About the Company
Kriesler Radio Company was a longstanding Australian electronics brand, founded in 1928 and active mainly in radios, radiograms, TV sets, and hi‑fi audio equipment. It became part of Philips in 1950, and the Kriesler name continued on various consumer electronics until the Sydney factory closed in 1982 (brand last used in Australia in 1983).
Although Kriesler’s catalogue included equipment with tape recorders, the company was not a major standalone reel‑to‑reel manufacturer like Akai, TEAC, or Sony — nor was reel‑to‑reel tape decks a core product line for Kriesler in the same way as its radios and radiograms.
Kriesler and Reel‑to‑Reel Tape Recorders
Integrated/Console Tape Recorders in Radiograms
During the 1960s and 1970s, Kriesler produced radiogram and stereo console units that combined radio, record player, tape recorder, and sometimes other functions in a single furniture‑style cabinet. These often had reel‑to‑reel tape mechanisms integrated as part of the console rather than standalone deck components.
Examples include models like the Kriesler Multisonic Disc‑O‑Tape 11‑110 from 1967, which combined radio, record player, and tape recorder in a cabinet — but these are categorised as multifaceted entertainment systems rather than discrete reel deck products.
Other similar console models from the 1970s (e.g., Disc‑O‑Tape 11‑136, 11‑235, 11‑237) also integrated tape recorders within larger radiogram/hi‑fi units.
Standalone Kriesler Tape Recorders
From enthusiast archives and manual libraries, standalone open‑reel tape recorder models branded Kriesler do exist, such as the Kriesler TE‑2 and TE‑4 — each a stereophonic reel‑to‑reel recorder with:
4‑track, 2‑channel (stereo/mono) operation
Tape speeds typically 1⁷⁄₈, 3³⁄₄, 7½ ips
Heads for erase and record/playback
Support for up to ~7″ reels
Solid‑state transistor electronics (e.g., 19 transistors, 11 diodes in TE‑2)
External speaker or line outputs
These units show that Kriesler did produce catalogued reel‑to‑reel tape recorders distinct from console radiograms, even though they were not widely known globally or documented extensively in mainstream hi‑fi histories.
Market Position & Technology
Era: Roughly late 1960s to early 1970s, at the height of consumer reel‑to‑reel popularity.
Products: Both integrated radiogram/hi‑fi consoles with tape recorders integrated and standalone reel‑to‑reel models (e.g., TE‑2, TE‑4).
Technology: Typical for consumer units of the time — solid‑state transistor circuits with multi‑speed tape transport.
Geographic Focus: Primarily Australian domestic market, with some units potentially having components sourced internationally (common in consumer electronics of the period).
Decline & Legacy
By the late 1970s and early 1980s, compact cassette technology overtook reel‑to‑reel in mass‑market consumer recording, and Kriesler’s integrated radiogram consoles included cassette recorders more often than open‑reel decks.
The closure of the Sydney factory in 1982 and cessation of the Kriesler brand in Australia by 1983 marked the end of new products — including any reel‑to‑reel gear associated with the name.
Today, Kriesler branded reel‑to‑reel units are vintage curiosities mostly found in collector circles, especially among enthusiasts of Australian hi‑fi history.