The Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra 9.2Ch is quite a unique soundbar system. It has a 9.2.4 speaker configuration with two wireless subwoofers and four dedicated surround rear speakers. It offers an immersive listening experience, especially with Atmos content. This soundbar can get very loud, although some compression artifacts can be heard in the bass range at max volume. Unfortunately, it has a dark sound profile with stereo content and sounds quite excited with surround content. On the upside, it has plenty of HDMI ports and can be used as a hub for your different devices and it has many different settings to help you make it sound the way you prefer.
Our Verdict
Decent for mixed usage. This soundbar has a warm sound profile with overemphasized bass and lacks a bit of detail, which isn't ideal for most music genres and dialogue. However, when watching Atmos content, like movies, it offers an immersive listening thanks to its unique 9.2.4 speaker setup.
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Well-built design.
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Unique 9.2.4 setup configuration.
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Can get very loud.
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Immersive experience with Atmos and surround content.
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Warm sound profile with stereo content.
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Compression at max volume.
Very good for dialogue. This soundbar setup has a warm sound profile, which might not be ideal for dialogue but on the upside, it has a dialogue enhancement feature and a night mode. This makes voices clearer and easier to understand, even at a lower volume.
Just okay for music. The stereo frequency response of this soundbar is rather warm, which might not be ideal for every music genre. It has overemphasized bass which is great for bass-heavy music, and it can get quite loud, although some compression is audible at max volume.
Good for movies. This soundbar has a rather warm sound profile, but supports Atmos content for a more immersive and exciting experience. It has a unique configuration with four rear speakers, resulting in an excellent surround experience. There's also a ton of features to customize your sound to your liking.
- 7.4 Mixed Usage
- 7.8 Dialogue/TV Shows
- 6.9 Music
- 7.5 Movies
- Updated Mar 27, 2023: Added cable lengths to In The Box.
- Updated Mar 22, 2023: Converted to Test Bench 1.1. With this update, we've added a Mounting test and added information aboutSubwoofer Output, Spotify Connect, and Microphone Mute.
- Updated Oct 11, 2022: Corrected an error that previously listed the mounting as universal, when it is proprietary, in 'Back - Bar' and 'Back - Satellites'.
- Updated Feb 14, 2022: Corrected Atmos and Dimensions information. Added Voice Assistant and Dolby Vision Passthrough support.
- Updated Mar 18, 2021: Updated latency measurements with new methodology.
- Updated Feb 09, 2021: Converted to Test Bench 1.0.
- Updated Dec 10, 2019: Review published.
- Updated Dec 05, 2019: Our testers have started testing this product.
- Updated Dec 05, 2019: Early access published.
- Updated Nov 24, 2019: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
- Updated Nov 05, 2019: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.
Compared To Other Soundbars
The Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra 9.2 is a very unique soundbar that has two dedicated subwoofers and four rear speakers, which is quite uncommon. However, it doesn't necessarily result in better overall performance, as it has a disappointing stereo frequency response. On the upside, it offers an immersive listening experience with surround and Atmos content.
See our recommendations for the best soundbars and the best Dolby Atmos soundbars. If you don't need such a high-end setup, check out the best budget soundbars.
Depending on your listening habits, you may prefer either the Sonos Arc or the Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra 9.2Ch. The Nakamichi is slightly better for movies as it has a better surround performance. It also comes with EQ presets, two subwoofers, and four satellites. However, the Sonos is a standalone bar that has a better soundstage. It also has room correction and voice assistant support built into the bar. You can also upgrade it to the Sonos Arc with Sub + One SL Speakers for better performance.
The Sonos Arc with Sub + One SL Speakers is a better soundbar than the Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra 9.2Ch. The Sonos is better-built, and it has a more neutral, balanced sound profile. Also, it has a better soundstage performance and more sound enhancement features. However, the Nakamichi is Bluetooth-compatible, unlike the Sonos, and it offers more connectivity options, so it also supports 4k passthrough.
The Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra 9.2 eARC is the upgraded version of the Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra 9.2Ch. Unlike its predecessor, it has some extra features, including Dolby Vision Passthrough as well as eARC support for streaming formats like DTS:X. Its Spatial Surround Engine feature lets you choose between three different "soundscapes" based on your room's size. That said, there isn't a dramatic difference in sound quality between the two bars.
Depending on your listening habits, you may prefer either the Bose Smart Soundbar 900 with Speakers + Bass Module or the Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra 9.2Ch. The Bose is a better-built 5.1.2 setup with better soundstage and center performances. Some listeners may prefer its more neutral sound profile out of the box. Also, it has built-in voice assistant support. However, some users may prefer the Nakamichi's unique design with two subwoofers and four satellites. It has better surround and Atmos performances, and it has a Full HDMI In port.
The JBL Bar 9.1 is a better soundbar than the Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra 9.2Ch. The JBL offers a more neutral sound profile out-of-the-box, which some listeners may prefer. It has a better soundstage and more wireless connectivity options. Also, it comes with a room correction feature. However, some listeners may prefer that the Nakamichi comes with two subs and four satellites, and it has a better surrounds performance.
The Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra 9.2Ch is a better setup than the Sonos Beam soundbar by itself. Since we only tested the Sonos with the bar alone, it's somewhat hard to compare a 9.2 system with a 3.0 system. Nevertheless, the Nakamichi gets louder with stereo content, although its soundstage isn't as wide as the Sonos'. The Sonos soundbar also features a room correction feature that uses a microphone to adjust the audio reproduction.
The Samsung HW-Q90R is a better soundbar system than the Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra 9.2Ch. The Samsung has a more neutral sound profile out-of-the-box, which some users may prefer. It also reproduces a more extended low-bass, and it performs better at max volume. There's even a graphic EQ to help you customize its sound. That said, some users may prefer the Nakamichi's unique design with four satellites and two subs.
The Samsung HW-Q950T is better than the Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra 9.2Ch. The Samsung is a 9.1.4 setup with a better-balanced sound profile out-of-the-box that also reproduces a more extended low-bass. It gets louder with less compression at max volume. Unlike the Nakamichi, it has a graphic EQ for sound customization and built-in voice assistant support. That said, the 9.2.4 Nakamichi is better built with a better Atmos performance. Some users may also prefer its unique design with two subs and four satellites.
Depending on your listening habits, you may prefer either the Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra 9.2Ch or the Samsung HW-Q950A. The Samsung is a more versatile 11.1.4 setup that offers more sound enhancement features, including room correction and a graphic EQ. Its default sound profile reproduces a more extended low-bass, and it also has built-in support for Alexa voice assistant. That said, the 9.2.4 Nakamichi has a unique design with two subwoofers. It's better-built, and it gets louder, albeit with more compression at max volume.
Depending on your listening habits, you may prefer the Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra 9.2Ch or the standalone Bose Smart Soundbar 900. The Bose offers impressive performance for a standalone bar, and it's better built with a better soundstage. It also has a better-balanced sound profile out-of-the-box, which some users may prefer. However, the Nakamichi is suitable for users with a lot of space in their setup. It comes with four satellites and two subs and has better surround and Atmos performances.
The Vizio SB36512-F6 is a better soundbar system than the Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra 9.2Ch for most people, especially for the price. It has great overall performance, with a very good, neutral sound profile. On the other hand, its surround sound listening experience isn't as immersive as the Nakamichi soundbar with its four dedicated surround speakers.
For most uses, the Vizio Elevate is better than the Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra 9.2Ch. The Vizio is a 5.1.4 setup with a better soundstage and more wireless playback options. That said, the Nakamichi has better surround and Atmos performances. It also comes with two subwoofers and four satellites, which help create a more immersive sound.
Depending on your listening habits, you may prefer either the Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra 9.2Ch or the Bose Smart Soundbar 700 with Speakers + Bass Module. The Bose is better built, with a better soundstage and more wireless playback options. It also supports voice assistants, unlike the Nakamichi. However, the Nakamichi is a 9.2.4 setup with a unique design that includes two subs and four satellites. It's better for movies, since it supports Atmos content and offers a better surround performance.
The Samsung HW-Q800A and the Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra 9.2Ch are both premium soundbars. The Samsung is a 3.1.2 setup with more wireless playback options. It can reproduce more bass out-of-the-box, which is handy for listeners who want to plug-and-play. However, the Nakamichi has a unique setup with two subs and four satellites. It offers better surround and Atmos performances, too.
Video
Test Results
The Nakamichi Shockwafe 9.2 soundbar has a pretty unique style. It's entirely black, with very small silver accents and comes in an unusual shape for a soundbar. There's a metal grille covering the front and the side speakers, while the rest of the bar is covered in plastic.
The two subwoofers are mostly made out of wood, and the speaker is hidden on the underside. They have a very minimalistic but sleek design.
The four rear speakers have a grille covering the speakers with a plastic body frame. You can either position them sideways like pictured, or standing up.
Update 02/14/2022Updated the measurements for the bar.
The Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra 9.2 bar is pretty large, which means you probably won't be able to fit it between the legs of a TV stand. Also, its body is quite high, meaning it might cover the bottom part of your TV, especially if it sits flush to the table.
The two wireless subwoofers are quite bigger when compared to typical soundbar subs. Be sure to have enough room for both of them.
The satellite speakers aren't too big when compared to other models, but consider the fact that you have four of them to place around. Also, you can interchange the height and width data depending on whether you position them sideways or standing up.
The Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra 9.2's build quality is great. It's quite similar to the Samsung HW-Q90R, as there's a solid metal grille covering the bar's front and side speakers. The subwoofers are also made out of wood and the speakers are hidden on their underside, which is less prone to damage like some subs that have a side fabric panel covering the speaker. Even the satellites are well-built and feel high-end.
- Remote
- Batteries
- 3x power cables (3.6 ft / 1.1m)
- Power adapter for soundbar (4.9 ft / 1.5m)
- 4x satellite speaker audio cables (33 ft / 10m)
- HDMI cable (4.9 ft / 1.5m)
- AUX cable (3.6 ft / 1.1m)
- Optical cable (4.9 ft / 1.5m)
- Wall-mounting accessories
- Manuals
The Nakamichi Shockwafe 9.2's stereo frequency response is just okay. Its low-frequency extension is quite higher than some other soundbars, which is disappointing. On the upside, the bass seems evened out throughout the room thanks to the two subs. It also lacks a bit of detail in the treble, resulting in a darker sound profile with stereo content.
Note: The Nakamichi speakers were tested with the Hybrid Elevation 1 configuration . All stereo/center channel content was tested without any effects enabled or levels adjusted.
The Nakamichi Shockwafe 9.2's stereo soundstage is good. Just like the Samsung HW-Q90R, it's about the size of the bar, but sounds very focused. Objects in the soundstage seem to be coming from an accurate pinpoint location rather than a general area, which is great.
The Nakamichi Shockwafe 9.2's stereo dynamics performance is good. It's one of the loudest soundbars we've tested so far, but unfortunately, there's some noticeable distortion at max volume, especially in the bass range. However, there shouldn't be any issues at a normal listening volume.
The Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra 9.2's THD performance is good. At a normal listening volume, the audio reproduction is clean and pure. The THD does get a bit elevated at max volume, which might make frequencies a bit harsh and impure, but most people won't notice it with daily content.
The Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra 9.2.4's center channel is great. Thanks to its speaker configuration, this soundbar has a dedicated center channel, which results in a clearer and more accurate dialogue reproduction.
The Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra 9.2's surrounds performance is excellent. Thanks to its 9.2.4 setup configuration, you have dedicated surround speakers, which provide very accurate localization of objects in the soundstage around you. However, the sound profile of these speakers is quite excited, with more bass and treble, which can be entertaining for movies, but not everyone will prefer this.
Note: To be able to play surround and Atmos content, we needed to use Dolby Surround On, with no DSP mode, and set the Spatial Surround Elevation setting to level 3. This was the only way to get all four speakers to work properly. All surround content was tested in Native mode.
Update 02/14/2022: Updated Atmos localization and the accompanying setup picture.
The Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra 9.2 is quite immersive when watching movies. It doesn't come with down-firing speakers for your ceiling, so instead, it uses up-firing drivers in the satellites as well as side and front-firing drivers in the bar to simulate sound objects in the soundstage. Its deep and rumbling bass helps you feel the action in scenes.
Note: To be able to play surround and Atmos content, we needed to use Dolby Surround On, with no DSP mode and set the Spatial Surround Elevation setting to level 3. This was the only way to get all four speakers to work properly.
The Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra 9.2's sound enhancement features are decent. It has a 'Room' button that changes the sound depending on your room size, which isn't quite like a room correction as there's no microphone being used to analyze your room. The 'Bass' button on the remote controls the sub volume rather than the amount of bass being produced by the whole setup. This soundbar system offers a lot of sound customization options and special features to help you make it sound the way you prefer.
The Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra 9.2 has plenty of physical inputs. It has three HDMI In ports, making it easier for you to use your soundbar as a hub for all your devices. You can also plug in an AUX cord, which is great at parties where people want to play their music without going through the Bluetooth pairing process.
The Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra 9.2 supports Dolby Digital Plus, which serves as a carrier for Dolby Atmos, on top of supporting the more common Dolby Digital and DTS. If you have DD+ content, the bar will be able to decode it and deliver a more immersive listening experience via the ARC port. Unfortunately, it doesn't support eARC.
This soundbar has outstanding support via the HDMI In ports. You can easily get surround or object-based sound formats to play, which results in an immersive and great experience when watching content on Blu-rays, streaming platforms, or even when gaming.
Like most soundbars, the Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra 9.2 supports Dolby Digital and DTS over optical, which can usually be found on Blu-ray discs and streaming platforms like Netflix
Update 03/18/2021: There was a mistake in our methodology where we measured the latency using every second frame (e.g., 120fps). We re-evaluated the footage using every frame at 240fps for more accurate results.
Unfortunately, this premium setup only supports wireless playback via Bluetooth, which some may find disappointing. It doesn't support Wi-Fi playback, unlike some similar high-end models like the Samsung HW-Q90R.
Update 02/14/2022:The bar also supports Dolby Vision Passthrough.
When connecting your devices to the soundbar, the Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra 9.2 has no issues passing through the highest quality signals. It also supports 4:4:4, meaning that when using your PC, the text will be clear and easy to read on a TV.
The Nakamichi Shockwafe 9.2 soundbar's interface is pretty standard. You have a screen hidden behind the grille that shows the different inputs, settings, and menus.
The bar controls are pretty straightforward. You have a volume up and down, a button to switch inputs, and the power button. The 'Demo' button plays the Nakamichi test tones for every channel.
The Nakamichi Ultra 9.2's remote is pretty big. It offers a lot of control over the soundbar system but unfortunately doesn't act as a universal remote.
Update 02/14/2022: This soundbar doesn't have built-in voice assistant support. However, you can connect a third-party device with Amazon or Google voice assistant support to the bar if you want to control it with your voice. You just need to set it up in the Amazon Alexa or Google Home app respectively to get started.