Richter Speakers

One of the original Australian Speaker companies started in 1986 by Schoolteacher Ralph Waters. Now owned by John Fahey, an industry stalwart who knows more about HiFi and sound reproduction than anyone else I've ever met. The Current Richter range is a combination of technical innovation and value for money. I'll run through the current offerings -

Richter Dragon

These are the flagship of the Richter series consisting of two 165mm Bass Drivers, a 165mm Mid Range and 30mm Precision Ribbon Tweeter. Power handling is from 10 to 200 Watts with a nominal 4 Ohm impedance. Dimensions are 1050mm (H) X 315mm (W) X 430mm (D) and they weigh in at a hefty 41Kgs each. They are finished in either genuine WA Jarrah or Black Tasmanian Oak Veneer and being 91dB efficient means that they only need 10 Watts to really blow you out of the room although they handle up to 200 Watts for those who like to blow the roof off!

The sound is extremely "Full "with good sound staging and channel separation. Bass is amazing on these and they suit any type of music from Classic to Heavy Metal. Frequency Response is 30 - 36kHz

Recommended Retail is $2399 pair.


Richter Wizard

The original Richter Speaker, now in it's fourth incarnation. Similar sonically to the Dragon but with a little less bass and power handling. It's the biggest selling speaker in the range however and for normal sized rooms is the speaker of choice (the Dragon would be more suitable in large open areas). Using the same speakers as the Dragon with the exception of one less bass driver, it comes in the same two finishes and is 950mm (H) X 290mm (W) X 370mm (D) and weighs in at 34kgs each.

Impedance is 6 Ohms with a 10 - 150 Watt power handling at 90 dB efficiency. Frequency Response is 35 - 36kHz

The Wizard won "Speaker of the Year Under $4000"at the Australian Sound and Image Awards 2010. In other words, it's recognised as the best value for money speaker around.

Retail is $1999 per pair.



Richter Merlin


For those in small rooms or need a Bookshelf Speaker, the Richter Merlin is a superb choice. With a 165mm Mid/Woofer and 30mm Precision Ribbon Tweeter, it offers the same open accuracy as the two floor standers in a compact form. Nominal impedance is 8 Ohms, efficiency 88 dB, size is 370mm (H) X 236mm (W) X 330mm (D) and weighs 13kg each. Power handling is up to 125 Watts. Frequency Response is 48 - 36kHz

Finish is also genuine wood veneer in WA Jarrah or Black Tasmanian Oak. Retail is $999 Pair.

Richter Hydra

These are the matching wall mountable surrounds, available only in Black Tasmanian Oak. They are 8 Ohm compatible using a 165mm Mid/Woofer and 30mm Precision Ribbon Tweeter. With 87 dB efficiency they have a power handling capability of 10 - 125 Watts. Weight is 13 Kgs each.
Frequency Response is 68 - 36kHz. Size is 320mm (H) X 400mm (W) X 125mm (D). Retail Price is $799

Richter Unicorn

Centre Speaker, available in Black Tasmanian Oak or WA Jarrah. Consisting 2 X 165mm Mid/Woofers and a 30mm Precision Ribbon Tweeter, it'll handle up to 150 Watts. Size is 200mm (W) X 700mm (W) X 300mm (D). Yes, it's fairly big but remember, the centre speaker is the most critical speaker for movies as up to 70% of all the sound emanates from it. Frequency response is from 48 - 36kHz. Retail price is $699.

Richter Krakatoa Subwoofer

This is the fun part of the system. Subwoofers add another dimension to both music and movies and their design is critical to the overall performance of any audio system. The Krakatoa uses a 10" bass driver driven by a 100 Watt amplifier (this is true RMS, not the bullshit million Watts as specified by some unscrupulous ad. writers) has auto on/off and automatic clipping protection. Frequency range is quoted as 22 - 180 Hz (now that could be a bit of one upmanship as it doesn't quote the -3dB figure - sounds good to us though). Weight is 20 Kgs with dimensions of 390mm (H) X 390mm (W) X 420mm (D). Retail is $699 (Bloody cheap if you ask me)

Richter Thor Subwoofer

I'm thor, I'm thor (old joke), Nevermind, this is a real air mover and suitable for large rooms or people who really like their bass. Using a 12" bass driver and a 200 Watt RMS amplifier, this unit is said to go from 19 - 180 Hz. size is 510mm (H) X 440mm (W) X 470mm (D).Weighing 30 Kgs, this is a big bastard of a subwoofer with performance to match. Extremely tight for music yet will knock the filaments out of your light globes if asked to.
Retail price is only $999 (you really should buy two of these and experience neighbour envy).