Nakamichi - Shockwafe Ultra 9.2 SSE

I just got the Nakamichi Dragon which will pass through 4K120, but yes, I believe the newer Shockwafe 9.2 Ultra 9.2 SSE (black bezels) supports it as well. Honestly, as long as it has eARC, it should have HDMI 2.1 and should support it. Even my old Nakamichi 7.1 that I had a few years ago supported 4K120.

I suggest avoiding Samsung. They tend to get good reviews, and then start having issues after a year or so. A friend of mine recently got a Vizio SV510 and is happy with it so far. Before I had a soundbar I had a Sony subwoofer that was excellent. Eventually I moved and switched to a Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra 9.2. I really dig it, but admittedly it's overkill.

If money was not a factor then I'd probably look at the Sony Bravia Theatre Quad with the bigger of the two subwoofers. For the biggest sound for say a home theatre without going the AVR route, I'd take a look at the Nakamichi Shockwave Ultra 9.2. For me the Sonos has too many negatives such as no Passthrough ports or DTS support. The Q990F is excellent as well. I think RTINGS is the best site to look at reviews as they are objective and not subjective. Their best soundbars page is useful: https://www.rtings.com/soundbar/reviews/best/soundbar

Go for the 990D it’s by far the best for the money. The Nakamichi shockwafe 9.2 earc is $1299 right now and it’s 1300watts with 2 10in downfiring sub woofers.

The 9.2.4 earc shockwafe is 1300watts and has side and rear speakers with 2 10in downfiring subs. The 11.2.6 shockwafe has a bigger sound bar but only 2 side or rear speakers with 2 10in downfiring speakers and is 2300watts. The 9.2.4 is $1299 and the 11.2.6 is $1699. They are both two of the best soundbars u can get. And it’s a lot for the money they are both on steep discount from there website right now

Go for the 990D it’s by far the best for the money. The Nakamichi shockwafe 9.2 earc is $1299 right now and it’s 1300watts with 2 10in downfiring sub woofers.

The 9.2.4 earc shockwafe is 1300watts and has side and rear speakers with 2 10in downfiring subs. The 11.2.6 shockwafe has a bigger sound bar but only 2 side or rear speakers with 2 10in downfiring speakers and is 2300watts. The 9.2.4 is $1299 and the 11.2.6 is $1699. They are both two of the best soundbars u can get. And it’s a lot for the money they are both on steep discount from there website right now

Nakamichi shockwafe earc. That one is a lot better for music

Nakamichi hands down makes the best systems. The new shockwafe is as good as the dragon also. Even the 9.2.4 earc is badass

I like my Nakamichi 9.2 eArc i had got in 2022 2 sub and 4 surrounds in upmix surround mode fills up a bigger area nicel. I only use sound bars in spare room and bedrooms tho AVR in main room i now use my JBL as a blutooth speaker setup you can’t complain how they sound either with there beefy 10” sub

I wish JBL offered there older bars with a 12” like there 1300 models do but there 10” sub sounds better then most. Ill use sound bars in my bedrooms and office i also got all mine stupid cheap when they were all fairy new or been out a year or so. A vizio m512a in office if came w an 8” sub wouldve been nice. Then 2 Nakamichis a 7.2 with dual 8” subs for 200$ was 1500$ or so new at time and 250$ for a 9.2.4 eArc 10” subs which was over 1600$ on Amazon back then. Both Geek squad had lost connection with sub which took out both surrounds on 1 and both subs and 4 surrounds on the other. Both Customers didn’t even try to fix them apparently because i messaged Nakamichi on each system they sent me out thumdrives for subs to try for free which worked on the 7.2 but lastthing they tried on the 9.2 was sent out new sub plates to try and if worked then id send mine back to them with a shipping label they also sent out. That actually worked out I couldn’t believe it for free in under 2 weeks and both sound better then other bars at the time especially in bigger rooms. Then some crack head was selling a JBL 5.1 multibeam w/ 10” sub for 175” I offered 125$ didn’t think id see a response but he messaged back a week or so later to sell BestBuy was selling it new for over 600$. I use it as a blutooth system in my garage off basement and sounds mint mostly because of the sub. Most sound bars I don’t think music sounds good at voume the Nak 9.2.4 still sounds decent id like to hear the 1300Pro just check Marketplace sometimes be surprised what you find sometimes.

Honestly those prices I’d get 1 of the couple Vizio M series 5,1,2 or check out used. I got a crazy deal on a Nakamichi 9,2,4 and a 7.2.4. You can’t beat dual 8 or 10” subs on anything really.

Id get a JBL the 10” with mine sounds decent same with the 2 10’s with my Nakamichi eArc 9.2.4 system at least for soundbars.

I have a few. My main one is a Nakamichi Shockwafe eARC 9.2. I also have the 7.2 version of the same model. Before that I was using a Vizio M512a-h6.

I'm surprised the Nakamichi Shockwafe eARC isn't on the list. It's better than most of the list.

I'd say a lot is going to depend on your room size and shape. The Samsung subs simply don't work in my room. They sound hollow, more like a low-pitched "boing" kind of sound, and produce more bass outside the listening area than in the actual listening area. The Nakamichi dual subs shake the damn foundation and walls and if turned up enough will rattle the dishes in my kitchen cabinets. It is as close to movie theater bass as I've heard from a soundbar. When I was testing it I was told that people could hear it from outside the house. But people seem to love their Samsungs though so who knows... I've tried them and couldn't return it fast enough. But the new Shockwafe eARC, that thing is a beast. BTW, one of the big reasons people here knock it is because of the Rtings review. But Rtings rated it as the best soundbar for large rooms, and their overall review is useless because they tested everything with it on the Music EQ which is described by Nakamichi as designed to provide a live stage experience with the sound coming from in front of you. How the hell did Rtings not figure out that configured like this it's not going to sound ideal for movies that have a surround/Atmos soundtrack? And despite their botched testing, they still rated it the best for large rooms.

Of course I haven't tried every one on the list and other than professional reviewers I doubt there are many people who have. But I have researched pretty much all of them. I've tried the Samsungs and I don't get the hype. They are entirely overrated and the subs pretty much suck. And yes, I'm saying it because after buying and using more soundbars than I care to admit, I landed on the Nakamichi and it has ended my search for a true movie theater experience short of a $15K AVR+separates system. My second favorite has been a Vizio M512a-h6 which sounds great but doesn't provide the same movie-theater experience as the Nakamichi.

If you have a chance you should try the Nakamichi with dual subs. It's a game changer and makes the Samsung's sub sound like a toy. When I was using the Vizio M512 I thought it was great for a budget home system but the bass was just adequate. The day I hooked up the Nakamichi and fired it up I was floored. My significant other hates all my electronic toys and gadgets and thought it was a waste of time and money....then I told her to sit down and I played the Atmos demo that came with it. Her jaw dropped and she said "whoah...the other soundbar doesn't do THAT!!!" and promptly called her friends and invited them over for a movie night. We watched Civil War and the audio when they get to DC is just mindblowing. As are scenes like the opening in Oppenheimer. There are no other soundbars that provide this kind of bass except for the Nakamichi Dragon with the new 12" subs, but that's a $5K system. For under $1K the Shockwafe eARC 9.2 with its dual 10" subs can't be touched. Even the eARC 7.2 which I also have beats everything else out there. One can argue about the immersiveness of Atmos effects, clarity of dialogue, etc, but the Nak's subs, even though they are not 100% perfect, comfortably beat pretty much everything else out there in the soundbar world. The upcoming Klipsch Flexus 300 can be configured with dual subs and it looks very promising and may be as good, or maybe not, but I don't think it's available yet. I'm eager to see how it compares.

Yeah, the two subs and front/side surrounds make it ideal for a big room. But again, rtings completely screwed up their review by running everything in Music mode. I've been through a ton of soundbars, Vizio, LG, TCL, Samsung, and a few others and the Nakamichi blew them all away. Even the 7.2 is almost as good as the 9.2. The subs are smaller but still shake the room and you can actually feel the rumble. Jurassic Park when the dinosaurs are walking is just amazing. It ended my search for the "perfect" soundbar. None of them are perfect and the Nak definitely has its own set of quirks like they all do but the sound is above anything else I've heard or bought.

Nakamichi recommends connecting 4K 120hz devices directly to the TV, even with the 9.2.4 eARC. It doesn't support 4K 120 passthrough for devices connected to the bar. From their website: *^(2)* *The Shockwafe 9.2 eARC features 3 HDMI inputs, supporting HDCP 2.3 and video passthrough of up to 4K60 with VRR. We recommend connecting 4K120 devices directly to your TV for best video performance. Best quality (full resolution/lossless) audio will be passed from your TV to the soundbar via eARC.* I don't have a need for 4K 120 but that's disappointing anyway. But I still love my 9.2 eARC and 7.2 eARC. Best soundbars I've ever had or tried. I have never liked Samsung soundbars. For what it's worth, the Nakamichi Dragon does support 4K 120hz passthrough.

If money really is no object, the Nakamichi Dragon Quad costs $7K and is the best on the market. For less money, the less expensive Nakamichis are still the best on the market. I have a Shockwafe 9.2earc on one TV and a Shockwafe 7.2 earc on another TV. I've been through more soundbars than I can remember and the Nakamichis are the only ones that I've kept. Better than Vizio, Samsung, and a million others I tried.

Not true. Their newer soundbars are excellent. I have two different Shockwafe eARC models and they are a lot better than pretty much all comparable systems from Samsung, LG, Vizio, TCL, and a bunch of others I've been through. I bought and returned probably 7 or 8 soundbars including the highly rated Samsung 990. The only ones I didn't return are the Vizio M512a-h6 which I kept because they were the best out of that bunch. All the rest of them were pieces of crap. Eventually I upgraded from the Vizios to the Nakamichis and never looked back. I still have the Vizios stored in a closet just in case. The most recent ones like the Dragon and the Shockwafe Wireless are incredible. That said, sure, a well matched system of AVR and separate speakers can sound better but they are also more expensive and not always physically possible to place in some rooms.

Nakamichi 9.2.4 absolutely blew me away compared to the q99d.

100% Samsung. I sold my Nakamichi 9.2.4 and upgraded. I definitely prefer the Samsung. Overall dialogue clarity and surround sound effects are far superior.

Its a great system, but for the price it's not great..you can get a system that comes close for 50% less.

Lol. Most people don't want that. Especially at a cost of $5k+. I had a Nakamichi 9.2.4 and sold it for the Q990D. I'm much happier. I prefer crystal clear dialogue and surround effects over Bass my neighbors can hear.

I have had and do have a lot of nice audio stuff. Through the years I've tried it all. I have some older Vandersteen speakers upstairs in my listening room. In my theater room I have mostly velodyne subs and definitive speakers. I was raised on mainly bigger theater setups and they're awesome. But I'm shocked and how far along sound bars have come. I've tried several different sound bars from the Samsung 900d, Vizio,etc to a bunch of different other brands. I fell in love with the nakamichi shockwafe 9.2.4? The one that has the two 10-in subs and the four surround speakers. I got it refurbished from nakamichi on eBay for $657 delivered.. It's the only sound bar I've ever owned or listened to that has the real theater experience without running a bunch of wires and a bunch of hassle. I could hook that sound bar up in anybody's living room in 10 minutes and have amazing sound.

My theater room with the velodyne subs and definitive speakers are all 18 year old tech mostly,sure I've had a few new bits here and there..it's a 7 channel and it outperforms my nakamichi easily two fold it more. But it's also 50x the price or more and effort to install. The nakamichi setups I had so far are the 7.2.4 that has the two 8" subs. And then I moved onto the 9.2.4 with the 10" subs and the two extra surround speakers with a little more punch. Better sound bars are worth looking into imo.. technology has come along ways. I have a lot of audio file friends who come over and visit me in my second sitting room where I have my nakamichi. And not a single person has sat in that room and not made a comment to the effect of " is that soundbar making all that sound"...

None so far I own two of the nakamichi sound bars atm. The 7.2 with the dual 8" subs and now the 9.2 with the bigger subs and more surrounds. Same as you with each system I think it can't get better, but it does! The 7.2 I ordered new with no QC issues so far, the 9.2 I ordered refurb from nakamichi and it's smooth sailing still. Fingers crossed

Same reason I ditched my 990d after a few weeks of trying all the tricks and went with the nakamichi 9.2.4., heck even my spare room soundbar Vizio M has a better sub than the 990d did.

you can get a great set from Nakamichi for under 1k on eBay with 2 subwoofers and great atmos bubble, and of course way WAY better customer service in case something happens. Like the Shockwafe 9.2.4 soundbar.

Brother i have a Nakamichi 9.2.4 on my bedroom that isn't exactly big and i dont care lmao i will also be getting this bar for that price too. Its like a tv, its never too big

I went from the Nakimichi 9.2.4 to the Samsung Q990D and it's an entirely different experience. The Q990D blew my Nakimichi out of the water even going down to 1 sub.

My 9.2.4 was bought new ~6 years ago for reference. Loved it, just wanted to see what all the hubbub was about with the 990D. And phew. At least for my living room and setup, it's very good.

Been using the Nakamichi 9.2.4 for about 6-7 years now. Would the q990d be a noticeable upgrade?

990D. Don't look back. I had a Nakamichi 9.2.4 Shockwafe. The difference was amazing.

What guy said the soundstage was the weakest? I’m Comparing The new Shockwafe at $2277 vs the dragon at $3999, Obviously that’s with the 8” subs. Basically half price and never enough tech said Atmos is better, immersion is better and the subs are better on the Shockwafe! Maybe I’ll give it a try! I demoed the dragon and I liked things but disliked things more and overall to me it wasn’t worth it. Everyone is different and I’m sure the new subs are good, but only hitting 30hz for a $1500 sub is clearly not a good deal, it’s average at best. Many of the people touting these highly overpriced subs obviously have never heard real subs before, but if it makes you happy do it. I’m obviously not a Nakamichi hater or I wouldn’t consider demoing the new shockwafe, Watching NET say it’s better than the dragon with 8’s and basically half price, gave me a inkling to actually give it a try.

I’d agree with what @djsimmz said. I demoed the dragon and it was good, but I couldn’t get any overhead-spatial effects and the subs would die and bottom out and the noises it would make drove me insane. I myself have the Sony Quads and although their sub is also pretty bad, I still can’t believe how awesome its Atmos effects are. I also tried the arc ultra with era 300s and a gen 4 sub and I’d say that system does everything well. It was close but the Quads just wow me and I was sold. I would look at the Shockwafe with the 2 10” subs that is going for 2299-2499, as with the dragon and it’s chuffy 8” subs, I would need the 12” subs and I’m not paying 6 thousand for 2 12” subs that are not great. People, some of them say the 12”s are great and they are far from great, but this just shows how pitiful the 8”subs are. I would demo my Quads vs the new Shockwafe, but forget the dragon imo

Who? Scooby? He’s got buyers remorse and is taking it out on the world. Hey, if people like it that’s great, but I tried it and sent it back after 12 days. Those 8” subs were awful and I only got Atmos effects during the demos which sound good on most soundbars. The one thing that irks me is his and anyone else who says “It’s Not A Soundbar”.. I’m literally not a Nakamichi hater and after watching nets review of the Shockwafe at half the price and what he calls the best bass he’s heard yet on a soundbar system gave me pause to maybe give it a try. But I don’t like how nakamichi lied about several specs and there were tons of owners(total 603🤣) that were super pissed on Facebook, AV Forums and AVS too.

I have a Nakimichi Shockwave. You should take a look

I got the nakamichi shockwave. I like it, but it can be a pita to set up. Still sometimes has interference from wifi (we think) which can be frustrating.

Of those I'd probably pick the Nakamichi Shockwafe (new) system. System looks like a beast to my eyes, followed by the Samsung, then Sonos. And I definitely believe that these new Shockwafe systems are more "True Nakamichi" than the older Shockwafe bars. I'd pick the Samsung 2nd because they're so hard to beat for the price. They sound great, & lots of adjustments to make it sound the best to your ears. Also the app controls work very well and stable connection too. Had the Q800B myself and it was a very strong system all around. Unfortunately I also wouldn't say anything about it fully blew me away. I pick Sonos 3rd. I had Sonos before (Arc, Era 100's, & Sub Mini. All open box prices). Strictly sound wise they're pretty good but I've heard better from Bose, Samsung, Klipsch, and a couple others. And their ecosystem can be buggy, idk if it's improved to the level of how it was before the app release, but even just setting up the system was a pain in the ass for me, especially if a rear speaker drops connection, having to reset the entire system, felt like I spent half my time actually having to reset the system, then other half the time I'd be able to actually listen to it fully. I think the Nakamichi system likely is still worth the extra money over Samsung.