Hollyland Lark C1 review. Here is our test of the wireless microphone for smartphones, for those who want to improve their footage
Hollyland with its new Lark C1 winks at the Creator’s audience, but not onlythe new mobile device, dedicated to smartphones (iPhone and Android) thanks to its wireless essence is proposed on the market as the ideal solution to improve the audio quality of our footage.
And, the strength of this device is certainly portability. Those who make videos on the go, who are perhaps always travelling, and the need for comfort during transport knows how inconvenient it is to carry with you the camera, its tripod, additional optics, Add-In microphones and much more. With a weight that will inevitably rise within the typical “photographer’s backpack”, of which we have also reviewed some over time.
The advantage of such a solution? Exploiting the enormous potential that our smartphones have today, and improving the only limiting weak point, the audio. With two products (microphones and Smartphone) that fit comfortably in your pocket. But no more talk, will the new Hollyland Lark C1 have met our expectations? Let’s find out together!
First impact and technical sheet | Hollyland Lark C1 review
In the package we find the microphones, the dedicated case, where the microphone charging case is also inserted, and the relative charging cable, which is of the USB-C type, as it should be. There are also two fabric adapters to reduce the impact of the wind on the microphones, but they will only serve in case of strong winds. In fact, the two microphones are equipped with active noise reduction which works quite well.
The new Hollyland Lark C1 is made of aluminum, the weight is very low, but the perceived quality is high, and it is also quite solid to the touch. The one that is the receiver must be plugged directly into the Device that we use, and the two Microphones will automatically pair, the Feedback is immediately given by the LEDs, integrated, which will start flashing. If it doesn’t, just force the pairing manually by pressing the yellow button.
This Hollyland product is very intuitive and easy to use, starting from the design, choice of colors for some keys, and infographics with icons, is immediately recognizable and quick to use. Just then, as happens with a pair of wireless headphones, as they are taken out and plugged in they will start working.
With a range of up to 200 meters, the new microphones also come equipped with noise reduction functions, which can obviously be deactivated on occasion. this is because in quiet environment it might generate noise but it is a must have in case of noisy environment. The latency instead as regards the maximum range, is equal to 0.08 seconds, if you have no idea how much it is, it is relatively small compared to its direct competitors in the range. The connection could then in some cases go beyond the meters declared, but the data provided is based on tests carried out without greatly affecting the “loss”.
The microphones are omnidirectional, frequencies travel in the range of 20 Hz, and the quality translates into a good yield, provided that it is in any case not too far from the interlocutor’s mouth.
Feature | Review Hollyland Lark C1
We continue the review of this Hollyland Lark C1 with the particular Features. The company also has a dedicated App, called LarkSound, and is used to manage (both on iPhone and Android) the noise cancellation options, including adjusting the level of this cancellation. Also you can view the battery status, and, very importantly, update the Firmware.
Also from the App, you can activate the function speaker outdefinitely essential, as to listen to a video recorded with a microphone connected it would be necessary to disconnect it to then reproduce the audio, instead with the previously reported function, they will simply be put in Stand-By but remain connected, and the recorded audio will then be able to be reproduced .
The microphones have a dedicated USB-C inputthis is good, as they could also be used connected to a power bank for example, in short, even in the charging phase.
Autonomy and final considerations
We close with the issue of autonomy, crucial for this type of product, the battery of the individual microphones is 140 mAhe guarantees 8 hours of continuous use. Recharging instead takes place in 90 minutes from 0/100% with the charging case, and always 90 minutes, it’s charging the case.
At the end of this review we come to the price, 229.00 euros to take home these Hollyland Lark C1, a cost that may seem high, to have a quality product in this segment is not to be considered prohibitive. Considering its yield in the practical field, which is really excellent. All that remains is to say goodbye and look forward to the next review.
Plus points
- Recording quality
- Easy to use
- Battery life
Points against
- Lack of external lavalier connectors