Bose vs Sony:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Sony had more branded searches than Bose among headphone brands worldwide. Sony had about 1.5 million branded searches, while Bose had 1.1 million. Sony made up 7.2% of all headphone brand searches we track, and Bose accounted for 5.2%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about headphone brands, both Bose and Sony appeared in all five answers. Sony was mentioned before Bose in every answer.
Who do people search for more?
Sony, about 36% more searches than Bose
Who does AI mention more?
Both are mentioned in every answer we collected.
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Top headphone brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, both Bose and Sony showed up in all five answers. Sony was listed before Bose in every answer.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- Sony1st
Bose2nd
Sennheiser3rd
Soundcore4th
Bowers & Wilkins5th
Apple AirPods6th
Audio-Technica7th
JBL8th
Beats9th
Beyerdynamic10th- +5 more
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Sony5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Bose5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Sennheiser4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Soundcore4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Apple AirPods3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Bowers & Wilkins2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Beats1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- JBL1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Beyerdynamic1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Audio-Technica1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about headphone brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which headphone brand should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best headphone brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best headphone brand for everyday listening?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best headphones”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best earbuds”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 19, 2026.
Is Bose or Sony more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Bose and Sony by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 15 headphone brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Sony, Bose. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Apple AirPods | Sony | Beats | Bose | JBL | Skullcandy | Samsung | Sennheiser | Marshall | Soundcore | Jabra | Bowers & Wilkins | Beyerdynamic | Audio-Technica | BuddyPhones |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 71.1% | 7.3% | 5.6% | 4.5% | 3% | 2.4% | 1.5% | 1.6% | 0.98% | 0.99% | 0.88% | 0.1% | 0.05% | 0.04% | 0.01% |
| Nov 2025 | 69.6% | 7.5% | 6.5% | 5.8% | 2.6% | 2.2% | 1.5% | 1.8% | 0.92% | 0.72% | 0.68% | 0.09% | 0.05% | 0.04% | <0.01% |
| Dec 2025 | 69.1% | 7.1% | 7.6% | 5.4% | 3.1% | 2.2% | 1.5% | 1.5% | 0.91% | 0.81% | 0.64% | 0.09% | 0.05% | 0.03% | 0.01% |
| Jan 2026 | 68% | 8% | 6.1% | 4.9% | 3.7% | 2.6% | 1.7% | 1.8% | 1.1% | 1% | 0.89% | 0.11% | 0.06% | 0.05% | 0.01% |
| Feb 2026 | 65.5% | 9.1% | 5.8% | 5.1% | 3.8% | 2.7% | 2.2% | 1.9% | 1.4% | 1.2% | 1.1% | 0.13% | 0.07% | 0.06% | 0.01% |
| Mar 2026 | 67.7% | 8.3% | 5.6% | 4.8% | 3.4% | 2.9% | 1.9% | 1.8% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 0.98% | 0.12% | 0.05% | 0.05% | 0.02% |
| Apr 2026 | 66.9% | 8% | 5.5% | 5.2% | 3.9% | 2.7% | 1.9% | 1.9% | 1.4% | 1.3% | 1% | 0.11% | 0.06% | 0.05% | 0.01% |
| May 2026 | 65.6% | 9.1% | 5.4% | 5.2% | 4.1% | 2.7% | 2% | 1.9% | 1.3% | 1.4% | 1% | 0.13% | 0.05% | 0.05% | 0.01% |
| Jun 2026 | 66.8% | 8.1% | 5.4% | 5.3% | 4% | 2.6% | 1.9% | 1.8% | 1.3% | 1.5% | 0.99% | 0.15% | 0.05% | 0.05% | 0.02% |
| Jul 2026 | 66.7% | 8.1% | 5.2% | 5.3% | 4% | 2.6% | 2% | 1.8% | 1.4% | 1.6% | 0.96% | 0.18% | 0.05% | 0.05% | 0.02% |
| Aug 2026 | 66.3% | 8.5% | 5.3% | 5.5% | 3.7% | 2.9% | 1.9% | 1.7% | 1.5% | 1.5% | 0.93% | 0.14% | 0.05% | 0.05% | 0.02% |
| Sep 2026 | 68.9% | 7.2% | 5.8% | 5.2% | 3.5% | 2.5% | 1.7% | 1.5% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 0.87% | 0.1% | 0.05% | 0.04% | 0.01% |
Sony sells other things too, so only its searches that name this product count here, like “sony earbuds”.
How has the Bose and Sony comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Sony was ahead of Bose in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Bose’s share of searches among headphone brands worldwide moved from 4.5% to 5.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1M to 1.1M.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Sony’s share of searches among headphone brands worldwide moved from 7.3% to 7.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1.7M to 1.5M.
How did search popularity change for headphone brands worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Beats overtook Bose to rank 3rd among headphone brands worldwide, with 5.8% of the searches.
In September 2026, Sony lost share of searches among headphone brands worldwide, from 8.5% to 7.2%.
How are branded searches counted?
14 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Bose’s and Sony’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Other head-to-heads among headphone brands
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