Nakamichi Raises Dragon Soundbar Price
All Image Credit: Nakamichi
Nakamichi has announced that its Dragon 11.4.6 soundbar system will now cost $3,899.99, an increase of $400 (11%) over the original price. However, Nakamichi have agreed to honor the original asking price of $3,499.99 for the first 1000 customers who place an order when the company begins accepting pre-orders at 9 a.m. PT on August 3 2023.
The Dragon 11.4.6 soundbar is the first of its kind to offer DTS:X Pro, which supports up to 32 speakers, compared with the standard DTS:X’s 11. The system also supports Dolby Atmos and features three eARC inputs along with one output. It comprises the main 148cm (58in) soundbar, two wireless subwoofers featuring two 20cm (8in) drivers per cabinet and two Omni-Motion reference surround speakers. The system features 31 drivers in total, providing 3000W of peak power.
Nakamichi is also offering custom wall mounts for the main bar and surrounds or custom stands for the surround speakers costing $79.00, $45.00 and $399.00 respectively.
According to Nakamichi the rise in price is a result of the additional labour for the Dragon; which has more than 700 components and a 110-step assembly process across four production lines, plus the company’s stringent post-assembly inspection process. Packaging also needed to be adjusted with each unit weighing in at 63.5kg (140lb), is subject to a 30cm (12in) drop test and then has to survive 30 days out at sea while en route to the USA.
Nakamichi has issued the following statement to explain the price increase:
Nakamichi has made a significant decision regarding the pricing of DRAGON. After a thorough evaluation of our production and shipping processes, we have determined that a price increase is necessary. We will continue to honor the current preorder pricing of $3499.99 for 1000 units, while supplies last. After the 1000 units, DRAGON will be available at a new retail price of $3899.99. This pricing adjustment is implemented with the objective of addressing the challenges we are currently facing.
In recent months, we have encountered various obstacles that have impacted our production capacity. The intricate nature of DRAGON, with over 700 components and a meticulous 110-step hand assembly process across four production lines, has revealed the need for additional labor beyond our initial estimations. Furthermore, our stringent manufacturing requirements have led to a lengthier but vital post-assembly inspection process encompassing mechanical, acoustic, and functional tests. Despite optimizing our throughput to 25 systems per day, these factors have unexpectedly raised the cost of manual labor.
We have recently completely redesigned our packaging for DRAGON to ensure compliance with a 12-inch drop test. Each DRAGON unit weighs over 140 pounds, and this packaging overhaul is aimed at guaranteeing the utmost protection during transportation. Additionally, we collaborated with freight forwarders to optimize container loading, prioritizing damage prevention during the 30-day ocean voyage to the USA. This involved minimizing box stacking to prevent any potential crushing, which in turn limited the capacity of each 40ft high cube container to only 128 units. While these precautions are crucial for ensuring the safety of our products, they have resulted in significantly higher packaging and shipping expenses.
Therefore, in order to ensure the sustainability of providing DRAGON to our esteemed Nakamichi fans, we must take the necessary measures to address these challenges. The price adjustment will enable us to uphold DRAGON’s production capacity and world-class quality while providing an attractive price-to-performance ratio in the market.
We understand that price adjustments can be a sensitive matter. Rest assured that this decision was made after careful consideration and analysis of producing 500 DRAGON systems. We greatly appreciate your understanding.
Thank you for your unwavering dedication and commitment to helping us redefine expectations of plug-and-play home theater solutions.
