What is the 6463 vacuum tube?

The 6463 (6463 / E86CC) is a triode vacuum tube designed for preamp applications. Computer-rated twin triode. Audio Note favorite..

What is a 6463 substitute or equivalent?

Direct equivalents to the 6463 include E86CC, CV5304. These share the same pinout and operating envelope, so they can usually be swapped without circuit changes — though batch-to-batch variations between manufacturers (NOS vs current production) may shift the sonic character noticeably.

What are the key specifications of the 6463?

Amplification factor μ ≈ 20, transconductance gm ≈ 5.2 mA/V, plate resistance rp ≈ 3.9 kΩ, max plate voltage 330 V, max plate dissipation 4.4 W, heater 6.3 V / 0.6 A.

Is the 6463 still in production?

Production status varies by year and manufacturer. The current Amperatubes catalog classifies the 6463 as Sought-after availability. NOS (new-old-stock) examples from RCA, Mullard, Tung-Sol, GE, Sylvania and Telefunken trade among collectors; modern production where it exists comes mostly from JJ Electronic, Electro-Harmonix, Tung-Sol (New Sensor), Genalex, and a handful of small-batch makers.

What does the 6463 sound like?

Computer-rated twin triode. Audio Note favorite.. Sonic character also depends heavily on the circuit operating point, the surrounding tubes in the stage, and the output transformer when present — use the interactive loadline calculator on this page to explore the trade-offs.

6463 E86CC Triode Vacuum Tube

Also known as E86CC · CV5304

Medium-gain triode for driver and line stage applications

Dual triodeHeater 6.3 V · 0.6 A9-pin Noval2 sectionsGE·Telefunken 1957

Plate dissipation: 4.4W
Max plate voltage: 330V
Amplification factor: 20
Transconductance: 5.2mA/V
Plate resistance: 3.85kΩ

6463

Characteristics

Datasheet values, once each. Every value cites its sheet.

HeaterIndirectly heated

Specifications of 6463 — Heater
Heater voltageVh	6.3 V
Heater currentIh	0.6 A

Limiting valuesDatasheet maximum ratings — not to be exceeded

Specifications of 6463 — Limiting values
Plate voltageVa max	330 V
Plate dissipationPa max	4.4 W
Cathode currentIk max	31 mA
Peak plate voltageVao	660 V

Mechanical

Specifications of 6463 — Mechanical
Base	9-pin Noval
Rarity	Sought-after
Pinout

Small signalDatasheet parameters at the reference operating point — not limits

Specifications of 6463 — Small signal
Transconductance	5.2 mA/V
Plate resistance	3.9 kΩ
Amplification factor	20

Capacitances

Specifications of 6463 — Capacitances
Grid–cathode	3.3 pF
Grid–plate	5.1 pF
Plate–cathode	0.6 pF

Charactereditorial reading, not a measurement

Specifications of 6463 — Character
Gain	20%
Power	11%
Drive	96%
Linearity	90%

datasheet cited · model or editorial reading · catalogue value, no citation attached yet · nothing invented

Using this tube

No interactive loadline model for this tube yet — download a SPICE model below to simulate it in LTspice or ngspice.

Applications

Voltage amplifier
Phase splitter

Generic triode preamp stage

Hi-Fi stereoHeadphone amp

Replace or compare

Sources

By Jean-Michel Falligan DevergneReviewed May 29, 2026

Manufacturer datasheets

4 manufacturer datasheets cross-checked for 6463 / E86CC4 verified

6463 DatasheetLocal mirror · PDF

SPICE models

Revision and verification status

Source: GE·Telefunken
Reviewed: 2026-05-29
Status: DataModelCalc
Model: under review

Context

The 6463 is a dual indirectly-heated triode from GE·Telefunken, introduced around 1957. It provides a gain factor (μ) of 20 with 3850Ω plate resistance. Commonly used in preamp applications. Computer-rated twin triode. Audio Note favorite.

History

Introduced: 1957
Manufacturer: GE·Telefunken
Era: Golden Age

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