HiFi, multimedia, and home theatre equipment can be some of the most challenging, complicated and delicate items you will have to move. By developing a systematic approach, complete with labels, colour coding, and documentation, you will save yourself from hours of frustration and quite a few headaches when it comes time to reassemble your equipment. If you are like many other people, there is a good chance that your electronics will be one of the first things you will want to unpack and set back up.
Before you begin, you should have plenty of self-adhesive labels on hand as well as a marker or pen for marking the labels. Colour coded labels are ideal for this purpose. You will also need correct sized boxes for packing your disassembled equipment and protective material such as padding or bubble wrap. Be sure to use boxes that are slightly larger than the item you are packing in it to allow room for the padding or other material that will help prevent damage during transportation.
You will want to start by identifying each piece of equipment and the individual cables that are connected to them. Many of these cables are likely already colour coded, but depending on the size of your home theatre, you may have multiple cables with the same colour coded ends. Before you disconnect a cable, affix a label to each end and mark it with the piece of equipment to which it is connected, as well as the description of the specific ports each end is to be plugged into. As you remove each cable, immediately pack them into a single box to ensure none are misplaced or lost.
Once your cables are completely removed, carefully remove each piece of equipment from the shelf or rack housing it. Now is the perfect time to clean your electronic equipment. Dirt, dust and cobwebs have almost certainly collected in some of the many crevices of your equipment, and these things will quickly destroy electronics. Make an effort to remove as much of this as possible prior to packing. This not only prevents you from dragging the dirt and mess with you, but it also extends the life of your equipment.
When you pack your equipment, use plenty of padding and pay special attention to protecting delicate parts from movement and damage. DVD players should have the heads protected and turntables should have the arms secured from movement to prevent damage to the delicate parts used for playback of your media. Also, remember to cover speakers with padding or other material to prevent damage. Most speaker cones are very fragile and the slightest damage will leave them useless.
Following these tips will ensure that your home theatre system safely completes the move to your new home. Taking the time to deliberately and systematically disassemble, then safely packing your electronics will be well worth it in the end.