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.

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

←ECC88

← ECC85 ECC99 →Compare → 6DJ8

ECC88 Triode Vacuum Tube

Dual triode6.3V / 0.365A9-pin NovalSPICE

SourceAmperex·PhilipsReviewed2026-05-29StatusDataModelCalcModel2 enginesPDF

Medium-gain triode for driver and line stage applications

Datasheet ↗SPICE

ECC88 — Amperex·Philips — triode vacuum tube — (1958)

2.6kΩ

12.5mA/V

3.3pF

1.4pF

0.18pF

GAIN33%

POWER5%

DRIVE97%

LINEARITY84%

SPECIFICATIONS

Heater6.3 V · 0.365 A

Max Plate Voltage130 V

Pa max1.8 W

Gain Factor33

gm12.5 mA/V

rp2.6 kΩ

Inter-electrode capacitances

Cgk3.3 pF

Cgp1.4 pF

Cpk0.18 pF

Pinout9-pin Noval

Era1958

RarityCommon

HEATER6.3V / 0.365A

MAX PLATE130V / 1.8W

BASEnoval

SECTIONS2 (dual)

Source datasheets

3 manufacturer datasheets cross-checked for ECC88

3 verified

TYPICAL OPERATING POINT

SPICE model(2 available)3 .subckt available ↓

Va90V

Ia14.09mA

Vg-1.36V

Pd1.27W

RL4kΩ

Av25.6dB

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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.

APPLICATIONS

Voltage amplifierPhase splitter

Audio Research SP-6 preampJadis JP80

• Hi-Fi stereo• Headphone amp

VS 6DJ8

μ 0%Rp +0%Pd 0%Full comparison →

HISTORY

Introduced1958ManufacturerAmperex·Philips

Golden Age