Galirity SX-990

The Galirity SX-990 is a budget neckband Bluetooth headset with retractable earbuds that's great for music and workouts but weak for calls. Battery life is solid at 16 hours, and the neckband design is comfortable. The mic quality and Bluetooth range are the main complaints, and the hinge feels fragile.

The SX-990 runs on Bluetooth 5.0, and in practice the connection is stable enough for music around the house or at the gym. Multipoint support means you can pair it with your phone and laptop at the same time, which is handy for work calls. The retractable mechanism is the standout feature. It's not silent, and a few owners mention the retractor is louder than they'd like, but it works. The yellow silicone bumpers help reduce the clack when the buds snap back.

Sound is where things get mediocre. The drivers push decent bass for the price, but the overall tuning is muddy and the noise cancelling is mostly marketing. Our database ranks the ANC at 31st percentile, so don't expect it to block out a bus engine or office chatter. The mic sits at 68th percentile, which sounds okay on paper, but real-world feedback is harsher. Multiple owners report muffled call audio and complaints from people on the other end. For music, it's fine. For calls, it's a coin flip.

The Galirity SX-990 sits in an awkward spot. The Soundcore P31i costs a bit more but delivers better sound, a more reliable mic, and a sturdier build. The Sony WF-C700N is in a different league for noise cancelling and call quality, though it's true wireless and pricier. The Anker Space A40 is the pick if you want ANC that actually works and don't mind spending more.

Against the Nothing Buds Buds 2, the SX-990 loses on sound and design but wins on the retractable cable convenience. The SoundPEATS H3 is a closer match on price and form factor, but it has a better reputation for mic quality. If you're comparing neckband headsets specifically, the SX-990's retractable earbuds are unique, but the build quality concerns and weak call performance make it hard to recommend over the Soundcore or Sony alternatives.

At around $30 USD, the Galirity SX-990 is cheap enough that you can forgive a lot. The carrying case, six ear tips, and retractable design add real convenience. But value depends on what you need. If you want a gym headset that won't fall out and don't care about call quality, this is a decent buy. If you need reliable calls or good sound, the Soundcore P31i or Sony WF-C700N are better picks, though they cost more. The EUR 75 price in Italy feels steep for what you get, so European buyers should think twice.

The Galirity SX-990 is a budget neckband Bluetooth headset with a party trick: retractable earbuds. You pull the wires out to whatever length you need, then they snap back into the collar when you're done. It's aimed at people who hate tangled cables and lost earbuds, and at around $30 USD it's firmly in impulse-buy territory. The design is a bit of a throwback, but for gym sessions, office calls, and walking around town, the neckband form factor still makes sense for a lot of folks.

So is the Galirity SX-990 good for everyday use? For casual music and podcasts, sure. It has Bluetooth 5.0, multipoint pairing, and a claimed 16 hours of music playback. But the spec sheet tells a mixed story. Our database puts its connectivity at a solid 79th percentile, which is genuinely good for a budget headset. Comfort lands at 72nd percentile, so the neckband and ear tips are doing their job. The weak spots are sound quality at 29th percentile and battery at 11th, which is rough even for this price.

If you're searching for a cheap wireless headset with retractable earbuds and a carrying case, this one checks those boxes. Just don't expect it to compete with true wireless earbuds from Sony or Anker on sound or call quality.

Skip the Galirity SX-990 if you take a lot of phone calls or need reliable noise cancelling. The mic quality is a recurring complaint, and the ANC is barely functional. If you're hard on your gear, the fragile hinge will likely break on you. Commuters who need to block out train noise should look at the Sony WF-C700N or Anker Space A40 instead. And if you're in Europe paying EUR 75, the value proposition falls apart completely. For that money, you can get a much better pair of true wireless earbuds.

Should you buy the Galirity SX-990? If you want a cheap neckband headset with retractable earbuds and you mostly listen to music or podcasts, it's a reasonable buy at $30 USD. The battery life is good enough for a full day of casual use, and the neckband design means you won't lose an earbud mid-workout.

But if you take a lot of calls or care about sound quality, look elsewhere. The mic is a weak point, the Bluetooth range is shorter than you'd expect, and the hinge is a known failure point. The 4 out of 5 star rating from nearly 5,000 reviews sounds great, but our sentiment analysis shows a 72/100 score with low confidence. Owners like the convenience and battery, but they're frustrated by the call quality and connection issues. For the price, it's a decent niche product. Just know what you're getting into.