In this review, we will be comparing Summit K2 and Summit Makalu, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by JBL.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of JBL Summit K2 and JBL Summit Makalu first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | JBL Summit K2 | JBL Summit Makalu |
|---|
| Brand | JBL
United States · founded 1946 | JBL
United States · founded 1946 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.5" Compression Driver | 3" Compression Driver |
|---|
| Midrange | 10" | 8" |
|---|
| Woofer | 15" Hybrid Carbon Cellulose Composite (HC4) | 12" Hybrid Carbon Cellulose Composite (HC4) |
|---|
| Frequency response | 24.6-23.5k Hz | 23-33k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 92 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-600 watts | 25-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 108.40kg / 238.5lbs | 69.20kg / 152.2lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 50-3/8" x 25" x 18-1/16"
1280.2 x 635.3 x 458.7mm | 43-3/8" x 18-1/4" x 15-1/2"
1102.3 x 464.3 x 393.0mm |
|---|
Summit K2 and Summit Makalu are members of JBL's Summit series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
JBL Summit Series
History
What size room are the JBL Summit K2 and JBL Summit Makalu speakers good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision
factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size
and max power parameters:
| Listening Environment* |
JBL Summit K2 |
JBL Summit Makalu |
| Near-field |
Are you nuts? |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Good |
Average |
(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2,
Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: >
400 sq. ft / 36 m2.
Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual
listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening
position, speaker locations, etc.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
Both Summit K2 and Summit Makalu are 3-way speakers.
JBL Summit K2JBL Summit Makalu
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
JBL Summit K2 |
JBL Summit Makalu |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.5-inch
|
3-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 10-inch |
1 x 8-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 15-inch
|
1 x 12-inch
|
Summit K2 features a 1.5" Teonex Compression Driver Tweeter, a 10" Midrange and 1 x 15" Hybrid Carbon Cellulose Composite (HC4) Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 270 Hz / 1080 Hz. On the other hand, the Summit Makalu features a 3" Teonex Compression Driver Tweeter, a 8" Midrange and 1 x 12" Hybrid Carbon Cellulose Composite (HC4) Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 285 Hz / 1100 Hz.
Frequency Response
Summit K2 has a frequency range of 24.6-23.5k Hz whereas Summit Makalu has a frequency range of 23-33k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 23Hz, the Summit Makalu can go slightly deeper then the Summit K2's min frequency of 25Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
Summit K2 and Summit Makalu have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Summit K2 sensitivity is rated at 92 dB and the Summit Makalu's is at 88 dB. This 4 dB difference makes the JBL Summit K2 a more sensitive speaker compared to JBL Summit Makalu, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
One thing to keep in mind that the lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit comared to higher impedance speakers especially at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Summit K2 and the Summit K2 can provide this impedance level.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
Summit K2 can handle a max power of 600 watts RMS, whereas Summit Makalu has a max power handling value of 300 watts RMS, 300 watts less than the Summit K2.
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier - change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both Summit K2 and Summit Makalu features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Summit K2 and Summit Makalu have rear firing ports. Rear ported speakers generally need more room between the backside of the speaker and the wall compared to sealed and front/bottom ported speakers. Placing the speakers too close to the walls may cause the bass to sound boomy.
If you are limited in space and can't get the speakers away from the backwall, check our Speakers with Front Firing Ports page.
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare JBL Summit K2's and JBL Summit Makalu's external dimensions. JBL Summit K2 has external dimensions of 1280.2 x 635.3 x 458.7mm (50-3/8 x 25 x 18-1/16inch) whereas JBL Summit Makalu has external dimensions of 1102.3 x 464.3 x 393.0mm (43-3/8 x 18-1/4 x 15-1/2inch).
JBL Summit K2 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 171mm wider, 177.9mm taller and 65.7mm deeper than JBL Summit Makalu.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
JBL Summit K2 needs about 60% more floor or shelf area. JBL Summit K2 is 66mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. JBL Summit K2 is 178mm taller.
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the JBL Summit K2 is approximately 2914.1cm2 / 451.7inch2 and base area of the JBL Summit Makalu is approximately 1824.7cm2 / 282.8inch2. The Summit K2 requires 60% more surface area than the Summit Makalu which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The JBL Summit K2 weighs 108.40kg / 238.5lbs and the JBL Summit Makalu weighs 69.20kg / 152.2lbs. This makes the Summit K2 57% heavier than the Summit Makalu.
Here is a comparison of how Summit K2 and Summit Makalu's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
 Max Input Power |
600 watts
vs
300 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
92 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
15 inches
vs
12 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Minimum Impedance |
3.5 ohms
vs
3.27 ohms
|
Very low impedance levels puts more pressure on amplifier |
|
Low Frequency Response |
23 Hz
vs
25 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
33k Hz
vs
24k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
1102mm
vs
1280mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1824cm2
vs
2914cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
44995USD
vs
99990USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
JBL Summit K2 |
JBL Summit Makalu |
| Brand |
JBL |
JBL |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
25-600 watts |
25-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
92 dB |
88 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.27 ohms |
3.5 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
24.6-23.5k Hz |
23-33k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
15" |
12" |
| Woofer Composition |
Hybrid Carbon Cellulose Composite (HC4) |
Hybrid Carbon Cellulose Composite (HC4) |
| Tweeter Size |
1.5" |
3" |
| Tweeter Type |
Compression Driver |
Compression Driver |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
10" |
8" |
| Crossover Frequency |
270 Hz / 1080 Hz |
285 Hz / 1100 Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1280.2mm (50.4") |
1102.3mm (43.4") |
| Width |
635.3mm (25") |
464.3mm (18.3") |
| Depth |
458.7mm (18.1") |
393.0mm (15.5") |
| Weight |
108.40kg (238.5lbs) |
69.20kg (152.2lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
|
| Labor Warranty |
|
|
Siblings in JBL's Summit series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | evenly matched | Much the same reach (25Hz vs 23Hz). |
| Amplifier needs | A | JBL Summit K2 is more sensitive (92dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | A | JBL Summit K2 takes more power (600W vs 300W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | JBL Summit Makalu is easier to place; JBL Summit K2 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | JBL Summit K2: bi-amping; JBL Summit Makalu: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | JBL Summit Makalu is cheaper - $44,995 against $99,990, about 55% less; arguably a different class. |
A JBL Summit K2 B JBL Summit Makalu
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
The usual trade-off: JBL Summit K2 measures better, JBL Summit Makalu costs about about 122% more% less. Whether that gap is worth the money is the call only you can make - and in a normal room it is often smaller than the numbers suggest. Match it to your room: we rate JBL Summit K2 the better fit for a very large room; elsewhere the two are rated the same. In a large or open-plan room, JBL Summit K2 has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, JBL Summit Makalu is the easier speaker to get right.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.