Brandwave

KEF vs Marshall:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Marshall had more branded searches than KEF among speaker brands in New Zealand. Marshall had about 1,940 branded searches, while KEF had 470. Marshall made up 2.2% of all speaker brand searches we track, and KEF accounted for 0.54%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about speaker brands, KEF appeared in three of the five answers and Marshall in one. KEF was mentioned before Marshall in every answer that named either.

Among speaker brands in New Zealand in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

Marshall, about 4 searches for every 1 for KEF

Marshall 1.9K searchesKEF 470 searches

Who does AI mention more?

KEF, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, Marshall in 1

KEF in 3 of 5Marshall in 1 of 5

Who does AI recommend more?

KEF, named ahead of Marshall in 3 of 3 answers

KEF first in 3Marshall never first

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Top speaker brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, KEF was mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Marshall was mentioned in one out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. KEF was listed before Marshall 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. +1 more
  11. Marshall11th
  12. +1 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
  • Marshall1 of 5Named in 1 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 KEF or Marshall more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for KEF and Marshall 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.

KEF and Marshall among speaker brands in New Zealand, by month

Share of searches by month for Marshall, KEF. 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 KEF and Marshall comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • Marshall was ahead of KEF in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, KEF’s share of searches among speaker brands in New Zealand moved from 0.75% to 0.54%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 580 to 470.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Marshall’s share of searches among speaker brands in New Zealand moved from 2.1% to 2.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1.6K to 1.9K.

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

2 changes

  1. In September 2026, Marshall lost share of searches among speaker brands in New Zealand, from 2.9% to 2.2%.

  2. Estimated monthly branded searches for KEF in New Zealand fell 19% over 12 measured months, from 580 to 470 in September 2026.

How are branded searches counted?

8 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using KEF’s and Marshall’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.

KEF

2 branded search terms

  • kef
  • kef speakers

Marshall

6 branded search terms

  • marshall acton speaker
  • marshall bt speaker
  • marshall kilburn speaker
  • marshall soundbar
  • marshall speaker
  • marshall stanmore speaker

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among speaker brands

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