What is the EL803 vacuum tube?

The EL803 is a pentode vacuum tube designed for power applications. Audio output pentode..

What are the key specifications of the EL803?

Amplification factor μ ≈ 22, transconductance gm ≈ 10.5 mA/V, plate resistance rp ≈ 60.0 kΩ, max plate voltage 250 V, max plate dissipation 9 W, heater 6.3 V / 0.65 A.

Is the EL803 still in production?

Production status varies by year and manufacturer. The current Amperatubes catalog classifies the EL803 as Moderate 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 EL803 sound like?

Audio output pentode.. 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.

EL803 Pentode Vacuum Tube

Small-signal pentode for low-noise voltage amplification

PentodeHeater 6.3 V · 0.65 A9-pin NovalValvo 1958

Plate dissipation: 9W
Max plate voltage: 250V
Max screen voltage: 170V
Transconductance: 10.5mA/V

EL803

Characteristics

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

HeaterIndirectly heated

Specifications of EL803 — Heater
Heater voltageVh	6.3 V
Heater currentIh	0.65 A

Limiting valuesDatasheet maximum ratings — not to be exceeded

Specifications of EL803 — Limiting values
Plate voltageVa max	250 V
Screen voltageVg2 max	170 V
Plate dissipationPa max	9 W

Mechanical

Specifications of EL803 — Mechanical
Base	9-pin Noval
Rarity	Moderate
Pinout

Small signalDatasheet parameters at the reference operating point — not limits

Specifications of EL803 — Small signal
Transconductance	10.5 mA/V
Plate resistance	60 kΩ
Amplification factor	22

Capacitances

Specifications of EL803 — Capacitances
Input	10.4 pF
Grid–plate	0.12 pF
Output	8 pF

Charactereditorial reading, not a measurement

Specifications of EL803 — Character
Gain	22%
Power	23%
Drive	40%
Linearity	89%

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

Using this tube

No interactive loadline model for this tube yet — download a SPICE model below to simulate it in LTspice or ngspice.

Replace or compare

Sources

By Jean-Michel Falligan DevergneReviewed May 29, 2026Source : audit-eu_b (CLEAN — matches canonical datasheet)

Manufacturer datasheets

1 manufacturer datasheets cross-checked for EL8031 verified

EL803 DatasheetLocal mirror · PDF

SPICE models

Revision and verification status

Source: audit-eu_b (CLEAN — matches canonical datasheet)
Reviewed: 2026-05-29
Status: DataModelCalc
Model: under review

Context

The EL803 is a indirectly-heated pentode from Valvo, introduced around 1958. It provides a gain factor (μ) of 22 with 60.0kΩ plate resistance. Commonly used in power applications. Audio output pentode.

History

Introduced: 1958
Manufacturer: Valvo
Era: Golden Age

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