Hollyland Lark A1 Review | Minimalistic Yet Affordable

This is the first review of the video and audio solution Chinese manufacturer ‘Hollyland’. I would like our audience to know more about the company for those who are unfamiliar with it. Next, we will review the Hollyland Lark A1.

Note: Hollyland sent me a review unit to test the microphone, and I told them that I would be doing an unbiased review of the microphone.

About Hollyland

Hollyland is a relatively old Chinese company established in 2013, which introduced the first consumer-grade wireless video transmission product, known as the Mars 300. For about nine years, it wasn’t very popular with consumers, as the video solutions and intercom wireless systems didn’t have a large customer base.

Then, in 2022, Hollyland released Lark C1, the company’s first Wireless Lavalier Microphones, also known as a wireless compact external microphone for smartphones. It received good remarks from the audience despite being Hollyland’s first mobile microphone product.

However, this isn’t what defines Hollyland. Right after Hollyland turned 10, they released Lark Max. Yes, this is the same microphone that had the MaxTimbre Mic technology, 48 kHz 24-bit audio resolution, built-in backup recording, and long battery life. This became an instant hit, providing a hard competition to the microphone industry pioneers like the DJI Mic 2, Rode Wireless Pro, Sennheiser AVX, and Shure BLX.

2 years after this, there are numerous releases from Hollyland, including Lark M2, M2S, and Lark A1, and the flagship successor of Max, Lark Max 2. Now it’s one of the most popular Chinese microphone brands and can be seen on many influencers, YouTubers, and bloggers.

Specs Sheet

Physical

Feature	Specs
Transmitter Dimensions	30.0 × 16.3 × 8.8 mm
Receiver Dimensions	34.0 × 16.3 × 9.0 mm
Model	M18T (TX) (Lark A1)
Transmitter Weight	~8 g
Receiver Weight	~5.9 g
Operating Temperature	–10°C ~ 60°C
Charging Temperature	0°C ~ 45°C

Audio & Wireless

Feature	Specs
Audio Quality	48 kHz / 24-bit
Microphone Type	Omnidirectional
Mic Sensitivity	–37 dBV ± 2 dBV @ 1 kHz, 94 dB SPL
Maximum SPL	120 dB SPL
Frequency Response	20 Hz – 20 kHz
Signal-to-Noise Ratio	≥ 67 dB
Gain Levels	6
Noise Cancellation	3-Level (Low, Medium, High)
Reverb	3-Level (Low, Medium, Large)
Wireless Modulation	GFSK 2 Mbps
Wireless Transmission	2.4 GHz Adaptive Frequency Hopping (AFH)
Transmission Range	Up to 200 m (650 ft) line-of-sight

Power & Battery

Feature	Specs
Transmitter Battery Capacity	65 mAh
Charging Case Capacity	460 mAh
Transmitter Battery Life	Up to 9 hours (6.5 hours with noise cancellation)
Charging Case Recharges	>2x for 2 transmitters
Charging Time	<1.5 hours (TX & case)
Charging Interface	Type-C

Others

Feature	Specs
App	LarkSound
Accessories	2 × Transmitter (TX) 1 × Receiver (USB-C or Lightning) 1 × Charging Case 2 × Magnet 2 × Furry Windshield 1 × USB-A to USB-C Cable 1 × Carrying Bag Documentation
Price	Lark A1 Combo (USB-C RX + Lightning RX + Charging Case) – $69.99 Lark A1 Duo (USB-C RX + Charging Case)- $49.99 Lark A1 Mini Duo (Lightning RX) – $39.99 Lark A1 Mini Duo (USB-C RX) – $34.99

The Unboxing

I have the Lark A1 combo set sent to me by Hollyland. The microphone comes inside a rectangular white box. On the front, we have the Lark A1 picture with the combo set mentioning both receivers (Type-C and Lightning). There will be a different picture for each of the four variants. I think they should use a glossy UV print on the white box to make it look premium. This print looks a bit cheaper to me, but I think it is just personal preference.

On the left side of the box, we have the picture of a man wearing one of the microphones of Lark A1.

Meanwhile, the right side lists the highlights of the microphone.

The back of the microphone box has the details of the company, model number, certifications, socials, and barcodes.

The packaging opens from the front side and flips up. Inside it, you see the transparent envelope containing the package list card, quick guide, and sales card.

Removing that, you see the first impression of the Lark A1 case surrounded by a plastic bag and placed inside the white plastic tray.

Removing the plastic tray, you see the black bag with the Hollyland logo on it.

The bag contains the rest of the accessories, including a white Type-C cable for the charging case and two Furry Windshields.

Overall, a normal unboxing experience for the price ($69.99), and since this isn’t a flagship product like the Max 2. However, I would ask Hollyland to improve their packaging presentation. These include:

• Printing high-quality UV print on their white box
• Putting all the accessories at the bottom (there’s something good when you open a box and you see the main product instead of all that paper and plastic)
• Removing all those plastic covers for documents and all accessories.

What I liked:

1. The black pouch/bag at the bottom
2. Those Furry Windshields are so soft
3. Good quality charging cable

Charging Case

Lark A1 comes inside a rectangular black matte charging case. It’s quite a compact case given that it has two microphones, two receivers (for Android and iPhone), and a huge 460 mAh battery. It occupies a space of 55mm x 71mm x 31mm. It is quite thick because of the battery capacity and the extra space if you are attaching the magnets as holders.

Again, similar to the packaging, I would have preferred a white UV glossy logo on the case instead of the grey matte HOLLYLAND logo.

Despite being thick, it is pocket-friendly and doesn’t poke since it is well curved on the edges. Though in tight jeans, it might be quite visible.

At the bottom, we have the glossy sticker indicating the model name, logo, and product. The sticker can be easily removed as well.

A Type-C charging port is present at the back of the case.

On the front, we have a multi-colored LED light indicating status, like:

• Blinking red light – 0% to 10% charge (low battery)
• Red light – 11% to 25%
• White light – 26% to 70%
• Green light – 71% to 100%

While charging:

• Orange light: 0% – 97%
• Green light: 98% to 100%

Design & Appearance

Coming to the receivers and transmitters, in the combo variant, there are two receivers and two transmitters. Speaking about the transmitters first, each of the receivers has a 34.0 × 16.3 × 9.0 mm. They are barely the size of a quarter coin and 5.9 grams each. This makes them the lightest and smallest among their competitors.

Product	Dimensions (mm)	Weight (g)
Hollyland Lark A1	34.0 × 16.3 × 9.0	5.9
DJI Mic 2	54.20 × 28.36 × 22.49	28
Rode Wireless GO II	44 × 45.5 × 18.3	32
Sennheiser XSW-D RX	102 × 24 × 28	63
Godox WEC Kit2	39 × 22 × 15	13
Synco G2A2 Pro	52 × 41 × 17	35
Saramonic BlinkMe RX	49 × 49 × 15	35
Maono WM821 RX	39 × 22 × 16	13
BOYA BY-V RX	46 × 16 × 10	10

The front of each transmitter is a button with an integrated LED status light. Similar to the case, we have the company’s logo on it with grey color (why not white?).

What does the LED color light on each transmitter indicate?

• Slow blinking blue light – Disconnected
• Fast blinking blue light – Pairing
• Green light – Noise Cancellation enabled
• Red light – Mute
• Yellow light – TX 1 indicator (microphone 1)
• Pink light – TX 2 indicator (microphone 2)

On top, we have the metal microphone grill. This grill, when attached to your collar, must be pointed toward your mouth.

At the back, we have the charging terminal, marking for the magnet attachment, and again, a removable glossy sticker like the charging case back. There’s no marking of which transmitter is which microphone. You can only check when you enable the microphone color indication option in the app, or speak and check which one is which microphone.

The receivers are slightly longer than the receivers. They have the Hollyland written on the front with the same greyish color.

Similar to each component (case and transmitters), there’s a glossy sticker at the bottom again.

There’s this small yellow button at the back of it. Here are its functions:

• 1 click: Enable/Disable NC
• 2 clicks: TX 1 Mute
• 3 clicks: TX 2 Mute
• 3 secs long press: Pairing

I love how Hollyland has provided every functionality on the receivers and transmitters so that you don’t have to open the app again and again to do basic operations.

One of the most innovative aspects I like about Lark A1 is that you can use the receiver and charge the phone at the same time. The receiver has a Type-C port on the left side, which I didn’t notice at first. Use a Type-C to USB Type A or Type-C to Type-C to charge your Android or even your iPhone (I can charge my iPhone 14 Pro with a Type-C charger lol).

Regardless of whether it’s a Lightning or Type-C, they both have the same dimensions and weight, which are 34.0 × 16.3 × 9.0 mm and 8 grams.

Wearing Experience

Probably the biggest highlight of the Lark A1 is the wearing experience. Unlike the conventional portable microphones that have a hook design, these come with strong magnets to attach to the transmitters. And by strong, I mean jerks or hand accidentally touching the receiver, doesn’t let it drop off your shirt that easily.

Since the magnet is on the inner side, the microphone looks like it is attached to the shirt without anything, giving it quite a minimalistic look and probably the iconic look we see on influencers and YouTubers wearing these. Just remember to put the logo side of the magnetic towards your body so that it doesn’t repel the transmitter. However, since the magnet is on the inner side, if someone pulls the receiver, the magnet drops. So you can easily lose the magnet without knowing.

Since these are one of the lightest microphones (almost 6 grams), they never feel as if I am wearing one. Probably the best wearing experience I have had of any of the external smartphone microphones.

Connectivity & Features

Lark A1 uses 2.4G to connect its transmitters to the receivers. We do miss Bluetooth mode in this one. However, the 2.4G frequency makes the reachable distance up to 200 meters. Bluetooth v5.3 would have only reached up to 10 meters, which isn’t a good sign for a portable microphone for smartphones.

The features of the microphone include:

• Omnidirectional capturing
• 48 kHz / 24-bit sampling
• 120 dB SPL
• 3-Level Intelligent Noise Cancellation
• Auto-Limit Clip Protection
• Simultaneous Phone Charging
• 6-level gan control
• Three EQ modes
• 3-level Reverb effects
• Apple MFi Certified

App Experience

Hollyland Lark A1 connects via the LarkSound App available on Android and iOS. Now this is the part where Hollyland beats almost every other competitor out there, especially the Chinese one.

How To Connect?

You need to press the ‘+’ button on the top right to add the microphone. Make sure that your receiver is attached to your phone via the port. The app scans and automatically adds the microphone.

App Features

This microphone, despite being around $69, has one of the most detailed settings I have seen for an external smartphone microphone.

You have the model picture illustrated with the battery of each transmitter (microphone) below it. Reminds me of the earbuds app, which I reviewed. There’s the sound gain bar, which shows how loud the sound is being captured. At mono mode, it uses only one microphone, and one sound bar is shown. When in stereo mode, the mic 2 sound bar also appears.

Below it is the NC Level, which can be toggled on/off, and when on, you can set three levels from low to high.

You also have the mic mute feature, on which you can mute mic 1 or mic 2, or both.

EQ Adjustment is just below the mic mute. It has three presets:

• Equalization (should be called balanced) – A flat sound profile)
• Low – boosts lows (deeper voice)
• Bright – boosts mid and highs (clear, crisp voice)

Enough for this price range, however, the flagship ones have customizable EQ and more presets.

There’s also the reverb adjustment option. When you turn it on, it has three levels (small, medium, large).

The third last option is to turn on mic identification, which puts pink and yellow colors on each microphone and also shows that on the receiver. There’s no other way of knowing which transmitter is mic 1 and which is mic 2 (apart from just turning one on).

There’s a scheduled power-off function as well, which means that when the receiver and transmitter are not connected and paired, they will turn off after a specific time. Sadly, only two options are given (15 mins or Never). It would have been better if there were 5 and 10-minute options as well, just to power off quicker and save more battery life.

The last option is to toggle the indicator light on/off. There will be no LED light on the transmitter when this is turned off.

To update firmware, click on the settings icon (top right) >> Version information >> Check for updates button (bottom right).

If the user manual is lost, you can also access it from the settings icon >> User manual.

Voice Quality

Voice on iPhone 14 Pro Integrated Microphone

You can hear the wind noise clearly on the iPhone 14 Pro microphone.

Voice on Hollyland Lark A1 (default settings)

With the NC set at high, gain level set at 5, mono mode, reverb off, equalization (balance) EQ mode, the Lark A1 does a mind-blowing work in cancelling the wind noise from the fan.

Low NC Voice

When NC is set at low, the wind noise can be heard, but not as much as the iPhone’s microphone.

Equalizer Changed To Low

My voice becomes slightly deep and bassy when changed to low.

Equalizer Changed To Bright

The voice becomes crisp and clear.

Equalizer Changed to Equalization (Default)

The voice is balanced now.

Speaking With Both Microphones in Mono Mode

For some reason, Mono mode is available with both microphones.

Speaking With Both Microphones in Stereo Mode

The right way to do it when you have two speakers.

One Microphone in Stereo Mode

Even stereo mode for one microphone is available. On the app, it shows two microphones, but the volume level is equal when I speak into one microphone.

Reverb Set At Large

Sounds like I am in a basement or washroom.

Reverb Set At Medium

Reverb Set At Low

Proximity Test

Not important for a Wireless Lavalier Microphone since the microphone isn’t that close to the mouth, but still, I have added it.

Plosives

Not important for a Wireless Lavalier Microphone since the microphone isn’t that close to the mouth, but still, I have added it.

With Wind Shield

Extra effective in reducing background noise and plosives.

Without Wind Shield

Speaking While 3cm Away From The Microphone

Speaking While 10cm Away From The Microphone

Speaking While 20cm Away From The Microphone

Speaking While 30cm Away From The Microphone

Speaking While 1 Meter Away From The Microphone

Battery Life

Lark A1 features a 65mAh battery in the transmitter and a 460mAh battery in the charging case.

While using the microphone, I couldn’t continuously measure the battery life for a total of 9 hours (as advertised). However, with the 30-minute usage, I estimated it to be around the advertised battery timing. Also, the battery life decreases drastically depending on whether the NC feature is on or off. With NC activated all the time and set at high, it can decrease to a battery timing of 6 hours and 30 minutes.

This is the second-highest single-charge battery life for a Wireless Lavalier Microphone, only getting beaten by Boya BY-V. However, the charging case of Lark A1 has around 5 charges (2.5 charges for both microphones), which means that it can reach a total battery life of 54 hours (with alternating TX). This is the highest by any lavalier microphone yet.

The case can be charged via a Type-C cable that comes with the Lark A1.

Product/Brand	Battery Life per Charge (TX)	Total Battery Life with Case	Notes
Hollyland Lark A1	9 hours (TX), 6.5h w/ NC on	Up to 54 hours (alternating TX)	2x full charges from case; charge while using
DJI Mic 2	6 hours (TX), 6h (RX)	Up to 18 hours	Case recharges both TX and RX
Rode Wireless GO II	7 hours	N/A	No charging case included
Sennheiser XSW-D	5 hours	N/A	No charging case
Godox WEC Kit2	8 hours	N/A	Case charges both TX and RX
Synco G2A2 Pro	8 hours	Up to 24 hours (with case)	Fast charging; case provides 2 full charges
Saramonic BlinkMe	9 hours (TX), 24h (RX)	Up to 24 hours (with case)	The case provides 2 full charges
Maono WM821	7 hours	Up to 20 hours (with case)	Case provides 2 full charges
BOYA BY-V	10 hours	N/A	No charging case

Lark A1 Comparison To Its Competitors

Feature	Lark A1	DJI Mic 2	Rode Wireless GO II	Sennheiser XSW-D	Godox WEC Kit2	Synco G2A2 Pro	BOYA BY-V
Audio Quality	24-bit/48kHz	24-bit/48kHz	24-bit/48kHz	24-bit/48kHz	16-bit/48kHz	16bit/48kHz	16-bit/48kHz
Microphone Type	Omnidirectional	Omnidirectional	Omnidirectional	Omnidirectional	Omnidirectional	Omnidirectional	Omnidirectional
Noise Cancellation	3-Level (Adj.)	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes (1-click)
Gain Control	6-level (App)	Yes (App)	Yes (App)	No	No	Yes	No
Transmission Range	200m (LoS)	250m (LoS)	200m (LoS)	75m (LoS)	100m (LoS)	200m (LoS)	100m (LoS)
Battery Life (TX)	9h (6.5h w/ NC)	6h	7h	5h	8h	8h	9h
Charging Case	Yes (460mAh)	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No
Total Runtime	Up to 54h	Up to 18h	7h	5h	24h	24h	9h
Dimensions (RX)	34×16.3×9mm	54.2×28.4×22.5mm	44×45.5×18.3mm	102×24×28mm	39×22×15mm	52×41×17mm	46×16×10mm
Weight (RX)	5.9g	28g	32g	63g	13g	35g	10g
Phone Charging	Yes (via RX port)	Yes (via RX port)	No	No	No	No	Yes (via RX port)
App Customization	Yes (LarkSound)	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Onboard Recording	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Compatibility	USB-C/Lightning	USB-C/Lightning/3.5mm	3.5mm/USB-C (adapter)	3.5mm	USB-C/3.5mm	3.5mm	USB-C/Lightning
Special Features	Magnetic clip, mute, EQ/reverb, auto-limit	Touchscreen, 32-bit float, backup recording	Safety channel, app control	Plug-and-play, robust build	Budget, easy setup	Fast charging, compact	Plug-and-play, budget
Price (USD)	$34.99 – $69.99	$219 – $349	$245	$305	$28 – $110	$76 – $109	$131

As you can see, portability-wise, Lark A1 is the smallest one with the highest battery life (total). Meanwhile, the DJI Mic 2 has the most features, Hollyland Lark A1 has the best features for the price.

Rode Wireless GO II and Sennheiser XSW-D have the best voice quality. However, comparing all of them, Lark A1 offers the best performance/price ratio.

The Verdict

Hollyland’s cheapest mobile microphone is the best Wireless Lavalier Microphone in $70 range. It sounds quite good, has incredible noise cancellation, and a good app with basic yet numerous features. Most importantly, the design is quite minimalist with the magnet attachment and probably the smallest one in this price range.

Features like simultaneous charging via Type-C on the receiver are quite innovative, and despite the small size, the battery life is the 2nd longest after BOYA BY-V and the longest when added the case charging.

Though the small size and the magnetic attachment do increase the chances of dropping the magnet in the shirt, and possibly losing it. The app is a bit buggy as well (loads every time I change the screen on my iPhone).

We can say that:

Hollyland Lark A1 is probably the most featured, good sounding, and the smallest lavalier microphone starting at $35

Price & Availability

The following are the variants and pricing for Lark A1:

• Lark A1 Combo (USB-C RX + Lightning RX + Charging Case) – $69.99
• Lark A1 Duo (USB-C RX + Charging Case)- $49.99
• Lark A1 Mini Duo (Lightning RX) – $39.99
• Lark A1 Mini Duo (USB-C RX) – $34.99

You can buy it from Hollyland’s official store on AliExpress and Amazon.