In this review, we will be comparing Summit Makalu and Summit Pumori, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by JBL.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of JBL Summit Makalu and JBL Summit Pumori first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | JBL Summit Makalu | JBL Summit Pumori |
|---|
| Brand | JBL
United States · founded 1946 | JBL
United States · founded 1946 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 3" Compression Driver | 1.5" Compression Driver |
|---|
| Midrange | 8" | 8" |
|---|
| Woofer | 12" Hybrid Carbon Cellulose Composite (HC4) | 10" Hybrid Carbon Cellulose Composite (HC4) |
|---|
| Frequency response | 23-33k Hz | 30-32k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 87 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-300 watts | 25-250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 69.20kg / 152.2lbs | 63.90kg / 140.6lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 43-3/8" x 18-1/4" x 15-1/2"
1102.3 x 464.3 x 393.0mm | 41-5/8" x 15-1/2" x 14-11/16"
1056.5 x 393.3 x 373.0mm |
|---|
Summit Makalu and Summit Pumori 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 Makalu and JBL Summit Pumori 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 Makalu |
JBL Summit Pumori |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
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 Makalu and Summit Pumori are 3-way speakers.
JBL Summit MakaluJBL Summit Pumori
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 Makalu |
JBL Summit Pumori |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
3-inch
|
1.5-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 8-inch |
1 x 8-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 12-inch
|
1 x 10-inch
|
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. On the other hand, the Summit Pumori features a 1.5" Teonex Compression Driver Tweeter, a 8" Midrange and 1 x 10" Hybrid Carbon Cellulose Composite (HC4) Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 285 Hz / 1250 Hz.
Frequency Response
Summit Makalu has a frequency range of 23-33k Hz whereas Summit Pumori has a frequency range of 30-32k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 23Hz, the Summit Makalu can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Summit Pumori's min frequency of 30Hz.
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 Makalu and Summit Pumori have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Summit Makalu sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the Summit Pumori's is at 87 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the JBL Summit Makalu a more sensitive speaker compared to JBL Summit Pumori, 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 Makalu and the Summit Makalu 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 Makalu can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas Summit Pumori has a max power handling value of 250 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the Summit Makalu.
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 Makalu and Summit Pumori features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Summit Makalu and Summit Pumori 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 Makalu's and JBL Summit Pumori's external dimensions. 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) whereas JBL Summit Pumori has external dimensions of 1056.5 x 393.3 x 373.0mm (41-5/8 x 15-1/2 x 14-11/16inch).
JBL Summit Makalu is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 71mm wider, 45.8mm taller and 20mm deeper than JBL Summit Pumori.
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 Makalu needs about 24% more floor or shelf area. JBL Summit Makalu is 20mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. JBL Summit Makalu is 46mm 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 Makalu is approximately 1824.7cm2 / 282.8inch2 and base area of the JBL Summit Pumori is approximately 1467.0cm2 / 227.4inch2. The Summit Makalu requires 24% more surface area than the Summit Pumori 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 Makalu weighs 69.20kg / 152.2lbs and the JBL Summit Pumori weighs 63.90kg / 140.6lbs. This makes the Summit Makalu 8% heavier than the Summit Pumori.
Here is a comparison of how Summit Makalu and Summit Pumori's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
 Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
250 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
88 dB
vs
87 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Minimum Impedance |
3.5 ohms
vs
3.2 ohms
|
Very low impedance levels puts more pressure on amplifier |
 Woofer Size |
12 inches
vs
10 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
23 Hz
vs
30 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
33k Hz
vs
32k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
1056mm
vs
1102mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1467cm2
vs
1824cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
29995USD
vs
44995USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
JBL Summit Makalu |
JBL Summit Pumori |
| Brand |
JBL |
JBL |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
25-300 watts |
25-250 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
87 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.5 ohms |
3.2 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
23-33k Hz |
30-32k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
12" |
10" |
| Woofer Composition |
Hybrid Carbon Cellulose Composite (HC4) |
Hybrid Carbon Cellulose Composite (HC4) |
| Tweeter Size |
3" |
1.5" |
| Tweeter Type |
Compression Driver |
Compression Driver |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
8" |
8" |
| Crossover Frequency |
285 Hz / 1100 Hz |
285 Hz / 1250 Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1102.3mm (43.4") |
1056.5mm (41.6") |
| Width |
464.3mm (18.3") |
393.3mm (15.5") |
| Depth |
393.0mm (15.5") |
373.0mm (14.7") |
| Weight |
69.20kg (152.2lbs) |
63.90kg (140.6lbs) |
| 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 | A | JBL Summit Makalu digs deeper - 23Hz against 30Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (88dB vs 87dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (300W vs 250W). |
| Size | depends | JBL Summit Pumori is easier to place; JBL Summit Makalu is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | JBL Summit Makalu: bi-amping; JBL Summit Pumori: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | JBL Summit Pumori is cheaper - $29,995 against $44,995, about 33% less. |
A JBL Summit Makalu B JBL Summit Pumori
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?
JBL Summit Makalu is ahead, but only on 1 of the measured areas, and it costs about 50% more. That is a lot of money for a narrow margin on paper - JBL Summit Pumori looks like the sensible buy unless something else about the JBL Summit Makalu appeals to you. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 30Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper JBL Summit Pumori much easier to justify. Think about the whole system, not just the speakers: the roughly $15,000 saved by taking the cheaper pair would buy a subwoofer or a better amplifier, and either usually does more for the sound than the difference between these two.
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.