What is the WE396A vacuum tube?

The WE396A (WE396A / 2C51) is a triode vacuum tube designed for preamp applications. Military dual triode. Ultra-low noise..

What is a WE396A substitute or equivalent?

Direct equivalents to the WE396A include 2C51, 5670. 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 WE396A?

Amplification factor μ ≈ 35, transconductance gm ≈ 5.5 mA/V, plate resistance rp ≈ 6.4 kΩ, max plate voltage 330 V, max plate dissipation 1.5 W, heater 6.3 V / 0.35 A.

Is the WE396A still in production?

Production status varies by year and manufacturer. The current Amperatubes catalog classifies the WE396A as Sought-after 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 WE396A sound like?

Military dual triode. Ultra-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.

WE396A 2C51 Triode Vacuum Tube

Also known as 2C51 · 5670

Medium-gain triode for driver and line stage applications

Dual triodeHeater 6.3 V · 0.35 A9-pin Noval2 sectionsWestern Electric 1951

Plate dissipation: 1.5W
Max plate voltage: 330V
Amplification factor: 35
Transconductance: 5.5mA/V
Plate resistance: 6.4kΩ

WE396A

Characteristics

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

HeaterIndirectly heated

Specifications of WE396A — Heater
Heater voltageVh	6.3 V
Heater currentIh	0.35 A

Limiting valuesDatasheet maximum ratings — not to be exceeded

Specifications of WE396A — Limiting values
Plate voltageVa max	330 V
Plate dissipationPa max	1.5 W

Mechanical

Specifications of WE396A — Mechanical
Base	9-pin Noval
Rarity	Sought-after
Pinout

Small signalDatasheet parameters at the reference operating point — not limits

Specifications of WE396A — Small signal
Transconductance	5.5 mA/V
Plate resistance	6.4 kΩ
Amplification factor	35

Capacitances

Specifications of WE396A — Capacitances
Grid–cathode	2.2 pF
Grid–plate	1.1 pF
Plate–cathode	1 pF

Charactereditorial reading, not a measurement

Specifications of WE396A — Character
Gain	35%
Power	4%
Drive	94%
Linearity	83%

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

Typical operation

Canonical operating pointModel

B+: 275 V
Load: 13 kΩ
Va: 165 V
Ia: 3.95 mA
Vg: -3.5 V
Pd: 0.65 W
Gain: 25.9 dB

At Q: Ayumi Nakabayashi
μ: 30.4
gm: 2.98 mA/V
rp: 10.2 kΩ

Using this tube

Applications

Voltage amplifier
Phase splitter

Generic triode preamp stage

Hi-Fi stereoHeadphone amp

Replace or compare

Sources

By Jean-Michel Falligan DevergneReviewed May 29, 2026Source : Sylvania 2C51 (=WE 396A) datasheet · amplifiedpartsActive model : Ayumi Nakabayashi

Manufacturer datasheets

6 manufacturer datasheets cross-checked for WE396A / 2C516 verified

WE396A DatasheetFrank's Electron Tube Pages · PDF

SPICE models

Revision and verification status

Source: Sylvania 2C51 (=WE 396A) datasheet · amplifiedparts
Reviewed: 2026-05-29
Status: DataModelCalc
Model: Ayumi Nakabayashi

Context

The WE396A is a dual indirectly-heated triode from Western Electric, introduced around 1951. It provides a gain factor (μ) of 35 with 6400Ω plate resistance. Commonly used in preamp applications. Military dual triode. Ultra-low noise.

History

Introduced: 1951
Manufacturer: Western Electric
Era: Golden Age

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