-Play Home Cinema, 45" Soundbar, Dual 10" Wireless Subwoofers, 4 Rear Surround Speakers (Wired)

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.

So easy to put together. I was alone. Methodically unpacked and organized items. Took my time in a surgically precise manner. That said, within 45 minutes, I was swimming in a full and beautiful sound. Tested the TV with Powaqqatsi by Philip Glass. Perfect cherry popper. Tested the bluetooth using my phone and it was playing Here Comes the Flood by Peter Gabriel. Perfect. This is a great setup at a reasonable price for the quality. Easy to do 1 person.

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.

I bought the Nakamichi 9.2.4 two months ago, and it's a real powerhouse. Action movies make you feel like you're inside the film; the subwoofers make the room shake. The only thing it's missing—and this is a message for the Nakamichi engineers—is that they should add one or two tweeters to the front of the soundbar so the voices sound clearer. That's why I'd give it a 4.6 rating. I have an LG C4, and the 9.2.4 works with the TV remote. To get the satellite speakers to sound good, you have to set the volume on the soundbar to 3. That way, it sounds balanced. I'm happy I bought this soundbar. Another suggestion for the engineers is that they should design a system to make the satellite speakers wireless so that people who want to buy the wireless kit can do so, at a reasonable price, of course.