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HARMAN Luxury Audio Group today announced the world debut of the all-new JBL Summit Everest and JBL Summit K2, the next generation of two of the most revered loudspeakers in audio history. Unveiling at HIGH END Vienna 2026 in celebration of JBL’s 80th anniversary, the two new flagship models join Summit Makalu, Summit Pumori, and Summit Ama to complete a five-model series that represents the most technically accomplished loudspeakers JBL has ever created for residential applications. The Summit Series stands as only the fifth “Project” loudspeaker family in JBL’s eight-decade history, a designation reserved for the brand’s most exacting expressions of acoustic engineering.
“For 80 years, JBL has been defined by an uncompromising pursuit of acoustic excellence, and the Project loudspeakers have always represented the absolute summit of that pursuit,” said David Tovissi, Vice President & GM, HARMAN Luxury Audio. “With Summit Everest and Summit K2, we are honoring four generations of legendary engineering while introducing technologies that move the state of the art forward. These are reference loudspeakers built for listeners who refuse to compromise and who recognize what it means to own the very best.”
A Legacy Reserved for the Very Few
Since 1954, only a select few JBL loudspeakers have ever carried the “Project” designation, beginning with Project Hartsfield, followed by Project Paragon, Project Everest, and Project K2. Each represented a definitive moment in acoustic engineering, introduced only when meaningful advances in transducer, enclosure, and system design made a genuine step forward in performance possible. For nearly four decades, Project Everest and Project K2 have stood as both a technological statement and a reference point for JBL acoustic design, with each successive generation introducing measurable advances in sonic accuracy, dynamic capability, and materials science. The all-new Summit Everest and Summit K2 carry that rarefied lineage forward, integrating patented and proprietary technologies developed at JBL’s renowned Acoustic Center of Excellence in Northridge, California.
 Summit Everest: The Pinnacle of the Pinnacle
Named for the world’s highest mountain, Summit Everest is the flagship expression of the Summit Series and the successor to four generations of Project Everest loudspeakers spanning more than 40 years. At its core is a newly engineered mid/high-frequency system that combines the output of three patented JBL D2820 2-inch dual-diaphragm, dual-motor compression drivers with a custom-designed, patent-pending 3-into-1 expansion manifold, seamlessly mated to a custom large-format Sonoglass® High-Definition Imaging (HDI™) horn. Anchoring its sonic foundation are dual 10-inch cast-frame Differential Drive mid-bass drivers and dual 15-inch cast-frame Differential Drive woofers, each utilizing JBL’s triple-layer Hybrid Carbon Cellulose Composite Cone (HC4) for the stiffness, low distortion, and exceptional power handling that define a true reference design. The result is a 3.5-way floor-standing loudspeaker that delivers extraordinary resolution, dynamic authority, tonal precision, and spatial realism across a bandwidth extending from 20 Hz to beyond 23 kHz.
Summit K2: The Legend Reborn
Inspired by the world’s second highest and most legendary peak, Summit K2 is JBL’s most accomplished 15-inch 3-way floor-standing loudspeaker, built upon the legacy of four generations of Project K2 development. It features a newly engineered mid/high-frequency system pairing three patented D2815 1.5-inch dual-diaphragm, dual-motor compression drivers with a custom-designed, patent-pending 3-into-1 expansion manifold and large-format Sonoglass® HDI™ horn. A 10-inch cast-frame Differential Drive mid-bass driver and a 15-inch cast-frame Differential Drive woofer - both featuring HC4 cones - anchor the sonic foundation, delivering the dynamic precision and emotional immediacy that have defined K2 since its 1989 debut. The result is a reference loudspeaker that brings K2’s signature musicality forward with measurable advances in resolution, transparency, and tonal accuracy.
Engineered to the Summit Standard
Both Summit Everest and Summit K2 incorporate the full suite of advanced technologies that define the Summit Series. An advanced MultiCap™ crossover network, supporting single-wire, bi-amp/bi-wire, and tri-amp/tri-wire connectivity, replaces traditional large capacitors with a greater number of smaller capacitors, reducing electrostatic resistance and minimizing energy loss for greater signal transfer, increased power handling, and ultra-low distortion. Each loudspeaker is housed in a meticulously engineered enclosure featuring internally offset, multi-braced, and damped pre-stressed pressed curved-wall construction designed to minimize internal standing waves. Custom-designed JBL | IsoAcoustic® isolation feet decouple the loudspeaker from the supporting surface, contributing to tighter bass performance, a more expansive soundstage, and imaging defined by greater clarity and spatial precision.
Crafted to Be Seen and Heard
Summit Everest and Summit K2 are offered in a choice of high-gloss painted black with Summit Platinum accents or high-gloss Macassar Ebony wood veneer with Summit Gold detailing. Rhodium-plated binding posts wrapped in carbon fiber, Ohno-Continuous-Cast (OCC) long-crystal oxygen-free silver-plated copper internal wiring, and sustainably sourced engineered wood cabinetry reflect JBL’s commitment to materials and execution at every level. Like the legendary peaks that inspired their names, Summit Everest and Summit K2 embody the summit of performance for discerning listeners who value both emotional immediacy and engineering rigor.
The JBL Summit Everest and JBL Summit K2 will be globally available later in 2026 through authorized JBL Summit retailers and partners.
MSRPs:
- Everest: 159,990 USD/ 159,998 EUR/ 139,998 GBP (per pair)
- K2: 99,990 USD/ 84,998 EUR/ 71,998 GBP (per pair)
- Makalu: 45,000 USD/ 43,998 EUR/ 36,998 GBP (per pair)
- Pumori: 30,000 USD/ 30,998 EUR/ 26,998 GBP (per pair)
- Ama: 20,000 USD/ 17,498 EUR/ 14,995 GBP (per pair incl. stands)
To learn more and explore the JBL Summit Series, visit https://www.jbl.com/summit-series.
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