Closer Examination

It's not just the cases and ear tips which got upgraded going from the PMG Apx Amber to the new Apx SE, the cable did too. I don't know about you, but I personally liked the Omega cable that shipped with the original Apx quite a lot. It was thin and light and did the job perfectly, but I guess it wasn't fancy enough and apparently was too thin for some people—cables affecting sound is a topic I am not going to get into here. So this time, PMG Audio has a completely new coaxial cable which is thicker and heavier—It was a constant reminder behind my ears for the first two days at least—in addition to looking and feeling fancier. I will mention that the way it comes in the smaller leather case having the IEMs outside results in it being stretched and coiled to an extent, making it feel stiffer out of the box than it actually is. Take the time to unravel and relax it, and now you will find this thick beast to still be on the pliable side. Note also the custom hardware employed throughout with the ridged blue inserts adding a splash of matching color to the black metal housing on the terminations and splitter alike. As expected, this is a modular cable offering your choice of 2.5/4.4 mm balanced or 3.5 mm single-ended connections to your source. The plugs use a friction fit with a guide pin for installation and are longer than I'd personally like—I would recommend PMG Audio stick with a fixed 4.4 mm lower profile termination going henceforth.

The Apx SE cable, which currently does not have its own name but is available for a separate purchase at $1619, goes for a dual shielding design, which is why this 2-strand cable is thicker than some 8-strand ones. A close-up reveals the complex nature of the conductor and shielding, with PMG Audio going for a combination of gold-plated pure silver, pure silver, and a silver/copper alloy conductor with a first shielding layer composed of silver copper alloy and the second shielding layer of black oxygen-free copper. Aesthetically, it's not going to be a great match with the Apx SE as a result of the black and silver colored dual shielding layers used. It certainly sounds great though, and cable lovers will no doubt like it for that aspect. Past the splitter, we have a cable/chin cinch that has holes for the two strands to ensure it does not come loose as with many such implementations. The translucent sheathing also means the pre-formed ear hooks on the IEM end come off fairly natural looking, and these ear hooks are also malleable. Oh, and of course the entire cable is free of microphonics for anyone wondering, at least as long as you have unfurled it fully to begin with. There are L/R markings on the 2-pin connector housings, in addition to a red dot on the side of the right channel connector to further add function in addition to form. I do have a nitpick about the choice of recessed pin connectors here though, meant to be used with IEMs that have the 2-pin connectors in a recess cut in the shells. The Apx SE has flush connectors, as with most IEMs in the market today, so the cable would have been a nicer fit with flush connectors too.


Every single Custom Art IEM has made me want to put extra effort with the camera given they still manage to look better in person than the photos make them seem. PMG Audio goes overboard in this regard, first with the Apx Amber that used amber pieces hand-picked from the seaside by Piotr himself when he was a kid and then having to come up with a method to process and install these pieces in the lab. That was a limited edition run of just 25 pieces, so it makes sense that the same could not be scaled up for this larger production of the Apx SE. I would argue that PMG Audio has still managed to make a stunning looking set here, with blue being the clear theme of the day. The shells are made of resin, and I have had no issues with durability across any of the Custom Art/PMG Audio IEMs to date in case you were apprehensive about this. These are also the exact same style as in the Apx Amber and the FIBAE 5 I reviewed before, so I already know it will work really well for me. The deep blue resin shells come hand painted with the blue-gold glittery aesthetic, and are complemented by the blue-gold faceplates we will examine below. The shells are ergonomically shaped to better fit the human ear and are extensively polished to where perhaps including a cleaning cloth in the box would not have been a bad idea.


Once again, each individual shell of the PMG Audio Apx Se gets a uniquely built and assembled faceplate. This time it uses a hybrid combination of Lapis Lazuli, a semi-precious stone, with brass to give you that blue with streaks of gold and white going through. This is also why these IEMs are called the Apx Stone Edition (SE), and I personally think the average Apx SE is likely to be more universally pleasing than even the Apx Amber was given the latter has more natural variations in amber color/density. The faceplates are glued to the shells and then have a resin pour to allow for a cohesive assembly, and note how the faceplates catch the light and look different depending on the viewing angle, with blue dominating straight on and the gold shining at other angles. There is branding on the side with the PMG Audio logo, the product name, and your specific serial number below—having TechPowerUp mentioned on this demo unit was very cool if I say so myself. This also helps keep track of the units for a more personalized after-sales service. There is also a large slit-style vent on the top for the dynamic driver inside as well as to help prevent pressure build-up in the ears. The other side has the expected 2-pin connectors basically flush with the shell surface as mentioned before. These shells have a squarish form factor with the nozzle section being quite angled and long. This bodes well for getting a comfortable fit, given the shells are not as thick as most tribrid/quadbrid sets and the longer nozzle can get in the ear canal for a secure fit too—as long as the insertion angle works for you. The nozzle is also average in size at ~5.4 mm width at the widest point, and we get a retaining notch here to help keep ear tips in place. There is no filter on the end to help keep contaminants from entering the acoustic chamber, but we see a parallel wall structure which help make up what PMG Audio calls the Geometrical Sound Outlet (GSO) that has multiple functions—as a support structure for the nozzle, to optimize the nozzle length and diameter, and as a horn assembly to help with treble extension.


I encourage owners of the Apx SE to try out the various provided ear tips and see what size/type works best for them. Fitting the different ear tips will require you to slightly stretch the inner bore to fit over the nozzle before pushing them in and going around to ensure they are not at an angle. The retaining notch further helps prevent them from coming loose in the ears, and seen above are the included size M silicone and foam ear tips on the Apx SE. Feel free to tip roll and try out various different tips and sizes, and keep in mind that both ear canals don't need to have the best seal with the same size or set, either. Regardless of which tips you pick, the next step is to re-connect the cable by carefully identifying the matching channels and orienting the ear hooks around your ear when connecting the IEMs. Doing so is simple, as you just push the 2-pin connectors in place for a friction fit, and they remain in place jutting out past the shells. The included leather cable minder can be handy to keep this ensemble neatly tucked away in any of the three storage options provided.