Nakamichi Dragon

Amonster hybrid soundbar and home cinema speaker package

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Soundbar system | £3200 approx | whf.cm/Nakamichi_soundbar

Once the moniker of a legendary 1980s cassette deck and record player, a '90s CD player and a 2010s Bluetooth speaker, the Nakamichi Dragon has been reinvented as a Dolby Atmos soundbar package.

Until recently, Nakamichi sold this soundbar system only in the US, but has now struck a deal to ship to the UK. The package costs $3900 (£3200), but that price jumps up with tax and shipping. To get it to the UK it will cost you £4200 ($5300). Spending a grand to get a soundbar delivered may be a tough pill to swallow.

The total weight of the system is a staggering 64kg. The main soundbar unit is absolutely huge and weighs the best part of 15kg. We struggle to imagine it paired with any smaller TV, and you're going to need a hefty support for it.

The surround speakers, at 27 x 23 x 21cm (hwd) and 4kg each, dwarf the petite surrounds seen in most conventional speaker packages. They feature two drivers pointing in different directions, meaning they serve as wide and surround-back speakers, and can be placed in different locations accordingly. There is also an upward-firing driver which can be rotated to five pre-set positions to angle the overhead sound towards your position.

There are not one but two subwoofers, (a further 16kg per unit), with a sizeable port on the front of each, and a power switch and pairing button on the rear.

Nakamichi is positioning this as offering the convenience of a soundbar with the power, features and sound quality of a full AVR and speaker package, and so it has loaded the Dragon with an absolute onslaught of features.