Microcosm Audio Ltd – Terms of Business
Effective Date: June 30, 2026
Company Name: Microcosm Audio Ltd
Company Number: 15812735
VAT Number: 501608333
Registered Address: 44 Rackhouse Rd, Manchester, M23 0BN
Contact: [email protected]
Welcome to Microcosm Audio Ltd. These Terms of Business govern all quotes, sales, custom manufacturing, e-commerce transactions, and installation services provided by the Company. By placing an order through our website checkout, making a payment against an invoice, or confirming a project quote, you (the “Client”) agree to be bound by these terms.
Section 1: General Core Terms & Financials
1.1 Quotes and Validity
All quotes issued by Microcosm Audio Ltd are valid for thirty (30) days from the date of issue. After this period, prices and hardware availability may be subject to change.
1.2 Taxation
All prices quoted are exclusive of UK Value Added Tax (VAT) unless explicitly stated otherwise. VAT will be charged at the prevailing statutory rate (currently 20%) and will be clearly itemized on all invoices.
1.3 Payment Schedules & Late Fees
Unless otherwise specified in writing, custom orders and installations require a 50% non-refundable deposit before hardware is ordered or manufacturing begins. The remaining 50% balance is strictly due within 30 days of project handover or invoice date. Microcosm Audio Ltd reserves the right to charge statutory interest on all late payments in accordance with the UK Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998.
1.4 Retention of Title
All physical goods, speaker enclosures, amplifiers, cabling, processors, and hardware supplied by Microcosm Audio Ltd remain the sole legal property of the Company until the final project invoice has been paid in full. The Company reserves the right to enter the client’s premises to reclaim any equipment if final payment terms are breached.
1.5 Intellectual Property
Any digital calibration files, custom DSP presets, speaker correction curves, or bespoke hardware layout schematics provided by Microcosm Audio Ltd remain the intellectual property of the Company. They are licensed to the original purchaser for use on a single designated system and may not be redistributed, resold, or reverse-engineered.
Section 2: Custom Immersive, Studio & Hi-Fi Sales
2.1 Built-to-Order Lead Times
Because our immersive spatial audio arrays (including 7.1.4 configurations) and specialized Hi-Fi components are custom manufactured, production lead times are typically 6–8 weeks. This lead time is an estimate only and commences solely upon receipt of full payment into our designated bank account.
2.2 Consumer Right to Cancel & Returns Policy
In compliance with UK consumer protection laws, your right to cancel an order depends on the type of product purchased:
• Bespoke, Custom, & Built-to-Order Systems: Under the Consumer Contracts Regulations, goods made to a client’s specific specifications or clearly personalized are legally exempt from the statutory 14-day cooling-off period. Once full payment has been received and custom manufacturing has commenced, custom orders cannot be canceled, refunded, or modified by the Client.
• Standard Retail / Off-the-Shelf Hi-Fi Products: For standard, non-custom products purchased directly via our website e-commerce checkout, everyday consumers have a statutory 14-day right to cancel and return the item from the date of delivery. Items must be returned completely unopened, unused, in their original packaging, and at the Client’s sole expense.
2.3 Required DSP Hardware Architecture (Critical Dependency)
Microcosm loudspeaker systems are high-performance passive monitors designed exclusively to operate as part of an integrated, digitally managed ecosystem. They require specialized, external DSP-capable hardware (such as the Audient ORIA or an equivalent approved system processor) to handle speaker/room EQ, multi-channel crossover filters, active bass management, and precise time alignment.
Operating Microcosm speakers without an approved and correctly configured DSP hardware management unit will result in sub-optimal performance and risks catastrophic thermal or mechanical damage to the speaker drivers.
Damage caused by operating the speakers with inadequate, unapproved, or incorrectly configured amplification and DSP routing is completely excluded from the product warranty.
2.4 Room Acoustics & Environmental Disclaimer
Microcosm Audio Ltd guarantees the technical specification, acoustic metrics, and manufacturing quality of its speakers. However, the precise spatial imaging, acoustic accuracy, and translation of an immersive system are fundamentally dependent on the room’s physical dimensions, treatment, and speaker placement. The Company is not legally or financially responsible for sub-optimal system performance resulting from poor room acoustics, lack of acoustic treatment, or non-standard positioning by the Client.
2.5 Calibration & System Dependencies
Unless explicitly purchased as part of a specialized, on-site installation and calibration package, the setup, time-alignment, and acoustic tuning of the system are the sole responsibility of the Client. The Client is independently responsible for procuring all necessary third-party hardware (e.g., audio interfaces, computers), software licenses (e.g., Dolby Atmos Renderer), and measurement/calibration software ecosystem tools (such as Sonarworks SoundID Reference Multichannel, Rational Acoustics SMAART, or equivalent) required to tune and run a multi-channel spatial array.
2.6 Shipping, Risk, & International Import Duties
For items requiring delivery, shipping fees are calculated based on weight, dimensions, and destination.
• Transfer of Risk: Legal risk of damage or loss passes to the Client immediately upon delivery by our designated carrier. While the Company will repair or replace components damaged in transit under our standard carrier guidelines, Microcosm Audio Ltd accepts no liability for secondary losses, commercial booking disruptions, or studio/project delays caused by shipping carrier transit times.
• International Shipments: For shipments outside the United Kingdom, the Client acts as the importer of record and is solely responsible for all customs clearances, import duties, VAT, and local clearance taxes incurred upon entry.
Section 3: Commercial Venue & Studio Installations
3.1 Scope of Work, Working Hours & Variations
The Company will perform the installation and integration services explicitly outlined in the approved project Quote. Quotes assume standard working hours (8:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Monday to Friday). Any work required outside these hours (evenings, overnight, or weekends) will be subject to an out-of-hours surcharge. Any additions, structural changes, or wiring modifications requested by the Client after work has commenced will be treated as a separate variation and billed at our standard day rate.
3.2 Site Readiness & Delay Fees
The Client is responsible for ensuring that the venue or studio site is clear, clean, structurally safe, and fully accessible on the agreed-upon installation dates. If installation is delayed due to site unreadiness, building delays, or lack of structural access, Microcosm Audio Ltd reserves the right to charge a site-delay fee of £350.00 per day to cover lost engineering time.
3.3 Electrical & Structural Exclusions
Unless explicitly stated in writing on the quote, our installation services strictly exclude mains electrical wiring (240V), structural wall reinforcement, and high-level lifting equipment (e.g., scissor lifts). All 240V mains power outlets and structural mounting points must be verified and supplied by a certified professional provided by the Client.
3.4 On-Site Storage & Risk During Installation
If equipment is stored on the Client’s site during a multi-day installation, the Client is responsible for providing a secure, lockable space. The Client assumes the risk of theft, loss, or damage to the equipment while it is on their premises prior to final project handover.
3.5 Asbestos & Hazardous Materials
If Microcosm Audio Ltd engineers discover suspected asbestos or other hazardous materials during installation, work will immediately cease. The Client will be solely responsible for the cost of professional testing and safe removal. Microcosm Audio Ltd will not be held liable for any resulting project delays.
3.6 Making Good & Surface Decorating
Our installation services cover physical mounting, cable routing, and system integration. Microcosm Audio Ltd accepts no responsibility for plastering, patching, painting, decorating, or “making good” walls, ceilings, or surfaces modified during the installation process.
3.7 Licensing, Noise Pollution & Permits
The Client is solely responsible for securing all relevant local authority permits, entertainment licenses, and environmental noise compliance approvals. The Company accepts no liability for venue operational restrictions, council noise abatement orders, or third-party noise complaints resulting from system usage.
3.8 Deemed Acceptance & Project Handover
A project shall be considered fully accepted and handed over upon the earlier of: (a) physical completion of initial acoustic tuning and testing handover, or (b) the Client using the installed audio system for commercial, public, studio booking, or operational purposes.
Section 4: Warranty, Safety & Liability
4.1 Product and Service Warranty
Microcosm Audio Ltd provides a one (1) year warranty from the date of delivery or physical installation handover covering:
• Products: Bespoke proprietary speaker enclosures and Microcosm-manufactured hardware against defects in materials and workmanship. Third-party components supplied by the company (such as external amplifiers or DSP units) are subject strictly to the original manufacturer’s standard warranty terms.
• Services: All installation, physical integration, and cabling workmanship performed directly by Microcosm Audio Ltd.
4.2 Warranty Exclusions & Call-Out Fees
This warranty strictly does not cover defects, faults, or performance failure caused by user error, equipment misuse, physical overloading, accidental damage, third-party software/firmware updates, or unauthorized adjustments to the hardware DSP calibration settings.
Warranty service call-outs to a client site or commercial venue that reveal the root issue to be caused by user error, cable tampering, or unauthorized adjustment of calibration settings will be subject to our standard field-labour call-out fee plus travel expenses.
4.3 Acoustic Safety & Volume Warning
Microcosm Audio Ltd loudspeaker systems are high-output professional devices capable of producing extreme sound pressure levels (SPL). Exposure to excessive sound levels can cause permanent, irreversible hearing damage. The Company accepts no liability for hearing impairment, physical injury, or third-party injury claims resulting from operation at excessive volumes or improper multi-channel system deployment.
4.4 Limitation of Consequential Liability
Microcosm Audio Ltd shall not be liable to the Client or any third party for any consequential, indirect, incidental, or special damages, including but not limited to loss of business, loss of revenue, personal lifestyle disruption, or commercial studio downtime, arising out of the use or inability to use the audio system.
4.5 Maximum Cap on Direct Liability
Without prejudice to Clause 4.4, Microcosm Audio Ltd’s total aggregate liability to the Client for any direct losses, damages, claims, or expenses arising under or in connection with the contract shall be strictly capped at the total amount actually paid by the Client to the Company under the relevant project invoice.
4.6 Environmental Compliance & WEEE
In compliance with the UK Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations, Microcosm Audio Ltd offers a free local take-back scheme for the environmentally responsible end-of-life recycling of our electronic hardware. Contact us directly to arrange recycling disposal.
4.7 Force Majeure
Microcosm Audio Ltd shall not be liable for any failure or delay in performing its obligations under these terms where such failure or delay is caused by events beyond its reasonable control, including but not limited to acts of God, global supply chain shortages, pandemics, industrial disputes, strikes, natural disasters, or severe weather conditions.
Section 5: General Provisions
5.1 Marketing & Photography Rights
Microcosm Audio Ltd reserves the right to take photographs or video recordings of the completed installation for promotional, portfolio, and marketing purposes, unless the Client explicitly requests otherwise in writing prior to project completion.
5.2 Governing Law & Jurisdiction
These Terms of Business shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes arising out of or in connection with these terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.
