Nakamichi Dragon: Two minute review
The Nakamichi Dragon is an 11.4.6-channel soundbar system that pushes the outer limits of what a soundbar is capable of. It’s more akin to an AV receiver in its design, features, and execution. Using it, I was frequently reminded of AV receivers by everything from the system’s heavily buttoned remote control to its extensive, detailed setup menu. The Dragon is not aimed at someone interested in simple plug-and-play sound (though it does provide basic setup options and is easy to get up and running) but rather users who like to dig in and painstakingly tweak settings.
At $2,999.99 (around £2,400 / AU$4,750), the Nakamichi Dragon costs double what you’ll pay even for the best Dolby Atmos soundbars on the market such as the Samsung HW-Q990D. That’s quite a lot to pay for a soundbar system, and it takes you into an AV receiver and separate speakers package price territory. But an important Dragon advantage is that it’s a wireless system, though one with the high channel count you’d get from a receiver-based home theater audio rig.
The Dragon isn’t as feature-packed as expected given its relatively lofty price. There’s processing onboard for Dolby Atmos and the Pro version of DTS:X, and there are four HDMI 2.1 ports (one with eARC) that support 4K 120Hz and Dolby Vision pass-through. The system comes with a full-scale remote control that provides quick access to a wide array of audio adjustments and it has Bluetooth aptX HD for wireless music streaming. There’s no AirPlay or Chromecast support for streaming over Wi-Fi, and the system’s control app is primarily used for system setup.
Automatic setup and room EQ features, either the more basic ones you get in premium soundbars like the Sonos Arc Ultra, or advanced ones such as Audyssey or Dirac Live in AV receivers, are also nowhere to be found. Basic setup of the Dragon soundbar system is surprisingly easy, however.
The Dragon system’s sound does its name justice. It can go incredibly loud and the dual subwoofers, each with two 8-inch opposing drivers, provide deep-reaching and very full-sounding bass. Having two subwoofers also helps to even out bass performance, which compensates to a degree for the lack of room EQ processing. (Two subs are provided with the system configuration I tested, but it supports up to four subs.)
With six up-firing Atmos height drivers between the soundbar and the surround speakers, which also provide both side and rear surround channel driver arrays, the level of immersion provided by the Dragon system surpasses any other soundbar system I’ve heard. Not all is perfect with the Dragon’s sound, however: it can come across as aggressive and treble-forward with some content, favoring clarity and presence over subtlety. But if your main thing is action movies or gaming, there’s not too much here to complain about.
At 58.1 x 7.7 x 4.4 inches, the Dragon system’s soundbar is fairly huge – it just about fit my TV stand, which is designed to support TVs up to 75 inches. The soundbar’s stainless steel enclosure is superior to the plastic ones you get on budget models, and the system’s design strikes a nice balance between function and style. A large front panel LED display can be customized to show the names of sources (Blu-ray, Xbox, etc.) and it can also provide visual feedback beyond basic source and volume settings when you hit the Info button on the remote control.
Paying $3,000 for a soundbar system might sound a bit outrageous, but the Nakamichi Dragon is no ordinary soundbar system. It delivers a level of performance that’s more like what you get from a traditional AV receiver-based home theater system from a big honkin’ soundbar with wireless subwoofers and surround speakers. If that all sounds appealing to you, you’ll find the Dragon to be a good value.
Nakamichi Dragon review: Price & release date
- Released in October 2023
- $2,999.99 (around £2,400 / AU$4,750)
The Nakamichi Dragon soundbar system with two dual-opposing eight-inch subwoofers is listed at $3,999.99, but sells for $2,999.99. It is available in the US on Amazon, and can be purchased and shipped internationally through B&H Photo Video.
Along with the base configuration reviewed here, the Dragon can also be purchased in configurations with two 12-inch subwoofers ($4,199) or four 12-inch subwoofers ($7,199). Dragon pricing is high compared to other premium soundbar systems such as the Samsung HW-Q990D and LG S95TR, both of which have a lower overall channel count and lower rated power.
Nakamichi Dragon review: Specs
| Dimensions (W x H x D) | Soundbar: 58.1 x 4.4 x 7.7 inches (1476 x 112 x 196mm) |
| Speaker channels | 11.4.6 |
| Connections: | 4x HDMI 2.1 (1 w/eARC), optical digital audio input and output, 3.5mm Aux input and output, Bluetooth aptX HD |
| Dolby Atmos/DTS:X | Yes/Yes |
| Sub included | Yes (2) |
| Rear speakers included | Yes |
| Features | 4K 120Hz and Dolby Vision HDMI pass-through |
Nakamichi Dragon review: Features
- 11.4.6-channel Dolby Atmos and DTS:X
- Four HDMI 2.1 ports with 4K 120Hz and Dolby Vision pass-through
- Bluetooth aptX HD wireless streaming
The Nakamichi Dragon combines a sizeable 58.1 x 7.7 x 4.4-inch main soundbar unit (1476 x 112 x 196mm) featuring a stainless steel enclosure with two wireless subwoofers and wireless rear surround speakers. The soundbar provides processing for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X Pro and features four HDMI 2.1 ports with 4K 120Hz and Dolby Vision pass-through along with optical digital audio and 3.5mm aux inputs and outputs. There’s no onboard Wi-Fi for streaming, but the Dragon soundbar does support Bluetooth aptX HD for streaming music.
The soundbar’s speaker array consists of three 1.5-inch “Air Motion” folded ribbon-type tweeters, each flanked by a pair of 3-inch mid-range drivers for the left, center, and right channels. Two pairs of 3-inch height speakers are arrayed on the soundbar’s top surface, with the pairs angled at 10 and 20 degrees, respectively, to evenly distribute Atmos height effects from the front toward the back of the room. Along with these, 3-inch drivers are located on the soundbar’s side panels for an enhanced surround sound effect.
Nakamichi’s tall, tower-like dual-opposing wireless subwoofers each house a pair of eight-inch drivers inside a ported cabinet. The system’s Omni-Motion Reference wireless surround speakers each contain side and rear surround speaker arrays consisting of a 1.5-inch Air Motion tweeter and three-inch mid-bass driver, with a three-inch height speaker mounted on top. A PerfectHeight adjustment on the Omni-Motion Reference’s top surface lets you rotate the height speaker up 180 degrees to optimize height effects for your specific room layout and installation.
Unlike other premium soundbars on the market from brands like Samsung, LG, and Sonos, the Dragon has no automated setup or room EQ features. The system’s dual subwoofer configuration does help to evenly distribute bass in your room and compensate for room modes, however, and the extensive sound level and delay adjustments allow for a precise manual setup.
Nakamichi Dragon review: Performance
- Powerful, immersive sound
- Deep, impactful bass
- Overly aggressive sound with some content
The Dragon system sounded good out of the box but strongly benefitted from a manual calibration in the Advanced Sound Setup menu. Once that was done, I cracked open a new 4K Blu-ray disc of the recent Twisters remake that I had bought specifically for this test.
On the Dragon system, the sound of violent tornadoes ripping through space in the Twisters soundtrack was potently rendered, providing an almost unnerving sense of being directly inside the path of destruction. Vehicles propelled through the air and crashing to earth had a powerful impact, so much so that I found myself dialing back the bass adjustment – conveniently located right next to the volume button on the system’s remote control.
On Top Gun: Maverick, another movie that I regularly use to test soundbars, the sounds of jets in the first training scene early in the movie had a strong trajectory as they swooped from the front to the back of the room, and there was impressive verticality to the sound as they crisscrossed overhead. The drums and bass in The Who’s Won’t Get Fooled Again that plays in this scene came through with equal power, with Roger Daltrey’s yawps soaring along with the jets on the soundtrack.
Dolby Atmos music streamed from Apple Music on my Apple TV 4K sounded equally vivid and exciting on the system, especially tracks like Kraftwerk’s Nummern / Computerwelt. This track sounded almost endlessly wide and immersive, showcasing the benefits of six separate height speakers for delivering Atmos mixes. The low-end on this track was powerful and deep but also well-integrated with the rest of the mix, the system’s dual subwoofers working together to energize my room with bass.
With more subtle-sounding fare – Severance season 2 on Apple TV Plus, for instance – dialogue was very clear, and that was the case with most shows and movies I watched. As part of my initial setup, I selected the system’s Movie (Movie 1) sound preset (Music, Game, and Night modes are also available) and also dialed back the treble to the minimum setting. That’s because the Dragon system, while it has a considerable roar, can sound aggressive and even a bit harsh with some content.
I’ve listened with multiple speakers that use the same Air Motion-type tweeter that’s found in Nakamichi’s system and those generally had a much more laid-back quality to the treble. This tells me that the Dragon was voiced to have a bold, even in-your-face sound that befits its name.
Nakamichi Dragon review: Design
- Large soundbar and subwoofers
- Soundbar height may block the TV image
- Solid overall build quality
At 58.1 x 7.7 x 4.4 inches, the Dragon’s design is anything but subtle. This is a big soundbar, and its 4.4-inch height means the top edge will definitely obscure the screen bottom of some TVs. At 32 pounds (14.5kg), it’s also a heavy one – not surprising given its stainless steel enclosure. Nakamichi sells optional floor stands for the Dragon, which will allow it to be used with wall-mounted TVs and projectors.
Aside from being massive, the Dragon soundbar has an appealing design, with top panel controls that light up when touched, angled front corners, and exposed Air Motion tweeters poking through the metal mesh front. The same design chops carry over to the Omni-Motion Reference wireless surround speakers, which also get optional stands. Nakamichi’s wireless subwoofers have a plainer, more utilitarian look, but their tall form factor lets them tuck fairly unobtrusively into the corners of a room.
The Dragon soundbar’s front-panel alphanumeric LED display is a feature I fully expect to see in a soundbar at this price. While it’s welcome, I would have liked an option to dim the display or to shut it off entirely with the remote when viewing, which is a feature you get on some AV receivers.
Nakamichi Dragon review: Setup & usability
- Easy wireless speaker setup
- Extensive manual sound adjustments
- Alphanumeric front panel LED display
The basic setup of the Dragon system was incredibly easy. After positioning the soundbar on my TV stand, where it occupied nearly the stand’s full width with an inch to spare on each side, I located the subwoofers in the front corners of my room and the surround speakers at either side of my sofa. After plugging all speakers in, they made an automatic wireless connection to the soundbar, with a blue LED indicating that the system was up and running.
After connecting my sources to the soundbar’s HDMI inputs, and my TV to the HDMI eARC port, I renamed the inputs in the setup menu so they would show up on the front panel display as “Blu-ray disc player, Xbox One X console, and Apple TV 4K.” I next made a Bluetooth link to my phone for music streaming by pressing the Bluetooth button on the remote control, which put the Dragon into wireless pairing mode.
So much for the easy part – the next part of the setup was much more laborious. Nakamichi gives you an easy out by providing Small, Medium, and Large room options. (Guidance on which option is best for your particular room is provided in the detailed and well-organized PDF owner’s manual.) Sound with the Small option selected – the closest match for my room – was good out of the box, but for my test, I wanted to go through the full manual setup to see what difference it would make.
Pulling out my tape measure and trusty old Radio Shack SPL meter, I manually entered the listening distance for each channel and also ran the pink noise output to adjust the sound level. With 11.2.6 total channels for the Dragon system I tested, we’re talking a lot of speakers to adjust! The effort was completely worth it, though, since sound clarity and bass evenness received an immediate boost.
Nakamichi’s remote control is large, has an aluminum faceplate, and is packed with buttons to access a wide range of fine adjustments for things like individual speaker channel levels, including height and subwoofer channels. There’s also a Dragon control app that gives you many of the same adjustments. The only thing I didn’t like about the remote is that the keypad doesn’t have the same backlighting feature typically found in AV receiver remote controls offering the same level of granular adjustments.
Another gripe I had with the Dragon was the setup menu, which requires you to jump out of any program you’re watching to make adjustments other than the ones with dedicated keypad controls on the remote. My annoyance with this was mainly during my initial setup and early use, however. Once I had dialed in my preferred settings for movies/TV and music, those adjustments could be stored in the two available Favorite Settings buttons on the remote for easy recall.
- Setup & usability score: 3.5 / 5
Nakamichi Dragon review: Value
- Unique value proposition
- Other premium soundbars available for much less
- Approaching AV receiver-based system price range
The Nakamichi Dragon occupies a unique space in the home theater audio world, combining many of the functions of an AV receiver in a high channel-count soundbar plus wireless surround speakers and subwoofers package. At $3,000, you’re getting a lot for your money here, and there’s really nothing out there that parallels it.
While not as elaborate or high-impact as the Dragon, other premium soundbar systems can provide a similarly satisfying and immersive home theater audio experience. For around $1,500, you can get the Samsung HW-Q990D, an 11.1.4-channel system that also has multiple HDMI inputs with 4K 120Hz passthrough. And for under $1,000, there’s the LG S95TR, a 9.1.5-channel system. Both of these soundbars support Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, and they offer unique audio processing features designed to work with Samsung and LG TVs.
Another option is the Sony Bravia Theater Quad (around $2,200). This 4.1.4-channel wireless speaker system offers audio processing features designed specifically to work with Sony TVs, but it can also be used with any TV or projector setup. It’s a more compact and elegant alternative to soundbar-based systems, and with Sony’s 360 Spatial Sound Mapping at work, it doesn’t skimp out on audio immersion.
Finally, the Dragon’s $3,000 price is a threshold where you should also consider an AV receiver-based system. You can buy a 9.2-channel receiver such as the Onkyo TX-RZ50 for as little as $999, and then the sky is the limit when it comes to which speakers you add to your setup. The advantage to this option is that receivers offer extensive switching and control options, and they also provide automatic setup and room correction processing solutions such as Audyssey and Dirac Live. But going the AV receiver route means running wires – lots of them – plus a more complicated setup.
Should I buy the Nakamichi Dragon?
| Section | Notes | Score |
| Features | Wireless Dolby Atmos and DTS:X and 4K 120Hz pass-through but no auto-setup or Wi-Fi for music streaming | 3.5 / 5 |
| Performance | Powerful and dynamic with vivid height effects on Atmos soundtracks, though sound can be too aggressive with some content | 4 / 5 |
| Design | Solid, substantial build quality for a soundbar system and above-average looks | 4.5 / 5 |
| Setup & usability | As long as you don’t mind making adjustments to an 11.4.6-channel system manually, everything you need is supplied | 3.5 / 5 |
| Value | A unique value proposition occupying a middle ground between premium soundbars and AV receiver-plus-speakers-based systems | 3.5 / 5 |
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
Nakamichi Dragon review: Also consider
How I tested the Nakamichi Dragon
- Tested for over a month
- Served as my main system at home
- 4K Blu-ray discs, TV streaming apps, and Apple Music used as sources
The Nakamichi Dragon arrives in a shipping container about the size of a coffin, so expect to enlist help when lifting it into your home. Once unboxed, I set it up in my near-3,000 cubic foot home theater room and connected TV, Apple TV 4K, Xbox Series X, and 4K Blu-ray sources via HDMI. For music testing, I listened to Dolby Atmos music streamed on the Apple Music app by the Apple TV 4K.
I listened with the system for over a month, using it as my main system for casual TV watching, movies, and music. I performed an in-depth audio calibration, measuring the distance between all speaker channels and my listening seat, and then inputting that data in the Dragon’s setup menus. This also involved adjusting the sound level for each channel with pink noise generated by the soundbar that was measured with a sound pressure level (SPL) meter.
I have 20-plus years of experience reviewing home theater speaker systems and components, including soundbar systems. Prior to testing the Dragon, I used Sony Bravia Theater Quad wireless speakers as my main home theater audio system, and before that an AV receiver-based 5.1.4-channel speaker system, so I have a good understanding of where the Nakamichi Dragon sits among its wireless and wired speaker competition.
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al.griffin@futurenet.com (Al Griffin)
