Напольная акустика — JBL Summit Makalu

The Summit Makalu is a three-way ported tower speaker in the JBL Summit Series. Launched in 2025 alongside the stand-mount Ama and the smaller Pumori, it completed the first trio of the series. In 2026 JBL added the Summit K2 with a 15 inch woofer and the Summit Everest with two 15 inch woofers above it. The Makalu costs USD 44,995 per pair.

Key specs that matter

The top section uses the D2830K compression driver with two 3 inch Teonex ring diaphragms, each with its own motor, mounted on a large-format Sonoglass HDI horn. The JMW200SC 8 inch mid-bass driver has an HC4 cone, an underhung neodymium motor, a 2.5 inch voice coil and a treated-cloth accordion surround. Bass comes from the JW300SC 12 inch woofer with a Differential Drive dual-voice-coil motor and a 3 inch voice coil. Crossover points are 285 Hz and 1,100 Hz. Sensitivity is 88 dB at 2.83 V and 1 m, and nominal impedance is 4 ohm, falling to 3.5 ohm at 79 Hz. Recommended amplifier power is 25 to 300 W RMS, and maximum output reaches 113 dB. Frequency response spans 23 Hz to 33 kHz at -6 dB and 20 Hz to 34 kHz at -10 dB. Height is 1102.3 mm, width 464.3 mm, depth 393 mm, and weight 69.2 kg.

Engineering and use context

Each driver group works in its own acoustic space. The compression driver sits in a sealed chamber, and the mid-bass unit has a separate sealed enclosure, so pressure from the woofer does not act on the cones above it. The D2830K spreads the high-frequency work across two large annular diaphragms driven by separate motors, a patented JBL arrangement. In the Differential Drive woofer, two voice coils share the motor, which increases drive force while keeping the moving mass low. All three cones are made of the HC4 carbon, pulp and foam laminate. The series MultiCap crossover combines many small capacitors in each position and uses acoustically symmetric third and fourth order slopes. The drivers are wired with silver-plated OCC copper, and there are two pairs of rhodium-plated binding posts. The curved engineered-wood cabinet has offset internal bracing and damping, two flared rear ports and carbon-fibre trim around the baffle. The cabinet stands on adjustable JBL and IsoAcoustics feet derived from GAIA Neo. Finishes are gloss black with platinum accents or ebony veneer with gold accents.

Pairing

The sensitivity is higher than that of the smaller Summit models, but the low impedance minimum in the bass calls for an amplifier with strong current delivery within the recommended power window. Separate terminals for the bass and upper sections allow bi-amping.

Alternatives

The JBL Summit Pumori is a smaller three-way design with a 10 inch woofer and the 1.5 inch D2815K compression driver.