JBL expands Summit Series with trio of high-end loudspeakers

JBL has unveiled three new high-performance loudspeakers at the HIGH END Munich 2025 show, expanding its flagship Summit Series and reaffirming its commitment to high-end audio design. Taking their names from Haimalyan peaks, the new models - Makalu, Pumori, and Ama - take the Summit Series to five loudspeakers, and build on the legacy of the brand’s renowned JBL Everest and K2 models.

Topping the new range is the JBL Summit Makalu, a full-sized 3-way floorstanding speaker designed to anchor the most demanding listening rooms. Below it in size, but not ambition, sits the Summit Pumori, another floorstander voiced for tonal accuracy and musicality. Completing the trio is the Summit Ama, a compact two-way monitor designed to deliver clarity and coherence from a smaller footprint.

Makalu is the world’s fifth-highest mountain, and the Summit Makalu aspires to similar stature. Large both in size and sonic presence, this 3-way floorstanding loudspeaker is built around a 12-inch woofer and an 8-inch midrange driver, both featuring JBL’s advanced HC4 composite cone material for stiffness and low distortion.

At the top end, the Makalu employs JBL’s patented D2 compression driver mated to an HDI (High-Definition Imaging) Sonoglass horn; this configuration is designed to maintain precision and detail even at high volumes. The cabinet is offered in deep ebony veneer and gold accents or a high-gloss piano black finish paired with platinum detailing.

According to JBL, the Makalu delivers ‘breathtaking sonic scale’ and is ideal for large-scale, emotionally immersive playback environments.
Named after Mount Pumori (often called the Daughter of Everest), the Summit Pumori is a more compact 3-way floorstanding speaker that emphasises balance, warmth, and musical realism.

It features a 10-inch woofer and the same 8-inch midrange driver as the Makalu, both constructed using HC4 cone material. The D2 compression driver and HDI horn system are also carried over, ensuring installers of consistency in imaging and tonal fidelity.

The Pumori is voiced for a natural, emotionally engaging sound signature and is designed to blend seamlessly into a home while still delivering the kind of authoritative performance expected in the upper tiers of high-fidelity audio.

At the smallest end of the new range is the Summit Ama, named after the Himalayan peak Ama Dablam. This 2-way stand-mount speaker pairs an 8-inch HC4 cone woofer with JBL’s D2 compression driver and HDI horn to deliver tight, coherent sound across the frequency spectrum. The result, according to JBL, is a loudspeaker that captures ‘the heart of the music’ in an elegantly compact form.
Ama comes bundled with matching steel and aluminium stands and is designed for discerning listeners seeking high performance in smaller or more flexible listening environments.

The heavily braced, contoured cabinets are designed to eliminate resonance and standing waves for cleaner sound reproduction, while MultiCap Crossovers have been selected for sonic transparency and minimal signal degradation. The trio come with IsoAcoustics Isolation Feet and carbon fibre and Rhodium-plated binding posts.

“With these new models, we are honouring our heritage while pushing the boundaries of sound reproduction further than ever before,” said Jim Garrett, Senior Director of Product Strategy and Planning at HARMAN Luxury Audio.

The new JBL Summit Series loudspeakers will launch globally later in 2025. Recommended retail prices (per pair) are:
JBL Summit Ama (with stands): £14,998 ($19,995 / €17,498 )
JBL Summit Pumori: £26,998 ($29,995 / €30,998 )
JBL Summit Makalu: £36,998 ($44,995 / €43,998 )