Hollyland LARK M1: Studio Level Mic on a Budget
Updated: Nov 3, 2023
Hollyland LARK M1 is a great duo microphone Lavalier microphone for an affordable budget. With its compact design and ease of access, it is suitable for multiple uses like - podcasting, interviews, streaming, recording and more.
Hollyland is known for providing users with high-quality audio and video products, LARK M1 is not an exception to that.
Here's what you will get inside the package when purchasing Hollyland LARK M1-
1 Receiver, 2 Transmitters
1 Charging case
2 TRS cables
USB -A to USB-C cable for charging
Carry and Safety pouch
2 Furry windshields
3.5mm to type C cable
3.5 mm to lighting cable (not included, can be purchased as add-on)
User manual and Warranty card
Features of LARK M1 Microphone
1. Easy to Use-
The LARK M1 is a Lavalier microphone that is it's a hands-free mic with wireless transmitters, that can be attached to your clothes with a clip.
LARK M1 is a plug-play microphone and doesn't require any setups for your device. It comes with TRRS cables for the Camera and TRRS compatible devices. It also comes with a 3.5mm to lighting cable and USB-C cable for iPhone and Android device connectivity.
2. Compact Design-
LARK M1 is a very compact duo microphone. Comes with a safety pouch which also holds all the needed cables. LARK M1 has a very light and compact design which makes it easy to use and carry around.
The charging case for receivers and transmitters also acts as a storage for them.
3. Studio level Audio quality-
Hollyland's LARK M1 provides high-quality audio which rivals the studio-level microphones on an affordable budget. The competitive pricing and very good audio quality make this a very solid choice for beginner as well as professional use.
The LARK M1 also has a noise cancellation feature as well as both stereo and mono audio modes.
LARK M1 Audio Test
Here we did an audio test in a windy environment without any windshields.
Without the Noise Cancellation
With the Noise Cancellation
4. Long-lasting battery
The receiver and transmitters, take 1.5hrs to be fully charged and can give 8 hrs of run time. The charging case will be able to charge them two times with one full battery. Also, the receiver and transmitters can be individually charged with a USB-C cable.
5. Dedicated button controls
The Receiver has dedicated buttons to increase or decrease recording volume, change stereo and mono mode. The transmitters have buttons to switch noise cancellation on or off. When the noise cancellation is not active the transmitters will have a blue light on and when noise cancellation is active they will have a green light.
HOLLYLAND LARK M1 Review
After using LARK M1 for a week here is our review for this Hollyland microphone.
PROS
Here are some of the things we liked about the LARK M1 microphone.
Plug-and-play design for all devices.
Easy to carry around compact design with a safety pouch that also carries cables.
Charging case with battery indicator, charges for more than 2 times of 8-hour usage.
Very good audio quality with a very useful and practical feature of noise cancellation.
Very long range connectivity with 650ft (200m) Transmission LOS.
CONS
Some of the things we didn't like about the LARK M1 microphone.
No proper way to attach the receiver to the device, most of the time it hangs from the device.
No magnets to attach with transmitters like Hollyland LARK MAX which gives more cleaner look and is easy to hide.
Lack of adjustment and audio customization options on the receiver.
Can't connect and use individual microphone transmitters directly to the recording device, receiver must be used every time.
The complaints we have with the LARK M1 are all quality-of-life things, we don't have any issues with the performance of the LARK M1 microphone.
Conclusion
So after using Hollyland Lark M1 for a week, we found it a solid choice as a Lavalier microphone. Its competitive price range, ease of use, and compact design make it a very good choice for beginners and as a first entry-level microphone for audio enthusiasts. It's light and hands-free design makes it perfect for podcasting and interviews.
