That last entry in the cons list is more a negative point for people who read my review, decided they wanted to save up for the Apx or buy one outright—assuming you could afford it—and then realized you can't do so. PMG Audio made two batches of the Apx for a total of 25 retail units, and both sold out very quickly—I do apologize to PMG Audio and any potential customer for my delay in getting this review out due to travel and subsequent illness. Having said that, the extra time I had on hand allowed me to find out there are eight of them in Korea alone and this provided extra context on what I thought would be a fairly universal complaint about the Apx's tonality. Indeed, while I and many I know found the Apx to be brighter than we prefer, some (likely) Kpop lovers want to feel their favorite singers resonating in their ears. The Apx will provide that with incredible detail to where I truly hope those eight owners can appreciate their music libraries for a long time. The other 17 units are spread around the world with many in Europe and the USA. So this review will be now for those who may end up spotting a wild Apx unit being sold by the first owner as well as for those who now have a better understand of what PMG Audio is. Knowing there is a new PMG Audio product on the way is also exciting, especially if it ends up being a version of the Apx which somehow manages to retain its technical prowess while curbing down the upper mids and lower treble slightly for the Western audience. I have no doubts that this hypothetical product will be even more popular to where perhaps PMG Audio may even consider making it a permanent staple of the brand for years to come.

Let's also address the ~$6500 elephant in the room while we are at it. I already know many are shaking their heads at seeing earphones cost more than many months of rent/mortgage, let alone also a car for most of the world. If you were to ask me whether the Apx is worth the asking price then I would say not for me, but also this is because I can't afford something this expensive at this stage of my life anyway. This is a luxury product which is obviously not what you should be looking at unless you are able to purchase it without changing your daily routine and future financial plans. The same goes for pretty much anything else though—PC components are a great example of this. There are IEMs which cost $15-25 today with a balanced tonality that will meet the needs of most people.

The PMG Audio Apx is more a want as opposed to a need. 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. The limited nature of the set is also likely to help retain its value, especially given how everyone who has listened to one seems to appreciate it even if they were not enamored with the tonality. Knowing there are IEMs which cost $10k and more, as well as many, many sets in the $7-8.5k range, the PMG Audio Apx is not out of the norm when it comes to top-of-the-line (TOTL) sets either. I dare say it manages to sound better than most of them too, if my currently limited experience is anything to go by. These high price, low volume sets seem to have buyers all the time too, so clearly the market is thriving at the high end of the cost scale as it is on the more budget end. As with most TOTL sets, the PMG Audio Apx does not try to be a balanced, neutral-sounding pair of IEMs. Instead, it aims to reproduce a specific sound signature to the best of its ability. This allows the Apx to appeal to lovers of multiple music genres but not all. It's not going to be a perfect set and has its issues which may be dealbreakers for many, but it has clearly satisfied enough people to sell out immediately. The Apx has showcased the incredible design and engineering that PMG Audio is capable of, and I look forward to seeing what's next from the brand.