How to Pack Audio
and anything else you want to arrive unharmed

WHY? you ask, because regardless of the shipper, units are :
dropped, tossed, kicked, stepped on, slid, pushed, pulled, fall, vibrated, jiggled ...
and any number of things that can damaged a unit not well packed.

Packing 101

A lot of common sense goes a long way in preventing damage during shipping.

The box must be larger than the item being shipped. How large has alot to do with how much the unit weights and what kind of material you are using to protect it. The heaver the item, the larger the box. The heavier or more fragile the item, the heavier the actual shipping box.

The better the insulating material, the less you have to use; for one inch of styrafoam sheet, you would have to use two inches of bubble and four inches of paper.

The item must not shift in transist. So peanuts are not good for audio gear. They allow heavier items to shift and settle to the bottom or one side of the box. They can be used in a double box setup where the first box is surrounded by two inches of peanuts. ( Personally I hate peanuts).

For single box method:

I typically ship audio gear in a 275# double wall shipping box. In box man lingo, it's called an E-Pak.

The unit is wrapped in 1/2" inch bubble until it is four to six inches thick.

Depending on the item, I may line the box in 1/2" styrafoam.

For double boxing:

I start with a 200# single wall box.

The unit is wrapped in 1/2" inch bubble until it is two to four inches thick.

This box is taped shut and wrapped in two to four inches of bubble or 1/2" styrafoam..

Then it's all placed in a 200# single wall box.

There will always be special cases like this walnut audio cabinet that I wrapped in styrafoam sheets, reinforced the corners, shrink wrapped and tied down to a pallet.

 

Click here for some other methods send to me by audio enthusiasts

 

Packing Disasters

Here are some items that have been shipped to me.
To say the least, they were not packed well.

Full Rack of SAE Gear  SAE Rack

Some cardboard around the outside by itself is NOT enough protection.

DBX 120   DBX200   SAE P101

Here is a DBX 120, a DBX 200 and a SAE P101. All damaged during shipping due to inadequate packing.

too small a box Yamaha CR640 Yamaha CR640

Once again, box was to small and not enough packing, so you get a Yamaha that's crushed & punctured.

 

Same old story, box is to small for the unit
One layer of crumpled newspaper and a hand full of peanuts is not adequate.

 

Here is a Phase Linear 700 a friend received.
This seems to be a common story among audio guys.
Yet another box to small and almost no packing material.

Supporting documentation as to my capability to be an authority on shipping.
I give you feedback from people I have shipped to.
You can also find this under my feedback on Ebay, which I can not edit.