Sonos Beam vs Nakamichi Shockwafe Pro 7.1

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Votes 2 2
Rating 5 5

Beam vs Shockwafe Pro 7.1 comparison chart

Overall
Sonos Beam
6
Nakamichi Shockwafe Pro 7.1
7.8
8
4
Multichannel surround
4
10

Sonos Beam vs Nakamichi Shockwafe Pro 7.1 review

Sonos Beam
vs
Nakamichi Shockwafe Pro 7.1

Comparison of Sonos Beam and Nakamichi Shockwafe Pro 7.1 will allow us to get comprehensive information about the features of these two devices. And as a result of the comparison, it becomes clear that Beam is inferior in all characteristics to Shockwafe Pro 7.1. According to the results of our comparison, Beam received 6 points out of 10 possible, and Shockwafe Pro 7.1 was rated 7.8 points.

Advantages Sonos Beam over Nakamichi Shockwafe Pro 7.1

  • Wireless connection via Wi-Fi
  • Voice control supports
  • App for remote control
  • Built-in microphone

Advantages Nakamichi Shockwafe Pro 7.1 over Sonos Beam

  • Comes with 2 separate speakers
  • Separate subwoofer provided
  • Available the Apple Music service
  • Available the Amazon Music service
  • Stream music with Spotify
  • Supports object-oriented sound with Dolby Atmos technology
  • Surround sound with DTS:X support
  • Supports external media connection via USB
  • HDMI ARC supports

Audio features

The Beam is rated 6 of 10 against 8 for the Shockwafe Pro 7.1 according to the audio features rating.

Beam
6
Shockwafe Pro 7.1
8

It worth understanding the difference between the two types of amplification: a passive soundbar does not have its own amplifier and receives amplification from the signal source, while an active soundbar has a built-in amplifier. The same active type of amplification is used in the Beam and the Shockwafe Pro 7.1.

There are stereo soundbars and multichannel ones. It is with the help of multichannel devices that you can get volumetric sound. It is worth noting one of the main differences, the Beam has 3.0 channels, while the Shockwafe Pro 7.1 has 7.1.4 channels.

Beam Shockwafe Pro 7.1
Built-in channels3.07.1.4
Amplification typeactiveactive
Output power, WN/A600 (overall)
Separate speaker (in package)02
Separate speaker connectionswirelesswired

Subwoofers

Soundbars can have a built-in or external subwoofer. The first type is inseparable from the soundbar body, but for the second, you can choose a good location for deep bass. The Shockwafe Pro 7.1 comes with an external subwoofer. Competitors support wireless connection to a separate external subwoofer.

Beam Shockwafe Pro 7.1
Built-in subwoofer
Separate subwoofer (in package)
Separate subwoofer connectionswirelesswireless

Multichannel surround

Unlike stereo, when reproducing multichannel sound, each specific direction of sound corresponds to its dedicated channel with a separate independent loudspeaker, which creates a three-dimensional sound stage. The Beam received rating 4 out of 10 for multichannel audio processing, but the Shockwafe Pro 7.1, in the same category, earned 10 out of 10 points.

Beam
4
Shockwafe Pro 7.1
10

The peculiarity of Dolby Atmos is that this format is object-oriented, that is, each object of the audio signal is sounded separately and linked to its spatial location. Dolby Atmos surround sound support is implemented only in Nakamichi Shockwafe Pro 7.1.

DTS:X is an algorithm for processing sound scenes by the processor, linking directly to objects, rather than channels, and calculating the optimal distribution of sound output in a room. The manufacturer has implemented DTS:X technology only in Shockwafe Pro 7.1.

Beam Shockwafe Pro 7.1
Dolby Atmos
Dolby (other)Dolby DigitalDolby Digital, Dolby Digital, Dolby TruHD
DTS:X
DTS (other)has notDTS Digital Surround, DTS HD

Streaming services

The possibility to listen online to millions of songs from one device has become a reality thanks to streaming services. For the ability to work with streaming services, the Beam received 6 points, and the Shockwafe Pro 7.1 - 9 on a 10-point scale.

Beam
6
Shockwafe Pro 7.1
9

The popular Spotify service is available on the Shockwafe Pro 7.1.

Beam Shockwafe Pro 7.1
Apple Music (AirPlay)AirPlay 2
Amazon Music
Spotify
Other streaming servicesPandora, Tuneln, ChromecastPandora, SoundCloud

Connectivity

The existence of a sufficient number of current connectors significantly expands the functionality of the device. For example, only through HDMI is it possible to implement the transfer of object-oriented formats, and the presence of a Bluetooth connection will allow remote control, etc. The devices received different ratings for connectivity: Sonos Beam was rated 6 out of 10, and Nakamichi Shockwafe Pro 7.1 was rated 8 out of 10.

Beam
6
Shockwafe Pro 7.1
8

The presence of Wi-Fi in the soundbar allows you to get rid of wires when connected to a sound source and get minimal audio latency when playing content from streaming services. Wireless connection via Wi-Fi is possible on the Beam.

Bluetooth connection is now one of the main communication protocols for speaker systems, which provides excellent quality and minimal audio latency. The availability of Bluetooth protocol, we can see in both models. The Beam has 1/0 HDMI inputs/outputs, but the Shockwafe Pro 7.1 got 3/1 HDMI inputs/outputs from the manufacturer.

HDMI ARC is a very usefull technology that creates a two-way communication channel between a TV and another device. This is convenient since there is no need to use optical and other cables in the system. HDMI ARC is a feature unique to Nakamichi Shockwafe Pro 7.1.

Beam Shockwafe Pro 7.1
WI-FI
Bluetooth
Ethernet (RJ45)10
NFC
HDMI input/output1/03/1
HDMI ARC
HDMI eARC
HDMI CEC
Optical digital input/output1/01/0
USB1 (USB 2.0)
Coaxial digital input/output0/01/0
Analog audio input/output (RCA)0/01/0
Headphone output00
Subwoofer output00

Features

Voice control is designed to make operating the device more convenient. This allows you to control basic soundbar functions from anywhere in the room.

Proprietary applications allow you to control your soundbars remotely. This is possible both via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. The Beam has its own remote control application. Only Sonos Beam has a built-in microphone.

Some soundbars can be part of a multi-room system and it is an affordable solution for sounding the whole house. However, it is impossible to create a multiroom system based on each of these soundbars.

Beam Shockwafe Pro 7.1
Voice controlAmazon Alexa, Google Assistant
App control
Microphone
Remote control
Multi-room

Dimensions

Beam Shockwafe Pro 7.1
Size (Wx H x D), cm/in65 x 6.8x 10/25.6 x 2.7 x 3.9114.3 x 7.6 x 7.6/45.5 x 3 x 3.5
Weight, kg/pounds2.8/6.23.1/7.2
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