KB EAR Lark
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Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Squiglink: regancipher
Socials: Biolink
Model: KB Ear Lark
Price: MSRP Approx $25
Website: Keephifi, KB Ear Aliexpress Store
Review Reference: RC070
Manufacturer Specification:
1 x Pair Earbuds
1 x User Manual
6 x Pairs Eartips
1 x Cable
1 x Fabric Portable Carry Case
Real Life Experience
Welcome to the second @regancipher IEM review here on Headfi, the highly-rated KB Ear Lark. Named after the noisy, melodious little birds that are considered sacred and lucky by the Mongolians, it also represents wealth in China, and is fortunate to have escaped being shot at by children when Mao decided insect-eating birds needed to be removed from the world's ecosystem, shortly before his decision backfired with aplomb as the Great Famine beckoned....less about that the better.
Anyway, enough ornithology and history - onto the gorgeous little IEM we are about to review, the KB Ear. The Lark are the second set of KB Ear buds I've owned after the KS1, and both have been a really pleasant surprise, offering great value and solid build quality at an exceptional price. However the Lark had a bit of a false start, with the original 4K version was taken out of circulation in favour of a refined model. Kudos to KB Ear, who have an excellent presence here on heafi through @WendyLi, for listening to the market and making the adjustments they saw fit. I didn't get to try the 4K version out, but better late than never!
As with all of my IEM/TWS reviews unless stated otherwise, these were purchased by me, and there are no agendas or affiliate links.
The Unboxing - 8/10
For the money, the unboxing is really impressive. You get the immaculate buds, which nestle nicely into a jewelers-style box, which is inside a slip-cover-style outer box. The front is mostly in English and Chinese, detailing the key features (1DD, 1 BA) and giving a nice image of the aesthetics of the buds. Inside there are two sets of tips - white and black - a reasonable cable and a nice little canvas carry case too. Right at the bottom is the manual.
The tips are a little too narrow and do not really do the buds justice, and the cable is also not the best either - it claims to be silver plated, but I found it a bit hit-and-miss. The mic in particular is next to useless, so this was replaced very quickly with Tanchjim's equivalent, and it made a considerable difference on the performance.
The buds are available in three colours - either a darker grey or silver with a crystalline green or lilac body.
Ergonomics, Fit and Build Quality - 8/10
The Lark are a joy to wear, with an archetypal IEM shape that will be familiar to most users - a beautifully refined teardrop, with an attractive exterior design which is neither too bulky nor lightweight.
The top of the IEM has a hexagonal-shell-style pattern embossed into it, with the KB Ear logo screen printed to the bottom. The outer shell is zinc alloy, and the connector is two pin 0.78mm.
A close look at the profile shows a mid-sized nozzle, which is a brassier finish. The resin shell is not dissimilar to the shape of the KS2 (if it ain't broke and all that) and the finish is very good, with few sharp edges or unfinished bits of plastic. The connector is raised, so unfortunately the stock cable is a potential point of failure - get a better one, and take it easy. Whilst it is difficult to see due to the transparent tinted shells, there is a pressure relief vent adjacent to the visible DD. Whilst the buds do insert fairly deep, their thoughtful design makes them comfortable for prolonged use.
Like with many hybrids at this price, the BA is in the nozzle - not my preferred design, but it is what it is. The Lark are at face value easy enough to drive, but unlike the CCZ Emerald, I noticed distortion at higher volumes on crappy sources (smartphones, etc.)
Above shows a size comparison against other popular buds around this price point. The CCA CSN (far left), similar to the KZ SKS in the TWS world, are heftier and wear a little more clunky. The Lark, on the other hand, are very stealthy, which less curvature than the CSN, but a slim profile that even makes their ultra-low budget KS1 (first from the right) and CCA CRA look comparatively beefy.
Audio - 8/10 (for the price paid), 7/10 (raw score)
I tested the Lark with a variety of sources, cables and music styles. Mostly, my focus was on FLAC files, using albums from St Etienne, St Germain, Rebecca Ferguson, John Legend, Seal and a few others, too many to mention. I tested the Lark over around 30 hours over the last week, and found they started to burn in quite nicely towards the end.
In the lower frequencies, the Lark shine with a very neutral but natural sounding bass. It is fast, accurate, quite warm, and there is only negligible bloat around the sub-bass regions, making them easy listening for prolonged use, but not hugely fun for bassheads. There is a tiny bit of mid-bass bleed and recess on baritone vocals, but it's a very minor complaint for the money, and in all honesty - I like my deeper vocals laid back, but I know that isn't for everyone.
Higher frequencies are decent enough, but are definitely the Achilles heel of the Lark - whilst less bumpy than, for example, the ZSN Pro, female vocals and high hats can be raspy and even scratchy. I had to switch to the Tanchjim TPA-B300 tips, which are wider bore, and tame the sibilance, which you will unquestionably hear over prolonged use.
Mids are scooped, which makes for clean and analytical listening, and it expands the soundstage slightly especially in the higher mids, but at the expense of tonality. It is not really my cup of tea for prolonged use, with a slightly cold timbre. Whilst RnB and soul sound fine, when I'm listening to house or techno there is a good detail and separation, but the cymbals, clashes and hats sound a bit thin and metallic. Percussion can sound a little coarse, but at the price paid, a little tweak of the EQ, change of tips, and disciple over how to drive it definitely helps. Imaging and separation are good for the price, and whilst the Lark are not super-analytical, they get he balance right between monitoring and listening. A true jack of all trades.
Final Comments
The Lark are a beautiful dual-driver IEM that look good, wear well, are pleasant enough to listen with, and wouldn't be out of place in any collection. They're bright, easy enough to drive, sound pleasant, albeit not especially 'fun', and tread the fine line of providing good detail with a balanced, refined u-shaped sound signature.
Their strength is definitely at the lower end - I liked using them for more jazz/soulful-style sounds to opera or melodic techno, which can be less smooth than I would like due to their achilles heel - the slightly unnatural treble that comes from optimising detail and imaging over tonality.
KBEar have seemingly decided to try and please everyone - always a tall order with budget dual-driver releases, but they've successfully accomplished their mission here considering the sub-$50 price tag. They don't quite topple the CCZ Emerald as my pick of the low budget options, but they have their place, and continue to bear testament that the hybrid 1BA /1DD market isn't quite dead yet!
Price Weighted Score: 85%
Raw Score: 81%
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Squiglink: regancipher
Socials: Biolink
Model: KB Ear Lark
Price: MSRP Approx $25
Website: Keephifi, KB Ear Aliexpress Store
Review Reference: RC070
Manufacturer Specification:
- Brand: KB Ear
- Model: Lark
- Driver: 10mm Dynamic Driver, 1 30095 Custom BA
- Dimensions: 23mm height, 24mm depth including nozzle
- Weight: 6.71g per bud
- Impedance: 16±2Ω
- Mic: Available as an option
- Sensitivity: 106±3dB
- Frequency response: 20hz-20Khz
- Interface: 2 Pin QDC 0.78mm (TFZ) - L-Shaped 3.5mm jack
- Cable: 4N, 4-Core Copper Silver-Plated - 4 x 32 strands, 1.2m
1 x Pair Earbuds
1 x User Manual
6 x Pairs Eartips
1 x Cable
1 x Fabric Portable Carry Case
Real Life Experience
Welcome to the second @regancipher IEM review here on Headfi, the highly-rated KB Ear Lark. Named after the noisy, melodious little birds that are considered sacred and lucky by the Mongolians, it also represents wealth in China, and is fortunate to have escaped being shot at by children when Mao decided insect-eating birds needed to be removed from the world's ecosystem, shortly before his decision backfired with aplomb as the Great Famine beckoned....less about that the better.
Anyway, enough ornithology and history - onto the gorgeous little IEM we are about to review, the KB Ear. The Lark are the second set of KB Ear buds I've owned after the KS1, and both have been a really pleasant surprise, offering great value and solid build quality at an exceptional price. However the Lark had a bit of a false start, with the original 4K version was taken out of circulation in favour of a refined model. Kudos to KB Ear, who have an excellent presence here on heafi through @WendyLi, for listening to the market and making the adjustments they saw fit. I didn't get to try the 4K version out, but better late than never!
As with all of my IEM/TWS reviews unless stated otherwise, these were purchased by me, and there are no agendas or affiliate links.
The Unboxing - 8/10
For the money, the unboxing is really impressive. You get the immaculate buds, which nestle nicely into a jewelers-style box, which is inside a slip-cover-style outer box. The front is mostly in English and Chinese, detailing the key features (1DD, 1 BA) and giving a nice image of the aesthetics of the buds. Inside there are two sets of tips - white and black - a reasonable cable and a nice little canvas carry case too. Right at the bottom is the manual.
The tips are a little too narrow and do not really do the buds justice, and the cable is also not the best either - it claims to be silver plated, but I found it a bit hit-and-miss. The mic in particular is next to useless, so this was replaced very quickly with Tanchjim's equivalent, and it made a considerable difference on the performance.
The buds are available in three colours - either a darker grey or silver with a crystalline green or lilac body.
Ergonomics, Fit and Build Quality - 8/10
The Lark are a joy to wear, with an archetypal IEM shape that will be familiar to most users - a beautifully refined teardrop, with an attractive exterior design which is neither too bulky nor lightweight.
The top of the IEM has a hexagonal-shell-style pattern embossed into it, with the KB Ear logo screen printed to the bottom. The outer shell is zinc alloy, and the connector is two pin 0.78mm.
A close look at the profile shows a mid-sized nozzle, which is a brassier finish. The resin shell is not dissimilar to the shape of the KS2 (if it ain't broke and all that) and the finish is very good, with few sharp edges or unfinished bits of plastic. The connector is raised, so unfortunately the stock cable is a potential point of failure - get a better one, and take it easy. Whilst it is difficult to see due to the transparent tinted shells, there is a pressure relief vent adjacent to the visible DD. Whilst the buds do insert fairly deep, their thoughtful design makes them comfortable for prolonged use.
Like with many hybrids at this price, the BA is in the nozzle - not my preferred design, but it is what it is. The Lark are at face value easy enough to drive, but unlike the CCZ Emerald, I noticed distortion at higher volumes on crappy sources (smartphones, etc.)
Above shows a size comparison against other popular buds around this price point. The CCA CSN (far left), similar to the KZ SKS in the TWS world, are heftier and wear a little more clunky. The Lark, on the other hand, are very stealthy, which less curvature than the CSN, but a slim profile that even makes their ultra-low budget KS1 (first from the right) and CCA CRA look comparatively beefy.
Audio - 8/10 (for the price paid), 7/10 (raw score)
I tested the Lark with a variety of sources, cables and music styles. Mostly, my focus was on FLAC files, using albums from St Etienne, St Germain, Rebecca Ferguson, John Legend, Seal and a few others, too many to mention. I tested the Lark over around 30 hours over the last week, and found they started to burn in quite nicely towards the end.
In the lower frequencies, the Lark shine with a very neutral but natural sounding bass. It is fast, accurate, quite warm, and there is only negligible bloat around the sub-bass regions, making them easy listening for prolonged use, but not hugely fun for bassheads. There is a tiny bit of mid-bass bleed and recess on baritone vocals, but it's a very minor complaint for the money, and in all honesty - I like my deeper vocals laid back, but I know that isn't for everyone.
Higher frequencies are decent enough, but are definitely the Achilles heel of the Lark - whilst less bumpy than, for example, the ZSN Pro, female vocals and high hats can be raspy and even scratchy. I had to switch to the Tanchjim TPA-B300 tips, which are wider bore, and tame the sibilance, which you will unquestionably hear over prolonged use.
Mids are scooped, which makes for clean and analytical listening, and it expands the soundstage slightly especially in the higher mids, but at the expense of tonality. It is not really my cup of tea for prolonged use, with a slightly cold timbre. Whilst RnB and soul sound fine, when I'm listening to house or techno there is a good detail and separation, but the cymbals, clashes and hats sound a bit thin and metallic. Percussion can sound a little coarse, but at the price paid, a little tweak of the EQ, change of tips, and disciple over how to drive it definitely helps. Imaging and separation are good for the price, and whilst the Lark are not super-analytical, they get he balance right between monitoring and listening. A true jack of all trades.
Final Comments
The Lark are a beautiful dual-driver IEM that look good, wear well, are pleasant enough to listen with, and wouldn't be out of place in any collection. They're bright, easy enough to drive, sound pleasant, albeit not especially 'fun', and tread the fine line of providing good detail with a balanced, refined u-shaped sound signature.
Their strength is definitely at the lower end - I liked using them for more jazz/soulful-style sounds to opera or melodic techno, which can be less smooth than I would like due to their achilles heel - the slightly unnatural treble that comes from optimising detail and imaging over tonality.
KBEar have seemingly decided to try and please everyone - always a tall order with budget dual-driver releases, but they've successfully accomplished their mission here considering the sub-$50 price tag. They don't quite topple the CCZ Emerald as my pick of the low budget options, but they have their place, and continue to bear testament that the hybrid 1BA /1DD market isn't quite dead yet!
Price Weighted Score: 85%
Raw Score: 81%
Introduction:
Today, I’ll be reviewing something very new for me, an IEM by established Chinese audio company KBEAR, namely, the Lark.
Incidentally, that’s “KB EAR”; the brand is not to be confused with popular transatlantic radio station K-BEAR”
All details can be found on KBEAR’s official AliExpress page (link below), and the IEM can be purchased there and delivered to locations around the globe.
https://kbear.aliexpress.com/store/5017064
I’ve posted the link to their main page above. At the time of writing, the Lark was on special offer with a 40% discount(!), so if you love the sound of this IEM, click fast!
The Lark features a customised balanced armature driver alongside a 10mm dynamic driver built around (and I quote!) a “5 micron silicon crystal biological diaphragm” and aircraft-grade zinc alloy ergonomically-designed shells.
See the link above for all the details
The RRP at time of writing was a very modest $49 ($29 on sale!), placing it – financially speaking - at what I suppose these days would be close to the bottom of entry level pricing.
My sincere thanks to Wendy Li and the team at KBEAR, for providing me with a review unit to keep in exchange for an honest review.
Well, enough of this prodigious preamble. If you want something visual, that’s not too abysmal; let’s check out the photos section below:
Photos:
Unboxing, packaging and accessories:
The packaging and accessories are nicely done and surprisingly generous given the very limited budget they are working with here.
There’s a case made of a canvas style material. It looks nice and is very easy to use, along with being very agreeably slimline. Frankly, I’ve seen worse cases on IEM’s ten times the price, so consider me suitably impressed here.
The same goes for the cable, which – if I’ve read correctly – is a silver plated copper cable.
It has an attractive crystalline appearance which matches very well with the design of the IEM itself. Usefully, it can be ordered with or without an in-line mic.
The IEM is only available with a 3.5mm single-ended cable, but I have no issues with at that at this price point. Plus, it’s detachable, with 2 pin connectors (the 2-pin connector block on the IEMs is a ‘concave’ one that sticks out from the body), so it means you also have the option to replace/upgrade the cable, which again is only to be praised at this price!
The cable was flexible, didn’t tangle and exhibited little in the way of microphonics; overall, a well-executed piece of gear and no complaints from me!
Honestly, I have to really give some credit for the IEM design at this point. I’m passionate about good design – which should be both beautiful and flawless in function – and for my personal tastes, the Lark are far more nicely designed than most IEMs I’ve seen, even some costing $1000+. They have zinc alloy faceplates, burnished to a mirror-like polish, paired with a shell that is made from a translucent and environmentally friendly plastic material.
The colour of the shell can be chosen from a beautiful translucent pine green, iron grey, or my personal choice, a stunning purple (the mauve option).
The Fit:
They have a very good insertion depth for me personally; neither too shallow nor too deep. I used New Bee foam tips in the Large size (not included), simply because I use these on the vast majority of my IEMs for their comfort and perfect seal, as well as consistency across reviews.
All in all, they are extremely comfortable, and I have been able to wear them for extended listening sessions with no discomfort or fatigue.
The Sound:
By way of a disclaimer, I’ve been reviewing for a few years now and steadily upgrading my collection to the point where I mostly listen to TOTL ($1k+) gear on a daily basis, which is a blessing that I still in no way take for granted!
But, because of this, it’s not an easy or simple thing to drop back to something in the ‘super-budget’ range and launch into critical listening, especially having just come from something like the EE Odin or Campfire Solaris 2020!
In all that follows, I’m trying to judge the Lark according to its merits and bearing in mind the price point and the few other IEMs I’ve heard in the budget range.
I listened using the excellent iBasso DX160, with music from a wide range of genres, mostly in lossless FLAC, with about 40% of the files in hi-res HDTracks, DSD or similar.
Low end:
With a good seal in place, the Lark features a surprisingly impactful low end; I listened to Italian hip-hop outfit Poison’s ‘Dove Sei?’ (my go-to track for bass extension and impact) and the Lark presents the thunderous synthetic bass/drums of this song with a very pleasing amount of rumble, impact and slam.
The sub-bass extension is not going to match IEM’s in the hundreds or thousands of dollars, but it’s still nicely done, and I hear a little lift in the mid-bass, which brings just a touch of warmth and texture, without any undesirable bloating.
Mids:
I hear the mids as being fairly neutrally tuned, with a slight lift in the upper mids.
Especially for an IEM at this price point, I enjoyed the modest degree of note weight on offer, which helps to provide a balance to the upper mids. There’s not a huge amount of warmth or richness, but there’s certainly enough musicality to get your toes tapping along with the songs.
With Buena Vista Social Club’s ‘Chan Chan’ the Lark also passes the ‘trumpet test’ for me on this song, where a little trumpet solo appears about ¾ of the way through, and there little in the way of sharpness or peakiness to be heard here. Male vocals and female vocals were nicely presented, the male vocals having a little more body to them.
Treble:
The treble on the Lark does a good job of walking that fine line between creating air and space and becoming sharp or fatiguing. I think only the most treble-sensitive of individuals will find anything to complain about here (and I’m reasonably treble-sensitive myself).
Very occasionally at high volumes, there’s a bit of sibilance or shoutiness, but on the whole there’s just enough of a lift here to give a realistic timbre to certain instruments (similar with the mids) and to create some brightness without losing the overall smooth tonality.
Technical performance:
It’s all relative, don’t you know! Imaging and layering are pleasingly proficient for an IEM at this price, and the soundstage and separation are similarly well-executed. Most IEM’s are tuned easily enough for width in the soundstage but hearing a pleasing amount of height and depth here at this price point is quite a treat. No, I’m not going to be trading in my Solaris just yet, but I do like what I’m hearing here.
The key fact is, I can still notice details drawn out by the Lark, still feel that audiophile sense of placement and separation and, most of all, still ENJOY the music with the engagement that comes from a well implemented IEM. And let’s face it, that’s what we’re all here for, isn’t it?
Conclusion:
In conclusion, I was a bit wary of reviewing such a budget IEM, given the kind of things I usually listen to these days, but it’s actually been an enjoyable experience, as well as a timely reminder of how the market has developed over the last few years.
KBEAR have managed to produce an IEM that is eminently affordable, but rather than that price point bringing a utilitarian aesthetic paired with an adequate sound, I was left pleasantly surprised by the Lark’s audiophile tuning, technical performance and musicality.
Add to that the – in my opinion – gorgeous design and nice slimline carry case, and I come away suitably impressed. Well done KBEAR!
I think the highest praise I can give the Lark is that right now, if I were asked by a non-audiophile (who hasn’t had their financial judgement horribly warped like most of us veterans of this hobby!) what would be a good IEM to buy to begin their journey into that world, the Lark is the one I’d recommend.
Thanks again to Wendy Li and KBEAR. Keep up the great work.
And thanks to you all for reading
Today, I’ll be reviewing something very new for me, an IEM by established Chinese audio company KBEAR, namely, the Lark.
Incidentally, that’s “KB EAR”; the brand is not to be confused with popular transatlantic radio station K-BEAR”
All details can be found on KBEAR’s official AliExpress page (link below), and the IEM can be purchased there and delivered to locations around the globe.
https://kbear.aliexpress.com/store/5017064
I’ve posted the link to their main page above. At the time of writing, the Lark was on special offer with a 40% discount(!), so if you love the sound of this IEM, click fast!
The Lark features a customised balanced armature driver alongside a 10mm dynamic driver built around (and I quote!) a “5 micron silicon crystal biological diaphragm” and aircraft-grade zinc alloy ergonomically-designed shells.
See the link above for all the details
The RRP at time of writing was a very modest $49 ($29 on sale!), placing it – financially speaking - at what I suppose these days would be close to the bottom of entry level pricing.
My sincere thanks to Wendy Li and the team at KBEAR, for providing me with a review unit to keep in exchange for an honest review.
Well, enough of this prodigious preamble. If you want something visual, that’s not too abysmal; let’s check out the photos section below:
Photos:
Unboxing, packaging and accessories:
The packaging and accessories are nicely done and surprisingly generous given the very limited budget they are working with here.
There’s a case made of a canvas style material. It looks nice and is very easy to use, along with being very agreeably slimline. Frankly, I’ve seen worse cases on IEM’s ten times the price, so consider me suitably impressed here.
The same goes for the cable, which – if I’ve read correctly – is a silver plated copper cable.
It has an attractive crystalline appearance which matches very well with the design of the IEM itself. Usefully, it can be ordered with or without an in-line mic.
The IEM is only available with a 3.5mm single-ended cable, but I have no issues with at that at this price point. Plus, it’s detachable, with 2 pin connectors (the 2-pin connector block on the IEMs is a ‘concave’ one that sticks out from the body), so it means you also have the option to replace/upgrade the cable, which again is only to be praised at this price!
The cable was flexible, didn’t tangle and exhibited little in the way of microphonics; overall, a well-executed piece of gear and no complaints from me!
Honestly, I have to really give some credit for the IEM design at this point. I’m passionate about good design – which should be both beautiful and flawless in function – and for my personal tastes, the Lark are far more nicely designed than most IEMs I’ve seen, even some costing $1000+. They have zinc alloy faceplates, burnished to a mirror-like polish, paired with a shell that is made from a translucent and environmentally friendly plastic material.
The colour of the shell can be chosen from a beautiful translucent pine green, iron grey, or my personal choice, a stunning purple (the mauve option).
The Fit:
They have a very good insertion depth for me personally; neither too shallow nor too deep. I used New Bee foam tips in the Large size (not included), simply because I use these on the vast majority of my IEMs for their comfort and perfect seal, as well as consistency across reviews.
All in all, they are extremely comfortable, and I have been able to wear them for extended listening sessions with no discomfort or fatigue.
The Sound:
By way of a disclaimer, I’ve been reviewing for a few years now and steadily upgrading my collection to the point where I mostly listen to TOTL ($1k+) gear on a daily basis, which is a blessing that I still in no way take for granted!
But, because of this, it’s not an easy or simple thing to drop back to something in the ‘super-budget’ range and launch into critical listening, especially having just come from something like the EE Odin or Campfire Solaris 2020!
In all that follows, I’m trying to judge the Lark according to its merits and bearing in mind the price point and the few other IEMs I’ve heard in the budget range.
I listened using the excellent iBasso DX160, with music from a wide range of genres, mostly in lossless FLAC, with about 40% of the files in hi-res HDTracks, DSD or similar.
Low end:
With a good seal in place, the Lark features a surprisingly impactful low end; I listened to Italian hip-hop outfit Poison’s ‘Dove Sei?’ (my go-to track for bass extension and impact) and the Lark presents the thunderous synthetic bass/drums of this song with a very pleasing amount of rumble, impact and slam.
The sub-bass extension is not going to match IEM’s in the hundreds or thousands of dollars, but it’s still nicely done, and I hear a little lift in the mid-bass, which brings just a touch of warmth and texture, without any undesirable bloating.
Mids:
I hear the mids as being fairly neutrally tuned, with a slight lift in the upper mids.
Especially for an IEM at this price point, I enjoyed the modest degree of note weight on offer, which helps to provide a balance to the upper mids. There’s not a huge amount of warmth or richness, but there’s certainly enough musicality to get your toes tapping along with the songs.
With Buena Vista Social Club’s ‘Chan Chan’ the Lark also passes the ‘trumpet test’ for me on this song, where a little trumpet solo appears about ¾ of the way through, and there little in the way of sharpness or peakiness to be heard here. Male vocals and female vocals were nicely presented, the male vocals having a little more body to them.
Treble:
The treble on the Lark does a good job of walking that fine line between creating air and space and becoming sharp or fatiguing. I think only the most treble-sensitive of individuals will find anything to complain about here (and I’m reasonably treble-sensitive myself).
Very occasionally at high volumes, there’s a bit of sibilance or shoutiness, but on the whole there’s just enough of a lift here to give a realistic timbre to certain instruments (similar with the mids) and to create some brightness without losing the overall smooth tonality.
Technical performance:
It’s all relative, don’t you know! Imaging and layering are pleasingly proficient for an IEM at this price, and the soundstage and separation are similarly well-executed. Most IEM’s are tuned easily enough for width in the soundstage but hearing a pleasing amount of height and depth here at this price point is quite a treat. No, I’m not going to be trading in my Solaris just yet, but I do like what I’m hearing here.
The key fact is, I can still notice details drawn out by the Lark, still feel that audiophile sense of placement and separation and, most of all, still ENJOY the music with the engagement that comes from a well implemented IEM. And let’s face it, that’s what we’re all here for, isn’t it?
Conclusion:
In conclusion, I was a bit wary of reviewing such a budget IEM, given the kind of things I usually listen to these days, but it’s actually been an enjoyable experience, as well as a timely reminder of how the market has developed over the last few years.
KBEAR have managed to produce an IEM that is eminently affordable, but rather than that price point bringing a utilitarian aesthetic paired with an adequate sound, I was left pleasantly surprised by the Lark’s audiophile tuning, technical performance and musicality.
Add to that the – in my opinion – gorgeous design and nice slimline carry case, and I come away suitably impressed. Well done KBEAR!
I think the highest praise I can give the Lark is that right now, if I were asked by a non-audiophile (who hasn’t had their financial judgement horribly warped like most of us veterans of this hobby!) what would be a good IEM to buy to begin their journey into that world, the Lark is the one I’d recommend.
Thanks again to Wendy Li and KBEAR. Keep up the great work.
And thanks to you all for reading
Layman1
@Codename john - Hi there and thanks indeed! Well, it's a kind of natural progress as a reviewer I suppose.
I wrote an epic reply to this point about TOTL reviews vs budget, but then when I went to post it, found I have a 1000 character limit in my reply
I'll PM you instead, haha.
You can feel free to share it if you wish
I wrote an epic reply to this point about TOTL reviews vs budget, but then when I went to post it, found I have a 1000 character limit in my reply
I'll PM you instead, haha.
You can feel free to share it if you wish
WendyLi
Thank you very much!! I love your review!! 
KB EAR Lark Review:
BOX AND ACCESSORIES
Impressive packaging and presentation for an EMI of just 30 USD. Small but luxurious box. Great set of accessories, with good quality cable, two packages of eartips and a compact case very well built. Build quality is also very good. It resembles the KZ ZS10 PRO, ZSX ... and some CCA models.
SOUND
PS: This LARK is from the first batch, therefore, it is of the "4k" version.
The Lark has a W-shaped sound, with increases in bass, mid-treble and treble.
Bass: Lark's bass has a small bump, but very controlled. The level of definition and detail in this region is very high, even compared to IEMs of any price range. In terms of quantity, the bass provides enought punch and weight to enjoy any musical genre. However, it may not please the "Bassheads". I didn't notice any leakage of bass for the mediums.
Mids: As said before, this Lark is from the first batch, so it is from the "4k" version. The midrange is more lively and energetic, thanks to the noticeable increase in the 4-5khz region. Voices and instruments like guitars, pianos and trumpets sound more lit, energetic and vibrant. On the other hand, this extra energy on the upper-mids ends up making the sound a bit artificial and can be fatiguing with some (few) recordings. Despite this, the current Lark sold have less energy in this region and, therefore, must have more balanced and natural mids.
Treble: KB EAR Lark presents treble with a good level of detail and sharpness. In terms of quantity, it's evident that there's a considerable increase in the region of brightness (7.5-10khz), which contributes to a more energetic and vibrant presentation. However, as happens with the upper-mids, this increase occurs in an amount that contributes to making the sound a little artificial. In addition, although they behave behave in an acceptable way with most recordings, the highs can be sibilant and make the listening experience fatiguing in some cases.
Imaging/soundstage: The Lark is excelent in that regard. The presentation is quite wide for an IEM and the imaging is pretty accurate. just kudos to lark here.
COMPARISON WITH KB04
Both IEM have very similar prices and relatively similar sounds.
In terms of Bass, both present great performance, with a lot of detail, punch and control, but with different quantities. The Lark has less bass, which, in my opinion, brings more naturalness and clarity to the sound.
About Mids both behave in a similar way, however, even being of the "4k version", the Lark is more contained in this region of the frequency spectrum. Thus, KB04 ends up sounding a little more artificial. Regarding Treble, both have a very similar presentation, with peaks in the 7-9k region. As already said with respect to Lark's treble, both are quite brilliant and, in my opinion, a little overdone, so they can be annoying in some situations.
Overall, Lark has proven to be a good IEM for its price range, with spectacular bass and overall good mids and treble, despite some tonality flaws. But let it be clear agian that the current Larks sold have less activity in the 4K region, which certainly contributes to a more natural presentation of the mids.
BOX AND ACCESSORIES
Impressive packaging and presentation for an EMI of just 30 USD. Small but luxurious box. Great set of accessories, with good quality cable, two packages of eartips and a compact case very well built. Build quality is also very good. It resembles the KZ ZS10 PRO, ZSX ... and some CCA models.
SOUND
PS: This LARK is from the first batch, therefore, it is of the "4k" version.
The Lark has a W-shaped sound, with increases in bass, mid-treble and treble.
Bass: Lark's bass has a small bump, but very controlled. The level of definition and detail in this region is very high, even compared to IEMs of any price range. In terms of quantity, the bass provides enought punch and weight to enjoy any musical genre. However, it may not please the "Bassheads". I didn't notice any leakage of bass for the mediums.
Mids: As said before, this Lark is from the first batch, so it is from the "4k" version. The midrange is more lively and energetic, thanks to the noticeable increase in the 4-5khz region. Voices and instruments like guitars, pianos and trumpets sound more lit, energetic and vibrant. On the other hand, this extra energy on the upper-mids ends up making the sound a bit artificial and can be fatiguing with some (few) recordings. Despite this, the current Lark sold have less energy in this region and, therefore, must have more balanced and natural mids.
Treble: KB EAR Lark presents treble with a good level of detail and sharpness. In terms of quantity, it's evident that there's a considerable increase in the region of brightness (7.5-10khz), which contributes to a more energetic and vibrant presentation. However, as happens with the upper-mids, this increase occurs in an amount that contributes to making the sound a little artificial. In addition, although they behave behave in an acceptable way with most recordings, the highs can be sibilant and make the listening experience fatiguing in some cases.
Imaging/soundstage: The Lark is excelent in that regard. The presentation is quite wide for an IEM and the imaging is pretty accurate. just kudos to lark here.
COMPARISON WITH KB04
Both IEM have very similar prices and relatively similar sounds.
In terms of Bass, both present great performance, with a lot of detail, punch and control, but with different quantities. The Lark has less bass, which, in my opinion, brings more naturalness and clarity to the sound.
About Mids both behave in a similar way, however, even being of the "4k version", the Lark is more contained in this region of the frequency spectrum. Thus, KB04 ends up sounding a little more artificial. Regarding Treble, both have a very similar presentation, with peaks in the 7-9k region. As already said with respect to Lark's treble, both are quite brilliant and, in my opinion, a little overdone, so they can be annoying in some situations.
Overall, Lark has proven to be a good IEM for its price range, with spectacular bass and overall good mids and treble, despite some tonality flaws. But let it be clear agian that the current Larks sold have less activity in the 4K region, which certainly contributes to a more natural presentation of the mids.
