Amazon.com: Customer Reviews: Nakamichi SoundSpace 8.5 Home Theater System with Surround Processor, DVD/CD Player, 5 Satellite Speakers, and Dual Subwoofers
29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
Impressive in performance and design
A favorite pastime is to visit audiovideophile stores and listen to home theater set-ups. Well the prices are coming down. No longer the $15K or more set-ups. At least until I get a large plasma screen or something. I bought a mere 32" Toshiba HD TV and I realized the sound fell short of what it could be. Oddly, I saw demo'ed at Sam's Club a Nakamichi SoundSpace 8.5...
26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
Great sound, horrible durability, nightmare warranty
I bought one of these Nakamichi SS 8.5 HTS units new from an Amazon Marketplace seller. The unit arrived in good condition, and worked wonderfully right out of the box. The sound was exceptional, and the unit was relatively simple to set up.
The problems started after about 20 DVD plays (a little over two months after we purchased it). The unit was...
I bought one of these Nakamichi SS 8.5 HTS units new from an Amazon Marketplace seller. The unit arrived in good condition, and worked wonderfully right out of the box. The sound was exceptional, and the unit was relatively simple to set up.
The problems started after about 20 DVD plays (a little over two months after we purchased it). The unit was unresponsive when we tried to turn it on, and a DVD was trapped in the DVD module. When the power button was turned on, the power module would not display any message, and would only show a few lights flickering faintly. The seller told us that the warranty could only be handled by Nakamichi. Knowing Nakamichi's reputation for quality, I called their customer service number and asked for instructions.
Nakamichi instructed me to send just the 3 modules and some wiring to an authorized repair facility in New Jersey (at my expense). The shop in New Jersey took a couple of weeks to get to it, and told me that the unit was 'unrepairable', shipped it back to me, and instructed me to ship the entire unit (wiring, speakers, books, and all) to a warehouse in California run by a Nakamichi-authorized warranty company called "ESI". I packaged the entire unit up and sent it off FEDEX insured to California (again at my cost).
Several weeks went by, and I heard nothing from ESI about my warranty exchange. I used several e-mails and phone calls over the next several weeks asking for the status of the exchange, and finally got an answer from an ESI representative who told me that the unit had been damaged in shipping, and that I must file a claim with FEDEX for the damaged parts. I immediately did so, and FEDEX told me that they would send someone over to ESI's warehouse to pick up the unit and take it back to FEDEX for inspection.
By now, we had been without the unit longer than we actually had the unit running. Several more weeks passed without any word, and neither FEDEX or ESI would respond to e-mail or phone calls. I e-mailed Nakamichi for another contact at ESI, and received an e-mail stating that:
1. They claimed never to have heard of ESI, and that this was NOT an authorized warranty center.
2. They did not currently have ANY warranty claim center operating in the United States.
3. They had no further information to share with me about my warranty claim.
At this point, fearing that my expensive HTS system had vanished into a black hole, I filled out a fraud claim with my state's attorney general's office, and with the Federal Trade Commission's fraud website.
I sent copies of this paperwork and my receipts to Nakamichi, ESI, FEDEX, and the New Jersey warranty claim center.
Strangely enough, about a week later, I suddenly heard from ESI that the person I had been in contact with had been replaced by a new contact, and that FEDEX had picked up the unit and was waiting for the decision from their inspector.
The end of this nightmare came from FEDEX, who could no longer find the unit after it had been picked up, and then paid for the item in full.
So after over 7 months, dozens of e-mails and phone calls, and the loss of several hundred dollars in shipping costs, I received my money back thanks to a fluke inventory loss by FEDEX, and NOT from Nakamichi.
The Nakamichi SoundSpace 8.5 that I bought quit completely after less than three month's minimal use, and careful care. The unit was plugged into a 4-megajoule Belkin surge protector, and had been turned off after each use. So the durability of the SS 8.5 is highly suspect, and Nakamichi's warranty program is a disorganized mess.
Therefore, I strongly advise that potential buyers DO NOT BUY a Nakamichi SoundSpace 8.5 Home Theater System in particular, and avoid Nakamichi products in general. This product receives a well-deserved one star rating.
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A favorite pastime is to visit audiovideophile stores and listen to home theater set-ups. Well the prices are coming down. No longer the $15K or more set-ups. At least until I get a large plasma screen or something. I bought a mere 32" Toshiba HD TV and I realized the sound fell short of what it could be. Oddly, I saw demo'ed at Sam's Club a Nakamichi SoundSpace 8.5 speaker system (with A-V receiver-DVD player). The whole set-up was totally impressive. When the price dropped further, I couldn't resist.
This system is now set-up with 5 satellite speakers and TWO sub-woofers plus the electronics. This have been beautifully designed components (and compact). I don't think I could enjoy the sound any more in a theater -- I know I wouldn't. The only thing now lacking is a huge screen. The sound and spaciousness of 5.1 audio is impressive. I've listened to "Return of the King", "Kill Bill, Vol. 1", and "Terminator 3". The exploitation of the dimensionalty is simply awesome. The sharpness of the sound is impressive. I just finished adjusting the system for time delays based on positions of the speakers (manual is very clear and straight-forward) and even my ears heard (and felt) improvements. I found that my old DVDs had new life and interest. It's difficult to tell whether it is the sound alone, or the quality of the DVD player that is part of SS8.5 that made such a difference.
I do not have perfect pitch or especially good ears, but the experience of this system is remarkable. My family has been wowed by the set-up. Sounds on the discs are momentarily mistaken for real sounds in the room. In "Kill Bill", breaking glass sounds like real breaking glass. Together with the increasing cable offerings available in HDTV, many new choices are appearing. These do not have the impact of the DVDs that I've played, but nevertheless well executed.
I am one VERY satisfied Nakamichi customer.
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Nakamichi 8 1/2 will be for some time (depending on the course of its price and competitors) the happy compromise for those who want a combo consisting of: (1) decent DVD player (2) good CD/FM tuner/MD amp audio solution, (3) HIFI audio, and (4) at about the right price.
It's only a decent DVD player for it lacks the newest/greatest (digital) connectivity, thus inherent limitations of S-Video, etc.
Great audio solution for its low harmonic distortion (0.04%, as in some high end cans like Sennheiser, and it shows!). A little more detail on the audio fidelity: It is achieved by breaking the whole thing into 3 separate units + 2 sub-woofers + 5 satellite speakers. Each sub-woofer has a couple of satellites connected to, and DRIVEN by, it. The first unit is the disc player. The second unit drives the central satellite speaker. The third unit is the AM/FM tuner and connects to most everything else (btw, the FM tuner's reception is average). Make sure you check out the Dolby Pro-Logic II setting even for your typical 2-channel stereo sources! Connected headphones are served well--with a headphone amp by the disc unit or directly by the AM/FM tuner unit. Pumping only as much as 20Watts worth of power per speaker makes this solution less than great for the typical audiophile.
Beyond and above the price tag or this configuration, the rich wire-connectivity, and especially the lack of support for newer audio/video data formats make Nakamichi 8 1/2 a borderline solution for a special mix of customers--not exactly "mainstream" one might say.
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Overall the system is okay at best. I wish there was a rating between 3 and 4 stars. Nakamichi has great design and high fidelity sound, but this system is 4 years old now and does not have the latest technology. This is especially evident with the DVD player. I have a 50" LCD television, and I get better picture quality with a cheap DVD player than I do with one included on the SoundSpace 8.5. For $150 more you can get a system with equally great sound (maybe not the best design) and HDMI connectivity. Also, beware of the Amazon vendor you purchase it from. The one I purchased it from provided me with a refurbished product, not new as promised.
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I had been looking for a small theatre system when I happened upon this unit...I could not pass it up and I knew it would sound great but the reality is even better than I had hoped...it sounds so good my mother just sits and listens...she has never done anything like that...if you want a nice system that does not take up much space and you don't need tons of volumn...this is the ideal unit.
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