Nakamichis new Dolby Atmos soundbar is a Sonos Arc on steroids

Date:
Wed, 31 Aug 2022 07:16:33 +0000

Description:
Two new high-end soundbar systems from Nakamichi are poised to give the Sonos Arc some serious bass competition.

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Soundbar maker Nakamichi has announced a pair of systems that go heavy on the bass really heavy. The ShockWafe Elite 7.2 eARC soundbar system ($1299, available end of September) is notable for its dual 8-inch subwoofer configuration, while the ShockWafe Elite 7.1 eARC ($899, available now ) features a similar feature set but comes with a single, yet sizeable sub with a 10-inch woofer.

Bass extension is a specified 25Hz for the Elite 7.2 eARC and 30Hz for the Elite 7.1 eARC.

Each system comes with a soundbar that features six front-facing coaxial extended range drivers comprising the left, center, and right channels, plus
a pair of side-mounted surround effects tweeters. These combine with a set of two-way wired surround speakers that can be positioned in a Full Elevation configuration optimized for Dolby Atmos playback.

While there are no upward-firing drivers on the soundbar, Nakamichis proprietary SSE Max processing features a Spatial Audio option that works
with the surround speakers to create a 360 Degree presentation, with support for both Atmos and DTS:X soundtracks. Dolby Surround and DTS:X upmixing for stereo sources is another processing option both systems offer.

Connections on the new Nakamichi systems are wide-ranging, with 3 HDMI inputs plus an HDMI output with eARC support. There are also both coaxial and
optical digital inputs and wireless streaming via Bluetooth Apt-X HD, a higher-res step-up option from the regular Bluetooth wireless thats bundled with most soundbars.

Each system also comes with a full-scale backlit remote control with
dedicated buttons to switch inputs, select sound processing modes, and modify individual speaker channel levels during playback. Two subwoofers can be better than one especially for soundbars

Nakamichis ShockWafe Elite 7.2 eARC soundbar system may lack the upfiring drivers found on high-end competitors like the Sonos Arc , but it does
provide one important feature that the Arc lacks: not just one subwoofer, but a pair of them.

Using multiple subwoofers in an audio system allows for more even, and evenly distributed, bass than a single sub can provide. And using two or more, in the case of Sennheisers not-yet-announced but leaked new Ambeo model of them with a soundbar is a particularly good idea because the subs that come with most soundbar systems tend to get positioned in places where they wont
deliver the best performance (there is an art and a science to subwoofer setup).

Of course, you can add Sonos own Sub to any of its soundbars, including the Arc, but that will add a whopping $750 to its $799 / 799 / AU$1,399 price. (You can also apparently add two subs to a Sonos bar, but at even greater cost.) Thats why many Sonos soundbar owners are waiting it out for the
company to release its less pricey Sonos Sub Mini though that product
release has been pushed by the company from late 2022 to 2023.

In the meantime, anyone looking for a powerful and feature-packed soundbar system should be investigating these promising new offerings from Nakamichi, which on sheer specs alone could easily rank among the best soundbars .



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/news/nakamichis-new-dolby-atmos-soundbar-is-a-sonos- arc-on-steroids/


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