LARK STUDIO LSX

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Lark Studios LSX Review: A Natural-Born Winner
Lark Studios is a relatively young company, but only from a legal perspective. Their team has an enormous wealth of experience in the audio industry with some members having been around for over 15 years. It was created to service the worldwide desire for high-end, luxury-grade, audio products that never compromises on sound or aesthetics. The Lark Studios X, or LSX for short, is their first IEM: a 10-balanced armature driver monster that perfectly personifies the values of Lark Studios.

Want to get your hands on your own LSX? Shoot an email over to US@Lark-Studios.com and they’ll help you through the process. You can customize nearly every aspect of your IEM and even get the LSX built as a CIEM for no extra charge. Both the UEIM version and CIEM version retail for $1699. They’re offering the first set of people who email them about the LSX a one-time discount, so get them while they’re hot!

About My Preferences: Heads up, I’m a person! As such, these words are my opinion, and they are tinged by my personal preferences. While I try to mitigate this as much as possible during my review process, I’d be lying if I said my biases are completely erased. So for you, my readers, keep this in mind:

• My ideal sound signature would be an extended sub-bass with a leveled, but textured, mid-bass.
• I have a mild treble sensitivity.

Source: The LSX was powered like so:

HTC U11 -> USB-C adapter -> earphones

or

Hidizs AP100 3.5mm out -> FiiO A5 3.5mm out -> earphones

or

HiFiMAN SuperMini -> earphones

or

PC optical out -> HiFiMe SPDIF 9018 Sabre DAC 3.5mm out -> earphones

All music was served as MP3 @320Kbps or as FLAC.

Tech Specs

• Drivers: 10x Balanced armature drivers per side
• Crossover: 4-Way passive crossover design w/ AVX Oxicap Capacitors Vishay Resistors
• Impedance: 19–20 ohms
• Sensitivity: 109–110 dB
• Frequency Response: 20Hz-20KHz

Sound Signature
Sonic Overview:

Lark Studios has put the LSX through several major sonic overhauls since I reviewed its first prototype. It went from being a somewhat thin-sounding treble cannon to a lush and natural-sounding IEM. Unlike many other high-driver-count IEMs, the LSX focuses on ease of listening, not absolute “resolution” or achieving a perfectly flat frequency response. It has a mildly V-shaped frequency response optimized to produce life-like sound. The bass is elevated about 3dB past the midrange. The treble slopes steadily up from the upper-midrange, eventually reaching a peak in the upper treble. The lower midrange has some warmth to it, lending weight to much of the instrumentation within it.

Treble: Songs used: In One Ear, Midnight City, Outlands, Satisfy, Little One, Show Me How To Live (Live at the Quart Festival)

The LSX’s treble is a thing of beauty. It closely captures the energy of string instrumentation, percussion instruments, and synths, without generating a single iota of shrillness, sibilance, or sharpness. The LSX’s upper register easily captures the lively spirit of the high-hats and cymbals in Show Me How To Live [Live], even picking up steadily on the whistles and cheers of the captivated audience.

In the intro of Little One, the LSX spaciously resolves the background sound-effects adding an immense sense of atmosphere that is hard to otherwise portray. The high-hats and cymbals of the drums maintained a regular and complete presence throughout the entirety of the song, never breaking, blurring, or otherwise losing their sonic integrity.

Midrange: Songs used: Flagpole Sitta, Jacked Up, I Am The Highway, Dreams, Too Close, Little Black Submarines

Much like its treble, the LSX’s midrange is competent and enticing. A masterful manipulation of the four dedicated BA drivers in the LSX by its engineers has brought out what can certainly be considered a top-shelf instrumental experience. Everything from spatial placement to the attack and decay of complex texturing and resonation is fleshed out.

The electric guitars in Flagpole Sitta are lively and full of crunch. Their dynamic timbre as heard through the LSX gives you the sense that you’re sitting right near Harvey Danger’s over-driven amp. Its high fidelity drivers let you hear many nuances in the tone of their guitars rather than reducing them to simple chords and generic distortion, a testament to the quality components being used inside the LSX.

Bass: Songs used: Moth, Gold Dust, In For The Kill (Skream Remix), War Pigs (Celldweller Remix)

Lark Studios tuned the LSX’s bass to tow the fine line between maximizing bass quality and quantity given its exclusive use of balanced-armature drivers. I have to say, as someone who is immensely picky about their lower-register, I find no real flaws with the way the LSX is tuned. Bass drums kick with purpose and decay with impeccable ease. It's easy to see that a lot of attention was paid to the LSX’s bass when listening to War Pigs. You get about as much visceral slam from a BA-IEM as you can expect while also getting a completely uncompromisingly natural sound signature from top to bottom. Color me impressed.

Packaging / Unboxing

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Build
Construction Quality

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The LSX’s shells are made out of high-quality, medical grade, resin. The standard edition of the LSX features a blue faceplate and shell with silver specks mixed into the faceplate. Given their varying depths, sizes, and reflectiveness, these specks create an interesting visual effect that is sure to catch the attention of onlookers.

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Lark Studios went with a dual-bore design for the LSX’s nozzles. They have an above-average length and have a good lip that prevents eartip slipping.

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The LSX features removable cables and follows the universal 2-pin standard. That means you can easily find aftermarket cables to suit your aesthetic or sonic preferences. The 2-pin cable that comes stock with the LSX is very snugly fitted so there’s no concern with the connectors falling out or slipping undone.

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The cable that I’ve received with my unit is not quite what is shipping to other customers and has some minor differences according to Lark Studios. However, given that this cable is still quite good I’ll at least make some comments on its build quality.

My LSX’s cable is copper. It uses a simple chain geometry; each of the four cores is coated in a thick and sturdy layer of plastic. The Y-splitter is built out of a carbon-fiber tube capped with silver-colored metal, as is the chin-slider. The 3.5mm jack uses the same carbon-fiber but instead has a brass-like metal at its ends. There is adequate stress relief at the base of the 3.5mm jack and no concerns of longevity.

Comfort

Be forewarned: your mileage with comfort will vary. Every person’s ears have a unique geometry, so keep that in mind. My ears are about average in size and do not have any notable quirks.

I found the LSX to be very comfortable. After slapping some of the included foam eartips on it I could easily achieve very good noise isolation. Surprisingly, I did not experience any discomfort from the shell during my extended listening sessions. One would think that fitting 10 balanced armature drivers into a single IEM shell would make it ergonomically cumbersome, but alas, Lark Studios pulled it off.

Accessories
Inside the box you’ll find:

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• 1x carrying case
• 1x carrying pouch
• 2x DAP bands
• 1x cleaning tool
• 1x Airline adapter
• 6.5mm adapter

The LSX comes very well-equipped with accessories. I did not find myself every needing something that didn’t come in the box to fully enjoy this IEM, and frankly, I was tempted to swap the extra eartips onto other IEMs of mine given their comfort and quality. The DAP bands were a nice touch, as was the inclusion of a soft carrying pouch alongside the carrying case.

The case included is more useful as a display-piece or organizational tool than as something to safely transport a $1700 IEM. Truth be told, I’ll be transporting the LSX exclusively in a Pelican 1010 that I’ve added some additional foam padding to — wouldn’t want to risk such a high price item!

Summary
The LSX, like many of its TOTL brethren, surpass simple questions of “does it have enough resolution” and “how well does it capture micro-details”. You can be confident that with a purchase of the LSX you are getting top of the line technical performance. All that’s left to see is how well you like its sound signature. And, well, if you’ve ever enjoyed a V-shaped IEM its a sure bet that you’d enjoy the LSX too. I am blown away by Lark Studios’ first ever IEM and look forward to seeing what they can develop in the future!

As always, happy listening!

Lark Studio is a new audiophile company, but quite experienced in producing universal and custom products, they just released their first 10 balanced armatures model: LSX.


"The lark is a well-known bird to the music industry.

As it flies high, you may only catch a glimpse of it as its cry reaches you.

The crisp and sweet sound of the lark is a symbol of Lark Studio's constant pursuit of sound quality.

The lark's rich colors inspire us to build ever more diverse and beautiful products, with an aesthetically-focused design.

Lark Studio was created out of a passion to bring the market top-notch custom and universal in-ear monitors embodying the beauty of the lark, in both body and sound.


After a long two years of preparation, three audiologists, with a combined experience of 18 years, set out to create excellently-performing monitors that provide an excellent visual and sonic value. Each employee of Lark Studio is a veteran of the audiophile market, with the youngest of ours having more than five years of experience.


We are a group of people chasing dreams.

Our team features an industry-leading tuner, hardware engineer, and product engineer, and together we've refined the traditional engineering/production cycle to provide a higher quality product, at a lower cost.

Each pair of in-ears goes through three separate polishing passes at the factory and is inspected for quality control rigorously with each pass. We do not tolerate any defects.

During the production process, our IEMs pass through four separate groups of tests, designed specifically by our quality-assurance team. And just to make sure that nothing gets through, a manual review is done by a trained professional right before we box up your new pair of in-ears.


As a testament to our commitment to our customers, we offer a comprehensive insurance package that covers all forms of damage, be it user error, product defect, or environmental damage. A payment of $180 gets your IEM two years of no-questions-asked insurance. Just send us your IEMs and we will get to work. Please note that shipping must be covered by the customer.



Each of Lark Studio's products is a labor of love. Every in-ear is made from high-quality materials, including some of the finest exotic woods you can find. Each piece is painstakingly screened for visual appeal and then treated to get the highest level of aesthetic value. We aim to build for you IEMs that transcend utility and become a true work of art, an heirloom quality product.


It is exactly for this reason that when each new employee joins the company, he or she knows they must embody the values of Lark Studios.

The staff strongly believes in the value of their work, as their job lets them bring life to an inert piece of plastic or chunk of exotic wood.


This is the story, and these are the values, of Lark Studios. We aim to provide you with a service that leaves you glad you did business with us. Happy reading!"


Today, i am going to review their custom model, but i have had the opportunity to test their final universal prototype too.


CLSX unit was sent me as a sample unit, I am not affiliated with the company and all observations and opinions will be only my own. Would like to thanks Lark Studio team for sending me this unit giving me the opportunity to test this engaging and nice-tuned IEM.



LSX will come in two versions: standard one, with a copper cable and a special version too, with PWaudio Saladin cable.

They will offer their custom version at the same price of their universal one.

From what i know, you can customize the artwork of both your universal and custom models without any additional cost, this is amazing and quite revolutionary.

( at the end of this review, you can find all the specs for standard cable and PWaudio Saladin one).


For more info about lsx or many custom available artworks, you can easily ask to Michael or Arthur on their facebook channel.


PRICE STANDARD EDITION : 1699 USD

PRICE SPECIAL EDITION: 1899 USD

OFFICIAL SITE : http://www.lark-studios.com

FACEBOOK PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/larkstudiohifi/




PACKAGING: usually, don’t like to write much about packaging and other feautures, cause my main focus is sound quality, but the package here, is quite premium and rich: in the large box you can find many adaptors, a warranty card, a soft pouch and other more accessories, that you can see in the picture above.

Where, other companies uses only an hard case for their custom models, Lark Studio uses for both their universal and custom IEM the same premium box( in the universal model, you will find many SpinfFit and Comply eartips, i found a good isolation and great sound with the blue core SpinFit eartip).

For the custom artwork, i choosed a wood faceplates, trasparent shell and their silver/gold logo. Build quality seems premium and sturdy, though the pin socket are a bit tight specially at the beginning( so pay attention when switching cables).

Will update this review, if will find any build quality issue in the near future.



SOUND: All my sound consideration has been made after 150 hours of burn in as suggested by Lark Studio company, with different DAPs such as AK KANN, AK se100 Futura, Opus 1s, Opus2, iFi Nano Idsd black label.

I really found a great improvement after 100 hours of burn-in( usually, i am not a great burn-in believer for multi balanced IEM, but for custom models it needs time to adjust to your ear-canal and consequently when the seal will be good, perceived sound will improve. At this point, i don’t know if the great improvement i found, was due to only the better seal or the burn-in driver, but just to be sure, i suggest to make always a 50/100 hours of burn-in, before judging the overall sound quality.


LSX is quite a neutral, but still engaging iem, and was quite impressed by the refined tuning. Lark Studio created a nice combination of engaging and neutral sound with sweet female vocals.

Bass is for sure, a strong point of this IEM: last time i heard such a quality bass response was with the Rhapsodio Galaxy V2(dynamic driver). Usually multi-balanced IEMs cannot compete in bass quality with dynamic drivers models, but here bass goes very deep, with great sub-bass extension, mid-bass has adequate presence, but never warms up too much the scene. The overall result will depend on the source too, for example this LSX with ak se100 Futura really shines, giving a great punchy and layered bass response.


Vocals are a bit behind, but have nice tonality and realism, here again this iem has a great sinergy with astell and kern player, cause se100, usually, tends to push vocals more forward. There is a peak on the high-midrange area that creates a great balance with the strong bass response. Both male and female vocals are well portrayed, but feamale ones are really sweet and refined. Listening to Yael Naim or Cèlin Dion on this LSX was a pleasure for my ears.

Treble is clean and well extended and sometimes, will give you some sparkles, but never resulting too harsh or hot.


Soundstage is quite wide and holographic with the right tracks, but i found the universal model to have a wider soundstage(my custom model fits very deep in my ear-canal, so it can changes the overall perceived soundstage).

This LSX is quite easy to drive, but is not the most sensitive IEM out there, so needs a bit of current to really shine. Overall with good players such Opus 2/1s and ak se100 you will have a great result.



STANDARD EDITION VS SPECIAL EDITION( STANDARD COPPER CABLE VS PWAUDIO SALADIN CABLE):

the standard copper cable will give you a warmer sound, with more focus on bass and vocals(nice with modern and pop music), on the other side Saladin has always a smooth approach with more organic vocals, but will give you a better balance of mid-bass and upper treble( i would say a more audiophile approach). Overall Saladin has a more refined and sweet sound, with better transparency and resolution. I would suggest you to go with the standard edition, if you love a warmer sound with a more focus on bass response.



PAIRINGS:


LSX and Astell and kern SE100: great sinergy, with deep and airy bass response, vocals results more sweet and more forward. Soundstage results a bit more intimate and less wide compared to Opus2, but there is better depth layering.


LSX and OPUS2: bass doesn’t go deep as ak se100, but acquires more rumble and mid-bass presence. Vocals are not forward like SE100, but are still sweet with good tonality. Soundstage is wider and more holographic, but is less deep.

I can easily drive this IEM on mid-gain without any issues.


LSX with Opus1s: Opus 1s is a bit more full-bodied than Opus 2, less neutral, with a warmer and punchier bass response. Vocals are not so weet and detailed like for SE100 and Opus 2. Soundstage is less wide and layered, but there is great left/right channel separation.


COMPARISON:


INEARZ EUPHORIA CUSTOM VS LSX: lsx has better treble response and upper-mid presence, for this lsx, is capable to show a better female vocals. Euphoria has good bass response, but doesn’t go deep as Lsx can do. Soundstage is more or less on par.

Overall INEARZ EUPHORIA, sounds a bit smoother and less fatiguing, but LSX has better bass response and is capable to combine an engaging and natural sound in a better way.



CONCLUSION: this LSX was quite a surprise for me, wasn’t expecting such a refined tuning abilities from Lark Studio engineers and giving the opportunity to their customers to choose artwork customization for both their universal and custom product without any additional cost, will be for sure a winning choice for this new/big company.


SPECS:

10 precision tuned balanced armature drivers:

3 bass

4 midrange

2 treble

1 super-treble


4-way passive crossover design.


AVX Oxicap Capacitors

Vishay Resistors

Impedance: 19-20ohm

Sensitivity: 109-110 dB

Frequency Response: 20Hz-20 kHZ


SPECS STANDARD CABLE EDITION:

6N OCC 24awg *4 6N 24awg *4

280*0.06mm conductors /

TPU Shielding (Japan)


SPECS PWaudio Saladin cable:


tapping on his vast experience with copper based and silver based cables, Peter Wong has set out to create a new range of products, known as the "Vanquish" series, to mark a new era of PWaudio products.


Featuring a unique geometry and wire design based on his "Sevenfold Pipe" series, together with his knowledge of different types and grades of cable materials, PWaudio has created the Saladin.


Saladin features an all new 7 bundle Litz geometry of copper and silver-plated copper. Drawing from the characteristics of the copper, Saladin presents a vast, yet warm sound that draws the listener in with its intimacy and smoothness, and which also takes advantage of the SPC to present a detailed treble that provides added resolution and energy.