Today, we are looking at the Hollyland Lark M2S and wondering if a new category of wireless audio has emerged, stealth with 24-bit quality. Hollyland already had the M2, with its miniature transmitters, but the key advantage with the M2S is not just size but also optics. The brand symbol is strategically placed on the back, and the mic itself is so tiny that you can miss it…so let’s take a closer look.
In the Box
In the box is a charging case with two transmitters, one receiver for the camera, and a USB-C receiver for your smartphone. There is also a 3.5mm coiled cable to connect the receiver to your camera and two windjammers for the transmitters. Additionally, there was an (old) iPhone to USB-C cable as well, but I didn’t need it. For the case and extras, there is a durable but soft drawstring fabric bag.
In the box
Build, Design, and Control
The M2S comes with two transmitters, and each measured 3.8 cm or 1.5 in. tall, 2.5 cm or 1.0 in. wide, 1.5 cm or 0.6 in deep, and weighed 6 grams. The receiver was 4.0 cm or 1.6 in. tall, 2.4 cm or 0.9 in. wide, 1.8 cm or 0.7 in. deep, and weighed 14 grams. The cell phone receiver was 2.5 cm or 1.0 in. tall, 3.8 cm or 1.5 in. wide, 1.1 cm or 0.4 in. deep, and weighed 6 grams. The case was 6.0 cm or 2.4 in. tall, 8.9 cm or 3.5 in. wide, and 3.8 cm or 1.5 in. deep. The weight of the case with all the components was 134 grams, and with the bag and the rest of the kit was also 171 grams.
The RX unit
Each transmitter has a button for on/off and noise canceling, and there’s a tiny blue and green LED to let you know it’s on and if noise canceling is engaged. This LED is small enough that I had difficulty seeing it in bright daylight, and again, it’s perfect for being discreet, but just keep in mind that if it’s too bright outside to see the light, just cup your hand around the transmitter. The actual microphone is at the extreme opposite end of the unit from the bulk of the mic, and this is why it’s possible to have only the tiny mic visible while most of the transmitter is tucked behind a lapel or the fabric of a shirt.
Compact and Discreet – the logo is on the inside
The receiver has a cold shoe mount on the back, a 3.5mm audio jack on one side, and a single button on the other side for on/off and lock. On the front are two LED lights, one for each mic, and there’s a small dial in the upper right corner that can switch between three gain levels.
The cell phone adapter has two small LEDs, one for each mic, and there’s one button to switch noise canceling on and off. On one end of the adapter is a female USB-C power/data port, so the phone can still work with various other accessories in a rig setup. On my cell phone rig, this came in handy because it provided me with multiple rigging options. Unfortunately, I was unable to plug the cell phone adapter into my phone’s USB-C port with my average-sized phone case. This adapter is very streamlined, and that’s probably good for some situations, but it might be more… adaptable if instead of a t-intersection design, it had a straight… or even a swivel design so the USB-C port could be utilized more flexibly.
All the components have built-in magnets for keeping them seated in the case for charging.
The Hollyland Lark M2S case
Lark Sound App
I found the Lark Sound app to be simple and responsive. Keeping the app updated updates the firmware automatically. There are two level indicators for the mics, a noise cancellation on/off toggle with “low/high” options, and a 3-step gain adjustment called “volume”. There is also a mono/stereo toggle and an option to automatically power off when the receiver and transmitters aren’t paired for 15 minutes. One welcome feature for cell phone adapters is the ability to play back audio through the phone’s speaker while the adapter remains plugged in. Having to unplug the adapter to listen to audio was a drag with many wireless audio systems of the past.
One other issue that really isn’t specific to Hollyland but does point to the need to have features accessible without having to go into the app, is that a recording will stop as soon as you swipe to the Lark Sound app or any other app, so you need to first set your noise canceling level at “low” or “high” and then press record. Everything else is accessible through physical buttons.
The phone receiver
Key Features
Now, a feature in wireless audio systems that is important to me is on-board recording, and it is absent in the M2S. I understand it can’t be easy to add memory to a transmitter that engineers are trying to make as small as possible, but I still wonder if the system could be more reliable for professional use if a small amount of memory were included for those moments when you encounter interference.
Maybe have it go on a loop and use it as a sort of backup track. On the bright side, the M2S does have noise-canceling, good battery life, and automatic audio gain. Automatic audio gain was performed without me noticing it, I never ran out of battery life, even running all day at NAB Las Vegas in April, and the noise-canceling was certainly enough for livestreaming or posting a video quickly. Here’s what it sounds like on and off.
Range
The camera receiver caught a clear signal to 500 ft., then as I went further, I lost reception completely, only to regain it completely again for a bit at 600 to 700 ft.. The cell phone receiver seemed to perform better, maintaining a clear signal to 600 ft. This easily could have been due to some kind of temporary interference, and it’s probably better that the receiver unit cut off completely rather than record subtly choppy audio that might not be immediately obvious unless you are monitoring the audio.
Conclusion
The main drawbacks I found were the shape of the cell phone adapter, incompatible with my ordinarily sized cell phone case, and the lack of even a smidgeon of on-board, backup recording.
Compact and discreet
In the end, though, the Hollyland M2S is an extremely handy cufflink-sized wireless audio system with just enough upscale features to make it useful for creators at any level of expertise. Engineers squeezed automatic audio-gain, noise-canceling, long battery life, 24-bit audio quality, and presumably an internal antenna that can handle moderate distance into the size of a collar button. I’m unaware of another comparable wireless system this discreet at this price.
Pricing
Hollyland M2S is available in several versions for $119.to $159.
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Iddo Genuth 
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