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Reddit Reviews
LegfitterIf 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
Boost_speedNakamichi 9.2.4 absolutely blew me away compared to the q99d.
GhostlymagiI 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?
Medical_Fisherman_59Please do yourself some justice and research and investigate the Nakamichi Shockwafe or if possible the Dragon. In head to head comparison, in my home theater, the Shockwafe 9.2.4 atmos dwarfed the 990 and the sonos. In EVERY way. Period. My opinion as a sound engineer.
Nakamichi Shockwafe or Dragon if in the budget. Period. Anyone with another opinion just doesn't know any better. I've side by side compared them ALL, extensively! You will agree if you take the time to investigate on your own!
Next-Professional-26Honestly 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.
Nickwan-Yamson12The Nakamichi definitely hits harder on the low end, but the Bravia Quad setup really shines in terms of clarity and spatial sound. I was surprised how much difference it made, especially for Atmos content. The way it fills the room is just on another level, even with a tricky speaker layout.
ZelolteAlways depends on budget, but ive had a Samsung system, Nakamichi 9.2, and now upgraded to the Bravia Quad with the SW5. I do miss the big bass from my Nakamichi sometimes, but the Bravia quad has given me the soundstage and atmos effects ive been wanting especially since my room is a bit weird and my back speakers are mounted higher than my front speakers.
Not technically a soundbad, but I had a Nakamichi 9.2 and switched to the Bravia Quad + SW5 and am very happy with it as the sound stage is much more full. Full disclaimer that I got the Quads at an amazing open box price.
Careful-One5190I would go with a regular 5.1 setup. The challenge might be where to put the receiver. You say you "probably already have an amp" but you really need a true AVR. It looks like there is at least 12" on either side of the TV. Just buy a good pair of small bookshelf speakers, and set them on the rear corners of the cabinet. Buy a slim center channel and set it under the TV. The subwoofer can be located elsewhere in the room and the surrounds obviously go to the sides of the listening area. You'll be limited in the size of the speakers you can use, but there are some very good small speakers out there. Probably your biggest challenge would be wiring for the sub and surrounds. If all of that is too much, the only soundbar I would consider would be the Nakamichi Shockwafe with dual subwoofers. The satellites and subs are wireless. My son-in-law bought that and it actually sounds pretty good. It doesn't have full room calibration like an AVR would, but there are settings to customize the sound to your room. Make sure you buy the one with dual subwoofers. That solution comes in under budget and would probably work well for you. They're sometimes available as factory refurbs, which is what he did.
Rankings by Use Case
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Best for Standalone setups
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Sonos - Arc Ultra
