What is the 6N2P vacuum tube?

The 6N2P is a triode vacuum tube designed for preamp applications. Russian 12AX7..

What is a 6N2P substitute or equivalent?

Direct equivalents to the 6N2P include 6N2P-EV, 12AX7 (approx). 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 6N2P?

Amplification factor μ ≈ 100, transconductance gm ≈ 2.25 mA/V, plate resistance rp ≈ 44.4 kΩ, max plate voltage 300 V, max plate dissipation 1 W, heater 6.3 V / 0.34 A.

Is the 6N2P still in production?

Production status varies by year and manufacturer. The current Amperatubes catalog classifies the 6N2P as Common 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 6N2P sound like?

Russian 12AX7.. 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.

6N2P Triode Vacuum Tube

Also known as 6N2P-EV

High-gain dual triode — the standard for guitar and hi-fi preamps

Dual triodeHeater 6.3 V · 0.34 A9-pin Noval2 sectionsReflektor 1960

Plate dissipation: 1W
Max plate voltage: 300V
Amplification factor: 100
Transconductance: 2.25mA/V
Plate resistance: 44.4kΩ

6N2P

Characteristics

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

HeaterIndirectly heated

Specifications of 6N2P — Heater
Heater voltageVh	6.3 V
Heater currentIh	0.34 A

Limiting valuesDatasheet maximum ratings — not to be exceeded

Specifications of 6N2P — Limiting values
Plate voltageVa max	300 V
Plate dissipationPa max	1 W
Cathode currentIk max	10 mA

Mechanical

Specifications of 6N2P — Mechanical
Base	9-pin Noval
Rarity	Common
Pinout

Small signalDatasheet parameters at the reference operating point — not limits

Specifications of 6N2P — Small signal
Transconductance	2.25 mA/V
Plate resistance	44.4 kΩ
Amplification factor	100

Capacitances

Specifications of 6N2P — Capacitances
Grid–cathode	2.25 pF
Grid–plate	0.7 pF
Plate–cathode	2.3 pF

Charactereditorial reading, not a measurement

Specifications of 6N2P — Character
Gain	100%
Power	3%
Drive	56%
Linearity	50%

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

Typical operation

Canonical operating pointModel

B+: 300 V
Load: 220 kΩ
Va: 180 V
Ia: 0.74 mA
Vg: -1.6 V
Pd: 0.13 W
Gain: 38.3 dB

At Q: Norman Koren
μ: 95.5
gm: 1.38 mA/V
rp: 69.1 kΩ

Design a stage →

Using this tube

Applications

Voltage amplifier
High-gain preamp
Phase splitter

Generic triode preamp stage

Hi-Fi stereoHeadphone ampStudio/recording

Replace or compare

Sources

By Jean-Michel Falligan DevergneReviewed May 29, 2026Active model : Norman Koren

Manufacturer datasheets

3 manufacturer datasheets cross-checked for 6N2P3 verified

6N2P DatasheetFrank's Electron Tube Pages · PDF

SPICE models

Revision and verification status

Source: Reflektor
Reviewed: 2026-05-29
Status: DataModelCalc
Model: Norman Koren

Context

The 6N2P is a dual indirectly-heated triode from Reflektor, introduced around 1960. It provides a gain factor (μ) of 100 with 44.4kΩ plate resistance. Commonly used in preamp applications. Russian 12AX7.

History

Introduced: 1960
Manufacturer: Reflektor
Era: Late Production

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