I have a Krell KSA 300S which I have built a crate for. This amp weighs 185 lbs which makes it particularly hard to handle. I have all the original packaging but I built a crate anyway. Here is my experience:
I built the crate so that I could take the amp to the repair shop (180 miles away) because I needed to get it recapped. I did this because my experience moving the amp upstairs into my house was so difficult that I didn't want to go through that again. It's also stupidly hard to get the box into the back of a pickup or SUV and get it out again. People who have never tried to pick one of these up can't imagine how heavy it is.
The problem with any type of cardboard box is that there is nothing to hang onto. It is really difficult, even wearing gloves, for two people to carry a 185 lb. cardboard box that size. All I could think about was, "Oh God, what if we drop this."
The key feature of my crate is that I mounted two handles on each side. These are regular handles that I got at Home Depot and I used hardware that is suitable for the job. The handles make all the difference in the world. Two people can now carry the crate much more comfortably.
I pack the amp in the inner Krell box with the foam pieces and then put the box in the crate (I don't use the outer box but I kept it).. You probably can get away without the original box if you build the crate to the right specifications and use proper padding. However, when you are designing the thing, think about how you will get the amp in and out of the box. Using the original inner box, if I ever need to ship the amp I can screw a lid on the crate, lash it to a pallet, and it should be hard even for FedEx to break it.
I used 5/8 plywood with interior angle brackets. I screwed and glued along all the edges and I put two coats of Varathane over the whole thing. It looks like it means business and is worthy of a $9000 amplifier.
I believe you can order packaging materials from Krell but I've heard that they are expensive. I would strongly suggest buying the packaging if they will sell it to you. Maybe I'm guilty of overkill but I've had my amp since new, it has been moved 4 times, and it is still in pristine condition. I'm really OCD about my gear and I would never forgive myself if I damaged this amp.
You will figure out the puzzle on how to pack the amp into the original carton and then put that into the box. You can't lift the cardboard box out of the crate so you have to gently flip it over, take off the crate and then unpack the amp.
Good luck. You are welcome to PM me if you want any detailed information.
I built the crate so that I could take the amp to the repair shop (180 miles away) because I needed to get it recapped. I did this because my experience moving the amp upstairs into my house was so difficult that I didn't want to go through that again. It's also stupidly hard to get the box into the back of a pickup or SUV and get it out again. People who have never tried to pick one of these up can't imagine how heavy it is.
The problem with any type of cardboard box is that there is nothing to hang onto. It is really difficult, even wearing gloves, for two people to carry a 185 lb. cardboard box that size. All I could think about was, "Oh God, what if we drop this."
The key feature of my crate is that I mounted two handles on each side. These are regular handles that I got at Home Depot and I used hardware that is suitable for the job. The handles make all the difference in the world. Two people can now carry the crate much more comfortably.
I pack the amp in the inner Krell box with the foam pieces and then put the box in the crate (I don't use the outer box but I kept it).. You probably can get away without the original box if you build the crate to the right specifications and use proper padding. However, when you are designing the thing, think about how you will get the amp in and out of the box. Using the original inner box, if I ever need to ship the amp I can screw a lid on the crate, lash it to a pallet, and it should be hard even for FedEx to break it.
I used 5/8 plywood with interior angle brackets. I screwed and glued along all the edges and I put two coats of Varathane over the whole thing. It looks like it means business and is worthy of a $9000 amplifier.
I believe you can order packaging materials from Krell but I've heard that they are expensive. I would strongly suggest buying the packaging if they will sell it to you. Maybe I'm guilty of overkill but I've had my amp since new, it has been moved 4 times, and it is still in pristine condition. I'm really OCD about my gear and I would never forgive myself if I damaged this amp.
You will figure out the puzzle on how to pack the amp into the original carton and then put that into the box. You can't lift the cardboard box out of the crate so you have to gently flip it over, take off the crate and then unpack the amp.
Good luck. You are welcome to PM me if you want any detailed information.