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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
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. 
lkp1952
5 posts
 
They are Essence Beryl speakers and are 4 ohm/3.6ohm speakers and are power hungry.  Realize they will cause your amp to double output watts when you play them, don't drive too hard the amp won't like it. They are exxcellent speakers. One of best deals you will ever make.
roxy54's avatar
roxy54
8,066 posts
 

OP,

Why in the world would you sell them? You don't need to be an expert in anything to appreciate them. Just consider yourself lucky and enjoy them.

rocray's avatar
rocray
1,448 posts
 
I'm pretty sure if you have ears,you're qualified to enjoy them. 
audiofooldude
4 posts
 
scottwissing you got an incredible deal! lkp1952 is correct. Those are Beryl speakers. And you are correct, they were made by Dale Pitcher when he was in Lincoln. They were made in the early 1990's and sold for anywhere between $2000 to $5000 a pair depending on the deal you got from Dale. I have a pair myself down in the basement in my backup system. My entire main 2 channel system is made by Dale: preamp, amps, external crossovers, speakers, interconnects, and speaker cables. He made incredible stuff. Unfortunately he went off the deep end about 6 years ago with a psychotic break and of course is out of business. Such a shame, he was truly an electronic genius.
A salesman who sold a lot of Dale's stuff is Duane Randleman, now with Automated Lifestyles in Bettendorf, Iowa. He would know details about those speakers if you need more info.
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