What is the E88CC vacuum tube?

The E88CC is a triode vacuum tube designed for preamp applications. Premium 6DJ8..

What is a E88CC substitute or equivalent?

Direct equivalents to the E88CC include 6922. 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 E88CC?

Amplification factor μ ≈ 33, transconductance gm ≈ 12.5 mA/V, plate resistance rp ≈ 2.6 kΩ, max plate voltage 550 V, max plate dissipation 1.5 W, heater 6.3 V / 0.3 A.

Is the E88CC still in production?

Production status varies by year and manufacturer. The current Amperatubes catalog classifies the E88CC 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 E88CC sound like?

Premium 6DJ8.. 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.

E88CC Triode Vacuum Tube

Also known as 6922

Medium-gain triode for driver and line stage applications

Dual triodeHeater 6.3 V · 0.3 A9-pin Noval2 sectionsPhilips·Siemens 1958

Plate dissipation: 1.5W
Max plate voltage: 550V
Amplification factor: 33
Transconductance: 12.5mA/V
Plate resistance: 2.6kΩ

E88CC

Characteristics

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

HeaterIndirectly heated

Specifications of E88CC — Heater
Heater voltageVh	6.3 V
Heater currentIh	0.3 A

Limiting valuesDatasheet maximum ratings — not to be exceeded

Specifications of E88CC — Limiting values
Plate voltageVa max	550 V
Plate dissipationPa max	1.5 W
Cathode currentIk max	20 mA
Peak plate voltageVao	550 V

Mechanical

Specifications of E88CC — Mechanical
Base	9-pin Noval
Rarity	Sought-after
Pinout

Small signalDatasheet parameters at the reference operating point — not limits

Specifications of E88CC — Small signal
Transconductance	12.5 mA/V
Plate resistance	2.6 kΩ
Amplification factor	33

Capacitances

Specifications of E88CC — Capacitances
Grid–cathode	3.2 pF
Grid–plate	1.4 pF
Plate–cathode	0.18 pF

Charactereditorial reading, not a measurement

Specifications of E88CC — Character
Gain	33%
Power	4%
Drive	97%
Linearity	84%

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

Typical operation

Canonical operating pointSPICE model2 availableModel

B+: 150 V
Load: 4 kΩ
Va: 90 V
Ia: 11.38 mA
Vg: -1.6 V
Pd: 1.02 W
Gain: 25 dB

At Q: Ayumi Nakabayashi · 2 engines
μ: 31.5
gm: 10.71 mA/V
rp: 2.9 kΩ

Design a stage →

Using this tube

Applications

Voltage amplifier
Phase splitter

Audio Research SP-6 preampBAT VK-5i

Hi-Fi stereoHeadphone amp

Replace or compare

Sources

By Jean-Michel Falligan DevergneReviewed May 29, 2026Active model : Ayumi Nakabayashi · 2 engines

Manufacturer datasheets

7 manufacturer datasheets cross-checked for E88CC7 verified

E88CC DatasheetLocal mirror · PDF

SPICE models

Revision and verification status

Source: Philips·Siemens
Reviewed: 2026-05-29
Status: DataModelCalc
Model: Ayumi Nakabayashi · 2 engines

Context

The E88CC is the European professional designation for the 6922, manufactured to the Philips special-quality standard with gold pins and stringent testing. It is functionally identical to the 6922 but the E88CC designation specifically denotes manufacture to the Philips internal quality protocol, which guaranteed tighter section matching and lower noise. In practice, a 6922 and E88CC from the same factory and era are the same tube; the distinction matters primarily for provenance and collector grading. The designation appears most commonly on Philips Heerlen, Mullard Mitcham, and Siemens Munich production.

History

Introduced: 1958
Manufacturer: Philips·Siemens
Era: Golden Age

METRIX TESTER