Compared to PMG Apx Amber (Review link)
I would guess this is the most anticipated comparison by most users. Or, well, at least it was for me, as I absolutely loved the sound of Apx Amber. Compared to the original Apx Amber, Amber Stone has deeper and cleaner ultra lows. The resolution, extension, and nuance of these two IEMs are nearly identical, yet the “purity” of the timbre and resolution is noticeably (but not night and day difference) improved on the Stone Edition. The Apx SE’s vocals are only slightly darker but still within the original’s nuance and brightness. Perhaps only less than a 10% difference in vocal brightness.
Upper Mids sibilance and a tad of “shortness” of the vocals are gone, yet the timbre is almost identical. The vocals are marginally warmer and smoother with the same level of resolution and transparency. Vocals are more refined and smoother texture. the grainy, or sometimes even slightly rough feelings of the OG are perfectly dealt with. The mid-high transition is more stable and consistent as well.
So Apx Stone is an Upgrade from Apx Amber?!
To answer this simply and shortly – I can’t say SE is the “upgrade”, as Apx Amber also has its own strength or the higher hand. There’s more airiness on vocals and that open-ended field for the upper vocal range, which also extends to the trebles to sway with more air and liveliness. Also, while I’ve described Apx OG’s slight graininess and mild upper-mid peak, I’ve actually quite enjoyed it as it didn’t bother me but only served me for spicing up the sound (but of course there would be many who also find/have found this bothering).
While I don’t find this necessarily a flaw or a con of the Apx Amber when viewing/listening subjectively. But from an objective viewpoint, I have to say that this is a significant improvement PMG has made, perfectly and seamlessly resolving the spikiness while keeping basically the same timbre and nuance.
Compared to Rossi&Wing First Light (Review Coming Soon)
This one is a threatening competitor of Apx SE. Both IEMs have their own strengths, and while overall have a similar sound signature if looking at the very basic scale, the differences are still significant. The bass of First Light is more meaty, groovy, and masculine, so the bass generously fills up the ground atmosphere with greater thickness.
On the other hand, Apx SE’s bass is more revealing in texture and more resolving. The sub-bass is also relatively linear in thickness. The satisfaction coming from the thick bass groove is more pleasing on the First Light but for the satisfaction based on clarity and resolving resolution, Apx SE has the upper hand.
First Light has a more v-shaped sound, hence the vocals are relatively placed behind – but this is different from other typical v-shaped IEMs, as First Light is perhaps one of the most unusual, innovative IEMs, and I mean this in a positive light (more details about First Light will be revealed on our upcoming official First Light full review article).
Continuing on PMG Apx SE vs. R&W First Light
While the vocals are placements are recessed than the Apx SE, the front-back depth of the vocals is more fulfilling, making the vocals full-bodied not only in a two-dimensional way but giving a 3D experience, so the way that First Light presents the sound is a lot different from conventional IEMs. Hence they prefer to describe First Light as an “In-Ear Auditorium” than simply an in-ear monitor or an earphone (meanwhile we’ve titled our Apx Amber review as the in-ear auditorium!)
The overall sound of First Light is darker, warmer, and more analogous. While it’s not sufficient to fully encapsulate First Light’s sound in a few paragraphs, First Light is more genre-dependent (has higher performance for tracks with instruments, classical, jazz, live-recorded tracks, etc). It still sounds fabulous in modern genres like pop or non-live music, yet nonetheless, that’s the case. For the genres that are well suited to First Light, it simply dominates the Apx SE.
But as said, the genre-depending, which means First Light also comes with a higher chance of polarizing in satisfaction due to personal preference. Meanwhile, Apx SE is much more of an all-rounder when it comes to genres and personal preference, and it handles evenly well for various genres as well as the general ears.
Compared to Subtonic Storm
First off, Storm has overall better clarity. The vocal transparency and penetration, as well as the upper-end airiness, are superior to the Apx SE. Storm’s pure, water-like transparency gives a great neutral and accurate sound. But then again, Apx SE’s sound is just as neutral but just has a more organic, warm, and dark timbre which is then added with its deep, mystique tone color. Apx SE is thoroughly natural yet its unique tone tuning makes the sound of Apx SE more flavorful and rich. Of course, if you desire a more open-ended and reference-monitor-like tone, the Storm will serve you better.
When it comes to headroom, Apx SE creates an up-down soundstage whereas Storm focuses more on evenly expanding the sound three-dimensionally. Storm’s sound scale is wider than Apx SE yet in exchange, Apx SE is overall better in density, providing even more solid thuds and impacts. The bass is more agile and has a cleaner aftertaste, yet relatively lacks depth and reverb details than the Apx SE.
The Last, final ‘gemstone’ that will actualize your wishes from Apx Amber
Along with the original Apx, the Apx SE is the most mature, lush-sounding IEM I’ve ever heard. If you feel like you’ve fallen into the mannerism of flagship IEMs like me, or looking for a single endgame IEM with a daring intention of seeking perfection in every aspect that an earphone could have, I must insist you give these a listen. You’ll likely be surprised.
If you’ve been looking for a TOTL, Summit-Fi IEM that could end all your hassles finding the perfect earphone that would fit perfectly to your standards, perhaps the Apx SE is one that could easily make you leave all your past IEMs and gears and only go for one – the Apx SE. The Apx SE is especially iconic as it provides extremely detailed trebles while being strictly fatigue-free, even for sensitive users who are shy about trebles. If you’ve been going through TOTL IEMs but couldn’t find your one endgame due to their strong, fatiguing trebles, the Apx SE is perhaps one of the only few ones that can make your dream come true.
