I've already seen the thread about the NYT review and a couple of others, and though there were occasional insights, I'm still a bit uncertain how to proceed. So here's the scoop:

1. I'm a frequent business traveler whose never really used any noise canceling headphones on a regular basis, though I've had the opportunity to sample a couple at times.

2. I've committed myself to buying either a set of Bose or a set of Shure headphones...the only question really is which one would be ideal for me in either product line.

3. I'm not an audiophile...I'm looking for something with decent sound (which either of these brands will do) that's going to provide excellent noise cancellation or noise isolation, and most importantly, that's going to be durable and stand up to a bit of abuse (or has a great warranty/guarantee).

4. I have a preference for in-ear headphones, but I'm not married to it if the product does the job.

5. I'd like to keep this thread strictly on Bose and Shure gear...I realize there are lower cost options that provide nearly or entirely the same functionality, but I'm really interested in comparing these two lines.

Since neither Bose nore Shure are remotely cheap (let's face it $200+ for headphones isn't a throwaway purchase), I'd like to get as much information from people as possible before I go down this road...I'm really interested in hearing people's experiences with Shure or Bose, how well they held up to abuse, and what took you down the road of Shure or Bose.

The headphones I'm looking at are:

Bose QC2
Bose QC3
Shure E5
Shure E5c
Shure E500PTH

Any I'm missing?

Thanks folks...looking forward to seeing what people's insights are.