PMG Audio Apx In-Ear Monitors

[VSG]

PMG Audio is a new IEM brand from the talented team behind Custom Art. It debuts with a big bang in the form of the Apx, a true TOTL set using a clever driver configuration paired with good engineering and a novel one-of-a-kind design to offer an engaging and highly detailed sound signature.

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[Chrispy_]

Uh, forgive me for skipping to the conclusion (I do this first to see what the price is), but this seems to be a review of a (exclusively-priced) product that you can cannot buy. All 25 units have already been sold?

Who is this review for, exactly? With expensive art or a million-dollar hypercar, a review has at least has some use for future users buying them at auction or whatever. I don't think there's much of a market for used earbuds that have been jammed into someone else's ear, covered in their ear wax and skin oils...

 

[VSG]

Uh, forgive me for skipping to the conclusion (I do this first to see what the price is), but this seems to be a review of a (exclusively-priced) product that you can cannot buy. All 25 units have already been sold?

Who is this review for, exactly? With expensive art or a million-dollar hypercar, a review has at least has some use for future users buying them at auction or whatever. I don't think there's much of a market for used earbuds that have been jammed into someone else's ear, covered in their ear wax and skin oils...

There should not be any ear wax or skin oils on the IEMs, that's what the ear tips are for. Also, as I mentioned, I had to delay this review for reasons beyond my control. Finally, this is a precursor for an upcoming release that should be very similar to the Apx.

 

[Courier 6]

6500 dineros??? didn´t know they could be so expensive, just fro professionals probably, ufff

 

[xorbe]

When your ear buds go through the washing machine:

 

[Dr. Dro]

These sound sick! Can't wait until these advancements in IEM technology trickle down to us mortals

 

[Courier 6]

and the waranty is kinda low for that price, just two years, and be able to service/maintain

 

[Bwaze]

So an ofshoot of an already small and obscure IEM maker makes a "best headphone ever" with the price of a used car, which due to specifics of really small volume of ear canal can't really be objectively measured, so we end up with "trust me bro" impression, and praises on how exactly left headphone maches the right one.

But I guess that's what makes this hobby so interesting and hard to quantify...

 

[G777]

Wait, the regular version of the Storm is going to cost more than the launch edition?

 

[VSG]

Wait, the regular version of the Storm is going to cost more than the launch edition?

Yes, expected to be $6k or higher.

 

[Chrispy_]

Yes, expected to be $6k or higher.

I'm not arguing with the price, Audiophile stuff can cost far more than this - I just know it's not for me!

I'm mid-40s and my hearing age is about where it should be for my age, yet I'm already unable to hear the nuances I used to from a set of 15-year-old high-end Sennheisers. I'm perfectly happy to get 95% of the performance for 5% of the price of this extreme flagship, super-premium, ultra-audiophile gear.

 

[VSG]

I'm not arguing with the price, Audiophile stuff can cost far more than this - I just know it's not for me!

I'm mid-40s and my hearing age is about where it should be for my age, yet I'm already unable to hear the nuances I used to from a set of 15-year-old high-end Sennheisers. I'm perfectly happy to get 95% of the performance for 5% of the price of this extreme flagship, super-premium, ultra-audiophile gear.

Yeah of course, it's beyond the purchasing means of most people. That's also why these are made as a limited edition to attract those who not only can afford it, but also want to buy it.

 

[Nathaaab]

Always impressing how many drivers they manage to cram in those tiny shells, i'd love to see a teardown of those but considering the price I doubt that's ever happening

 

[G777]

Uh, forgive me for skipping to the conclusion (I do this first to see what the price is), but this seems to be a review of a (exclusively-priced) product that you can cannot buy. All 25 units have already been sold?

Who is this review for, exactly? With expensive art or a million-dollar hypercar, a review has at least has some use for future users buying them at auction or whatever. I don't think there's much of a market for used earbuds that have been jammed into someone else's ear, covered in their ear wax and skin oils...

Plenty of high-end IEMs and headphones (including ones more expensive than these) being sold on places like Head-fi, so there is a market.

 

[Chrispy_]

Plenty of high-end IEMs and headphones (including ones more expensive than these) being sold on places like Head-fi, so there is a market.

Oh, I know there's a market - that wasn't my point.
My point was that it was a review of a 100% unattainable product, only 25 made, all 25 already sold. You cannot buy these if you want to.
If you read the rest of the discussion chain you'll see that @VSG is going to be reviewing some very similar IEMs soon that are based off the design of these - that's the only real relevance now.

 

[Endymio]

I'm not arguing with the price, Audiophile stuff can cost far more than this - I just know it's not for me!

I'm mid-40s and my hearing age is about where it should be for my age, yet I'm already unable to hear the nuances I used to from a set of 15-year-old high-end Sennheisers.

It's not for anyone, really TBH. I once spent $7K on an audiophile system (about $15K in today's dollars) and was surprised to find that neither myself nor anyone else I played it for could detect any difference. It sure looked impressive sitting in the living room though.

 

[Chrispy_]

It's not for anyone, really TBH. I once spent $7K on an audiophile system (about $15K in today's dollars) and was surprised to find that neither myself nor anyone else I played it for could detect any difference. It sure looked impressive sitting in the living room though.

As I said earlier, my hearing has lost the ability to discern much difference between decent cheap headphones (Koss Pro4/Grado SR80) and a pair of modest (by audiophile standards) $500 Sennheiser HD800s.

You're definitely into the realm of diminishing returns even at 1/10th the cost of these, but sound quality is only a part of the price - it's art, exclusivity, brand prestige, and a preference for the particular frequency response they've tuned it to.

 

[ViperXZ]

If you want a set you are going to use every day for years to come and find thousands of hours of enjoyment from, then it is perhaps even a valuable asset amortized over the time used.

I think this is highly unlikely, maybe if you treat them extremely cautiously, which is uncommon. So extremely cautiously always at home, otherwise, especially with such an extremely complex headphone, the likeliness of it breaking, or one of its many drivers breaking, is very high. That’s a take on my side, nothing more, mind you and I’m free to other opinions if people who know more about IEMs than me, think I’m wrong. But if I’m right, this can only pay off for people who don’t mind the money and also don’t mind too much breaking them, cause IEMs usually break pretty fast, especially with very high usage mentioned by the author. I would guess a lot of people who can afford these wouldn’t use them that much, maybe even not much at all, and thus retain its value and maybe even see its value go higher because of the limited set produced, but this is only a guess on my side.

 

[VSG]

I think this is highly unlikely, maybe if you treat them extremely cautiously, which is uncommon. So extremely cautiously always at home, otherwise, especially with such an extremely complex headphone, the likeliness of it breaking, or one of its many drivers breaking, is very high. That’s a take on my side, nothing more, mind you and I’m free to other opinions if people who know more about IEMs than me, think I’m wrong. But if I’m right, this can only pay off for people who don’t mind the money and also don’t mind too much breaking them, cause IEMs usually break pretty fast, especially with very high usage mentioned by the author. I would guess a lot of people who can afford these wouldn’t use them that much, maybe even not much at all, and thus retain its value and maybe even see its value go higher because of the limited set produced, but this is only a guess on my side.

I mean, just years of history shows IEMs don't actually break pretty fast.

 

[ViperXZ]

I mean, just years of history shows IEMs don't actually break pretty fast.

You're speaking about expensive IEM's or in general? My personal experience with IEM's is they are good for a few years and then break. Just recently my CA Melomania broke (right IEM has way lower sound strength). And then countless cheap ones, well...

Honestly I'd be really surprised if small things, and then on top, highly complicated ones like these don't break pretty fast, but maybe i'm wrong and the quality is that high, despite the high complexity which forwards a higher fail rate.

 

[VSG]

You're speaking about expensive IEM's or in general? My personal experience with IEM's is they are good for a few years and then break. Just recently my CA Melomania broke (right IEM has way lower sound strength). And then countless cheap ones, well...

Honestly I'd be really surprised if small things, and then on top, highly complicated ones like these don't break pretty fast, but maybe i'm wrong and the quality is that high, despite the high complexity which forwards a higher fail rate.

Keep in mind that I still have most of the IEMs reviewed here, and I pull them out all the time for the various comparison sections. Not a single set has changed since day 1, and the only issue has been a pair of dynamic driver headphones which were promptly replaced under warranty. Recently built IEMs are mature enough I feel, but I get your point with the increased failure points too.