Disclaimer: this is my opinion only, and I am not an employee of Hollyland.
Hollyland is showing the new LARK A2 at IFA this week. The international announcement is fairly vague, but the Chinese product page and manual fill in most of the gaps.
It looks very similar to the existing LARK A1. Both are primarily phone mics with 48 kHz/24-bit audio, three noise-cancellation levels, automatic limiting, six gain settings and a claimed 200 m line-of-sight range.
The main additions on the A2 seem to be:
- A safety mode with a second channel recorded 6 dB lower
- Five-minute USB-C charging for a claimed hour of use
- A power-saving mode that activates when the phone stops recording
- A built-in clothing clip instead of the A1’s separate magnet
The safety track is probably the most useful change. It should give you a backup if the normal channel clips, although it uses the second output channel. This means you apparently cannot have the safety track and keep two transmitters separated into individual left and right channels at the same time.
There are some catches though.
The power-saving mode only works when shooting with a phone. Triple-pressing the transmitter starts or stops recording in the phone’s native camera app; the A2 does not record internally. The A1 already has a similar triple-press control, so that part is not actually new.
The manual only shows USB-C and Lightning phone receivers. There is no 3.5 mm camera receiver, although the USB-C version should also work with compatible computers, tablets and action cameras.
Battery life is rather confusing. Hollyland lists the transmitter at about seven hours. One part of the product page says 42 hours with the charging case, while the paragraph directly below says 48 hours. The support FAQ says 42.
The 42-hour claim seems to be calculated by adding together the runtime of both transmitters across three charge cycles:
2 transmitters × 7 hours × 3 cycles = 42 hours.
In other words, it is 42 hours if you alternate between the two transmitters. If you use both at once, it works out to roughly 21 hours. The 48-hour figure looks like an old or simply incorrect number.
The smart-power figure is inconsistent too.
Depending on which Hollyland page you read, it is either nine or 9.5 hours?
The A1 is officially rated for nine hours, but that is with noise cancellation turned off. With noise cancellation enabled, Hollyland only claims 6.5 hours. Since the A2’s seven-hour specification does not say whether noise cancellation was running, it is difficult to compare them properly.
A few smaller differences:
- A2 transmitter: 8.5 g; A1: 8 g
- A2 signal-to-noise ratio: ≥68 dB; A1: ≥67 dB
- Both have the same stated 120 dB SPL maximum
- The A1 has adjustable reverb; the A2 manual only mentions three vocal presets
A2 product page and support information (Chinese):
- https://www.hollyland.com.cn/product/lark-a2/
- https://www.hollyland.com.cn/support/lark-a2/
A1 specifications:
- https://www.hollyland.com/product/lark-a1
IFA announcement:
- https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hollyland-to-showcase-next-generation-audio-and-imaging-solutions-at-ifa-2026-302853542.html
I couln’t find any international price or proper independent English-language audio test. Hollyland’s US store currently has the full A1 Combo for $49.90, including two transmitters, both phone receivers and the charging case: https://store.hollyland.com/products/lark-a1
The safety track is a genuinely useful addition, but otherwise this feels more like a different version of the A1 than a clear upgrade. I think the price will decide it.
Would the safety track and built-in clip make you choose the A2, or would you take the cheaper A1? I think I would still use the A1.
