
Unpack the 8256X cabinet. This cabi 
net is seaied at the factory; do not 
attempt to take it apart or remove the 
back panei.
Turn the cabinet so the short side with 
out fibergiass lining is up; drill a hole in 
the top, avoiding the diagnonai brace. 
This hoie shouid be just large enough 
to pass four wires through.
Do not drili this hole if the loud
NOTE ■
speaker is to be instailed behind 
the screen in a motion picture 
theatre.
3. The interconnecting wires are packed 
Locate the four iongest wires (one red 
wire, one green wire, two biack wires).
4. Unpack the two 3156 LF ioudspeakers. 
Attach a green and biack wire to the 
terminals of one loudspeaker. See 
Figure 2.
5. Lay the 8256X cabinet on its back 
panel. Mount one 3156 loudspeaker in 
one baffie opening of the cabinet; 
attach the ioudspeaker with eight 
screws packed with the loudspeaker. 
Note that the flange of the loudspeaker 
outside the cabinet, with the frame 
is 
and magnet structure protruding into 
the cabinet.
6. Route the green and biack wires of the 
loudspeaker through the opposite baf 
fie opening; attach the wires to the 
second 3156 loudspeaker. Also attach 
red and black wires to the terminals of
the second loudspeaker as shown in 
Figure 2. Feed the attached red and 
biack wires through the hole drilled in 
the top of the cabinet (Step 2) or 
through one of the bass refiex ports; 
instali the second ioudspeaker in the 
remaining baffle opening and secure it 
with the eight screws packed with the 
loudspeaker.
7. Lift the cabinet upright and place it in 
the position it will occupy.
8. Unpack the two brackets and driver 
cradle from the hardware kit. Assemble 
them with two bolts, two lockwashers 
and two 7/16" nuts. See Figure 1. Set 
the assembiy on top of the cabinet, 
approximateiy centered with the driver 
cradle toward the rear of the cabinet.
9. Upack the 288-8K HF driver and the HF 
horn (MRil564, MRII594, or MRH5124). 
Piace the gasket packed with the 
288-8K around its sound exit hole; 
install the 288-8K on the horn, securing 
it with the three iockwashers and 9/16" 
nuts provided.
10. Engage the lip flange of the horn in the 
two ears of the mounting brackets and 
swing the driver down into the cradie.
------------------- CAUTION
----------------------
The magnet will pull the cradle 
toward the driver as it is iowered 
into position.
11. Attach the short black and white wires 
packed with the N1285-8A network to 
the terminals on the 288-8K. It will be 
necessary to remove one pair of crimp
A6 SERIES
LOUDSPEAKER SYSTEMS
connectors from these wires and 
repiace them with those packed with 
the 288-8K.
12. Piace the N1285-8A on top of the cabi 
net, facing left or right; if the speaker 
wires are routed through a port in the 
baffle, put the N1285-8A on the same 
side.
13. Set the frequency switch of the N12858A to 500 Hz or 800 Hz. Wire the N12858A according to Figure 2.
14. if the ampiifier to be used cannot 
safeiy drive a 5-ohm ioad, wire the sys 
tem as shown in Figure 3, using a 
15067 autoformer.
15. If you wish to attach the N1285-8A to 
the cabinet, let the front panel of the 
network hang over the side of the 
cabinet; drill or punch twao pilot holes 
and install two wood screws to secure 
the network.
16. Decide how much power loss is accept- 
abie in the line between the ampiifier 
and the ioudspeaker; select a wire 
gauge according to Altec Lansing 
Technical Letter 265A. Attach the 
wires to the input terminals of the 
N1285-8A network.
17. Adjust the tilt of the HF horn for great 
est uniformity of direct sound in the 
audience area; ioosen the nuts and 
raise or lower the driver cradle as 
necessary; retighten nuts.
18. Operate the loudspeaker and adjust 
the H.F. LEVEL control on the N12858A until the best spectral balance is 
achieved.
19.  If there is sufficient front-to-back 
ciearance around the ioudspeaker, 
adjust phasing of the drivers according 
to Aitec Lansing Applications Note 9. 
This wili require the front lip of the HF 
horn to overhang the front edge of the 
cabinet about 7".
20. After locating the horn position, mark 
location of the four holes in the mount 
ing brackets; drill or punch pilot holes 
in the cabinet for the four wood screws 
provided in the hardware kit.
21. If it becomes necessary to replace the 
diaphragm/voice coil assembly in the 
288-8K driver, use a 23763 diaphragm; 
follow service instructions in Altec 
Lansing publication 42-02-035593.
a MARK IV company
Specificationa  and  components  subject  to  chanpc  without 
notice. Overall performance will be maintained or improved.
10500 W, Reno Ave,, Oklahoma City, OK 73126
42-02-035639 • 42-07-035639 
LITHO IN U.S.A. 1091-1.7M 
ALTEC LANSING CORPORATION
REVISION 2 

22. If it becomes necessary to recone the 
3156 loudspeakers, use a R3156 recone 
kit; follow service instructions in Altec 
Lansing publication 42-02-035594.
23. If it becomes necessary to repair the 
8256X cabinet, construction plans are 
given in Altec Lansing Applications 
Note 12.
Individual copies of this and all 
Altec Lansing publications are 
available without charge from 
Altec Lansing, Box 26105, Okla 
homa City, OK 73126-0105.
WHITE
Figure 2. Wiring Diagrams for Four-Ohm Operation
Figure 3. Wiring Diagram with 15067 Autoformer
-2—