Nakamichi Dragon vs. Sonos | Dolby Atmos Duel

thanks to 3DMakerpro for  sponsoring a portion of this video so what happens when a $2600 Sono system does battle with a $3900 fire breathing Dragon well you're about to find out welcome back everyone I'm Caleb Denison and I  guess I'm gonna have to open this video with   an apology of sorts I had this crazy intro all  prepared I was really looking forward to doing   something fun but I'm going to be completely  honest with you this comparison this Sonos   versus Dragon thing it has I mean I'm exhausted  moving nine fairly heavy pieces all around the   new studio getting them hooked up recalibrating  them each time I move them more on that in just   a moment and it's just it's been a lot of work  there was a point at which I was like why am I   even doing this are there actually a lot of folks  out there having a hard time deciding between an   absolute monster of a system like the Dragon and  a lifestyle system like the Sonos well the answer   to that kind of rhetorical question is there are  plenty of you I imagine you're out there watching   right now I've seen the requests in the comments  you wanted it so you shall have it this is for   you don't say I never did anything nice for you  I'm just joking what I love about this community   is how gracious y'all have been so in the end I I  suppose I'm glad I did it I've learned a lot about   how systems like these actually pull off Dolby  Atmos effects I've gained a new perspective on   how flexible and convenient Sonos gear actually  is now that I've had to move locations change   routers and get everything all up and running in  two different testing locations here so all's well   that ends well I suppose but I'm still tired and  that's why the intro to this video was a little   bit vanilla I'm out of bad dragon dad jokes I  guess I use those up already anyway let's get into   this comparison and guys I hope you don't mind  if I keep this fairly simple and straightforward   because after using and listening to both of  these systems for a few days I feel like this   is a pretty cut and dry situation the Nakamichi  Dragon now costs 3 900 that's after a 500 price   hike after it was first offered whereas the Sonos  system built here which is by the way comprised of   a Sonos Arc one Sono sub and two era 300 speakers  comes in at twenty six hundred dollars if we were   to add another Sono sub so that we had a dual  subwoofer situation similar to what Dragon offers   right out of the box the price would leap to  thirty four hundred dollars which is much closer   to the Dragon's current asking price when it comes  right down to it I'm a real Roi kind of guy AI   except I hate saying ROI I think that if you pay  significantly more you should get significantly   more but then there's that thing about the law of  diminishing returns and let's be honest the whole   pay more get more thing doesn't always play out  in the audio world with that in mind the Dragon   is kind of special it's an overbuilt tank of a  system it comes in a monster-sized box that is   expensive to ship it's expensive to make because  so many pieces are customized and not produced at   scale a lot of its cost comes from the fact that  it is unique and thus no infrastructure exists   to make them at scale and at a lower cost also  there's a little bit of a collector's piece vibe   going on with the Dragon not a lot of them are  made not a lot of folks will have one you get   the idea meanwhile the Sono system is the exact  opposite of all those things the Dragon is right   if the Dragon is big and brawny the Sonos is  smooth and sexy it's got Sleek lines the Sonos   Arc is low slung and intrusive the Sonos sub has  a unique look to it and is also relatively small   for a sub these things are made at scale Sonos  has been doing this a long time the Sonos system   isn't just a dedicated home entertainment system  like the Dragon is it's meant to be a whole home   audio system if you want it to be, it uses Wi-Fi, an  elegant app to keep things connected and organized   it's just a whole different vibe honestly outside  of the fact that both of these systems are   designed to make movies and music sound awesome  there really aren't that many similarities for me   they are just completely different Vibes I already  used that word but it suits what I'm trying to say   so vibes folks vibes maybe it's my slanted view  on the world but I don't see folks who love Sonos   being wooed by the Dragon likewise I don't  see many folks who want the Dragon wondering   if they should really go for the Sonos it's like  team small batch craft beer meets team top shelf   Martini I'm sure we can all get along but when  it comes to having fun and we tend to like doing   it in different ways and yet I have seen folks in  the comments wondering if they should ditch their   aging Sonos system for a Dragon or just upgrade  their Sono system so let me talk to you folks   first go ahead and listen to what I have to say  coming up but I think if you are ingrained into   Sonos system you may not realize how much you miss  it until it's gone you're used to the Sono sound   you might miss that I don't know I just I wanted  to get that out there now let's get down to some   brass tabs let's talk about setup and ongoing use  the Nakamichi Dragon requires a little bit of work   just getting it out of the box and placing each  component but from there you can be up and running   with everything sounding awesome in a matter of  minutes Nakamichi has built in a number of room   configuration presets and EQ presets for movies  music sports games most of this stuff is available   right on the remote so a few clicks and you're  enjoying the system and it will sound great right   out of the box however if you like to get into it  and tweak things then very granular controls are   also available more than when I originally tested  it in fact since I put out my review of the Dragon   Nakamichi took some of my feedback and made some  changes for instance there is now an LFE trim   option though I would love to see a boost option  as well and the speaker distance section is now   broken down from Whole feet to decimals of a foot  honestly I don't know how much of a difference   this actually makes in time alignment but I'm not  gonna lie I just like being able to be exact with   my settings so I'm glad it's there now the Sono  system makes setup pretty easy with its app but   there's no getting around the fact that it is more  involved you have to connect each speaker to Wi-Fi   each speaker needed an update this time around so  I had to wait for that before I could move on to   connecting the next speaker the whole process took  a while and it was further Complicated by nature   of the fact that I had moved it from another  location connected to a different router and   then once you get all that done you can run true  play which is Sonos tuning system that uses your   phone to optimize the levels of each channel  the end result is really good but if you're   looking to adjust individual channel levels or  customize the EQ that kind of tweaking is not as   readily available now it can be argued it isn't  really needed but just as some of us like to see   speaker distances broken down to the decimal some  of us really want to have some level of control if   you're a control freak which I totally can't late  to at all then the Sonos might not be your bag   it's more of a set it and forget it type system  which has some implications on day-to-day use as   well so let's talk about flexibility in my review  of the Sonos era 300 in which I reviewed one of   them on its own two of them as a stereo pair and  then both of them as part of a surround system   I really talked about the flexibility of being  able to use the era 300 elsewhere in the home   as part of a multi-room audio system in addition  to them being able to serve as surround speakers   they also support Bluetooth so you can use them  just about anywhere without needing to use Wi-Fi   all of that is true they can do that and that kind  of flexibility isn't something that the Dragon can   offer however as I learned through the testing I  did for this video breaking the era 300 away from   the surround system to be used on their own is  not exactly a quick process plus if they've been   tuned to work as your surround speakers then you  might want to retune them to serve independently   in their own rooms actually I would absolutely  require that personally meaning you might want   to run the true play tuning process again which  is even more time spent if you want for the air   300 to play a multi-function role in your home  frankly the era 300 are sort of overqualified   as surround speakers except for the fact that  their Atmos contributions as surround speakers   is well above anything else that Sonos makes so  I guess what I'm saying is that the notion of   flexibility doesn't play out in real life the  way it comes off conceptually I'd be inclined   to just dedicate the air 300 as surround speakers  and leave them there and that takes a little bit   away from what I thought might be an advantage for  the Sonos system over the Dragon additionally the   Sono system doesn't let you control how you play  back two channel sources what I mean is that it   is always up mixing it to a surround presentation  and I don't know about you guys but sometimes I   just want all channel stereo or make maybe even  just two channel and a sub when I'm playing Back   Stereo content specifically music that's something  that the Dragon system makes super easy you can   choose to go native and just play back through  the left and right channels of the Soundbar or   you can choose the studio setting which repurposes  the atmos channels in the Soundbar to enhance the   left and right speakers or you can go all channel  stereo or you can let It Up Mix to surround sound   in terms of how you play back your media and  control how it sounds the Dragon is just more   flexible I know that was a lot so just a recap  of where we're at so far before we get into sound   quality differences which is what I think you're  all anxiously awaiting the Dragon is big brawny   and makes no apologies for what it is you need a  custom wall mount and custom speaker stands for   the surrounds it comes with two large subwoofers  that you'll need space for it's just a loud and   proud system it's got a lot of playback and  listening options it has granule controls   it's basically the closest to an AVR and speaker  system in that regard that we've seen from a one   box home theater yet the Sonos is more of a sleek  and sexy Lifestyle System it looks really good in   modern homes and modern Decor it offers a lot of  flexibility even if it makes you work a bit for   that flexibility and while it may not offer a lot  of granular controls it does offer a headache free   experience for those who aren't as technically  inclined it's very accessible to a wide range of   folks and you don't have to be an enthusiast to  appreciate it though it can scratch the itch of   the Enthusiast crowd who would like to go bigger  but just can't for whatever reason I want to thank   the 3DMakerpro Seal 3D scanner for sponsoring this  portion of our video the Seal 3D scanner brings   the kind of precision accuracy and detail that was  previously reserved strictly for professionals to   everyone with accuracy down to 0.01 millimeters  detail resolution down to 0.05 millimeters and 24   bit color depth that supports over 16 million  colors the Seal 3D scanner can help you create   digital models of nearly any object as small  as a quarter and as large as The Shoe Box scan   household Hardware card Parts figurines anything  you can imagine the Seal 3D scanner quickly and   easily captures it and renders the scan into a cad  file or ready zit for 3D printing all in a matter   of seconds it's lightning fast user-friendly  remarkably stable super sensitive even in low   light and it's quiet and portable to boot and the  software is a snap as well 3DMakerpro has a deep   bench of accessories available for the cl3d2  like this smart grip and multi-axis turntable   the Indiegogo campaign just launched and early  bird supporters can get in on the Seal light   3D starting at 199 or the full featured steel 3D  scanner starting at 384 and going up from there   that's an unprecedented price in the 3D industry  click the link in the description to learn more   thanks again to 3DMakerpro and the Seals series 3D  scanner for sponsoring this portion of our video   now hopefully I've done a good job explaining  the difference in how these systems would work   in your everyday life and media enjoyment now  let's talk about the sound quality differences so the Sono system is extremely impressive it's  got audio processing on board that combined with   its speaker complement is able to deliver an  extremely immersive surround sound experience   and I would say possibly the best Dolby Atmos  experience available from a soundbar based system   something about how Sonos processes the incoming  Atmos signal creates Atmos effects that are wide   ranging and spacious and the blend among the  speakers is just exceptionally seamless I feel   like the overall Dolby Atmos presentation is just  a tad bit more convincing and enveloping than the   Dragon again by a small margin but I would put  the Sonos on top in that one area it's got less   speaker drivers involved but you wouldn't know  it by listening also props to the Sono sub that   subwoofer is really impressive for its size  and it looks cool too it offers bass as deep   and impactful as the Dragon system though the base  wasn't as even across the low frequency spectrum   as the Dragon system since there was just one  subwoofer involved with two Sonos Subs I think   it would be neck and neck with the Dragon in  the base department now as for audio fidelity or   general sound quality the Sono system is dazzling  it really grabs a hold of you and commands your   attention and part of its dazzling effect is that  it comes from relatively small and sleek speakers   it is very good sound and I've seen folks react  to it with disbelief in demo rooms in the same   way some folks couldn't believe Bose systems did  what they did back in the 80s and early 90s Sonos   brings the wow and I know a lot of folks who would  prefer its sound in this head-to-head match though   I personally prefer the sound of the Dragon system  and here's why the Dragon just sounds effortless   and easy compared to the Sonos system I think  this is most obvious in the treble region where   the Sonos is very sparkling and dazzling but also  so potentially fatiguing over time the Dragon is   just smoother more natural more realistic and  like I said effortless the air motion tweeters   on the Dragon have a lot to do with this but  there's something else at play and that is DSP   or Digital Signal processing to me it is pretty  clear the Sonos uses DSP to muscle its drivers   into sounding great even though those drivers are  in a less than Optical acoustic environment and   by that I'm referring to the the cabinets the  whole getting a big sound from a small package   thing requires a fair amount of DSP muscling  and while the Sonos sound is enjoyable I hear   it in stark contrast to the Dragon which does  have a lot of DSP options to be clear but the   Dragon sounds more like a component speaker  system where the cabinet drivers crossovers   they were all built to deliver great sound  quality naturally and I think that's where the   effortless aspect comes from for music listening  and by this I mean sit down pay attention Style   music listening I prefer the Dragon by a  fairly wide margin have a listen yourself the Dragon just offers better stereo separation  and more natural Fidelity and there are more   options in how you listened as I mentioned  earlier you get tons of detail and texture   but it's never too aggressive it exceeds that  low level listening as well as blow you out   of the room loud listening it's just got a ton  of Headroom and you can dial the bass in to be   just how you like it with control over how  many of the four subwoofer drivers you use   which of the four sub drivers you use and where  you place the two included subwoofer cabinets   for movies as I mentioned before the Sonos pulls  ahead just a tad in overall Atmos immersion but   only just the Dragon is actually able to pull  off a deeper sound field behind you and the   Fidelity of those movie tracks is to my taste  is superior to that of the Sonos have a listen foreign Dragon is an enthusiast's rig I mean between  the Fidelity the base control the more refined   top end and the open natural mid-range it just  delivers more aspects of audio quality that I   think audio files are looking for like I said I  just prefer the Dragon sound at the end of the   day you have to pay for it but if that next level  sound quality is what you desire and you're down   to pay for it the Dragon delivers and I found  it did a great job with Atmos effects even when   ceiling reflection wasn't possible oh and if I  had mentioned it enough already the Dragon can   just get bonkers loud without distortion it is  a notably more powerful system than the Sonos   so here's what it comes down to for me personally  here in this studio which you could consider to   be similar to a purpose-built media room in  your home the Dragon is my top pick if I was   going to put a system in my personal living room  that's when I might lean more toward the Sonos   just because it is less of a a beast but still  offers a great experience I mean I try to avoid   being reductive but the Dragon is the enthusiast  darling whereas the Sonos is more of a lifestyle   system that can more seamlessly integrate into  a decor and aesthetic conscious space Dragon for   my movie room Sonos for my living room that's  how I would roll thanks as always for watching   everyone if you wanted this video please leave  me a comment and let me know whether I got this   right for you it's really important to me and  if I left a question unanswered leave it as a   reply to the comment I'll pin at the top of this  video about half an hour after it was published   and I'll do my best to answer it the rest of you  are welcome to comment as well like subscribe   I'll see you on the next one and until then  here's two other videos I think you might like

Channel: Digital Trends

Views: 180,672

Keywords: sonos vs nakamichi, sonos vs nakamichi dragon, sonos arc vs nakamichi, nakamichi vs sonos, nakamichi dragon vs sonos, best dolby atmos soundbar, dolby atmos, nakamichi dragon, best dolby atmos soundbar 2023, nakamichi dragon 11.4.6, sonos arc, sonos surround sound system, sonos surround sound, sonos surround sound setup, sonos surround system, best dolby atmos home theater system, best dolby atmos speakers, best dolby atmos movies, nakamichi sound system, era 300 sonos

Id: sEFHT7TGc9g

Length: 18min 54sec (1134 seconds)

Published: Wed Aug 30 2023