[slow_down]

I may need to ship my Loreleis in the near future (see post below) and am hoping to get some advice on how to do it safely and reliably. I was geographically lucky enough to get them delivered straight from Klaus's car and they were only single boxed with foam inserts to immobilize the speakers inside. If I were to ship them via UPS or Fedex I would need to double box them, but where do I get boxes that big? And does anyone know what my cost would be for an insured shipment halfway or entirely across the country? Thanks.

[sunnydaze]

Google to find a list of zipcodes.  Pick two:  one halfway across the country, and one on the other coast.  Goto the shipping calculator / estimator on Fedex and UPS websites.  Input the package weight / dimensions and from / to zipcodes.  A good estimate of ship charges will be generated.

Can't help you with the boxes.

[FullRangeMan]

If the factory package not suffice you would stuff inside the cartoon box with mid density block foam or hard MD polyethylene blocks.

http://www.fieldsfabricsonline.com/High-Density-Foam-15-x-17-Chair-Pad_p_2111.html

[rooze]

Get an estimate from your local Pack 'n Ship. Give them the outside dimensions of the carton, the weight, and tell them you want a minimum of 2" additional packing material around the inner box. They'll then select the most appropriate box size and give you a fixed cost for the boxing side of things.

It may cost more but if there's any shipping damage, the fact that you can demonstrate you've had them professionally packed ought to help with any insurance claim. So consider the extra cost for packaging to be part of the cost for shipping insurance.

[Peter J]

I like wood crates and I cannot lie, those other brothers can't deny... (to the tune of "Baby got Back") 

Couldn't help myself on the above, but have shipped in crates with foam spacers all over country with minimal problems. You might have a service like this near you;


https://www.cratersandfreighters.com/

Or, if you have a FedEx/Kinkos somewhere close, I think they can pack and ship.

This might be helpful if building crates, right near the bottom of first page, I go into some detail on crating. In this case I learned what not to do, specifically with bottoms:

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=122387.0

[Photon46]

Whether FEdEx or UPS, any insurance you purchase is worthless unless you use a NEW shipping box. They will likely deny a claim faster than the speed of light if a claim is filed for a damaged shipment in a used box. They also say a package should be sufficient to protect against a four foot drop onto a concrete floor! That's a substantial amount of protection for a large heavy object. FullRangeMan's advice to add an additional layer of protection with a new box that holds the original factory package is about as good as you can do. (Short of building a plywood shipping box which is the best solution for a trouble free journey.) As he says, use the mid density foam block or harder polyethylene foam to fill the air space between the original and new box, do not use peanuts.

[slow_down]

Thanks for all the replies. Still hoping I find someone semi-local so can do a personal delivery/pickup (Philly area, will drive out to meet someone within reason!), but good to see a clear path to shipping them, however much it would suck to have to deal with. I guess from a liability perspective, it's probably safest to get quote from UPS/Fedex using their labor and materials to double-box (using my current box as an inner) and then ship insured. But maybe I need to read the fine print and see what loopholes remain for a damaged shipment done that way. I also worry that this route will be insanely expensive.

[avta]

I shipped some Magnapan 1.6's a while ago with no problems. The buyer was agreeable to splitting shipping costs. They were to be shipped across country. I took them to a local UPS store in their original boxes which I left open so they could inspect the speakers and verify their condition.  I let them decide on the best packing. They chose to pack the speakers/boxes inside another box they made themselves out of cardboard boxes of theirs. I insured them for full value and they arrived in fine shape. I chose this method because I wanted the shipper, UPS, to verify condition and do the packing i.e. they would be responsible for any damage. They agreed.

[stereo5]

My Kismet Floorstanding speakers (same size as the Lorelei)  were shipped to me in the same single box with the foam inserts that you mention in your first post.  They arrived safe and sound via FedEx with no problems.  Every speaker I have ever received was sent single boxed.  The packing and box that Klaus supplies is more than adequate.  My speakers came from Texas to Rhode Island (2500 miles) with no problems or damage.  You are worrying for nothing. Klaus doesn't use double boxes and he ships worldwide.

[Chrisandalex1]

I made my own boxes to ship my speakers to Von Schweikert for updates.

[klaus@odyssey]

Chris,  man,  you're nuts, hehehe...talked with slow down, and yup, FedEx and UPS always make me nervous with any boxes over 40 ",  regardless....ALSO, all floorstanders are double boxed, yes......for a while now...they have clearly indicated inner and outer box  on them....

[Chrisandalex1]

Chris,  man,  you're nuts, hehehe...talked with slow down, and yup, FedEx and UPS always make me nervous with any boxes over 40 ",  regardless....ALSO, all floorstanders are double boxed, yes......for a while now...they have clearly indicated inner and outer box  on them....

Yeah Klaus, but those babies are going to be safe.  I had felt bags made that the speakers are in, then wrapped them with Bubble Wrap, then there is two inches of styrofoam all the way around them. 

I think they are even going to survive the Mexican boarder crossing.  Both ways