Nakamichi Dragon Lily Air Cast Speaker System Review

Reviewed by David Savage

On receiving this extremely stylish Dragon Lily Bluetooth/WiFi speaker I couldn’t wait to try it out. It is a 2.1 50w RMS speaker system all contained in one unit and looks stunning (I received it in black but it is also available in silver and red) and has Bluetooth, NFC, Wifi, USB and AUX port connections.

I was using a Samsung Galaxy tablet and phone to test it with.

Bluetooth connectivity is simple and straightforward, both devices paired with it in seconds and the sound is crisp and clear.

NFC connection is simple if you have a NFC compatible device, you just need to tap it gently on the top of the speaker in the NFC area to pair and again if you want to disconnect.

WiFi connectivity wasn’t so simple and at the point of writing this I have managed to connect to the speaker using my phone and the recommended BubbleUPnP app downloaded from the Play Store but sound still only comes from my phone and not the speaker. For this option the speaker has to be AP mode using the toggle switch on the rear of the unit. You can also connect to your home network by switching to client mode but again I still could not get any sound from the unit. So either it does not work very well in with this option or I have missed something and not set it up correctly. The user manual does give some help but is not very detailed so a novice might be put off by this option.

USB connection is to control and charge Apple iPhone, iPad and iPod but I don’t have any of these devices so could not try this function.

Once connected to my tablet by Bluetooth using the speaker is very simple either by the feather touch controls on the top of the speaker (no buttons as such) or by the handy small remote that is supplied.

Overall I am very pleased with the Dragon Lily speaker system. The sound is very crisp and clear even at high volume, it is easy control and Bluetooth and NFC connectivity is simple. The design is extremely stylish and won’t look good in any room and would definitely be a talking point.

My only criticism is with the WiFi, while by my devices could see it and say they connected at no point did I get any sound, so either I have set it up wrong in which case the user manual needs to give more detailed instructions or it just doesn’t work as well as it should.

So I would have to rate it 4 out of 5 for design, looks, simple connectivity with Bluetooth and NFC. If the WiFi was simplified or came with better instructions on how to configure (especially for novices) I would give it full marks. But as a speaker system it looks and sounds great.

Specification:
Proprietary Air Cast WiFi Audio Playback
Bluetooth With NFC
Control & Charge Apple iPhone, iPad, iPad, iPod From USB*
2.1 Digital Integrated Amplifier & Speaker System
25w x 2 + 50w RMS
3.5mm Aux Input
Feather Touch Control
Remote Control
Cable Sold Separately*

Rating: 4/5

RRP: £239.99

For more information visit www.nakamichi.co.uk.

Available to buy from Nakamichi UK Store or Amazon here.