What is the ECC88 vacuum tube?

The ECC88 is a triode vacuum tube designed for preamp applications. Frame-grid classic..

What is a ECC88 substitute or equivalent?

Direct equivalents to the ECC88 include 6DJ8. 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 ECC88?

Amplification factor μ ≈ 33, transconductance gm ≈ 12.5 mA/V, plate resistance rp ≈ 2.6 kΩ, max plate voltage 130 V, max plate dissipation 1.8 W, heater 6.3 V / 0.365 A.

Is the ECC88 still in production?

Production status varies by year and manufacturer. The current Amperatubes catalog classifies the ECC88 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 ECC88 sound like?

Frame-grid classic.. 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.

ECC88 Triode Vacuum Tube

Also known as 6DJ8

Medium-gain triode for driver and line stage applications

Dual triodeHeater 6.3 V · 0.365 A9-pin Noval2 sectionsAmperex·Philips 1958

Plate dissipation: 1.8W
Max plate voltage: 130V
Amplification factor: 33
Transconductance: 12.5mA/V
Plate resistance: 2.6kΩ

ECC88

Characteristics

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

HeaterIndirectly heated

Specifications of ECC88 — Heater
Heater voltageVh	6.3 V
Heater currentIh	0.365 A

Limiting valuesDatasheet maximum ratings — not to be exceeded

Specifications of ECC88 — Limiting values
Plate voltageVa max	130 V
Plate dissipationPa max	1.8 W
Cathode currentIk max	25 mA
Grid resistorRg1 max	1 MΩ
Peak plate voltageVao	550 V

Mechanical

Specifications of ECC88 — Mechanical
Base	9-pin Noval
Rarity	Common
Pinout

Small signalDatasheet parameters at the reference operating point — not limits

Specifications of ECC88 — Small signal
Transconductance	12.5 mA/V
Plate resistance	2.6 kΩ
Amplification factor	33

Capacitances

Specifications of ECC88 — Capacitances
Grid–cathode	3.3 pF
Grid–plate	1.4 pF
Plate–cathode	0.18 pF

Charactereditorial reading, not a measurement

Specifications of ECC88 — Character
Gain	33%
Power	5%
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: 14.09 mA
Vg: -1.4 V
Pd: 1.27 W
Gain: 25.6 dB

At Q: Ayumi Nakabayashi · 2 engines
μ: 32.1
gm: 11.72 mA/V
rp: 2.7 kΩ

Design a stage →

Using this tube

Applications

Voltage amplifier
Phase splitter

Audio Research SP-6 preampJadis JP80

Hi-Fi stereoHeadphone amp

Replace or compare

Sources

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

Manufacturer datasheets

3 manufacturer datasheets cross-checked for ECC883 verified

ECC88 DatasheetLocal mirror · PDF

SPICE models

Revision and verification status

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

Context

The ECC88 is a dual indirectly-heated triode from Amperex·Philips, introduced around 1958. It provides a gain factor (μ) of 33 with 2600Ω plate resistance. Commonly used in preamp applications. Frame-grid classic.

History

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

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