Safely Packaging Your Goods

Hi-Fi products are sensitively designed devices optimised for domestic use, so when you ship them you need to take great care to ensure they can get from Point A to Point B safely and securely. Whether you're selling a product online, moving home or having to return an item for service, careful packaging is the best way to ensure you don't have a headache on your hands when your valuable kit ends up at its destination. 

The best advice for any specific product is always sought directly from the manufacturer, and can often be included in your product's user manual. This is particularly important in service cases, as incorrect shipping according to any advice in the user manual may cause difficulty in a warranty claim or can turn a planned service job into something far more costly and complex.

The best advice is always to use the original product packaging, and to re-pack your item in its box in the same way that it was originally supplied to you. If you need any advice on this, the manufacturer, distributor or retailer may be able to help you. With some Henley Audio products and brands we can also provide new full packaging sets for certain products. But for cases where that's not possible, we've put together the below advice for you*...

*This page contains general advice, but you should always consider the specific details of your product and adjust your packing accordingly. Henley Audio cannot be held liable for transit in damage, as each courier delivery is a human process that can be liable to unexpected damage. Shipping insurance should be considered when arranging a courier, to help cover any unexpected issues.

General Advice

If the original packaging is not available please note the following hints:

• Choose a sturdy box.
• Protect your product surface by using a plastic bag or similar.
• Secure any moving parts.
• Remove any loose parts.
• Protect any exposed terminals, switches or buttons.
• Pack the device inside the box with padding covering each side, and the top and bottom.
• The box should be filled with packing material. If it is not, the item is likely to move in transit, risking damage to the product.
• Try to ensure a minimum of 3 to 5cm of tightly-packed padding.
• Ensure that all parts and components that have been separated are packed and padded independently, so they do not bump against each other in transit.
• Please ensure the device cannot move around in the box once sealed.
• The use of coarse paper can scratch the surface of certain products. Where possible, use bubble-wrap, foam or Styrofoam around the body of a product.

Make sure you pick a box that is big enough to fully contain the product without stretching.

By bagging or covering the product, you can protect it from scratches and marks that may be picked up from your packaging material.

Pack the product on all sides - bottom, top, left and right - so it has a protective layer around all surfaces. Make sure any accessories or cables are packed away from the main product chassis. See the green circle, where the power plug pins are facing away from the chassis of the amplifier, and is packed away from the main chassis.

Turntable Specific Advice

As turntables are delicate mechanical devices, it is important to ensure they are properly packaged before returning. A poorly packaged turntable can suffer from irreparable damage in transit.

• Always remove the main platter and pack it separately to, or under, the rest of the turntable
• Always secure the tonearm to its rest, using a cable-tie or something similar to avoid it moving in transit.
• Non-removable unipivot tonearms must be secured additionally to avoid the tonearm lifting off its pivot.
• Always remove the counterweight and antiskate weight from a tonearm before shipping (where applicable).
• Always pack the power supply separately, to avoid scratching.
• Ensure the lid is separated from the main turntable body in transit (where applicable). If it makes contact with the plinth, there is an increased risk of marks or scuffs.
• Turntables with removable spiked feet should have these feet removed, if possible, as they will damage other items in the packaging.

If returning a turntable with a sub-platter, make sure the platter is placed in the packaging before the turntable, if possible with your turntable. In instances where this is not possible, securing the platter in place is essential to stop it moving in transit.

Make sure there is space around the turntable so it can be covered by packing material on all sides. Any accessories should be packed underneath the turntable.

Secure the tonearm to its rest to avoid it bouncing around in transit. Make sure also the counterweight and antiskate weight are removed and packed separately (if applicable).

Make sure your cartridge is protected, by either packing it separately or making sure the stylus guard is installed correctly.

Some tonearms with fixed counterweights are supplied with a foam block, to support the counterweight in transit. Please make sure this is installed if your turntable was supplied with such a part.

Make sure your turntable is bagged tightly, to restrict the movement of any other parts in transit, and to keep the surface protected from marks and scuffs.

If including a dust cover, make sure this is removed from the turntable and packed on top of additional packing material. This will stop it marking the turntable chassis in transit, and will give it extra support.

You can view our handy download, which contains all of the information provided on this page plus some printable labels to affix to the outside of your box.