Nola Metro Grand Reference Gold 2 Loudspeaker Preview

In 2004 Carl and Marilyn Marchisotto founded Accent Speaker Technology Ltd. and created the Nola product line of speakers.  With speakers ranging from $1,500/pair for bookshelves to the flagship $350,000/pair Grand Reference VI Gold System speakers, the Nola brand of speakers isn’t cheap, but considering the entire line employs a number of key technologies including baffle-less dipole drivers, alnico magnets, Unison Crossover technology, and many other refinements you certainly get what you pay for.

Recently, Nola introduced us to the Nola Metro Grand Reference Gold 2 loudspeaker - which was on exhibit for the first time ever at the Los Angeles Audio Show (LAAS). The Metro Grand Reference Gold 2 is a high-end compact 3-1/2-way floorstanding loudspeaker designed for medium-sized rooms. It features a number of upgrades from the previous version such as mounting the midrange and high-frequency drivers in an open baffle which Nola claims is done to reduce enclosure colorations.

The Metro Gold Series 2 speakers have updated dual 6-1/2-inch magnesium-cone, Alnico-ring-magnet woofers that according to Nola have lowered electrical and magnetic distortion specs. In addition, Nola claims that the electrical "drag" of the driver has been lessened, enabling the new woofer to provide low-level/low frequency resolution, dynamics and transient response. Although these refinements are in the bass region, these sonic improvements should result in better dynamic response over the entire frequency range.

The Metro Gold 2's ribbon tweeter has also been upgraded with components that are now built in-house at Nola. The crossover network has been improved with parts that were not available for the original version, and Nordost silver internal wiring is now employed more extensively throughout the loudspeaker. Usage of exotic cables should come as no surprise in products of this price caliber and genre.

While the speaker has been significantly improved, the design attributes that have earned Nola Grand Reference loudspeakers worldwide acclaim have been retained in the Series 2 version. The woofers feature solid copper, gold-plated phase plugs that are said to reduce coloration and provide tighter bass with excellent definition. The ribbon tweeter delivers high-frequency response to 100 kHz which may annoy your pet but helps ensure very linear treble up to the limits of your hearing capabilities (20kHz if your young, or a bit lower with age). 

The midrange driver and tweeter are mounted in Nola’s open baffle design to reduce  unwanted enclosure "box" colorations. Additional refinements include premium high-speed polypropylene capacitors, three separate crossover boards for isolation from mechanical vibrations and more. The Metro Grand Reference Gold 2 utilizes a double-platform ball bearing isolation base to attenuate floor-borne vibrations and last but not least, the Metro Gold 2 takes up only one square foot of floor space.

Conclusion

If you're in the market for a high end speaker from Nola you can get more information on their dealers and products from their website, but be ready for a no frills, hard to navigate experience. With most of their models running from $30,000/pair on up at least we know that their money is going toward their product technology and not their website design. Of course the best way to really learn about the capabilities of this speaker system is to arrange for a demo at your local dealer.

The Nola Metro Grand Reference Gold 2 will be available in July 2017 in a Real Santos Rosewood finish with complementing black gloss bases. Black gloss and other custom finishes are available by special order. Suggested retail pricing starts at $40,000 per pair.

Share your experiences with Nola speakers in the related forum thread below and please let us know what you think if you are fortunate enough to arrange a listening demo of these beauties.

Unless otherwise indicated, this is a preview article for the featured product. A formal review may or may not follow in the future.