Apple AirPods Max vs Bowers & Wilkins:Which is searched more?
In September 2026, Apple AirPods Max had more branded searches than Bowers & Wilkins among over-ear headphone brands worldwide. Apple AirPods Max had about 1 million branded searches, while Bowers & Wilkins had 165,000. Apple AirPods Max made up 29.3% of all over-ear headphone brand searches we track, and Bowers & Wilkins accounted for 4.8%. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.
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Is Apple AirPods Max or Bowers & Wilkins more popular in search?
Compare brands that offer over-ear headphones. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.
Share of searches by month for Apple AirPods Max, Bowers & Wilkins. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Sony | Apple AirPods Max | Bose | Audio-Technica | Bowers & Wilkins | Beyerdynamic | Sennheiser |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 30.6% | 31.5% | 18% | 7.8% | 5.2% | 3.7% | 3.2% |
| Nov 2025 | 30.3% | 33.2% | 18.8% | 6.7% | 4.5% | 3.8% | 2.7% |
| Dec 2025 | 29.8% | 34.7% | 18.2% | 7% | 4.7% | 3.3% | 2.3% |
| Jan 2026 | 28.3% | 35.8% | 15.4% | 8.8% | 4.8% | 4.1% | 2.8% |
| Feb 2026 | 32.2% | 31% | 16.4% | 7.7% | 5.1% | 4.4% | 3.1% |
| Mar 2026 | 31.2% | 34.1% | 16% | 6.9% | 4.6% | 4% | 3.3% |
| Apr 2026 | 29.4% | 32.1% | 18.3% | 8% | 5.3% | 3.7% | 3.1% |
| May 2026 | 32.6% | 29.2% | 18.7% | 7.2% | 5.9% | 3.4% | 3.1% |
| Jun 2026 | 32% | 26.4% | 20.3% | 8% | 6.4% | 3.7% | 3.2% |
| Jul 2026 | 32.3% | 26.6% | 20.7% | 8% | 5.3% | 3.8% | 3.2% |
| Aug 2026 | 33.3% | 28.7% | 19.9% | 7.1% | 4.7% | 3.3% | 2.9% |
| Sep 2026 | 34.1% | 29.3% | 18.1% | 7.3% | 4.8% | 3.4% | 3.1% |
How has the Apple AirPods Max and Bowers & Wilkins comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Apple AirPods Max was ahead of Bowers & Wilkins in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Apple AirPods Max’s share of searches among over-ear headphone brands worldwide moved from 31.5% to 29.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1.2M to 1M.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Bowers & Wilkins’ share of searches among over-ear headphone brands worldwide moved from 5.2% to 4.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 201K to 165K.
How did search popularity change for over-ear headphone brands worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Apple AirPods Max gained share of searches among over-ear headphone brands worldwide, from 28.7% to 29.3%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Bowers & Wilkins worldwide fell 17.9% over 12 measured months, from 201K to 165K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
4 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Apple AirPods Max’s and Bowers & Wilkins’ 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.
Apple AirPods Max
1 branded search term
- airpods max
Bowers & Wilkins
3 branded search terms
- bowers & wilkins
- bowers wilkins
- bowers&wilkins
Other head-to-heads among over-ear headphone brands
Sony vs Apple AirPods Max: compare search popularity
Sony vs Bose: compare search popularity
Sony vs Audio-Technica: compare search popularity- Sony vs Bowers & Wilkins: compare search popularity
- Apple AirPods Max vs Bose: compare search popularity
- Apple AirPods Max vs Audio-Technica: compare search popularity
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