Sonos vs Sony:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Sony had more branded searches than Sonos among home cinema brands in New Zealand. Sony had about 17,100 branded searches, while Sonos had 5,970. Sony made up 22.9% of all home cinema brand searches we track, and Sonos accounted for 8%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about home cinema brands, Sony appeared in all five answers and Sonos in four. Sonos and Sony were each mentioned first in two of the four answers.
Who do people search for more?
Sony, about 3 searches for every 1 for Sonos
Who does AI recommend more?
Each is named first in 2 of 4 answers.
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Top home cinema brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Sony appeared in all five answers. Sonos was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Sonos and Sony were each listed first in two of the four answers.
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
Sonos4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
JBL3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Samsung3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Denon3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Yamaha3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
LG2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Bose0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about home cinema brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which home cinema brand should I buy in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best home cinema brands in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best home cinema brand in New Zealand for a better movie setup?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“home theatre system nz”
- 1Sony
- 1
Searched Google, AI Overview
“surround sound brands”
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 Sonos or Sony more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Sonos and Sony by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all eight home cinema brands we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.
Share of searches by month for Sony, Sonos. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | JBL | Sony | Bose | Sonos | Samsung | LG | Denon | Yamaha |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 49% | 23.4% | 18.3% | 7.6% | 0.6% | 0.43% | 0.32% | 0.22% |
| Nov 2025 | 50.1% | 22.4% | 17.6% | 8.7% | 0.52% | 0.39% | 0.28% | 0.13% |
| Dec 2025 | 59.6% | 17.6% | 14.7% | 7% | 0.44% | 0.27% | 0.24% | 0.13% |
| Jan 2026 | 52.9% | 21.9% | 15.7% | 7.9% | 0.59% | 0.43% | 0.4% | 0.21% |
| Feb 2026 | 50.3% | 24.6% | 15.8% | 7.8% | 0.61% | 0.46% | 0.33% | 0.19% |
| Mar 2026 | 47.9% | 24.9% | 16.2% | 9.1% | 0.68% | 0.51% | 0.45% | 0.23% |
| Apr 2026 | 51.9% | 22.4% | 15.2% | 8.7% | 0.61% | 0.58% | 0.41% | 0.19% |
| May 2026 | 49.6% | 23.6% | 16.8% | 8.4% | 0.5% | 0.47% | 0.4% | 0.28% |
| Jun 2026 | 50.1% | 23% | 17.2% | 8% | 0.49% | 0.57% | 0.32% | 0.21% |
| Jul 2026 | 50.2% | 23.7% | 16.4% | 8% | 0.59% | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.21% |
| Aug 2026 | 51.9% | 20.8% | 17.2% | 8.4% | 0.69% | 0.48% | 0.3% | 0.2% |
| Sep 2026 | 52.6% | 22.9% | 15.1% | 8% | 0.52% | 0.38% | 0.28% | 0.19% |
How has the Sonos and Sony comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Sony was ahead of Sonos in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Sonos’ share of searches among home cinema brands in New Zealand moved from 7.6% to 8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 5K to 6K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Sony’s share of searches among home cinema brands in New Zealand moved from 23.4% to 22.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 15.2K to 17.1K.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand home cinema brands in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Sony gained share of searches among home cinema brands in New Zealand, from 20.8% to 22.9%.
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?
18 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Sonos’ 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 home cinema brands
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