I first ran into Pendulumic at T.H.E. Show in Newport last year. Since then audiophiles have been exposed to their new bluetooth-enabled headphone at multiple show locations across the US, including this year’s CanJam in Los Angeles. The new STANCE S1+ model retails for $199 and contains a 40mm driver in an around-the-ear headphone design.
As you might expect by now, the connectivity options include aptX and Apple Lossless (as well as wired options this time around). The battery boasts 30 hours of playback time via the internal battery and also a AAA backup option. Spec’d at a 50 ft range the fairly lightweight headphone includes an on-board microphone and phone controls. Pendelumic let me know that there is a slight latency with the bluetooth codec, so FPS gaming applications might not be the best fit. However, an attendee had a PS Vita on hand at the same time I was visiting the table and his experience appeared to be just fine. A quick sample of the bluetooth connection was fairly impressive (for a wireless connection) with a bass forward presentation. A followup with the hardwire connection was a bit more evenly distributed and more neutral to my ears, so expect the option to implement variations in playback tone with the headphone or source DSP.
From my experience at the show, the new STACE S1+ proved to be quite versatile on several fronts. The AAA battery backup seems like a jewel of an idea. With it you can instantly be back up and running when the battery dies, no need to wait for a charge. Likewise the hard cable could save you pinch and also help cut back on latency for both studio recording and video gaming applications. It appears as though Pendelumic is trying hard to give consumers a lot to love, especially for the $199 asking price.