Nakamichi Shockwafe Pro 7.1.4 Channel 600W Dolby Atmos Home Theater Soundbar with Subwoofer for Immersive Surround Sound

Zapix: Setup:
Bedroom
LG OLED65C6P
Samsung UBD K8500

When looking for a sound bar, I had a few requirements.
1. It had to have 4K and HDR options
2. It had to have something better than basic Dolby/DTS processing
3. It had to fit the space requirements

Initially, I was going to just get a sound bar without surround, but I grew to like the sound from my LG OLED. It wasn't bad. However, my C6P has fantastic 3D, while my home theater tv has crosstalk issues that make it unwatchable to me. This left me having to choose between watching a movie in 3D or watching it with 7.1 surround. So I decided to look for a sound bar with 5.1 to 7.1. Unfortunately, there's not a lot of options in that group that have 4K, HDR, Atmos or DTSX.. Well, there are if you want simulated surround.

Originally, I had listed the Nakamichi Shockwafe 7.1 as one of two sound bars I was interested in. So when I started looking again, the Ultra 9.2 was listed... Certainly there was a catch! No, there's no catch. 1000W system, 4K HDR passthrough, Dolby processing and DTS:X. Checked the measurements to be sure I could fit this all in the bedroom... Requirements met!

While in...

United States on Dec 22, 2017

NV: -- 6 year update --

TL; DR -- Yes, I still have the system and it's awesome! Hard to believe I am updating a review for a tech product after 6 years.

Firmware updates enabled Dolby Atmos a few years ago. My primary input source is now a 4K Apple TV connected to one of the HDMI ports on the sound bar. The TV is now a Dolby Vision capable Sony connected via HDMI Arc. The TV supports HDMI eArc but it's not supported by the (original 2017) sound bar, this setup enables both Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. Biggest change is that I replaced the extra long chicken wire that came with the system for connecting surround speakers to the subs with better quality, thicker and shorter RCA cables. These are average quality not high end in any way, but they have made an appreciable difference to the surround audio levels and clarity.

After listening to other sound bars, what continues to strikes me is the clarity of the vocal track and the separation that you get with the sound bar. The comments below still hold. Yes, there are things I could be improved, the mid range could be better, the system could be better for music and so on. But its also clear the alternatives won't be...

United States on Nov 25, 2017