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Extreme NEWB Questions and Speaker Identification

Actual post is below the picture links, thanks!

https://i.ibb.co/njNFxHh/3-D97166-B-536-A-4-A0-E-A597-64-A686543982.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/rs1RmB2/229-A91-A1-5-EF7-4052-8-A7-E-C66-CE6-D7-A9-F4.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/HrXktd6/A60-DA45-E-C090-4-CB7-88-E9-F4-E65970-EEA1.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/6Wj7rR0/4824-E144-CFF4-4775-84-BF-D1-E449-CF9-EFA.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/Wx5LTGh/BAD9125-C-ABA2-4535-A0-C9-02-B774-E4-ACEE.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/ygyHTFr/5709-E642-0973-4548-AFB3-05-D97-F5-A2-BB9.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/vZc7dbV/DF99-B296-99-DA-4-B66-AA08-D0846-BB54428.jpg

So I’m recently new to the speaker game and need some help. Trying to set up a garage space we can use for get togethers etc. I kept seeing a lot of secondhand audio equipment for dirt cheap when I browsed by and sell pages so decided I’d pick up a receiver and some speakers. The receiver I got is a Harmon Kardon AVR 1700. I knew basically nothing about it but it was $20 so I just bought it.

In looking for speakers, I stumbled upon these “Essence” speakers and the only reason I was Interested was because they had a high end “look” to them. Plus they were basically free so I decided to take a chance. When I picked up the speakers, I realized they were huge. 40 inches tall and probably 50 pounds a piece. I was thinking to myself that these had to be a pretty penny in their day. I cannot find any model number on the speakers other than a handwritten number under each of the speaker lids. When I google Essence speakers, I can’t find anything that matches these.

Questions...
1. Anyone know what these are or what they’re worth? They’re in basically mint condition.
2. I’m assuming these are too powerful to use on my “new” receiver. How do I know what power of receiver I need? They had spade wires on them and my receiver doesn’t accept those.
3. If my receiver can handle them, what kind of speaker wire should I get?

thanks for the help.


scottwissing
imhififan's avatar
imhififan
2,211 posts
 
Can't find any info of your speakers, since you got the avr1700, why not connect the speakers to it by using a pair of spade to banana adapter for testing:

https://2wfvvy29kcc7hrpg91uc91a1-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Speaker-Adaptor_...

https://www.amazon.com/Monoprice-5PRJX74047-Plated-Speaker-Banana/dp/B0097JLRFM
jameswei
883 posts
 
Can’t find your speakers, but the "essence" logo belongs to Essence for Hi Res Audio. Here’s their website -

https://www.essenceelectrostatic.com/home/learn-about-essence-for-hi-res-audio/

They do not appear to make any speakers currently. Maybe they did before and discontinued? Dunno. They are dealers for Acoustic Energy and AirPulse speakers.

Notably, some Acoustic Energy speakers are rectangular towers like yours, but they don’t seem to have the cladding that yours have.

Good luck. Tell us how they sound.
scottwissing OP
3 posts
 
Thanks for responding, guys. I’ve done some research and the speakers were made by Dale Pitcher when he used to be in Lincoln Nebraska. I live just down the road in Omaha, Nebraska. I guess his work is very highly touted and the speakers were sold in a price range I could never afford. Still can’t locate the exact model of these bad boys, though. 

I ordered some banana spade adapters and hoping to fire them up tomorrow and see how they sound. To be honest, I don’t know enough about speakers to fully appreciate something that was originally multiple thousands of dollars. Hopefully through some research, I can see what they’re worth and maybe sell them to someone who knows more about them. Thanks a lot. 
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