What is the EC8010 vacuum tube?

The EC8010 is a triode vacuum tube designed for preamp / phono applications. Telecom triode. Half an EC8020. Low Rp dream..

What is a EC8010 substitute or equivalent?

Direct equivalents to the EC8010 include 8556. 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 EC8010?

Amplification factor μ ≈ 60, transconductance gm ≈ 28 mA/V, plate resistance rp ≈ 2.1 kΩ, max plate voltage 200 V, max plate dissipation 4.5 W, heater 6.3 V / 0.28 A.

Is the EC8010 still in production?

Production status varies by year and manufacturer. The current Amperatubes catalog classifies the EC8010 as Rare 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 EC8010 sound like?

Telecom triode. Half an EC8020. Low Rp dream.. 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.

EC8010 Triode Vacuum Tube

Also known as 8556

Medium-gain triode for driver and line stage applications

TriodeHeater 6.3 V · 0.28 A9-pin NovalPhilips·Telefunken 1962

Plate dissipation: 4.5W
Max plate voltage: 200V
Amplification factor: 60
Transconductance: 28mA/V
Plate resistance: 2.143kΩ

EC8010

Characteristics

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

HeaterIndirectly heated

Specifications of EC8010 — Heater
Heater voltageVh	6.3 V
Heater currentIh	0.28 A

Limiting valuesDatasheet maximum ratings — not to be exceeded

Specifications of EC8010 — Limiting values
Plate voltageVa max	200 V
Plate dissipationPa max	4.5 W

Mechanical

Specifications of EC8010 — Mechanical
Base	9-pin Noval
Rarity	Rare
Pinout

Small signalDatasheet parameters at the reference operating point — not limits

Specifications of EC8010 — Small signal
Transconductance	28 mA/V
Plate resistance	2.1 kΩ
Amplification factor	60

Capacitances

Specifications of EC8010 — Capacitances
Grid–cathode	7 pF
Grid–plate	1.4 pF
Plate–cathode	0.1 pF

Charactereditorial reading, not a measurement

Specifications of EC8010 — Character
Gain	60%
Power	11%
Drive	98%
Linearity	70%

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

Using this tube

Interactive loadline calculator not available for this tube yet — it needs calibrated Koren or Ayumi parameters.

Applications

Voltage amplifier
High-gain preamp
Phono stage

Generic triode preamp / phono stage

Hi-Fi stereoHeadphone ampStudio/recording

Replace or compare

Sources

By Jean-Michel Falligan DevergneReviewed May 29, 2026Source : Telefunken EC8010 datasheet (vinylsavor)

Manufacturer datasheets

2 manufacturer datasheets cross-checked for EC80102 verified

EC8010 DatasheetLocal mirror · PDF

SPICE models

Revision and verification status

Source: Telefunken EC8010 datasheet (vinylsavor)
Reviewed: 2026-05-29
Status: DataModelCalc
Model: under review

Context

The EC8010 is a indirectly-heated triode from Philips·Telefunken, introduced around 1962. It provides a gain factor (μ) of 60 with 2143Ω plate resistance. Commonly used in preamp / phono applications. Telecom triode. Half an EC8020. Low Rp dream.

History

Introduced: 1962
Manufacturer: Philips·Telefunken
Era: Late Production

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