In this review, we will be comparing Summit K2 and Hyphn, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from JBL and Monitor Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of JBL Summit K2 and Monitor Audio Hyphn first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | JBL Summit K2 | Monitor Audio Hyphn |
|---|
| Brand | JBL
United States · founded 1946 | Monitor Audio
United Kingdom · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.5" Compression Driver | MPD III (folded ribbon) |
|---|
| Midrange | 10" | 6 x 2" |
|---|
| Woofer | 15" Hybrid Carbon Cellulose Composite (HC4) | 4 x 8" RDT III |
|---|
| Frequency response | 24.6-23.5k Hz | 18-60k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 92 dB | 86 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-600 watts | 200-1600 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 108.40kg / 238.5lbs | 106.90kg / 235.2lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 50-3/8" x 25" x 18-1/16"
1280.2 x 635.3 x 458.7mm | 54-13/16" x 19-3/4" x 20-1/2"
1392.0 x 502.0 x 520.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the JBL Summit K2 and Monitor Audio Hyphn 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 |
Monitor Audio Hyphn |
| Near-field |
Are you nuts? |
Are you nuts? |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Good |
Good |
(* 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 Hyphn are 3-way speakers.
JBL Summit K2Monitor Audio Hyphn
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 |
Monitor Audio Hyphn |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.5-inch
|
-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 10-inch |
6 x 2-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 15-inch
|
4 x 8-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 Hyphn features a " MPD III (folded ribbon) Tweeter, a 2" Midrange and 4 x 8" RDT III Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 350Hz and 3700Hz.
Frequency Response
Summit K2 has a frequency range of 24.6-23.5k Hz whereas Hyphn has a frequency range of 18-60k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 18Hz, the Hyphn can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to 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
Impedance and Sensitivity
Summit K2 and Hyphn 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 Hyphn's is at 86 dB. This 6 dB difference makes the JBL Summit K2 a more sensitive speaker compared to Monitor Audio Hyphn, 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.
Hyphn can handle a max power of 800 watts RMS, whereas Summit K2 has a max power handling value of 600 watts RMS, 200 watts less than the Hyphn.
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 Hyphn features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
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 Monitor Audio Hyphn'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 Monitor Audio Hyphn has external dimensions of 1392.0 x 502.0 x 520.0mm (54-13/16 x 19-3/4 x 20-1/2inch).
JBL Summit K2 is 111.8mm shorter and 61.3mm less deeper than Monitor Audio Hyphn but it is also 133.3mm wider.
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 12% more floor or shelf area. Monitor Audio Hyphn is 61mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Monitor Audio Hyphn is 112mm 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 Monitor Audio Hyphn is approximately 2610.4cm2 / 404.6inch2. The Summit K2 requires 12% more surface area than the Hyphn 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 Monitor Audio Hyphn weighs 106.90kg / 235.2lbs. This makes the Summit K2 1% heavier than the Hyphn.
Here is a comparison of how Summit K2 and Hyphn's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
 Sensitivity |
92 dB
vs
86 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
15 inches
vs
8 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Height |
1280mm
vs
1392mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Max Input Power |
800 watts
vs
600 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Minimum Impedance |
3.5 ohms
vs
3.27 ohms
|
Very low impedance levels puts more pressure on amplifier |
|
Number of Woofers |
4
vs
1
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
18 Hz
vs
25 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
60k Hz
vs
24k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Base Surface Area |
2610cm2
vs
2914cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
99000USD
vs
99990USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
JBL Summit K2 |
Monitor Audio Hyphn |
| Brand |
JBL |
Monitor Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
25-600 watts |
200-1600 watts |
| Sensitivity |
92 dB |
86 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.27 ohms |
3.5 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
24.6-23.5k Hz |
18-60k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
4 |
| Woofer Size |
15" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
Hybrid Carbon Cellulose Composite (HC4) |
RDT III |
| Tweeter Size |
1.5" |
- |
| Tweeter Type |
Compression Driver |
MPD III (folded ribbon) |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
10" |
2" |
| Crossover Frequency |
270 Hz / 1080 Hz |
350Hz and 3700Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1280.2mm (50.4") |
1392.0mm (54.8") |
| Width |
635.3mm (25") |
502.0mm (19.8") |
| Depth |
458.7mm (18.1") |
520.0mm (20.5") |
| Weight |
108.40kg (238.5lbs) |
106.90kg (235.2lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/High gloss, veneer or satin paint |
| Available Colors |
n/a |
Pure Satin White, Heritage Green, Piano Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years |
No single best speaker here - they are built to different priorities, and the right one depends on your room, your amplifier and what you listen to.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | Monitor Audio Hyphn digs deeper - 18Hz against 25Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | A | JBL Summit K2 is more sensitive (92dB vs 86dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | B | Monitor Audio Hyphn takes more power (800W vs 600W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability | depends | JBL Summit K2: bi-amping; Monitor Audio Hyphn: bi-amping. |
| Price | evenly matched | Much the same money ($99,990 vs $99,000 a pair). |
A JBL Summit K2 B Monitor Audio Hyphn
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?
Monitor Audio Hyphn has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 25Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, JBL Summit K2 is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best.
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.