Review: Lark Studio LSX – Undisputed

The Lark Studio LSX is a 10BA Driver flagship monitor from Lark Studio. Let’s find out how it performs in the field of flagship monitors with this review.

Disclaimer: The Lark Studio LSX is a demo sample from the company and I shall return it once my work is finished. It goes for 1700$ from Lark Studio’s website or for £1499 from The AudioConcierge. I tested the monitor with the Lotoo Paw Gold, Sony WM1A and the Sony ZX2.

Intro

Stereo systems are outstanding, flagship headphones are marvelous, but flagship In Ear Monitors are really something else. You don’t have to fix yourself to a desk or a couch, you can use them while you commute and work at the office, and you can have great sound too.

That’s why the growth of the portable audio market is unstoppable. The IEMs are small, easy to carry around, (to me) more comfortable than portable on ear headphones, and some of them can really isolate the noise around you. On top of that, when they give you top quality sound, then there’s no reason not to see more people with pricey IEMs on a bus or plane.

About Lark Studio

Lark Studio have made a great entrance to the market with their LSX. This is a brand with huge experience in the field and they only want to offer the best in terms of sound and design. You should definitely see their amazing looking CIEMs with fantastic designs and colors on their facebook page.

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.

Lark Studio LSX

Speaking of it, one of the best features of Lark Studio is that, all of the artwork options are free of charge. They don’t charge additional fees for that. This is not something you see often. Also another outstanding  feature is the identical prices for universal and custom versions. Today I review the universal model which costs 1700$, but if you go with the custom, it’s the exact same price.

Lark Studio will come up with more models in the future with one particular monster IEM, but let’s keep the news under our hats until it’s official. We hope to review their custom versions too. I personally would like to show the people their amazing craftsmanship with some cool shots.

The LSX

The LSX consists of 10 Balanced Armature drivers with a 4-way crossover design. They put considerable effort into this IEM, before forming its final shape and sound tuning. I was personally told that even the sound tuning period took almost a year alone. The end result is very good in terms of sound performance but more on that later.

Lark Studio provides two versions to choose from. One with a standard copper cable (which is still very good), and one with the PWaudio Saladin. The sample I have here is the standard universal model.

Package

The LSX arrived in a contentful package with a premium presentation. The box itself is quite big for an IEM, and even before opening it you already know that Lark Studio takes things seriously.

When you finally open the package you’re welcomed with the monitors, 6 pairs of tips in a dedicated small package,  an airplane adapter, a 6.3mm adapter, 2 straps, the carrying case which stores a cleaning cloth & tool, a carrying pouch and a VIP card. As you can see, they supply you with everything that you possibly need.

Lark Studio LSX

The carrying case itself caught my eye above all though. I even made a joke on my girlfriend with it, pretending that I’m proposing to her. It really looks like a case of a gem. Maybe it doesn’t give an appearance of a rock solid case, but it actually is very protective when you inspect and use it more carefully. So I think they got this one right; premium and safe as well.

Design

The universal version of the LSX has a distinctive sky blue color, with the faceplates particularly looking very cool with their sparkling appearance. The left piece has the “LS” logo while the company logo is on the right piece. Both logos are made with silver. I personally think the earphones look very cool and I especially dig the faceplates.

It has 2-pin sockets without the recessed design that we see with some other manufacturers. The nozzles are unibody with 3 bores inside. The acrylic shell is very smooth and ear-friendly, and it is transparent so you can see all the drivers and electronics.

Build

The shell of the LSX is acrylic as I mentioned above. The face plate closing is perfect and seamless. The craftsmanship inside the shell is spot on and there are no visible defects, small dents, residues or any other flaws.

The earpieces gives you a mono block impression, while the transition of the nozzle is very sturdy and smooth in particular. So overall I think the LSX is built very well and it should serve you for many years without a single problem.

Fit

You have 6 pairs of tips supplied with the LSX. There are 2 pairs of comply foams with two different sizes, and the same goes for the silicone tips. The other two pairs are the double flange tips with also two different diameters.

Lark Studio LSX

The fit will depend on your ears and the tips you choose. I tried all of them and I must say it’s a very comfortable monitor. Especially the silicone tips are very nice for comfort, almost disappearing from your ears. They’re very soft and smooth, especially when I compare them to some standard silicone tips. As a result, they don’t cause any discomfort once they’re in your ear canals.

The double flanges are very good for isolation and for a tighter seal. But they are a bit uncomfortable for long periods. Foam tips also provide good isolation and they’re my favorite tips most of the time with universal in ears. They also work well with the LSX so I can recommend them.

Overall the fit of the LSX is very nice in terms of comfort. For getting the desired isolation level, you need to go with foams or double flanges. The silicone tips are supremely comfortable but they’re not the best choice for blocking the noise. Yet, if you use your IEMs inside your house or in a quiet office, then I think silicone is a no-brainer.

Click here for the sound impressions on Page 2, or use the jump below.