Here is my breakdown of this song using almost all of my IEM's on hand.
PFE-122
Bass at the beginning of the song is very clear and articulate the twang of the bass on the 2nd pluck is very clear and other details like that are always clear and present throughout the song. The overall sensation of the bass is sharp overly articulate and slightly to thin. Ingrids voice is very musical and feminen and full of life, there is complete transparency with every waiver and breath in her voice captured sucking me into the song. With the stock rubber tips you can hear some sibilance in her S's and certain points but I believe this is just the IEM revealing what is in the song, using foam tips some of this "detail" in lessened or removed making the IEM less fatiguing and in the area of the clapping less harsh. When the initial chorus starts along with the clapping the sensation is overwhelming and my brain/eras automatically retreat from the onslaught. When the giutar starts you can hear several imperfections which mostly are Ok but a couple actually are distratcting and unpleasant, again these are part of the song, the PFE just reveals them completely. The overall experience of the song is pleasant and musical but the level of detail is both a blessing and a curse. This song does not have a large sound stage and the PFE reflects that with an almost to intimate feeling.
FXD80
Using comply foam tips, the bass at the beginning is very heavy, the twang on the 2nd pluck of the bass is present but the level of detail is lost in the "bassiness" of note. The over all sensation of the bass is pleasant but slightly artificial sounding and in a sense subdued. Ingrids voice is deeper and fuller sounding at the cost of some airiness and transparency. The initial clapping is detailed and sharp without becoming to harsh. When the chorus kicks in along with the clapping there is never a sense of being overwhelmed. The guitar is clear and most of the details are there but smoothed out. The overall experience is a bass heavy but clean and mostly detailed song that is musical and fun to listen to. The soundstage using the foam tips is intimate but slightly larger than the PFE.
Using the default rubber tips, the bass at the beginning is heavy, the twang on the 2nd pluck is present with more detail. The over all sensation of the bass is a bass heavy sound that is detailed and textured. For me the stock tip is better for bass than the comply tip. Ingrids voice is full sounding but has nice transparency and detail with good airiness. The added detail reveals the sibilance in the song and this sibilance is slightly more pronounced than the PFE. The initial clapping is detailed and sharp and like the PFE can become harsh. The initial chorus and clapping again like the PFE is a bit overwhelming. The guitar is detailed and revealing, showing almost the same level of detail as the PFE but not quite. The overall experience is a bass oriented song with lots of detail and transparency that is fun to listen to but overwhelming at moments. The soundstage using the rubber tips is intimate but slightly larger than the foam tips.
NCredible N-ergy
Using the stock rubber tips, the bass is nicely balanced between being bassy and articulate, the twang on the 2nd pluck is clear but not as much as the PFE but about the same as the FXD80 using stock tips. The overall sensation of the bass is a natural sound that hass nice weight and heaviness while still being articulate. Ingrid's voice is fuller sounding than the PFE but not as deep as the FXD80, with slightly less detail than the FXD80 with stock tips. The initial clapping is nicely presented with again slightly less detail than the PFE or the FXD80 with stock tips. The slight change in detail level makes the clapping never harsh but has enough detail that I didn't feel like I was missing anything important. When the chorus kicks in I never get a sense of being overwhelmed, just immersed in the song. The guitars are detailed enough I hear almost all of the imperfections but they never become as distracting as the PFE. The overal experience is one of a balanced natural feeling. the bass is not thin, the singing is very sweet and detailed and rides the fine line between transparency and sibilance. The soundstage is intimate but slightly larger and airy than the FXD80.
I don't feel up to doing a full analysis of the N-ergy using the comply tips. Suffice it to say they have a similar affect as the other two IEM's in regards to reducing detail and increasing bass rseponse. The biggest thing I can say about comply tips is they seem to work better with bass light IEM's as they help improve the bass without over doing it while toning down the treble. In the case of the FXD80 because it is bass heavy the comply makes this area to strong which causes the bass to overwhelm some of the other frequencies.
Superlux 381F
The bass is slightly heavy with a bit more punch to it than the N-Ergy, it's like it has most of the articulation of the PFE with the almost the same heaviness as the FXD80, the twang on the 2nd pluck is very clear and evident. Ingrids voice is much deeper sounding and forward than even the FXD80 verging on being to over the top a bit. The clapping is clear and nice sounding with no harshness. The singing and clapping is slightly less detailed than the N-ergy. The guitars are smooth but lack the detail of the N-ergy. The overall experience is "larger than life" with everything being slightly overdone including the sound stage which comes across as slightly too large and artificial.
Sony MDR-7550
The bass is heavy but detailed, right between the Superlux and the FXD80 but with a more pleasant tone than the Superlux, the twang on the 2nd pluck is nicely detailed and articulated. Ingrids voice is more forward than the N-ergy and deeper and fuller as well, in many ways it is like the Superlux but much more natural sounding and smooth. The clapping is never harsh. When the chorus kicks in i never felt overwhelmed. The guitars have a nice level of detail similar to the N-ergy, revealing but not overly so. The over all experience is similar to the superlux but is more of a grand presentation rather than feeling overdone, the sound stage though is slightly artificial sounding because of this grandness.
Etymotic HF3
Using Shure olive foam tips, the bass is articulate and detailed very much like the PFE's, the twang on the 2nd pluck has all of the detail. Liek the PFE I find the bass guitar slightly to detailed and articulate and a bit thin sounding. But this IEM made one of the drums being played during this segment of the song stand out in a very pleasant and clear way that I never noticed as much on the other IEM's before it. Ingrids voice is slightly more forward but retains it's sweetness and is very airy and transparent. The clapping is never too harsh. I never felt overwhelmed when the chorus kicked in, just drawn into the music. The over all experience is one of detail and slight grandness. The soundstage was about the size of the N-ergy
I was thinking about rating these but won't bother as that is purely subjective. The bottom line is they all sounded nice in different ways which I hope I have captured in each paragraph. For my personal preferences (midrange/treble oriented) I liked the last 4 IEM's the most, for those who love their treble I recommend the PFE and for those love their bass I recommend the FXD80.
