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Frequently Asked Questions

--- General Questions ---

ORDERING
- How do I make a purchase?
- I am having problems completing the Checkout. What do I do?
- How do I know that my order has been paid for and when will it be shipped?
- Does Hifi-Tower accept purchase orders?

PRICE AND PAYMENT
- What is included in the total price?
- Do I get a discount if I order more than one product?
- What payment methods does Hifi-Tower accept?
- Is VAT included?

SHIPPING
- What countries does Hifi-Tower ship to?
- Can I collect products personally?

DELIVERY
- How long is delivery?
- Can I track my delivery online?
- What do I do when the courier arrives?
- What happens if I am not home and miss delivery?

CANCELLATION & RETURN
- How do I cancel my order?
- How do I return a damaged or defective product?
- How do I return a product under the "Cooling off period"?

OTHER
- Is there a warranty?
- Does Hifi-Tower offer any discounts?
- My product is not quite as described, what can I do?
- What happens if the item I ordered is out of stock?
- How do I contact HiFi tower?

--- Technical Questions ---

DJ EQUIPMENT
- Is my amplifier compatible with these speakers (or: Are my speakers compatible with this amplifier?)
- Can I connect a laptop to a PA system?
- What is the difference between an Active and a Passive Speaker?
- Can I connect more than 2 PA speakers to PA amplifier?
- Can I connect multiple speakers and a subwoofer to the same PA amplifier?
- Why do I need a Mixer?
- What does "rack mountable" mean?
- How much power do my speakers and amplifier need for my venue?

HI-FI EQUIPMENT
- Can I plug my iPod into the USB output on this Hifi System?
- Will this docking station work with my iPhone or iPod touch?

TV & HOME CINEMA
- What equipment do I need to achieve surround sound?
- How do I connect a 5.1 system to a TV?
- Will this 5.1 surround sound speaker system connect to my gaming system (PS3, Xbox 360 etc.)
- Can I connect my laptop to a 5.1 surround system?
- Is this mount compatible with my projector/TV?

--- General Questions ---

» ORDERING

How do I make a purchase?
Simply add the products you wish to order to the shopping cart and click the "Checkout" button. You will be asked to register an account or sign in as a guest or existing customer.
If you want to order more than one product then add all the products in the shooping cart before you proceed with payment. This way you will only pay one postage fee for your bundled products.
Once your payment has been accepted you will receive a confirmation email that includes all your order information. This email will be sent to you as soon as you finish the checkout process.

I am having problems completing the Checkout. What do I do?
Firstly, please check that all your details are entered correctly and all required fields are complete.
If you find that you receive an error code please check that the country you have selected in your delivery address is a country that we ship to.
If you require assistance, please contact our customer service team who can assist you.

How do I know that my order has been paid for and when will it be shipped?
Once you have completed the checkout procedure we will send you an email that will confirm your order and payment. Please make note of your order number if you need to contact us in future.

Does Hifi-Tower accept purchase orders?
Yes we accept purchase orders from schools and government agencies. Please complete our order detail request here and forward it to us via email . Please note that we do not accept cheques and total amounts are payable before dispatch of goods.


» PRICE AND PAYMENT

What is included in the total price?
The total price of your order is made up of the item cost plus the listed postage and packaging costs.
Additional charges apply for shipments abroad.

Do I get a discount if I order more than one product?
If you buy multiple items we offer a shipping discount. You just pay one full shipping charge and additional items are shipped free of charge.
Please ensure all your items are selected to be combined onto one shipment when you finalise your order in our online checkout, the shipping discount will then be applied automatically.

What payment methods do you accept?
We accept payment by Credit Card (Visa & Matercard), Debit Card, PayPal or Bank Transfer. You can select your payment method in our checkout site.
We don' accept cash, cheques or postal orders.

Is VAT included?
Yes all of our listed prices are inclusive of VAT.


» SHIPPING

What countries does Hifi-Tower ship to?
We ship to:

• United Kingdom (excluding all Islands)
• Austria
• Belgium
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Hungary
• Ireland
• Italy
• Latvia
• Luxembourg
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Portugal
• Slovakia
• Spain
• Sweden

• Malta
• Cyprus
• Greece
• Gibraltar
• Iceland
• Spanish Islands
• Portuguese Islands
• Channel Islands
• Isle of Man
• Isle of White
• Scilly Isles

Can I collect products personally?
As a purely online business we don't operate any stores or showrooms. We ship from a network of different warehouses which unfortunately makes collection or viewing of the items we sell not possible. If you have any questions about any of the products we sell please contact our customer services team who. ll be happy to answer.


» DELIVERY

How long is delivery?
Standard delivery is 3-5 working days after receipt of your payment.

Unfortunately we do not offer express or overnight delivery.

After receiving your payment it usually takes us less than 24 hours to dispatch your order from our warehouse. You will receive a confirmation email with tracking data as soon as your item is dispatched.
Some of our items are too large or heavy to be sent with our standard couriers and are sent with our specialist courier Hellmann. These shipments can take slightly longer to reach you, usually 7 to 10 working days from dispatch. As Hellmann don't offer web based tracking if you don. t receive anything after 10 working days from dispatch, please contact us so our service team can assist you further.

Can I track my delivery online?
We will send you a tracking number by email once your item leaves our warehouse.
Please note the tracking information can take around 24-48 hours to update online.
With this you can track your item from its departure point all the way to your delivery address.
The majority of our shipments are sent with DPD registered couriers and require a signature upon delivery.
If you have received a tracking number that begins with "00000" then your item has been sent with our specialist courier, Hellmann.

What do I do when the courier arrives?
When the courier arrives please make sure you check your delivery for any damage before signing for it. If the packaging is damaged in any way you can either accept the delivery and sign for it as damaged or refuse the delivery. In either case please contact us as soon as possible by email at service@hifi-tower.co.uk or by calling 0870 383 0730 so we can arrange to get you a replacement as soon as possible.

What happens if I am not home and miss delivery?
If you're not available when our couriers visit they will leave a calling card with their contact details. If you receive a calling card please contact them as soon as possible to arrange for them to hold your item for collection or arrange a re delivery. If a parcel is refused or undeliverable it will be returned to our warehouse. If you require reshipment, additional postage charges will apply.


» CANCELLATION & RETURN

How do I cancel my order?
Please contact us ASAP to see if it is possible to cancel your order before shipment. If your item is already paid for and dispatched then we cannot stop the shipment. In this case, refuse the delivery and inform the driver to "Return to sender". Once the item arrives in our warehouse then we will refund the price of the product as naturally we ship to you in good faith and the shipping cost is already incurred.

How do I return a damaged or defective product?
In the unlikely circumstance that your item arrives damaged or faulty please contact us immediately and let us know the nature of the problem.
If possible any pictures you can provide of damage to your item can greatly speed up the time it takes to provide a quick solution to the problem.

How do I return a product under the "Cooling off period"?
We know sometimes it can be difficult when shopping online because you don't get to physically see the product before you purchase. Thats why we offer all customers a 7 day cooling off return period. If your item is not defective and you simply don't want to keep it just follow these simply steps:

1. Request a return within 7 working days after delivery
2. Return your product within 28 days after your request to return
3. Check you account and you'll get a full item price refund!

» OTHER

Is there a warranty?
All products from HiFi Tower are sold as new and are covered by a 28 day warranty from delivery if the item arrives damaged or defective.
In the event that a fault develops after this 28 days, you have a period of 6 months to report it to us. We review each query on a case by case basis in any event of a developed fault.
Products that develop faults after the 6 month period are still covered by manufacturer warranty, but cannot be processed with Hifi-Tower without an engineers report that states that the product fault was already existent at the time of purchase or developed within a 6 month period.

Does Hifi-Tower offer any discounts?
Yes. If you buy more than one product and combined them into one shipment, you will only pay one shipping fee. Please make sure if you're buying multiple items and you want to take advantage of our shipping discounts that you don't pay for your order until all the items you require have been added to your shopping cart. That way when you checkout your shipping discount is calculated automatically.

My product is not quite as described, what can I do?
We do our best to ensure the descriptions of the products we sell are as accurate as possible, however in rare cases product colours or specifications can be subject to change. If you believe your item is not as described please contact us and we'll look into the issue further for you.

What happens if the item I ordered is out of stock?
We try to forecast our stock levels to anticipate demand however in some cases we do sell out. If you have bought and paid for an item that is out of stock we unfortunately cannot guarantee delivery. Please contact us if you find you have ordered an item which is out of stock and we will be able to assist you with a date for the new stock, an alternative item or a full refund.

How do I contact HiFi tower?
Please email us at: service@hifi-tower.co.uk
Or call +44 (0) 8703-830-730
Our friendly customer service team is always happy to answer any questions you might have. We attempt to provide answers to all emails within 24 hours of your correspondence. If you don't get a reply within 24hrs, please check your Spam folder.

--- Technical Questions ---

DJ EQUIPMENT

Is my amplifier compatible with these speakers (or: Are my speakers compatible with this amplifier?)
As a rule of thumb, its better to have slightly less power from the amplifier than the speakers are rated for i.e. 2 x 300 Watt speakers should be driven by a 2 x 250 Watt amplifier. If your amplifier is too powerful for your speakers you could be in danger of blowing them. Also remember that when matching amps to speakers that impedance (ohms) is proportional to power (watts) and should also be matched correctly.

• eg: 480 Watts @ 4ohms is equal to 240 Watts @ 8 ohms
• Or 600 Watts @ 8 ohms is equal to 1200 Watts @ 4ohms

If you double impedance power output halves and vice versa. S o if the amp outputs 2 x 240 Watts @ 4 ohms and you have a pair of 8 ohm speakers they need to be rated at 120 Watts or above.

Can I connect a laptop to this PA system?
Yes. The best way to connect it is via a mixer as this will give you more control over your sound, all PA sets we sell that include mixers also include cables that will allow you to connect a laptop or MP3 player.

What is the difference between an Active and a Passive speaker?
Active Speaker: A speaker which includes an integrated power amplifier. Active speakers can be plugged directly into your music source without the need of an additional amplifier. The benefits of active speakers are generally that they. re easier to set up and transport.
Passive Speaker: A speaker which does not include an integrated power amplifier. Powering a passive speaker requires the use of an amplifier. The benefits of passive speakers are generally that they. re better for large PA systems and can also be a lot more powerful.

Can I connect more than 2 PA speakers to PA amplifier?
You can, however it's best to only connect the same type of speaker, if you want to run more than 2 speakers from one amplifier make sure they're rated at 8ohms and are connected in parallel otherwise you could risk damaging your amplifier.
Please also be aware that by connecting more speakers you won't increase the volume of the system, the output is determined by the amplifier you use. It's not recommended to connect more than 4 speakers to one amplifier.

Can I connect multiple speakers and a subwoofer to the same PA amplifier?
No is the simple answer. Firstly it's not recommended to connect different types of speaker to the same amp and secondly a sub woofer produces only bass frequencies and therefore requires a filter to remove the mid and high frequencies of a music source. If you want to connect sub woofers to a PA system they will need their own amplifier and an "active crossover", you can find these in our shop.

Why do I need a Mixer?
A mixer allows you to take several audio sources and combine them into one output for a speaker system. It also allows you to independently control each sources volume eg microphones and a CD player for karaoke.
More advanced mixing consoles also allow for tuning your sound using EQ, cross fading between music sources and also listening to your music sources independently of the main outputs (cueing). Additionally many also have built in FX processors and other functions useful for DJ. s like BPM counters and kill switches.

What does "rack mountable" mean?
Many types of professional audio equipment are "rack mountable". This means they can be fixed, using screws, into a standard width case which hold your equipment securely and protects it for easy transport. Standard rack cases are always 19" wide and come in a variety of different configurations suitable for DJ's, bands and other performers.

How much power do my speakers and amplifier need for my venue?
As a general guidline you can use this scale relative to the amount of RMS power you will require for your venue.

• 30-100 people: 480 Watts RMS
• 100-250 people: 600 Watts RMS
• 250-350 people: 1000 Watts RMS
• 350-500 people: 1500 Watts RMS
• 500-1000 people: 2000 Watts RMS

» HI-FI EQUIPMENT

Can I plug my iPod into the USB output on this Hifi System?
Unfortunately not. Apples iPod's are only designed to "sync" over a USB connection and won't appear to the Hifi System as a portable drive. Therefore unfortunately music can't be accessed directly.
We do however sell several Apple compatible iPod docking stations which connect directly to your iPod port and allow for playback from your iPod music library.

Will this docking station work with my iPhone or iPod touch?
As the iPhone and Touch run a different operating system to standard iPods we can only guarantee the compatibility of standard iPod models like the Classic, Nano and Mini.

» TV & HOME CINEMA

What equipment do I need to achieve surround sound?
In order to achieve surround sound from most of our active 5.1 surround sound speaker sets you'll need a compatible DVD player or PC sound card. This is because most of our speaker systems have 5.1 channel audio inputs or 6 separate audio inputs, one for each speaker.
To connect the surround sound speaker systems your DVD player will need to have 6 separate speaker outputs.

How do I connect a 5.1 system to a TV?
In short you can't. The majority of TV's do not have multiple speaker outputs, this is normally handled by a separate amplifier/decoder. To achieve surround sound from your TV you either need to use an A/V decoder or a DVD player and compatible active speaker system as described above.

Will this 5.1 surround sound speaker system connect to my gaming system (PS3, Xbox 360 etc.)
In order to connect a games console for surround sound you. ll need to use either optical or HDMI connections. This requires a separate A/V amplifier which decodes the surround sound signal and then sends it to a set of speakers attached. Our active surround sound speaker systems are not compatible in this way.

Can I connect my laptop to a 5.1 surround system?
Most laptops do not have surround sound outputs and are only compatible with stereo speakers.

Is this mount compatible with my projector/TV?
We do not hold specific information for exact make and model projectors or TV's. All of our projector/TV mounts listings include the dimensions and weight of items they are compatible with.
Please check the size and weight compatibility of your item with the information included in the listing specifications. All our projector/TV mounts are security approved and conform to VESA standards.


IMPORTANT:
The answers to the above questions are intended as guidelines only. Hifi-Tower accepts no responsibility for any incompatibility problems caused based on the information provided.