Bose vs Sony:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Sony had more branded searches than Bose among over-ear headphone brands worldwide. Sony had about 1.2 million branded searches, while Bose had 254,000. Sony made up 38.1% of all over-ear headphone brand searches we track, and Bose accounted for 8.3%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about over-ear 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 5 searches for every 1 for Bose
Who does AI mention more?
Both are mentioned in every answer we collected.
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Top over-ear 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.
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
Apple AirPods Max2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Bowers & Wilkins1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Audio-Technica0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Beyerdynamic0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about over-ear headphone brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which over ear headphone brand should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best over ear headphone brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best over ear headphone brand for everyday listening?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best over ear headphones”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“wireless over ear headphones”
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 21, 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 seven over-ear 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 | Sony | Apple AirPods Max | Bose | Audio-Technica | Bowers & Wilkins | Beyerdynamic | Sennheiser |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 34% | 35% | 8.9% | 8.7% | 5.8% | 4.1% | 3.5% |
| Nov 2025 | 33.2% | 36.3% | 11.2% | 7.4% | 4.9% | 4.2% | 2.9% |
| Dec 2025 | 32.9% | 38.3% | 9.7% | 7.8% | 5.1% | 3.7% | 2.6% |
| Jan 2026 | 30.8% | 38.9% | 8% | 9.6% | 5.2% | 4.5% | 3% |
| Feb 2026 | 35.2% | 33.9% | 8.6% | 8.4% | 5.6% | 4.9% | 3.4% |
| Mar 2026 | 34.3% | 37.4% | 7.8% | 7.6% | 5.1% | 4.3% | 3.6% |
| Apr 2026 | 32.8% | 35.8% | 9% | 8.9% | 5.9% | 4.2% | 3.4% |
| May 2026 | 36.8% | 32.9% | 8.3% | 8.2% | 6.6% | 3.8% | 3.5% |
| Jun 2026 | 36.4% | 30% | 9.2% | 9.1% | 7.3% | 4.3% | 3.7% |
| Jul 2026 | 36.9% | 30.5% | 9.3% | 9.2% | 6.1% | 4.3% | 3.7% |
| Aug 2026 | 37.5% | 32.2% | 10% | 8% | 5.3% | 3.8% | 3.2% |
| Sep 2026 | 38.1% | 32.7% | 8.3% | 8.1% | 5.4% | 3.8% | 3.4% |
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 over-ear headphone brands worldwide moved from 8.9% to 8.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 309K to 254K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Sony’s share of searches among over-ear headphone brands worldwide moved from 34% to 38.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 1.2M.
How did search popularity change for over-ear headphone brands worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Sony gained share of searches among over-ear headphone brands worldwide, from 37.5% to 38.1%.
In September 2026, Bose lost share of searches among over-ear headphone brands worldwide, from 10% to 8.3%.
How are branded searches counted?
6 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 over-ear headphone brands
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