THE RETURN OF THE NAKAMICHI DRAGON

The Nakamichi Dragon claims to be the world’s first 11.4.6 Wireless Home Surround Sound  System with Dolby Atmos, DTS:X Pro, Quad Subwoofers and Omni-Motion Reference  Surrounds.

The 2023 Nakamichi Dragon 11.4.6 plug-and-play surround sound system is a 21-channel  surround system with 15 digital amplifiers, quad subwoofers, six upfiring speakers and two Omni Motion Reference Surrounds. The system supports Dolby Atmos, Dolby Vision, Qualcomm aptX HD and is the first wireless system to be equipped with DTS:X Pro technology, set up can be done in 15 minutes, says the brand.

Inside the main unit of the Nakamichi Dragon 11.4.6 Wireless Home Surround Sound System

NAKAMICHI DRAGON

From the legendary, and still sought after today, Nakamichi Dragon Cassette Deck of 1982, to the Dragon Turntable (1985) and Dragon CD Player (1996), the Japanese HiFi brand Nakamichi gained cult status. Now, after five years of extensive research and development efforts, Nakamichi has announced the timely return of the Dragon for their 75th anniversary.

Nakamichi Dragon 11.4.6 Wireless Home Surround Sound System main sound bar unit

NAKAMICHI DRAGON 11.4.6 WIRELESS HOME SURROUND SOUND SYSTEM

Nakamichi says this system embodies the best of both worlds, possessing both the form factor and simplicity of  a soundbar, while incorporating the acoustic elements of an elite theatre setup. It can render Dolby Surround formats (Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD and Dolby Atmos,  etc.) in an identical way to to high end audio video receivers (Nakamichi claims).

Launched at CES 2023 this week in Las Vegas, the Nakamichi Dragon has been named as a CES 2023 Innovation Awards Honoree.

DOLBY ATMOS AND DTS:X PRO

Nakamichi collaborated closely with the engineering team of DTS to become the  first to enable DTS:X Pro technology in a plug-and-play home cinema. DTS:X Pro  brings the capabilities of the commercial version of DTS:X to your private theatre.

NAKAMICHI DRAGON DESIGN

The main unit components of the Dragon system have been strategically embedded into a bold and distinctive 58” stainless steel chassis. Each speaker channel has its own dedicated chamber The system replicates a cinema-like soundstage while enhancing the visual richness of a 60” or larger HDTV.

Inside the Omni-Motion Surrounds

The side, rear, and height surround channels have been integrated together to form the first wireless 3D Omni-Motion Reference Surrounds. Weighing at almost 9 pounds per speaker, each unit is designed in a bipolar configuration with three three-inch speaker drivers and two AMT tweeters.

WIRELESS QUAD SUBWOOFERS

Back in 2017, Nakamichi developed a dual subwoofer configuration for its soundbar systems. With Dragon, four subwoofers are embedded into two cabinets via an isobaric configuration, a solution that outputs more bass without taking up more space. Other than tonal and crossover adjustments, the bass experience can be further managed based on user preference as the four subwoofers can be individually activated or disabled.

Quad subwoofers

AIR MOTION TRANSFORMER (AMT) TWEETERS 

The Dragon system has seven exposed Air Motion Transformer (AMT) tweeters.

Inside the subs

SIX UP FIRING CHANNELS

The Nakamichi Dragon claims to be the world’s first soundbar system with six up firing channels and PerfectHeight Mechanism.  Regardless of position relative to the system, it is designed to deliver an experience of lifelike, hyper-dynamic 3D objects floating all around you. Dual-angled up firing speakers on the main Dragon unit are independently inclined at 10° and 20° angles, rendering vertical and overhead sound objects at precise height levels to depict the true perception of a multi-altitude soundscape.

Omni-Motion Surrounds

The Omni-Motion Reference Surrounds all feature an individual 3-inch up firing driver at the crown of each speaker. Equipped with the patented PerfectHeight Mechanism, the  Dragon’s bipolar surround speakers have up firing drivers that can be rotated up to 180 degrees to accommodate any environment, giving them an optimal angle regardless of room shape and seating position. They work in tandem with the quad-upfiring speakers in the main unit to deliver overhead effects. Complementing the hardware, Nakamichi’s proprietary Adaptive Height Dispersion (AHD) processing technology allows listeners to further customize height effects to their personal preference with the convenience of a press of the remote.

15 DIGITAL AMPLIFIERS

The Nakamichi Dragon architecture has a combination of 15 digital amplifiers  and a peak power output of 3000W (125dB).

NAKAMICHI DRAGON PRICE AND AVAILABILITY

Pre-orders for the Dragon 11.4.6 Home Surround Sound System will open in Q2 2023 with a tentative MSRP of $3499.

HiFi Pig Says: The return of an iconic Japanese HiFi name for 2023!