Shure ships E500PTH sound isolating earphones

You want boasting rights and flattering amounts of auditory detail? Look no further than Shure's E500PTH, what's shaping up to be the most hyped and wildly anticipated (or so we're led to believe) earphones of the season. Oh, did we mention they're finally shipping? Sorry kids, only in the UK for now. We spotted these flagship 'buds at CES and now Shure obviously intends to deliver, albeit a few months later than expected. Housing two woofer drivers and one tweeter, the design promises to "change personal audio the way HDTV changed television" (saywha?). Easily among the most elaborate of assurances we've heard, the E500PTH has a lot to prove: the Push-to-Hear (no, this isn't the flipside of PTT) technology lowers music volume to let "environmental ambiance" (um, noise?) seep in, while flipping a switch activates a "so real, you're there" vibe providing two ways to groove. If style's your thing, the E500PTH sports a black and chrome outfit and maintains a low-profile while blocking up to 37db of outside interference (until you hit the PTH switch, of course). If you're ready to hear the touted "revolution" in sound, listen up: this aural pleasure won't come cheap. For the Brits who can grab these immediaitely, it'll cost you £419, while Americans must await a late-July ship date to drop their $500.