Bowers & Wilkins vs Sony:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Sony had more branded searches than Bowers & Wilkins among headphone brands in the United Kingdom. Sony had about 61,600 branded searches, while Bowers & Wilkins had 3,600. Sony made up 9.3% of all headphone brand searches we track, and Bowers & Wilkins accounted for 0.54%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about headphone brands, Sony appeared in all three answers and Bowers & Wilkins in none.
Who do people search for more?
Sony, about 17 searches for every 1 for Bowers & Wilkins
Who does AI mention more?
Sony, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Sony, the only one of the two named
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Top headphone brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions, Sony appeared in all three answers. Bowers & Wilkins did not appear in any of the three 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.
- Sony3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers
Bose3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers
Apple AirPods2 of 3Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answers
Sennheiser2 of 3Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answers
JBL1 of 3Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answers
Soundcore1 of 3Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answers
Beats0 of 3Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers
Shokz0 of 3Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers
Skullcandy0 of 3Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers
Bowers & Wilkins0 of 3Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers
See every answer about headphone brands
3 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which headphones should I buy in the UK?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best headphone brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best wireless earbuds?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“headphones”
Google showed no AI Overview for this search.
Searched Google, AI Overview
“wireless earbuds”
Google showed no AI Overview for this search.
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United Kingdom on October 26, 2026.
Is Bowers & Wilkins or Sony more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Bowers & Wilkins and Sony by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 12 headphone brands we track, month by month, from searches in United Kingdom.
Share of searches by month for Sony, Bowers & Wilkins. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Apple AirPods | Sony | Bose | Beats | JBL | Shokz | Skullcandy | Marshall | Soundcore | Sennheiser | Bowers & Wilkins | Jabra |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 51.9% | 10.2% | 10.1% | 7% | 8.7% | 3.1% | 3.1% | 2.6% | 0.76% | 1.4% | 0.62% | 0.51% |
| Nov 2025 | 57.7% | 9% | 10.1% | 6.3% | 6.5% | 2.8% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 0.57% | 1% | 0.46% | 0.31% |
| Dec 2025 | 54.1% | 10.4% | 9.9% | 7.3% | 7.4% | 2.7% | 2.7% | 2.7% | 0.8% | 1.2% | 0.53% | 0.35% |
| Jan 2026 | 52.4% | 10.3% | 9.6% | 7% | 7.5% | 3.9% | 3.2% | 2.6% | 0.94% | 1.4% | 0.63% | 0.51% |
| Feb 2026 | 54.1% | 11.1% | 8.6% | 5.9% | 7.4% | 4% | 2.7% | 2.7% | 0.97% | 1.5% | 0.65% | 0.52% |
| Mar 2026 | 52.3% | 10.7% | 8.3% | 7% | 7.5% | 4.7% | 3.1% | 2.6% | 1.1% | 1.4% | 0.63% | 0.5% |
| Apr 2026 | 48.2% | 11.6% | 9.4% | 6.5% | 8.4% | 5.3% | 4.3% | 2.9% | 1.1% | 1.3% | 0.57% | 0.47% |
| May 2026 | 50.8% | 10.4% | 9.9% | 5.6% | 7.6% | 4.6% | 3.7% | 3.1% | 1.7% | 1.4% | 0.74% | 0.5% |
| Jun 2026 | 52.1% | 10.7% | 8.3% | 5.7% | 7.5% | 5.7% | 3.1% | 2.6% | 1.7% | 1.4% | 0.61% | 0.51% |
| Jul 2026 | 53.1% | 10.5% | 8.5% | 5.9% | 7.6% | 3.9% | 3.9% | 2.6% | 1.4% | 1.4% | 0.63% | 0.52% |
| Aug 2026 | 54.6% | 9.1% | 8.7% | 6% | 7.8% | 4% | 4% | 2.2% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 0.65% | 0.44% |
| Sep 2026 | 55.7% | 9.3% | 8.9% | 7.5% | 6.5% | 3.4% | 3.4% | 2.2% | 1.2% | 1% | 0.54% | 0.36% |
Bowers & Wilkins sells other things too, so only its searches that name this product count here, like “bowers and wilkins headphones”.
How has the Bowers & Wilkins and Sony comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Sony was ahead of Bowers & Wilkins in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Bowers & Wilkins’ share of searches among headphone brands in the United Kingdom moved from 0.62% to 0.54%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 4.4K to 3.6K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Sony’s share of searches among headphone brands in the United Kingdom moved from 10.2% to 9.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 72.6K to 61.6K.
How did search popularity change for United Kingdom headphone brands in September 2026?
2 changes
Estimated monthly branded searches for Bowers & Wilkins in the United Kingdom fell 18.2% over 12 measured months, from 4.4K to 3.6K in September 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Sony in the United Kingdom fell 15.2% over 12 measured months, from 72.6K to 61.6K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Bowers & Wilkins’ 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.
Bowers & Wilkins
1 branded search term
- bowers and wilkins headphones
Sony
2 branded search terms
- sony earbuds
- sony headphones
Other head-to-heads among headphone brands
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