Bose vs Sony:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Sony had more branded searches than Bose among speaker brands in New Zealand. Sony had about 17,100 branded searches, while Bose had 11,800. Sony made up 19.6% of all speaker brand searches we track, and Bose accounted for 13.5%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about speaker brands, Bose and Sony each appeared in three of the five answers. Bose and Sony were each mentioned first in two of the four answers that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Sony, about 45% more searches than Bose
Who does AI mention more?
Both were mentioned in 3 of 5 answers.
Who does AI recommend more?
Each is named first in 2 of 4 answers.
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Top speaker brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Bose was mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Sony was mentioned in three out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. Bose and Sony were each listed first in two of the four answers that named either.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
JBL1st
Edifier2nd
KEF3rd- Sony4th
Bose5th
Sonos6th
Bowers & Wilkins7th
Ultimate Ears8th
Q Acoustics9th
DALI10th- +2 more
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Edifier4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- JBL3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Sony3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Bose3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Sonos3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- KEF3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Ultimate Ears2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Bowers & Wilkins2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Q Acoustics2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- DALI2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about speaker brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which speaker brand should I buy in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best speaker brands in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best speaker brand in New Zealand for home listening?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“bluetooth speakers nz”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“wireless speakers 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 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 12 speaker brands we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.
Share of searches by month for Sony, Bose. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | JBL | Sony | Bose | Sonos | Ultimate Ears | Marshall | Edifier | Bang & Olufsen | Bowers & Wilkins | KEF | Q Acoustics | DALI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 40.9% | 19.5% | 16% | 8.3% | 9.3% | 2.1% | 0.93% | 1.1% | 0.76% | 0.75% | 0.27% | 0.09% |
| Nov 2025 | 41% | 18.3% | 15.1% | 9.2% | 11.3% | 2.1% | 0.89% | 0.8% | 0.53% | 0.52% | 0.19% | 0.06% |
| Dec 2025 | 50% | 14.7% | 13% | 7.8% | 10.2% | 1.8% | 0.68% | 0.68% | 0.45% | 0.45% | 0.16% | 0.05% |
| Jan 2026 | 44.4% | 18.4% | 13.9% | 9% | 8.4% | 2% | 0.92% | 1.1% | 0.75% | 0.68% | 0.27% | 0.09% |
| Feb 2026 | 42.5% | 20.8% | 14.1% | 8.6% | 8.1% | 2% | 0.96% | 1.2% | 0.78% | 0.62% | 0.23% | 0.11% |
| Mar 2026 | 40.9% | 21.3% | 14.7% | 9.9% | 7.7% | 1.8% | 0.88% | 1.1% | 0.71% | 0.7% | 0.21% | 0.07% |
| Apr 2026 | 44.6% | 19.3% | 13.9% | 9.6% | 7.2% | 1.8% | 0.97% | 0.97% | 0.8% | 0.7% | 0.19% | 0.07% |
| May 2026 | 42.6% | 20.3% | 15.5% | 9.3% | 6.2% | 2.1% | 0.96% | 1.2% | 0.79% | 0.69% | 0.23% | 0.12% |
| Jun 2026 | 43.2% | 19.8% | 15.8% | 8.9% | 5.9% | 2.1% | 0.95% | 1.2% | 0.78% | 0.86% | 0.28% | 0.12% |
| Jul 2026 | 42.5% | 20.1% | 14.8% | 9.2% | 7% | 2.5% | 0.93% | 1.1% | 0.76% | 0.75% | 0.27% | 0.09% |
| Aug 2026 | 43.7% | 17.5% | 15% | 9.5% | 7.5% | 2.9% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 0.72% | 0.71% | 0.26% | 0.13% |
| Sep 2026 | 45% | 19.6% | 13.5% | 9.1% | 7.3% | 2.2% | 1% | 0.84% | 0.55% | 0.54% | 0.16% | 0.1% |
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 speaker brands in New Zealand moved from 16% to 13.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 12.4K to 11.8K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Sony’s share of searches among speaker brands in New Zealand moved from 19.5% to 19.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 15.2K to 17.1K.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand speaker brands in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Sony gained share of searches among speaker brands in New Zealand, from 17.5% to 19.6%.
In September 2026, Bose lost share of searches among speaker brands in New Zealand, from 15% to 13.5%.
How are branded searches counted?
15 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 speaker brands
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