What is the PCL84 vacuum tube?

The PCL84 is a pentode vacuum tube designed for power applications.

What is a PCL84 substitute or equivalent?

Direct equivalents to the PCL84 include 15DQ8, 15TP7, ECL84/6DX8. 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.

Is the PCL84 still in production?

Production status varies by year and manufacturer. The current Amperatubes catalog classifies the PCL84 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 PCL84 sound like?

Sonic character depends 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.

By Jean-Michel Falligan Devergne · Reviewed May 29, 2026

PCL84 Pentode Vacuum Tube

Triode + Pentode15 V · 0.3 A9-pin Noval2 sectionsAlso known as15DQ815TP7ECL846DX8

By Jean-Michel Falligan DevergneReviewed May 29, 2026Source : PCL84/15DQ8 datasheet (DIYaudio)

PCL84

In brief

TriodeTriode

μ: 65
gm: 4 mA/V
rp: 16.2 kΩ
Pa: 1 W

PentodePentode

μ: 36
gm: 11 mA/V
rp: 3.273 kΩ
Pa: 4 W

The PCL84-T is a indirectly-heated triode from Philips, introduced around 1960. It provides a gain factor (μ) of 65 with 16.2kΩ plate resistance. Commonly used in preamp applications. Series-heater triode. The PCL84-P is a indirectly-heated triode from Philips, introduced around 1960. It provides a gain factor (μ) of 36 with 3273Ω plate resistance. Commonly used in power applications. Series-heater pentode.

Limits

Specifications of PCL84
Specification	Value	Source
Heater
Heater voltage	15 V	Datasheet
Heater current	0.3 A	Datasheet

Specifications of PCL84-T — Triode
Specification	Value	Source
LimitsDatasheet maximum ratings — not to be exceeded
Max Plate V	250 V	Datasheet
Pa max	1 W	Datasheet

Typical operation

Canonical operating pointModel

B+: 225 V
Load: 32 kΩ
Va: 135 V
Ia: 0.8 mA
Vg: -1.5 V
Pd: 0.11 W
Gain: 32.3 dB

At Q: Norman Koren
μ: 72.5
gm: 1.87 mA/V
rp: 38.7 kΩ

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Using this tube

Open the loadline calculator

APPLICATIONS

Phase splitter

Generic pentode power stage

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Sources

Manufacturer datasheets

Triode

5 manufacturer datasheets cross-checked for PCL84 — Triode5 verified

Pentode

5 manufacturer datasheets cross-checked for PCL84 — Pentode5 verified

PCL84 DatasheetLocal mirror · PDF

SPICE models

Revision and verification status

Source: PCL84/15DQ8 datasheet (DIYaudio)
Reviewed: 2026-05-29
Status: DataModelCalc
Model: SPICE model

Context

HISTORY

Introduced: 1960
Manufacturer: Philips
Era: Late Production

METRIX TESTER