What is a 6N16B substitute or equivalent?

Direct equivalents to the 6N16B include Related to 6N17B family (Russian submini duals). 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 6N16B?

Amplification factor μ ≈ 25, transconductance gm ≈ 5 mA/V, plate resistance rp ≈ 5.0 kΩ, max plate voltage 200 V, max plate dissipation 0.9 W, heater 6.3 V / 0.4 A.

Is the 6N16B still in production?

Production status varies by year and manufacturer. The current Amperatubes catalog classifies the 6N16B 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 6N16B sound like?

Soviet subminiature dual triode, flying-lead 8-pin construction (no socket — leads soldered directly). Used in ruggedized military and avionics gear; popular today for ultra-compact preamp builds where a noval socket won't fit.. 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.

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

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6N16B 6N16B / 6Н16Б Triode Vacuum Tube

Q: What is the 6N16B vacuum tube?

The 6N16B (6N16B / 6Н16Б) is a triode vacuum tube designed for preamp / driver applications. Soviet subminiature dual triode, flying-lead 8-pin construction (no socket — leads soldered directly). Used in ruggedized military and avionics gear; popular today for ultra-compact preamp builds where a noval socket won't fit..

Dual triode6.3V / 0.4A9-pin Submini (flying leads)SPICE

SourceRussian 6Н16Б datasheet · Reddit /r/diytubes feedbackReviewed2026-05-29StatusDataModelCalcModelNorman KorenPDF

Medium-gain triode for driver and line stage applications

Datasheet ↗SPICE

6N16B / 6Н16Б — Russian — triode vacuum tube — (1965)

5.0kΩ

5.0mA/V

2.7pF

1.5pF

1.65pF

GAIN25%

POWER2%

DRIVE95%

LINEARITY88%

SPECIFICATIONS

Heater6.3 V · 0.4 A

Max Plate Voltage200 V

Pa max0.9 W

Gain Factor25

gm5 mA/V

rp5.0 kΩ

Inter-electrode capacitances

Cgk2.7 pF

Cgp1.5 pF

Cpk1.65 pF

Pinout9-pin Submini (flying leads)

Era1965

RarityCommon

HEATER6.3V / 0.4A

MAX PLATE200V / 0.9W

BASEsubmini-9

SECTIONS2 (dual)

Source datasheets

1 manufacturer datasheets cross-checked for 6N16B / 6Н16Б

1 verified

TYPICAL OPERATING POINT

Va105V

Ia4.81mA

Vg-3V

Pd0.51W

RL10kΩ

Av24dB

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The 6N16B is a dual indirectly-heated triode from Russian, introduced around 1965. It provides a gain factor (μ) of 25 with 5000Ω plate resistance. Commonly used in preamp / driver applications. Soviet subminiature dual triode, flying-lead 8-pin construction (no socket — leads soldered directly). Used in ruggedized military and avionics gear; popular today for ultra-compact preamp builds where a noval socket won't fit.

APPLICATIONS

Voltage amplifierPhase splitter

Generic triode preamp / driver stage

• Hi-Fi stereo

HISTORY

Introduced1965ManufacturerRussian

Late Production

6N16B Datasheet

Frank's Electron Tube Pages · PDF

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