Altec lansing 510 S, AM9815, 305 S, 508 S User Manual

Legacy product line

User’s Guide

305 S

508 S

510 S

Introduction

Welcome to the extraordinary world of Altec Lansing high fidelity
sound. As you are about to discover, you have acquired a loudspeaker
system that can bring your world of recorded music to life.

Altec Lansing has accomplished this by reissuing speakers famous for
recreating perfectly the timbre, texture and power of every musical
composition. And to coordinate these components, for truly
remarkable sound, we refined the “art of balance”. Even our hand
crafted cabinets have been specially designed for optimum musicality.
The result… loudspeakers so pure, so uncompromising they capture
the very soul of sound.

For the optimum placement, proper connection, and use of your Altec
Lansing loudspeaker system, be sure to read this manual thoroughly
and retain it for future reference.

Unpacking

Each loudspeaker is wrapped in a protective bag with poly-foam
corners and the tweeter/midrange drivers are covered by protective
poly-foam. Remove the bag and the poly-foam protection. The grille is
in a separate box in the master carton. Remove the grille from its box
and install it. Notice that the grille has 6 protruding studs. These studs
mate with the plastic sockets in the cabinet. To install the grille, make
sure the Altec Lansing logo is oriented at top, gently press the two top
studs into the top part of the cabinet and then press the two in the
bottom, the middle ones will just fall in place.

We suggest that you save the shipping carton and packing materials
for future use.

Connecting the Speaker to the Amplifier

Various stranded wires are available to connect your speakers to the
amplifier. For distances up to 20 feet, 14 AWG (American Wire Gauge)
works well. For larger distances, 11 AWG is recommended. The smaller
the gauge number, the larger the cross section diameter of the wire.
The larger diameter wires provide maximum transfer of audio power
with little loss of energy. In addition they provide maximum electrical
damping (better control of speaker movement at low frequencies).

When estimating the length of wire required for each speaker, allow a
few extra feet. This is necessary because you may have to experiment
to find the best location for maximum speaker performance, then cut
the wires to exact size.

Prepare the wires by stripping half of the insulation from the ends of
the wire. Once the insulation is removed, twist the copper wire so that
it will go into the speaker terminals more easily. See Fig. 1. If the
speaker must be repeatedly moved, connecting the speaker wires to
banana plugs may be desirable. These plugs are available at all audio
outlets.

Notice that most wires have some kind of marking (either a color strip
or ridges) that allow you to differentiate one conductor from other.
These markings are important for phasing of the speakers. To obtain
maximum bass response it is important that all speakers operate in
union (speakers are phased).

Model 305 S and Model 508 S

The input terminals are arranged so that each speaker is connected to
a single amplifier with one set of wires.

Model 510 S

The speaker input terminals are arranged so that each speaker can be
driven by a single amplifier. The speakers can also be hooked up for tri­wiring simply by removing the terminal jumpers (numbered as 1and 2
on Fig 2B.) The jumpers are removed by turning the terminal heads
counter-clockwise and removing the jumper. Retighten the terminals
after jumpers are removed. In this arrangement the woofers,
midrange, and tweeters are each connected to the amplifier by their
own set of wires.

Each speaker has its own crossover network. See www.alteclansing.com
for additional wiring options.

Locating the Speaker for Best Performance

The location of the speakers in a room is usually dictated by space that
is available and room décor. In most instances, a few changes to the
room will help achieve the best sound performance. Certain basic
considerations can be accommodated to achieve good results. The
following information should act as a guide in placing the speakers.

Hard surfaces act as reflectors of high frequencies. Uncovered floors,
window panes and mirrors can dramatically affect the distribution of
higher frequencies. If you can detect reflections (loss of desired stereo
effect) of higher frequencies and you suspect the floor may be the
problem, placing a rug on the floor close to the speaker may solve the
problem. If a window may be the cause of reflections, drapes should
solve the problem.

The floor and walls act as extensions of the speaker and generally
affect low frequency response. Placing the speakers in the corner of a
room gives maximum bass response. Also, with the speakers on the
floor, maximum response is obtained. Bringing the speakers away from
the walls decreases bass.

It is obvious that some experimentation will be required to achieve
sound to your liking.

In many instances adjusting the tone controls (bass-treble) will give the
final desired results.

Separation

The spacing of the speakers from each other affects the stereo stage
effect. The angle the speakers face also changes the separation. The
best separation (stereo) results are obtained when the speakers are
spaced between 8 to 10 feet apart. When adjusting the speaker for
separation the listener should be centered about 6 to 8 feet in front of
the speakers. Adjust the angle of the speakers until the desired stereo
stage is obtained. See Fig. 3.

305 S/508 S/510 S

FIGURE 1

FIGURE 2A
Tri-wiring

FIGURE 2B
Normal
wiring