Polk Audio DX3055, DX3000, DX3065, DX6510, DX5510 User Manual

5601 Metro Drive • Baltimore, Maryland 21215 • [phone]

http://www.polkaudio.com

“Polk,” “Polk Audio,” “The Speaker Specialists” and “Dynamic Balance” are registered

trademarks of Polk Investment Corporation used under license by Polk Audio Incorporated.

RM0466-1

CE

Polk Audio

dX Series

dX Series

Premium Performance Loudspeakers

Owner’s Manual

dX3055 System
dX3065 System
dX3000 Tweeter
dX5510 Mid/Woofer
dX6510 Mid/Woofer

Dynamic Balance®Component Systems

2 Premium Performance Loudspeakers

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Premium Performance Loudspeakers 3

dX Series

Attach your receipt

here and file for future

reference. It may

be required for

warranty service.

X

Polk Audio—A History of Excellence

Polk Audio was founded in 1972 by Matthew Polk and George Klopfer. Their dream was to
make speakers with the performance of the world’s best speakers, at a reasonable price.
They did so by applying scientific principles to speaker design and by concentrating solely
on the speaker business. That is how Polk became known as “The Speaker Specialists.”

Today Polk Audio is still headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, and is now one of the
world’s largest manufacturers of home and car loudspeakers. Polk’s research has yielded
over 20 patents for advances in loudspeaker performance and value. Polk speakers have
earned the praise of audio experts the world over, as well as dozens of awards for innovative,
high-quality design. Polk Audio speakers are sold in over 50 countries and in audio/video
specialist retail locations throughout the US.

Founders Matthew Polk and George Klopfer still work alongside 300 dedicated Polk team
members to bring you the best speakers you can buy.

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The Story of Dynamic Balance

®

Your new Polk speakers employ Dynamic Balance, a technology which came out of a joint
research project between Polk Audio and Johns Hopkins University. This laser imaging
research enables us to view the entire vibrating surface of a driver or tweeter, allowing us to
observe the resonances which develop on speaker cones as they move. These resonances are
the root cause of frequency response distortions.

As an x-ray enables a physician to discover the root cause of a symptom and thereby pre­scribe the right treatment for a cure, this laser imaging technique allows Polk engineers to
find the right combination of high-tech materials, geometry and construction techniques to
tune out the offending resonances. The benefit of Dynamic Balance is the dramatic
improvement in the sound quality of our speakers, which every listener can appreciate. You
no longer have to choose between excellent bass and smooth, clear midrange and highs.
Now you can have it all, thanks to Dynamic Balance technology.

A Word From Matthew Polk

Dear Music Lover,

Thank you for purchasing Polk Audio speakers.
Designing and building speakers is more than just a
business for the people of Polk Audio – it is our passion.
We are all dedicated to your complete satisfaction and
delight.

Your new Polk speakers include the latest loudspeaker
technology to assure outstanding performance and
unmatched quality. Please take a moment to read
through this manual for information on getting the
greatest enjoyment from these fine instruments.

We make a wide variety of automotive loudspeakers, including factory replacements, coaxes,
component systems, tweeters and subwoofers. If you would like more information on building
the Polk car system of your dreams, consult your Polk Audio dealer or call our Customer Service
Department at 1-800-377-7655 from 9am to 6pm, Eastern Time, Monday through Friday or
contact us via our World Web Site at http://www.polkaudio.com.

Sincerely,

Matthew S. Polk

Concentric breakup of cone

produces distortion

Radial breakup of cone

produces distortion

Polk “Dynamic Balance”

design results in

low distortion

Laser Interferometry tests produced holographic “photos” of drivers

in motion. The “bad” drivers are experiencing modal breakup that

results in performance-robbing resonances. A “perfect” driver would

look like a cake (flat on top), more, like the photo on the right.

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Read this manual thoroughly first. If you have any doubts about your ability to execute any
of the installation steps, save yourself a lot of grief and contact a professional installer (your
Polk dealer is a good place to find one).

If you intend to do the installation yourself we assume that you possess some skill in the
proper use of hand and power tools. No matter how much installation experience you have,
it’s always a good idea to:

• Read this manual thoroughly before you begin.

• Plan your installation carefully.

• Allow enough time to complete the installation without rushing.

• Protect your car from unwanted scratches.

Necessary Tools

• Phillips head screwdriver

• Flat blade screwdriver or putty knife

• Electric drill

• 1/4" and 1/8" drill bits

• Reciprocating saw or razor knife

• Magic marker for marking the cutout (new location only)

• Metal cutting tool (hole saw, if you intend to cut metal

• Metal file

• Soldering iron or a supply of solderless connectors

• Safety glasses

• Wire strippers and cutters

• Crimping tool

dX Series Component Systems Feature:

• Blue tri-laminate silk composite dome tweeters for more accurate response, superior
detail and high power handling: “Bright Without Bite.”

• Dynamic Balance mineral filled polymer cone driver for clear, well-defined midrange
and great bass, too.

• Pivoting tweeter allows you to aim the tweeter in the direction that yields the best high
frequency response and soundstaging.

• Co-molded polymer/rubber surround provides superior bass response and will not dry
rot like foam surrounds.

• Neodymium (NdFeb) magnets offer powerful magnetic energy from small magnets.
You get great sound and a tweeter so small that it is easy to fit and mount in a wide
variety of locations.

• Three position tweeter level switch for precise high frequency optimization for your car.

• Adjustable crossover point and slope provides 12 different combinations of settings,
allowing you to precisely tailor the system sound to suit your car’s acoustics,
and your ears.

• Coated baskets and gold-plated terminals resist rust and corrosion for years of
reliable performance.

Getting Started

Please inspect each loudspeaker carefully. Notify your Polk dealer if you notice any damaged
or missing items. Keep the carton and packing material. They will do the best job of protect­ing your speakers if they need to be transported. Check that you have the following parts:

dX3055 and dX3065:

2 mid/woofers
2 tweeters

2 crossover networks
2 tweeter flush mount cups
2 flush mount cup clamps
2 tweeter surface mount cups
2 tweeter angle mount cups
2 grilles
4 - #4 screws
8 - #8 screws
tweeter hook-up wire
mid/woofer hook-up wire
registration card

dX3000:

2 tweeters
2 in-line crossover networks
2 tweeter flush mount cups
2 flush mount cup clamps
2 tweeter surface mount cups
2 tweeter angle mount cups
4 - #4 screws
registration card

dX5510 and dX6510:

2 mid/woofer drivers
2 grilles
8 speed clips
8 - #8 screws
registration card

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Installing the dX System Mid/Woofers in Factory Locations

Most cars have speaker grilles that blend with the rest of the car’s interior. Sometimes it is
difficult to determine how to remove these grilles to gain access to the speaker that you intend
to replace. If you have one of these grilles, you may want to consider using a professional
installer. On some cars, the grilles are held by screws or spring clips. The screws will be
obvious, the spring clips won’t.

If there are screws, remove them, put them in a safe spot, and remove the grilles.
To remove a clip-on grille, use your flat-blade screwdriver or a putty knife to gently
pry up the grille. If it resists, back off and think again about the professional install.
The cost of one of these can sometimes be less than the cost of new door panels.
Some grilles are integral parts of the door panel and are not removable. In these cases
you will need to remove the entire door panel to gain access to the speaker location.
This will usually require removal of door handles, window mechanisms, and
perhaps other parts such as door pulls and lock buttons.

1. Once you get the grille off, remove the factory speakers. Save the hardware. You may be
able to reuse it to mount your new speaker.

2. Cut the supplied tweeter wire in half.

3. Attach speaker wires to the crossover “woofer” terminals. Attach the wire with the white
stripe to the positive (+) terminal screw, and the un-striped wire to the negative (-)
terminal screw.

4. Using a crimping tool, attach faston connectors to the speaker end of each of the wires
going from the crossover to the mid/woofer.

5. Slip the faston connectors onto the input terminals on the mid/woofers. Be sure to attach
the wire with the white stripe to the positive (+) terminal, and the un-striped wire to the
negative (-) terminal.

6. If the factory speaker had three screw holes, you’ll need to drill additional screw holes to
accommodate the four screw pattern of the dX mid/woofer.

7. Using the hardware retained from the factory speaker or the screw clips supplied with the
dX speaker, secure your new speaker to the car panel.

Installing the Mid/Woofers in Non-Factory Locations

If you have decided to install your dX Series mid/woofers in locations other than those provided by the
automobile manufacturer, make certain that the location you choose is clear of all obstructions, both
in front of and behind the panel, before you proceed. Pay particular attention to window mechanisms
and any body panels critical to the structural integrity of the vehicle. The mounting depths and
cutout diameters of your dX Series mid/woofers are listed with all the other important specifications at
the end of this manual.

Installing the Components

The dX System Crossovers

You will need to make wiring connections from your amp or radio to the crossovers and from
the crossovers to your mid/woofers and tweeters (Figure 1). Choose crossover box locations
that are convenient for making these connections. As there are adjustments on and in the
crossover networks which you will need to access during the “fine tuning” stage of the instal­lation, place them in a spot that’s easy to get to. Once you’re done fine tuning the
system, the crossovers can be hidden away and secured.

Your dX Series crossovers have terminals which are clearly marked for wiring connections.
Before making connections between your crossovers, and the mid/woofers and tweeters, refer
to Figure 1. The wires provided with your dX System have one conductor with a white stripe.
Use this wire as the positive (+) lead and connect it to the positive (+) terminals on your
crossovers as well as to the positive (+) terminals of each speaker.

FIG. 1

(Note: Crossover is not weather proof)

INPUT

WOOFER

TWEETER

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5. With music playing, position the tweeters in different locations around the passenger
compartment, listening for the differences caused from these placements. We recom­mend using vocals for this test. You will be able
to determine in a short time the best location for
your tweeters.

The Polk dX3000 tweeter offers two mounting options
for installation flexibility.

Mounting Option #1- Surface flat or angle base
mounting the dX3000 Tweeter

1. Using the base of the surface mount cup as a tem­plate, mark the screw hole and drill it using a 1/8
inch drill bit. Mark the wire hole (for the tweeter
wires), drill using the 1/4 inch drill bit.

2. Attach the surface mount cup to the panel using
supplied #4 screws.

3. Push the tweeter wires through the hole in the
bottom of the cup and through the panel.

4. Cut the wire supplied in the box in half.
(Check that the connector ends are the same as
those on the tweeter.)

5. Connect wires from the tweeter terminals of the crossover to the tweeter wires. Be sure
that connector ends are the same as those on the tweeter. Connect the white striped
wire strand to the (+) terminal of the crossover tweeter output and to the red wire on
tweeters (Figure 2).

6. Mount the tweeters by twist-locking them onto the base,
being careful not to pinch the wires.

Mounting Option #2 - Flush mounting the dX3000 Tweeter

1. Remove the panel on which you are going to mount the tweeter and check for proper
clearance behind it. The flush mount kit is 1 inch deep. Measure to make sure there is
sufficient depth behind the spot you choose.

2. Use the template which is provided as a separate sheet in the owner’s manual to mark
the location and size of the mounting hole.

3. Mark the center of the hole and cut a 2.1 inch hole with razor knife or
reciprocating saw.

1. Cut a hole in the panel. The grilles supplied with the dX Series drivers can be used as a tem
plate for marking the cutout holes.

2. Using the speaker grille as a template for marking the locations of the four screw holes.

3. Drill the holes with a 1/8" bit.

4. Attach the screw clips to the car panel at the hole locations.

5. Cut the supplied tweeter wire in half.

6. Attach speaker wires to the crossover “woofer” terminals. Attach the wire with the white
stripe to the positive (+) terminal screw, and the un-striped wire to the negative (-)
terminal screw.

7. Using a crimping tool, attach faston connectors to the speaker end of each of the wires
going from the crossover to the mid/woofer.

8. Remove the mesh grille from the grille frame and pass the wire through the grille frame.

9. Slip the faston connectors onto the input terminals on the mid/woofers. Be sure to attach
the wire with the white stripe to the positive (+) terminal, and the un-striped wire to the
negative (-) terminal.

10. Place the speaker into the grille frame and line up the screw holes with the screw
clips on the car panel.

11. Secure the speaker/grille frame assembly to the car panel with the supplied screws.

12. Place the mesh grille in the grille frame.

dX System Tweeters

One important advantage of component systems is their ability, when properly installed, to
improve the soundstage created by the music in your car. The soundstage is the musical
“picture” made up of the instruments and vocalists. The difference in the soundstage will
be dramatic depending on where you mount your tweeters. We recommend a simple experi­ment that will help you decide the best spot for your tweeters in your car. Here are the steps:

1. Complete the installation of your entire system except for the dX3000 tweeters.

2. Connect the wires provided with your tweeters to the tweeter terminals on your

dX crossovers.

3. Without running the wires through doors or under upholstered panels, connect your

dx tweeters to these wires.

4. Have a friend sit in the passenger’s seat while you sit in the driver’s seat, each holding

a tweeter in hand.

FIG. 2

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Fine Tuning Your dX Component System

Now it’s time to fine tune your dX component system to get best sound quality possible. The
dX systems are designed to allow you to adjust the sound to best suit your car’s acoustics
and your personal taste.

Each of the adjustments described below makes a subtle but audible change. There are 12
possible combinations of settings in the crossover alone to aid you in getting the perfect
sound for your ears in your car. A table showing all the possible combinations appears
below. Take your time, try all the options. Your patience will be rewarded.

4. Insert front half of flush cup into the hole and

manually push clamp ring (Figure 3) on until cup
is tight on front surface.

5. Put tweeter in bottom half of flush cup and twist

lock to front half of assembly created in step 4.

6. Cut the supplied tweeter wire in half.

7. Connect wires from the tweeter terminals of the

crossover to the tweeter wires. Be sure that connector
ends are the same as those on the tweeter. Connect
the white striped wire strand to the (+) terminal
of the crossover tweeter output and to the red wire
on tweeters (Figure 2).

8. The tweeter can now be pivoted to the desired

angle by applying firm pressure to the edge of
the tweeter module.

dX3000 Component Tweeter Hook-up

When purchased as a separate unit, the dX3000 tweeter includes a crossover network
integrated into the hook-up wires. This high pass filter allows the dX3000 to be used
with other components. It is important to maintain correct polarity. The red wire connects
to the positive (+) amplifier terminal and the black to the negative (-) amplifier terminal.

If your system contains an active crossover, you may bypass the in-line crossover and wire
the tweeter directly to the output terminals of an amplifier which has a high pass filter
(crossover) on its input. The minimum crossover point should be 2 kHz at 12dB per octave.

DO NOT USE THE TWEETER WITHOUT A CROSSOVER NETWORK.

Damage to the tweeter from thermal overload will result without the protection provided
by a crossover and will void your warranty.

Setting #

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

9
10
11
12

J2 Position

A
A
A
B
B
B
A
A
A
B
B
B

Tweeter

Polarity

+
+
+
+
+
+

-

-

-

-

-

-

Tweeter

Level
+3dB

0dB

-3dB

+3db

0dB

-3dB

+3dB

0dB

-3dB

+3dB

0dB

-3dB

FIG. 3

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Tweeter Level

The slide switch on top of the crossover box adjusts the level (volume) of the tweeter relative
to the mid/woofer. Start with the switch in the bottom position and listen. If you want a
“brighter” sound, move the switch to the middle position and listen again. The top position
provides the greatest amount of tweeter output.

Polarity / Blending

If it seems that the tweeters and mid/woofers are not “blending” or working together in
harmony, try changing the polarity of both the tweeters by reversing the positive (+) and
negative (-) tweeter wires at the crossover. Reversing the absolute phase of the tweeters may
help the blending or integration of the system components, particularly if the tweeters and
mid/woofers are on different planes.

Tweeter Angle

The dX3000 tweeters may be pivoted to get the best high frequency response and soundstag­ing. Generally, pointing the tweeters toward the listening position will yield the best results.
But don’t be afraid to try other angles. Use the position that sounds best to you.

Pivot the tweeter module by applying firm pressure on the edge of the tweeter module. DO
NOT APPLY PRESSURE TO THE DOME ITSELF.

Crossover Frequency And Slope

The frequency point and slope of the low pass crossover may be adjusted. Remove the two
small Philips head screws from the bottom of the crossover box. Remove the top cover,
inside the box you’ll see a wire jumper “J2” (Figure 4). If your tweeter is right next to your
mid/woofer, set the jumper to “A.” If your tweeter is more than 6 inches away from the
mid/woofer, set the jumper to “B.”

The “B” position sets the low pass crossover point of the mid/woofer at 3,800Hz with a first
order (6dB/octave) roll off. Position “A” sets the crossover point of the mid/woofer at
3,800Hz with a second order (12dB/octave) roll off. The high pass filter is always fixed at
4,800 Hz with a second order (12dB/octave) roll off.

FIG. 4

JUMPER IS SET TO "B"

JUMPER IS SET TO "A"

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db4510

Recommended
Amplification

Impedance(DCR)

Frequency Response
(+/-3dB)

Sensitivity
(1w/1m)

Magnet Weight

Mounting Depth
top mount

Mounting Depth
top mount w/out grille

Mounting Depth
top mount with grille

Mounting Depth
bottom mount

Grille Height

Grille Diameter

Crossover Frequency

Crossover Order

dX5510

5-100 watts

4.0 ohms

60 Hz-5.5 kHz

86 dB

13.5 oz

N/A
N/A

2 9/16"

65.1 mm

2 7/16"

61.9 mm

2 3/4"

69.9 mm

7/8"

22.2 mm

6 1/4"
159 mm

B=3800 Hz
A=3800 Hz

B = 1st Order
Butterworth
A = 2nd Order
Butterworth

dX6510

5-100 watts

4.0 ohms

45 Hz-4.5 kHz

85 dB

13.5 oz

N/A
N/A

2 3/4"

69.9 mm

2 5/8"

66.7 mm

3"

76.2 mm

15/16"

23.5 mm

7 3/16"
183 mm

B=3800 Hz
A=3800 Hz

B = 1st Order
Butterworth
A = 2nd Order
Butterworth

dX3000

5-100 watts

4.0 ohms

2 kHz-20 kHz

"+3dB" - 87 dB*

" 0dB" - 84 dB
"- 3dB" - 81 dB

5 oz

1" flush mount

1.315" surface
mount height

N/A
N/A

N/A
N/A

N/A
N/A

N/A
N/A

N/A
N/A

4800 Hz

B =1st Order
Butterworth
A =2nd Order
Butterworth

*When dX3000 bought separately sensitivity = 90 dB with loop intact/3400 Hz

When dX3000 bought separately sensitivity = 87 dB with loop cut/3400 Hz

dX3055 comprised of dX5510 and dX3000
dX3065 comprised of dX6510 and dX3000

Specifications

Amplifier Power Requirements

Your speakers will work well with a variety of electronic components. As little as 20 watts
(RMS) per channel will deliver adequate listening levels in most cars. If you have a noisy
car or intend to play your system at loud listening levels, more power is necessary to achieve
the best performance. Consult your Polk Audio dealer for specific recommendations.

Safe Limits Of Operation

Your Polk loudspeakers are made with the highest quality materials for years of trouble-free
performance. However, damage to loudspeakers can occur when an amplifier, regardless of
its wattage, is made to play at higher listening levels than its power can cleanly produce
(usually beyond the “2 to 3 o’clock” position on the volume control).

This results in very high levels of audible distortion, originating in the amplifier, which
adds a harsh, gritty sound to the music. Contrary to popular belief, a speaker is more likely
to be damaged by trying to get too much volume from a low-powered amp or receiver than
from a high-powered one.

Technical Assistance Or Service

If, after following the hook-up directions, you experience difficulty, please double check
all wire connections. Make sure that your electronic equipment is operating correctly by
hooking up another speaker to the speaker output. For example, if you are not getting
sound from the left channel speaker, connect the right channel speaker to the left output.
If you still get no sound from that side, the problem is in your amp or source electronics.
Should you isolate the problem to the speaker, contact the authorized Polk Audio dealer
where you made your purchase. Authorized Polk Audio dealers are the best source for
advice and assistance.

Call Polk Audio’s Customer Service Department at 1-800-377-7655 from 9am to 6pm,
Eastern Time, Monday through Friday. Please do not hesitate to call us if you have
questions about your speaker system.

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Polk Audio, Inc. warrants the original purchaser only
that this Polk Audio dX Product (the Product) will be
free from defects in materials and workmanship for
a period of (1) one year from the date of original
retail purchase from a Polk Audio Authorized Dealer.
However, this warranty will automatically terminate
prior to the expiration of the (1) one year period if the
original retail purchaser sells or otherwise transfers
the Product to any other party. The original retail
purchaser shall herein after be referred to as “you.”
To allow Polk Audio to offer the best possible warranty
service, please fill out the Product Registration
Card(s) and send them to the Factory at the address
provided in the Registration Card within (10) ten days
of the date of purchase.

Defective Products must be shipped, together with a
proof of purchase, prepaid insured to the Authorized
Polk Audio Dealer from whom you purchased the
Product, or to Polk Audio, 2550 Britannia Blvd.,
Suite D, San Diego,CA 92154. Products must be
shipped in the original shipping container or its
equivalent; in any case the risk of loss or damage
in transit is to be borne by you. If, upon examination
at the Factory or Polk Audio Authorized Dealer it is
determined that the unit was defective in materials
or workmanship at any time during the Warranty
period, Polk Audio or the Polk Audio Dealer will, at its
option, repair or replace this Product at no additional
charge, except as set forth below. All replaced parts
and Products become property of Polk Audio.
Products replaced or repaired under this Warranty
will be returned to you, within a reasonable time,
freight prepaid.

This Warranty does not include service or parts to
repair damage caused by accident, disaster, misuse,
abuse, negligence, inadequate packing or shipping
procedures, commercial use, voltage inputs in excess
of the rated maximum of the unit, cosmetic appear­ance of the cabinetry not directly attributable to
defects in materials or workmanship, or service,
repair, or modifications of the Product which has
not been authorized or approved by Polk Audio.

This Warranty is in lieu of all other expressed
Warranties. If this Product is defective in materials
and workmanship as warranted above, your sole rem­edy shall be repair or replacement as provided above.
In no event will Polk Audio, Inc. be liable to you for
any incidental or consequential damages arising out
of the use or inability to use the Product, even if Polk
Audio, Inc. or a Polk Audio Dealer has been advised
of the possibility of such damages, or any other
claim by any other party. Some states do not allow
the exclusion or limitation of consequential damages,
so the above limitation and exclusion may not apply
to you. This Warranty gives you specific legal rights
which may vary from state to state.

This warranty applies only to Products purchased in
the United States of America, its possessions, and U.S.
and NATO armed forces exchanges and audio clubs.
The Warranty terms and conditions applicable to
Products purchased in other countries are available
from the Polk Audio Authorized Distributors in
such countries.

dX Series 1 Year Warranty

Dynamic Balance

®

Series Mid/Woofer Technical Sheet

THEILE / SMALL PARAMETERS

dX5510 dX6510

Freq. Response 60Hz-5.5kHz 45Hz-4.5kHz

Resonant Freq. (Fo, Fs) 72 Hz 47 Hz

Qms 5.46 4.54

Qes 0.68 0.69

Qts 0.61 0.60

Vas 4.34L 13.32L

.153 ft

3

.470 ft

3

Cms 329 µm/N 658 µm/N

BL 5.73 TM 5.08 TM

Sd .0097m

2

.0120m

2

.1040ft

2

.129 ft

2

Mms 14.1 g 16.9 g

Winding Width 12.7mm 12.7mm

.500in. .500in.

Xmax (Linear) 3.35mm 3.35mm

.132in. .132in.

Xmax (Mechanical) 13.33mm 13.33mm

.525in. .525in.

Le .23mH .23mH