PMG Audio ME Preview: First Impressions & Overview
I had the pleasure of demoing practically all of the showcased PMG Audio ME prototypes since the CanJam Singapore 2025. I believe this was the first time Apx ME made it to the scene, and the next was the CanJam Socal in September.
Last month, PMG finally announced and premiered the official Apx ME. Limited to 200 sets worldwide. Before unveiling the full in-depth review of the PMG Audio Apx ME, I’d first like to usher you to my first impressions of the Apx ME, and also see how it compares to the previous Apx SE.
What Has Changed?
Unlike the previous Apx series that have used resin shells, Apx ME uses a full-CNC’d titanium shell. In terms of driver specifications, Apx SE used 11 drivers in total, using 1 Square PD+1DD+8BA+1 Round PD.
Along with having the internal structures, drivers, and technologies fully revamped, Apx ME adds another driver – called the VCD. While it falls into the category of BCD (Bone Conduction Driver), PMG Audio specifically named it as VCD (Vibration Conduction Driver) instead, as the stock BCD drivers did not provide meaningful enough results for their needs.
PMG’s specially customized VCD driver is designed to provide very rich and immersive resonances that reach as low as 250Hz. There are a lot more technologies and changes newly applied to the Apx ME, though I’ll be covering that on the full review soon.
As for my first sound impressions of Apx ME: I was thoroughly surprised. Not only because of another sheer performance upgrade that PMG has somehow pulled off, but also because they were completely different from the previous prototypes that appeared at the exhibitions, by all good means.
Compared to the Prototypes of Apx ME:
The first plain, black resin prototype came off simply as a fuller, thicker, and warmer sound of Apx SE. It was great, though it didn’t come off as something necessarily “better” than the Apx SE. Forwarding to CanJam SoCal this fall, PMG premiered the second-generation Apx ME prototype – this time with a silver-gold finish. The sound was very bright with a rather fatiguing timbre and quite different from the Apx sound signatures that PMG has been offering. I found it questionable if PMG could make another hit that could both continue the Apx legacy and set another benchmark.
However, once listening to the official and final version, I must say, Apx ME gave me the chills I haven’t felt in a while. The Apx AE and SE provided immersion through ultimate resolution and wideband richness. But now with the VCD tech, Apx ME brought the music immersion to the next level.
Listening to Apx ME and Apx SE
Apx ME thoroughly inherited the sonic characters of Apx SE, though now even so much more holographic, wider, fuller, and deeper sound. The upper mids are now more organic and smoother to listen to, maintaining the creamy vocal timbre up to the higher notes. The previous Apx series tended to have a headroom that is wide but more expansive towards the y-axis (up/down) than the x-axis (sideways). Unlike that, the Apx ME not only achieves a wider and larger sound that expands both spherically and three-dimensionally.
I’ll soon follow up with the rest and more in-depth sound impressions of Apx ME through the full review. It’s an eye-opener even for the ears that are already bored or used to flagship IEMs like mine… should I instead call it an ear-opener, perhaps? For now, I’ll say that if you’re looking for a flagship IEM – make sure to listen to the Apx ME before you miss the chance!
Full Review Incoming soon! 😀