Bose vs Sonos:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Bose had more branded searches than Sonos among bluetooth speaker brands in New Zealand. Bose had about 11,200 branded searches, while Sonos had 5,970. Bose made up 14% of all bluetooth speaker brand searches we track, and Sonos accounted for 7.4%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about bluetooth speaker brands, Bose appeared in four of the five answers and Sonos in one. Bose was mentioned before Sonos in four out of five answers.
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Top bluetooth speaker brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Bose was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Sonos was mentioned in one out of five: not in any of the three ChatGPT answers, but in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Bose was listed before Sonos in four out of five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
JBL1st
Bose2nd
Ultimate Ears3rd
Sony4th
Soundcore5th
Marshall6th
Sonos7th
Bang & Olufsen–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- JBL5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Sony4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Bose4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Ultimate Ears4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Soundcore3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Marshall2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Sonos1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Bang & Olufsen0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about bluetooth speaker brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which Bluetooth speaker brand should I buy in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best Bluetooth speaker brands in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best Bluetooth speaker brand in New Zealand for portable music?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best bluetooth speaker”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“portable speaker nz”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 19, 2026.
Is Bose or Sonos more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Bose and Sonos by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all eight bluetooth speaker brands we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.
Share of searches by month for Bose, Sonos. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | JBL | Sony | Bose | Sonos | Ultimate Ears | Soundcore | Bang & Olufsen | Marshall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 44.4% | 21.2% | 16.6% | 6.9% | 8.5% | 1% | 1.2% | 0.2% |
| Nov 2025 | 44.6% | 19.9% | 15.6% | 7.7% | 10.3% | 0.7% | 0.86% | 0.2% |
| Dec 2025 | 53.9% | 15.9% | 13.3% | 6.3% | 9% | 0.6% | 0.73% | 0.22% |
| Jan 2026 | 48.6% | 20.1% | 14.4% | 7.3% | 7.3% | 0.82% | 1.2% | 0.24% |
| Feb 2026 | 46.1% | 22.5% | 14.4% | 7.1% | 7.2% | 1% | 1.3% | 0.25% |
| Mar 2026 | 44.3% | 23% | 15% | 8.4% | 6.7% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 0.23% |
| Apr 2026 | 48.4% | 20.9% | 14.2% | 8.1% | 6.2% | 0.86% | 1.1% | 0.25% |
| May 2026 | 46.5% | 22.1% | 15.7% | 7.8% | 5.3% | 1% | 1.3% | 0.25% |
| Jun 2026 | 47% | 21.6% | 16.1% | 7.5% | 5% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 0.24% |
| Jul 2026 | 46.7% | 22.1% | 15.3% | 7.4% | 6% | 1% | 1.2% | 0.24% |
| Aug 2026 | 48% | 19.3% | 15.9% | 7.8% | 6.4% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 0.35% |
| Sep 2026 | 48.8% | 21.3% | 14% | 7.4% | 6.3% | 1.1% | 0.9% | 0.26% |
How has the Bose and Sonos comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Bose was ahead of Sonos in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Bose’s share of searches among bluetooth speaker brands in New Zealand moved from 16.6% to 14%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 11.9K to 11.2K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Sonos’ share of searches among bluetooth speaker brands in New Zealand moved from 6.9% to 7.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 5K to 6K.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand bluetooth speaker brands in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Bose lost share of searches among bluetooth speaker brands in New Zealand, from 15.9% to 14%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Sonos in New Zealand rose 20.4% over 12 measured months, from 5K to 6K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
19 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Bose’s and Sonos’ 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 bluetooth speaker brands
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