At the risk of sounding like a shill... ;\)

I still like the RE0's and Thinksound Rains for under $100. I'm also a Grado sound aficionado and those 2 have quite a bit of detail for the price. For the seal, you can always buy after market or replacement tips and use those tips that you prefer. I used my UE tips on my friend's RE0's and they work fine. Sometimes the connecting diameter is different but because it's rubber, there's some play involved.