Brandwave

JBL vs Sonos:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, JBL had more branded searches than Sonos among speaker brands in New Zealand. JBL had about 39,300 branded searches, while Sonos had 7,970. JBL made up 45% of all speaker brand searches we track, and Sonos accounted for 9.1%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about speaker brands, JBL and Sonos each appeared in three of the five answers. JBL was mentioned before Sonos in every answer that named either.

Among speaker brands in New Zealand in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

JBL, about 5 searches for every 1 for Sonos

JBL 39.3K searchesSonos 8K searches

Who does AI mention more?

Both were mentioned in 3 of 5 answers.

JBL in 3 of 5Sonos in 3 of 5

Who does AI recommend more?

JBL, named ahead of Sonos in 3 of 3 answers

JBL first in 3Sonos never first

Follow JBL vs Sonos and get free monthly updates on what changed

By continuing you'll get index updates and occasional product news from Brandwave. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy

Track your brand against a rival →

Top speaker brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, JBL and Sonos were each mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. JBL was listed before Sonos in every answer that named either.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. JBL1st
  2. Edifier2nd
  3. KEF3rd
  4. Sony4th
  5. Bose5th
  6. Sonos6th
  7. Bowers & Wilkins7th
  8. Ultimate Ears8th
  9. Q Acoustics9th
  10. DALI10th
  11. +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

+2 more

See every answer about speaker brands

5 answers

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 JBL or Sonos more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for JBL and Sonos 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.

JBL and Sonos among speaker brands in New Zealand, by month

Share of searches by month for JBL, Sonos. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthJBLSonyBoseSonosUltimate EarsMarshallEdifierBang & OlufsenBowers & WilkinsKEFQ AcousticsDALI
Oct 202540.9%19.5%16%8.3%9.3%2.1%0.93%1.1%0.76%0.75%0.27%0.09%
Nov 202541%18.3%15.1%9.2%11.3%2.1%0.89%0.8%0.53%0.52%0.19%0.06%
Dec 202550%14.7%13%7.8%10.2%1.8%0.68%0.68%0.45%0.45%0.16%0.05%
Jan 202644.4%18.4%13.9%9%8.4%2%0.92%1.1%0.75%0.68%0.27%0.09%
Feb 202642.5%20.8%14.1%8.6%8.1%2%0.96%1.2%0.78%0.62%0.23%0.11%
Mar 202640.9%21.3%14.7%9.9%7.7%1.8%0.88%1.1%0.71%0.7%0.21%0.07%
Apr 202644.6%19.3%13.9%9.6%7.2%1.8%0.97%0.97%0.8%0.7%0.19%0.07%
May 202642.6%20.3%15.5%9.3%6.2%2.1%0.96%1.2%0.79%0.69%0.23%0.12%
Jun 202643.2%19.8%15.8%8.9%5.9%2.1%0.95%1.2%0.78%0.86%0.28%0.12%
Jul 202642.5%20.1%14.8%9.2%7%2.5%0.93%1.1%0.76%0.75%0.27%0.09%
Aug 202643.7%17.5%15%9.5%7.5%2.9%1.1%1.1%0.72%0.71%0.26%0.13%
Sep 202645%19.6%13.5%9.1%7.3%2.2%1%0.84%0.55%0.54%0.16%0.1%

How has the JBL and Sonos comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • JBL was ahead of Sonos in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, JBL’s share of searches among speaker brands in New Zealand moved from 40.9% to 45%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 31.8K to 39.3K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Sonos’ share of searches among speaker brands in New Zealand moved from 8.3% to 9.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 6.4K to 8K.

How did search popularity change for New Zealand speaker brands in September 2026?

2 changes

  1. In September 2026, JBL gained share of searches among speaker brands in New Zealand, from 43.7% to 45%.

  2. Estimated monthly branded searches for Sonos in New Zealand rose 23.8% over 12 measured months, from 6.4K to 8K in September 2026.

How are branded searches counted?

27 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using JBL’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.

JBL

12 branded search terms

  • jbl
  • jbl bluetooth speaker
  • jbl boombox 4
  • jbl boombox3
  • jbl ear buds
  • jbl earbuds
  • jbl mic
  • jbl partybox
  • jbl partybox 320
  • jbl sound bar
  • jbl speaker
  • jbl wireless mic

Sonos

15 branded search terms

  • sonos
  • sonos amp
  • sonos arc
  • sonos bluetooth speaker
  • sonos five
  • sonos move
  • sonos one
  • sonos play
  • sonos port
  • sonos ray
  • sonos roam
  • sonos sound bars
  • sonos soundbar
  • sonos speaker
  • sonos sub

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among speaker brands

Creator with pink hair and a pink jacket

Put your own brand in this comparison

Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to the rival you actually watch, with your campaigns, spend and outcomes on the same timeline.

Start free