What is the ECC808 vacuum tube?

The ECC808 is a triode vacuum tube designed for preamp applications. Studio-grade low noise..

What is a ECC808 substitute or equivalent?

Direct equivalents to the ECC808 include 6KX8. 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 ECC808?

Amplification factor μ ≈ 100, transconductance gm ≈ 1.6 mA/V, plate resistance rp ≈ 62.5 kΩ, max plate voltage 300 V, max plate dissipation 0.5 W, heater 6.3 V / 0.34 A.

Is the ECC808 still in production?

Production status varies by year and manufacturer. The current Amperatubes catalog classifies the ECC808 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 ECC808 sound like?

Studio-grade low noise.. 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.

ECC808 Triode Vacuum Tube

Also known as 6KX8

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

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

Plate dissipation: 0.5W
Max plate voltage: 300V
Amplification factor: 100
Transconductance: 1.6mA/V
Plate resistance: 62.5kΩ

ECC808

Characteristics

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

HeaterIndirectly heated

Specifications of ECC808 — Heater
Heater voltageVh	6.3 V
Heater currentIh	0.34 A

Limiting valuesDatasheet maximum ratings — not to be exceeded

Specifications of ECC808 — Limiting values
Plate voltageVa max	300 V
Plate dissipationPa max	0.5 W

Mechanical

Specifications of ECC808 — Mechanical
Base	9-pin Noval
Rarity	Rare
Pinout

Small signalDatasheet parameters at the reference operating point — not limits

Specifications of ECC808 — Small signal
Transconductance	1.6 mA/V
Plate resistance	62.5 kΩ
Amplification factor	100

Capacitances

Specifications of ECC808 — Capacitances
Grid–cathode	2.2 pF
Grid–plate	1.5 pF
Plate–cathode	1.5 pF

Charactereditorial reading, not a measurement

Specifications of ECC808 — Character
Gain	100%
Power	1%
Drive	38%
Linearity	50%

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

Typical operation

Canonical operating pointModel

B+: 250 V
Load: 125 kΩ
Va: 150 V
Ia: 1.08 mA
Vg: -1 V
Pd: 0.16 W
Gain: 36.9 dB

At Q: Norman Koren
μ: 106.4
gm: 1.61 mA/V
rp: 66 kΩ

Design a stage →

Using this tube

Applications

Voltage amplifier
High-gain preamp
Phase splitter

Generic triode preamp stage

Hi-Fi stereoStudio/recording

Replace or compare

Sources

By Jean-Michel Falligan DevergneReviewed May 29, 2026Source : Telefunken ECC808 datasheetActive model : Norman Koren

Manufacturer datasheets

2 manufacturer datasheets cross-checked for ECC8082 verified

ECC808 DatasheetLocal mirror · PDF

SPICE models

Revision and verification status

Source: Telefunken ECC808 datasheet
Reviewed: 2026-05-29
Status: DataModelCalc
Model: Norman Koren

Context

The ECC808 is a dual indirectly-heated triode from Telefunken, introduced around 1960. It provides a gain factor (μ) of 100 with 62.5kΩ plate resistance. Commonly used in preamp applications. Studio-grade low noise.

History

Introduced: 1960
Manufacturer: Telefunken
Era: Late Production

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