Sony vs Soundcore:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Sony had more branded searches than Soundcore among headphone brands in New Zealand. Sony had about 25,700 branded searches, while Soundcore had 880. Sony made up 13.4% of all headphone brand searches we track, and Soundcore accounted for 0.46%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about headphone brands, Sony appeared in all five answers and Soundcore in three. Sony was mentioned before Soundcore in every answer.
Who do people search for more?
Sony, about 29 searches for every 1 for Soundcore
Who does AI mention more?
Sony, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Sony, named ahead of Soundcore in every answer
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Top headphone brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Sony appeared in all five answers. Soundcore 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 listed before Soundcore in every answer.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- Sony1st
Bose2nd
Sennheiser3rd
JBL4th
Apple AirPods5th
Soundcore6th
Skullcandy7th
Beats–
Jabra–
Marshall–
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
- Bose5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Sennheiser5 of 5Named in 3 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
- Soundcore3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Apple AirPods2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Skullcandy1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Beats0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Jabra0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Marshall0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about headphone brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which headphone brand should I buy in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best headphone brands in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best headphone brand in New Zealand for everyday listening?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best headphones”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“wireless headphones nz”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 19, 2026.
Is Sony or Soundcore more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Sony and Soundcore by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all ten headphone brands we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.
Share of searches by month for Sony, Soundcore. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Apple AirPods | JBL | Sony | Bose | Sennheiser | Skullcandy | Beats | Jabra | Soundcore | Marshall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 44.7% | 22.2% | 13.6% | 8.9% | 3.5% | 3% | 2.2% | 1.1% | 0.44% | 0.38% |
| Nov 2025 | 44.3% | 23.4% | 14.1% | 8.8% | 3.2% | 2.7% | 2% | 0.8% | 0.33% | 0.41% |
| Dec 2025 | 40.1% | 30.4% | 12.6% | 8% | 3% | 2.6% | 1.9% | 0.67% | 0.3% | 0.39% |
| Jan 2026 | 42.7% | 25.6% | 14% | 7.9% | 3.2% | 2.8% | 2% | 0.99% | 0.38% | 0.41% |
| Feb 2026 | 47% | 22.3% | 13.4% | 7.2% | 3.3% | 3% | 2% | 1% | 0.42% | 0.37% |
| Mar 2026 | 46.9% | 21.1% | 14% | 7.5% | 3.6% | 3.1% | 2% | 0.96% | 0.47% | 0.42% |
| Apr 2026 | 43.7% | 24.8% | 13.5% | 7.8% | 3.6% | 2.9% | 2% | 0.95% | 0.39% | 0.42% |
| May 2026 | 45.1% | 22.7% | 13.4% | 8% | 4.1% | 3% | 1.9% | 0.92% | 0.43% | 0.44% |
| Jun 2026 | 45.4% | 22.1% | 13.1% | 8.3% | 4.6% | 3% | 1.7% | 0.79% | 0.52% | 0.45% |
| Jul 2026 | 44.4% | 23% | 13.4% | 8% | 4.7% | 3% | 1.8% | 0.84% | 0.42% | 0.35% |
| Aug 2026 | 45.6% | 22.5% | 12.4% | 8.3% | 4% | 3.7% | 1.9% | 0.8% | 0.47% | 0.36% |
| Sep 2026 | 43.8% | 23.7% | 13.4% | 7.3% | 3.6% | 3.6% | 3% | 0.7% | 0.46% | 0.42% |
How has the Sony and Soundcore comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Sony was ahead of Soundcore in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Sony’s share of searches among headphone brands in New Zealand moved from 13.6% to 13.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 22.5K to 25.7K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Soundcore’s share of searches among headphone brands in New Zealand moved from 0.44% to 0.46%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 720 to 880.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand headphone brands in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Sony gained share of searches among headphone brands in New Zealand, from 12.4% to 13.4%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Soundcore in New Zealand rose 22.2% over 12 measured months, from 720 to 880 in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
15 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Sony’s and Soundcore’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 headphone brands
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