REVIEW – Video content creators know that other than a camera, there are two other important things needed to produce quality content. One is good lighting, and the other is good sound. You can’t create a great video if the audio is not clear and crisp. While our cameras and smartphones may have good built-in microphones, a quality wireless microphone is definitely worth considering, and that’s why I’ve been testing the Hollyland LARK M2 wireless Lavalier microphone kit. Let’s turn up the volume and check it out.
What is it?
The Hollyland LARK M2 is a wireless Lavalier microphone kit that you can use with most digital cameras or smartphones.
What’s in the box?
- Drawstring bag
- Charging case
- Camera RX
- USB-C RX
- Lightning RX
- 2 Windscreens
- USB-A to USB-C
- 3.5mm TRS to 3.5mm TRX cable
- 2 Back clips
- 4 Clip magnets
- LARK M2 Necklace
- TX stickers (not shown above)
- Quick guide
Design and features
The Hollyland LARK M2 includes a battery charging case that holds the camera receiver and two microphone transmitters. The front of the case has 4 LEDs in the bottom left corner that show the charging status of the case.
On the back of the case is a USB-C port that you can use to charge the case’s batteries.
When you flip open the charging case, you can access the camera RX and the two TX Lavalier microphones.
The wireless microphones are about the size of a quarter.
The front of the microphone has the Hollyland logo, but you can use one of the quirky or blank stickers that are included with the kit.
On the edge of the mic are charging contacts…
… A power button/pairing button…
…The microphone…
And on the back of the Hollyland LARK M2 microphone, there is a magnet.
There are also two magnetic clips included with the Hollyland LARK M2. You can use these clips to clip the microphone to your shirt. Also included is a necklace if you want to wear the microphone that way. I don’t know why you would want to, but you have that option.
If you’re using Hollyland LARK M2 microphones with a digital camera, you have to use the included receiver (RX).
The RX has a USB-C port for charging, a power button and a pairing button.
There are LEDs to show the status of the microphone transmitters (TX).
On the bottom edge are charging contacts for the charging case.
On the back, there is a built-in clip and a 3.5mm connector for the included TRS cable that you use to connect the RX to the camera.
For smartphone use, there are two receivers included in the kit. One with a lightning connector for older iPhones and one with a USB-C connector for Android and newer iPhones. The smartphone receiver has status LEDs for both microphones.
On one side is a USB-C port for pass-thru charging of your phone while the TX is plugged into the phone.
A power button/pairing button is on the bottom edge of the transmitter.
The Hollyland LARK M2 microphone is very easy to use because it’s completely plug-and-play. I tested it with my iPhone 15 Pro Max, and all I had to do was take one of the circular mics out of the charging case, which automatically powers it up, and then plug the USB-C smartphone transmitter into the USB-C port on the bottom of the iPhone. That’s it. I didn’t even need to press the pairing buttons.
You can check out the video below, where I compare audio recorded directly from the microphones built into the iPhone 15 Pro Max with the Hollyland LARK M2 microphone.
See in action
To my non-audiophile ears, the sound from the Hollyland LARK M2 microphone sounds warmer/smoother than the audio from the iPhone 15 Pro Max. What do you think? Leave your opinion in the comments below.
What I like
- It has everything you need for use with cameras and smartphones
- Easy to use, plug and play
- Good sound quality
What I’d change
- It would be nice to have one case that holds everything
Final thoughts
I like gadgets that don’t require me to read a manual to set them up and use them, and that’s what I got with the Hollyland LARK M2 microphone system. Although I did not test the microphones with a DSLR, I did find that my tests with an iPhone 15 Pro Max were effortless as far as set up and use. I prefer the sound captured using the microphones to the sound from the iPhone’s built in mics. After testing, I have to say that the Hollyland LARK M2 microphones are the best wireless microphones that I’ve reviewed so far and they get two thumbs up from me.
Price: $179.00
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Hollyland.
