Bose has been a go-to choice for noise-canceling headphones since the company's original QuietComfort headphones debuted in 2000. The line has been updated over the years with an on-ear model (the QC15s) and new over-the-ear models (the QC3s), but the QuietComfort 20 you see here is the company's first in-ear headphone with active noise cancellation. It actually comes in two versions -- the standard QC20 is for non-Apple products, and the QC20i is designed for use with Apple products. Both cost a lofty $299.95.

Despite some downsides, including a high price, the Bose QuietComfort 20 offers the best noise-canceling in an in-ear headphone and should tempt frequent travelers looking for a more compact alternative to a full-size NC headphone, such as the Bose QuietComfort 15.

The Bose QuietComfort 20 and 20i are compact in-ear headphones that sound good, are very comfortable to wear, and offer surprisingly impressive noise cancellation; The noise cancellation is powered by an integrated rechargeable lithium battery that delivers up to 16 hours of battery life.

Expensive; they don't sound as good as many competing in-ear headphones in this price range; rechargeable battery isn't replaceable.

A lot of people will think they're overpriced, and they'd be right to think that. But for a certain subset of the headphone-buying population, the QC20s are an excellent product that's strongly worth considering.

The Bose QuietComfort 20 and 20i are compact in-ear headphones that sound good, are very comfortable to wear, and offer surprisingly impressive noise cancellation; The noise cancellation is powered by an integrated rechargeable lithium battery that delivers up to 16 hours of battery life

Expensive; they don't sound as good as many competing in-ear headphones in this price range; rechargeable battery isn't replaceable

Silence is golden (and expensive, too).

Unparalleled comfort; Superlative noise cancellation; Innovative ear tip design; Good battery backup; Works sans battery as well; Alert Mode comes handy

Prone to excessive wind noise; Wrongly placed mic; Build and sound quality could have been better for the price

Noise-cancelling headphones have been the top choice of frequent fliers for years, but their transition to the world of earbuds has been rather slow. To some extent this is not surprising - an active noise cancellation system requires its own power as well as bulk that does not lend itself to...

I had bought my husband the Bose® - QuietComfort® 15 Acoustic Noise Cancelling® Headphones as a stocking stuffer for Christmas, and he liked those so...

You don't hear sound other than your music unless you want to

Nothing

They don't come cheap and you can get higher-fidelity sound at the price, but we just can't ignore the fantastic noise cancellation the Bose QuietComfort 20i offer. These some of the best commuter headphones money can buy – and certainly the best in-ear noise cancelling headphones we've tried.

The latest noise cancelling headphones from Bose are light, simple and very good - but they're not exactly inexpensive. In noise cancelling terms, Bose is the premium brand to which others aspire, but they're best known for their full headphone devices.

Bose's noise-cancelling headphones are the best on the market but imagine having that technology in a pair of earphones. No need to imagine – they've done it. The new Quiet Comfort 20 (QC20) acoustic noise-cancelling in-ear headphones deliver the same quality and noise isolation as the regular Bose...

This review could be as simple as this: "If you're willing to spend $300 on in-ear headphones, then buy the Bose QuietComfort 20 headphones." Of course, the world of in-ear headphones is far more complicated than that. Walk into any electronics store and your choices are daunting.