The 6DJ8 is a twin triode in a small 9-pin miniature glass
package, with a very high transconductance for each triode unit. Well
made vintage versions of this tube are quite low noise and can be found
in many tube preamplifiers, phono preamps, and headphone amplifiers.
This tube was also widely used in Tektronix oscilloscopes and other
industrial test equipment needing wideband signal amplification. These
tubes can tend to be microphonic, so careful selection needs to be
considered if using them in high gain stages. This is a frame grid
tube, meaning the grid wire is wound around a tiny framework. The grid
wire itself is vanishingly thin....thinner than human hair. These tubes
were not originally designed for audio use, but more so for test
equipment. Therefore, not alot of attention was paid to making this
tube as quiet microphonically as possible, and the fine grid wire on the
frame can tend to exaggerate the problem, if it exists in the
particular tube. The better Western Europe vintage tubes seem to be the
best with regards to low microphonics and low noise. Matching these
closer than 5 percent is often difficult, as is the case with most
vintage tubes, since quantities are rarely found from the same batch or
date code. This should not pose a problem for any well-designed preamp
circuit.
NOTE: This is a very popular tube, and supplies of the best
vintage examples are becoming very scarce. Please hit "reload" or
"refresh" on your browser to get the latest version of this page. My
stock changes rapidly! One day I may be out of most high end vintage
types, and a few days later may have a fresh stock. Check this page
often. If you must have a certain type over any other, please e-mail me and I can put it on my buying list for you.
6DJ8:
This is the standard incarnation
of this tube. It was made both in the USA and in Western Europe. GE
and Sylvania both made USA versions, and are fairly good quality. The
GE tubes have an RF shield sprayed on inside the glass, making the
inside look dark. This is NOT an indication of a burned out or used
tube. RCA tubes were often made by either Mullard or Amperex in Britain
or Holland. The most popular NOS vintage tubes are those made by
Telefunken, Amperex, Siemens or Mullard, and are usually also labelled
ECC88. See the next paragraph for this description.
ECC88:
This is the European designation for the
6DJ8 type tube. It is the same tube as a 6DJ8 and often the tube has
both type numbers on it. The popular vintage tubes here are those by
Telefunken, Amperex, or Mullard. The Telefunken are said to sound the
best, and are the most difficult to find of all of these brands. All
Telefunken tubes have a tiny diamond shape molded into the glass on the
bottom, and have a very chalky ink on the surface which often is
partially wiped off. Beware! These tubes are being reproduced in
China, and look like the real thing, complete with diamond mark. The
tipoff is the label: the fake labels will not wipe off.
The Amperex can be found with a white label and the treble clef logo
(rare), the Bugle Boy cartoon tube logo, Amperex in white ink, and the
orange world logo. The orange world logo is the newest, and can be
found in both standard "L" bracket top getter, and the rarer (and said
to sound better) "A" frame top getter. The A-frame looks like a little
metal "A" holding up the getter element on the top of the tube internal
structure. I have also seen the A frame getter on some Mullard and
Genalex (G.E.C.) tubes. The Bugle Boy is the most popular, almost to
being a "designer" label, which has driven the price up and supplies
down. See note below about Bugle Boy 6DJ8 tubes. I believe any of the
Amperex / Philips Holland 1960s and 1970s 6DJ8 tubes are excellent, no
matter which one you use. The tubes made with the plain white label
(Amperex, DuMont, Hewlett-Packard, Beckman and others but all labelled
"Holland") were made in the same factory as the Bugle Boy tubes and
sound the same, but are often bargain priced due to low demand. Beware!
The Bugle Boy tubes are being reproduced today! The box of the new
tubes is even an identical green-and-yellow like the original, but it
says "Bugle Boy" on it, and some even show the cartoon tube on the box.
Original Amperex tubes NEVER had the words "Bugle Boy", or the cartoon
tube, on the box. The Bugle Boy moniker is a slang name that
audiophiles coined for the the little cartoon tube on the tube's label.
The new tubes have fooled even some seasoned audiophiles! These are
junky Chinese made tubes with the old label. The company vending them
says they have the original burn-in racks from the old Holland factory.
Big deal!! The old burn-in racks are not going to help a crappy tube.
Stick with the vintage tubes while you still can!
Mullard 6DJ8 tubes are excellent as well, but are more difficult
to find. They often made 6DJ8 tubes for other labels, like RCA, Zenith,
and other USA brands. They have several seams molded into the top of
the tube.
6922:
This is one of two premium
versions of the 6DJ8 tube. First of all, it is the same tube as the
6DJ8, and will work wherever a 6DJ8 is needed. It has premium features
such as low noise, low microphonics, and usually a longer lifespan.
Sylvania made a version that is JAN military spec without gold pins.
Amperex made all of theirs with gold plated pins and most have the PQ
shield logo, standing for Premium Quality. See note below about Amperex
6922 and Bugle Boy tubes. Some of the later gold pin Amperex have the
orange world logo. I have seen both orange and white PQ logos. Some of
the early versions also have a number etched into the glass, like the
7308 tubes. These were also made for other manufacturers, and will have
that makers name labelled in white, but these are the same gold pin
tubes. Amperex opened a factory in New York to make these for the US
military (since the government contract specified only USA constructed
products) and cranked these and 7308 tubes out. A "made in U.S.A."
Amperex tube is not a fake! In fact, these tubes are really excellent.
A few were made in Holland for non-military industrial use, but these
are rare. Also rare are the "pinched waist" versions of this tube.
This is actually a molding flaw which made the glass bottom slightly
fatter around the outside than the rest of the tube, and the center of
the tube actually dips inward and touches the metal elements inside.
Clients report these are incredible sounding tubes, and the upward
spiral of prices for the rare pinch waist types seem to bear this out.
Finally, Philips (the parent company of Amperex) owned a number of tube
brands, and many were never seen outside of Europe. Most were actually
made in the same Heerlen, Holland factory that turned out the Bugleboy
6DJ8 and PQ 6922 Amperex. Watch for tubes labeled E88CC with brands
like Valvo, R/T, RTC, Miniwatt, Dario, Philips, and Adzam. These tubes
are identical to the Amperex PQ and Philips SQ (Special Quality) types
more often found in America, and are perfect if the Amperex is not
available. Also rare in America are these same brands made at the
Philips-owned Mazda factory (La Radiotechnique) in Suresnes, France.
These usually have a capital "F" in the second line of the date code.
They are sweet like the Holland tubes, with a bit better detail and
punch at the top end, and still have nice balanced warmth. We are one
of the very few worldwide tube dealers to offer these rare NOS French
Philips tubes.
RCA 6922 tubes were made by Siemens in Germany, and also have gold
pins. These are great tubes, but are not as plentiful. Since the
military and some large industries (Tektronix) bought the Amperex made
tubes in huge batches, that is what is on the surplus market today.
E88CC and E88CC/01:
This is the European
equivalent to the 6922, and is a quality step up from the standard 6DJ8
or 7DJ8. Telefunken made a fantastic version of this tube, complete
with gold pins. Other vintage brands are available, but Telefunken,
Philips, Siemens and Mullard are all I have ever seen in several years
of tube hunting. Virtually all European brands have gold pins. Most
are factory screened for tight internal matching and low noise. The
E88CC/01 type (I have only seen these in Mullard brand) has even more
factory testing. It is rather like a Cca type tube, with essentially
military specs. It's the same as the CV2493, some have both types on
the label. The /01 type is rare and worth seeking out if you like the
warm British sound. There are some types out there, like "Golden
Dragon" just to name one, but these are recent manufacture Chinese
tubes, and can't hold a candle to the quality of the Telefunken or even
any of the vintage 6922 types. There are also some nice USA made
military and industrial types available with either gold or standard
pins, and even these sound better than the current production tubes, and
are usually priced the same or less.
CV2493:
A rare military version of the E88CC/01.
Some have both types on the label, some only the CV2493. This can be
considered the British or Dutch version of the German Cca. Very low
noise, carefully matched triodes, and these are batch tested to meet
military specs. Usually only available in the Mullard brand, I have
seen some with the Amperex Heerlen, Holland factory codes on them, even
though they have the Mullard label. Scarce in the USA, and not found in
the later Yugoslavian versions like the more common CV2492. It is
possible only the UK and Holland made these tubes and were discontinued
by the mid 1970s. Probably one of the best choices for tube microphones
and mic preamps, or any other high gain, low noise use.
CV2492:
This is a European military (usually
British) version of the 6922 / E88CC type vacuum tube. Unlike the US
military version, these tubes were never made in the USA. Most of the
older examples were made in either the Mullard Mitcham, UK factory, or
the Philips/Amperex Heerlen, Holland factory. These are fine tubes that
have passed various demanding military specification tests regarding
ruggedness, heat and shock resistence, and heater life. Like their
civilian/industrial counterparts, they have the four molded seams on the
top, heavily plated gold pins, a halo top getter with a splatter shield
below it (with slight raised indentations at the 3 and 9 o'clock
positions on the shield), and the standard Mullard/Philips factory date
codes printed near the bottom of the glass side. Care must be taken,
however, when buying these tubes if they are merely identified as
"CV2492" tubes. These tubes were made well into the 1980s, and later
examples are not as valuable or as desirable as the earlier varieties.
Later versions were made in the former Yugoslavia and then in Russia.
The Yugoslavia versions can be spotted by their lack of gold pins, and
the halo getter mounted low, almost touching the splatter shield. The
Russian versions are even easier to spot, as they have a fatter glass
bottle, a top mounted cup shaped getter, no top mold seams, and sharp
pointed pins which may or may not be gold plated. These are not bad
tubes, but should only be worth one half to one fourth of what the UK or
Holland made tubes are retailing for. Give the CV2492 a try, the older
versions are sweet sounding and long-lived, and are a step up from the
garden-variety 6922 / E88CC, and prices are generally a little lower.
E188CC:
A bit rarer than the E88CC, the E188CC
is usually found labelled as such by Siemens or Telefunken. Amperex and
other makers (Sylvania for example) used the industrial 7308 marking,
Amperex Holland and France used the E188CC label. It is basically the
European equivalent to the 7308. The E188CC has gold pins, and is near
the top of the 6DJ8 food chain. The Siemens version from the 1960s is
quite rare, and is rated by many audiophiles as a jewel on par with the
best Cca tubes, or the cryo-treated 7308s. It has low noise to the
vanishing point, and a wonderful, airy top end and soundstage. This
early version Siemens has a small halo top getter, and is labelled
E188CC in white ink. Versions made in the Philips Holland plant are
similar, and have the SQ logo. If you find some, grab 'em while you
still can! Finally, Philips (the parent company of Amperex) owned a
number of tube brands, and many were never seen outside of Europe. Most
were actually made in the same Heerlen, Holland factory that turned out
the Bugleboy 6DJ8 and PQ 6922 Amperex. Watch for tubes labeled E188CC
with brands like Valvo, R/T, RTC, Miniwatt, Dario, Philips, and Adzam.
These tubes are identical to the Amperex PQ and Philips SQ (Special
Quality) types more often found in America, and are perfect if the
Amperex label is not available. Also rare in America are these same
brands made at the Philips-owned Mazda factory (La Radiotechnique) in
Suresnes, France. These usually have a capital "F" in the second line of
the date code. They are sweet like the Holland tubes, with a bit
better detail and punch at the top end, and still have nice balanced
warmth. We are one of very few worldwide tube dealers to offer these
rare NOS French Philips tubes. Finally, watch for Siemens or Telefunken
German made E188CC/7308 tubes, most having the E188CC label in white,
with the Telefunken having the distinctive diamond shape in the bottom
glass. Siemens are usually more plentiful, and a huge savings over
their Cca tubes.
7308:
This is probably the ultra 6DJ8 type tube
commonly available. It has all of the features of the 6922, but the
triode sections are also matched to each other, and the tubes all fit
within very tight specifications. Therefore, any 7308 should match any
other 7308 within the same brand. The Amperex versions were again made
in New York, complete with gold pins, and often have a number etched
into the side of the glass. Amperex made these for industry as well as
the military. The Amperex versions have the PQ label, the military type
usually is labeled "USN-CEP", but I have seen versions made for
Stromberg-Carlson and Hewlett-Packard, with white ink labels. These all
had the numbers etched into the glass, and all are the same tube. The
USA made military white label types have been rated "Best of All", over
other 7308, 6922 and even Cca tubes, in several well-documented
6922/7308/Cca listening tests. Therefore this particular type is
becoming scarce and prices are rising. There were a few of these made
in Holland, but most were made in the USA, therefore the Holland tubes
are RARE and usually command a higher price. The Holland PQ versions
have the PQ with stars on either side of the letters, and the words
"Premium Quality", where the USA types have the PQ inside of a shield
logo. Again, there are some nice vintage USA made standard pin
military and industrial types available from Raytheon and Sylvania, just
to name a few, and these are quite good at a price currently far below
the European vintage labels. Finally, Philips (the parent company of
Amperex) owned a number of tube brands, and many were never seen outside
of Europe. Most were actually made in the same Heerlen, Holland
factory that turned out the Bugleboy 6DJ8 and PQ 6922 Amperex. Watch
for tubes labeled E188CC with brands like Valvo, R/T, RTC, Miniwatt,
Dario, Philips, and Adzam. These tubes are identical to the Amperex PQ
and Philips SQ (Special Quality) types more often found in America, and
are perfect if the Amperex label is not available. Also rare in America
are these same brands made at the Philips-owned Mazda factory (La
Radiotechnique) in Suresnes, France. These usually have a capital "F" in
the second line of the date code. They are sweet like the Holland
tubes, with a bit better detail and punch at the top end, and still have
nice balanced warmth. We are one of the very few worldwide tube
dealers to offer these rare NOS French Philips tubes. Finally, watch
for Siemens or Telefunken German made 7308 tubes, most having the E188CC
label in white, with the Telefunken having the distinctive diamond
shape in the bottom glass. Siemens are usually more plentiful, and a
huge savings over their Cca tubes.
E288CC:
This unusual tube is basically a 7308 /
E188CC in a slightly taller bottle. The filament current draw is also
slightly higher but for most applications it is plug and play compatible
with the 6922, 7308, Cca, or even the 6DJ8. Physical space is a
consideration, since the tube is about one-half inch taller than the
rest of the tubes on this page. It features gold pins, factory screened
triodes for low noise, 10,000 heater life, and all the other great
features that make the 7308 and the Cca such high-demand tubes. Since
it is a relative unknown, the prices are about the same as good 6922
tubes, and far below that of most 7308 or Cca types! I have only seen
this tube in Valvo, Telefunken, or Siemens brands. Worth giving a try
if you want the best but cannot afford the soaring costs of NOS 7308 or
Cca tubes.
Cca:
Whew, these babies are so scarce there isn't
even much info out there about them! Mentioned by audiophiles, usually
in a reverent whisper, these gold pinned gems are about as good is it
gets in 6DJ8-land. Matched triode sections, low noise screening, 10,000
hr. heater life expectancy, carefully controlled frame grid winding,
low microphonics......the list goes on and on. This is regarded as one
of the most detailed and three-dimensional sounding tube ever made in
this family of tubes. Most of what is available is Siemens or
Telefunken made, although there are a few very rare examples of Philips
or Amperex Holland made out there. Since this was a tube made
specifically for the German goverment and military, all that I have seen
carry a German brand label, even those made in Holland. Even rarer
are the Holland made Cca tubes with the pinched waist indented glass
midsections, said to be the most sonically "3D" tube ever made, of any
type. Finding these is akin to finding a 1795 gold piece in your attic!
I don't believe there were any of these Cca tubes made in the USA.
Awesome audiophile tubes!
6H23:
This is a Russian made equivalent to the
6922 or E88CC, but will work in place of any 7308 or 6DJ8 type as well.
Ordinarily the Russian tubes are just not of a high enough quality to
go head-to-head with NOS German, Dutch, or UK tubes. These are a
possible exception. The so-called "rocket logo" type from the 1970s and
early 1980s seems to hold it's own against NOS tubes costing 3-4 times
as much. These NOS Russian rockets have been critically acclaimed in
several online discussion boards for their detail and smoothness. At
current prices, these are about one-third to one-fourth the cost of NOS
Western Europe types, and so their value is enhanced even more.
7DJ8 / PCC88:
This is an unusual tube that must
have had a limited range of specific uses. It is virtually identical to
the 6DJ8 except for the heater rating, which is 7 volts. I have seen
Siemens, Valvo, Telefunken, Philips, Ultron and Matsush*ta (Japan)
brands of this tube. It probably makes a good sub for the 6DJ8 and may
last longer due to the higher voltage heater. Some are labelled with
only the "PCC88" and others have both types listed on the label. All
seem to be good quality. The Japanese factory was set up by Mullard,
and these tubes even flash orange at the bottom of the filaments when
first energized, like most European triodes do. Most of the European
types were made at the Munich Siemens factory, the Hamburg Valvo
factory, the Heerlen Holland Amperex Factory, or the Blackburn, UK
Mullard factory. These sound just like the best 6DJ8 tubes, the German
tubes being mostly neutral, and the Dutch and British tubes having a
touch of midrange warmth. Watch for the very rare D-getter types and
even rarer pinch waist types, often at bargain prices (compared to 6922
types in these categories) when you can find them. You may want to try a
7DJ8 for the longer heater life in a 6.3 volt circuit, and the lower
price!
OK, SO TELL ME HOW THEY SOUND!!
A tough question if there ever was one! The best advice is to
get a few types and hear for yourself the good sounds you have been
missing. All of these vintage tubes are excellent, much better than the
Russian or Chinese yuck that is being made today. When replacing any
stock Russian, Chinese, or East Europe tube with any of these vintage
NOS types, you will notice immediately that the midrange glare is gone.
Gone too is that honky, boxy quality, and the tiring upper midrange
screech that current production tubes are famous for. Here are some
VERY GENERAL observations about some of these vintage tubes:
TELEFUNKEN, SIEMENS, VALVO, LORENZ, and other German made NOS:
These tubes are usually characterized by an impressive open "air" at
the top end. The soundstage is large, even in mono applications these
tubes have a great 3-D image. The midrange is ruler flat, and the bass
is tight and accurate. These tubes have a fine sense of dynamics, and
most are impressively quiet. These are not "warm" tubes, and to some
ears their lack of midrange warmth may be heard as bright. I tend to
think of them as accurate, and their clean, focused sonic image is
astonishing. My personal favorites. The top types are as would be
expected: the 7308/E188CC, the Cca, and the 6922/E88CC. The Cca is a
very special 6922 made for the German government for telecommunications.
They are excellent tubes, as good as any 7308. By the way, the 1970s
versions of these brands are excellent as well, in spite of some
trashing on "Some Guy's Tube Lore" and other web pages. Don't let
anyone tell you what tubes you should like and what you should not like!
AMPEREX, PHILIPS, MAZDA and other Holland/France/Belgium made NOS:
These tubes are a great balance of a clean, airy top end, nice
midrange warmth, and accurate bass. They are very pleasant, clean, and
musical to listen to in hi-fi applications. The white label Amperex PQ
type or USN-CEP (same tube, the USN was made for the military) made in
the USA are considered one of the best 7308 or 6922 types of all ever
made. The D-getter and pinch waist rare types are also highly regarded,
and are very quiet as well. The orange label types run a close second.
Look for the white label USA and Heerlen Holland factory made for
other brands. They are the same tube and usually less expensive than
those with the Amperex or Philips label! Finally, Philips (the parent
company of Amperex) owned a number of tube brands, and many were never
seen outside of Europe. Most were actually made in the same Heerlen,
Holland factory that turned out the Bugleboy 6DJ8 and PQ 6922 Amperex.
Watch for tubes labeled E88CC with brands like Valvo, R/T, RTC,
Miniwatt, Dario, Philips, and Adzam. These tubes are identical to the
Amperex PQ and Philips SQ (Special Quality) types more often found in
America, and are perfect if the Amperex is not available, since they
sound and look the same. Also rare in America are these same brands
made at the Philips-owned Mazda factory (La Radiotechnique) in Suresnes,
France. These usually have a capital "F" in the second line of the date
code. They are sweet like the Holland tubes, with a bit better detail
and punch at the top end, and still have nice balanced warmth. We are
one of the very few worldwide tube dealers to offer these rare NOS
French Philips tubes.
MULLARD, GENALEX, BRIMAR, and other British made NOS:
Like a warm British jacket of the finest tweed, these glorious tubes
have an attractive sweet warmth in their midrange and lower regions.
The top end is silky and pleasant, without being rolled-off. The best
of these tubes retain a fine sense of "air" at the top, and the upper
midrange is smooth and liquid. These tubes reproduce the human voice,
especially female voices, with haunting realism. The 1970s Mullard made
have an attractive sparkle at the top with the rich bass, and these
tubes are usually priced less than the older types.
RCA, RAYTHEON, GE, SYLVANIA, and other USA made NOS:
This group is very diverse. The older RCA, GE, and some other brands
of 6922, 7308, and 6DJ8 were often made by Siemens, Mullard, or Amperex,
and usually are a bargain. The USA made 1960s vintage 6922 and 7308
are nearly always made for the military, although there were some early
industrial versions made by Westinghouse and other brands. They are
fairly good and usually priced very low. Their sonics are reasonably
well balanced. The 6DJ8 tubes made in the USA, and the 6922 or 7308 USA
tubes made AFTER 1975 are generally best used in test equipment that
calls for them, as they are not particularly attractive audio tubes.
The earlier 1960s versions are somewhat better, including the greyglass
GE. Their prices are usually very low, putting them on par with the
Russian or Chinese types. You may want to try them if on a strict
budget, for they will surely outlast several sets of current production
tubes, and probably still sound better than the Russian-Chinese trash.
Overall, the USA made tubes are a nice surprise with their low prices as
compared to the European types.
A Note About Amperex 6922 and Bugle Boy Tubes:
Because
the trade names of "Amperex" and "Bugle Boy" have been sold to a USA
electronics firm, there is much confusion in the tube world about Bugle
Boy tubes. I will try to clear up the confusion as briefly as possible.
This company bought the rights to the name Amperex, the name Bugle
Boy, and the rights to the cartoon tube logo. This new owner is NOT
Dutch Philips or North American Philips, who originally owned Amperex
and made the 1950s to 1970s vintage tubes that audiophiles want. When I
mention "Amperex Holland" or "Amperex USA", I refer to the original
Dutch and North Amperican Philips owned companies (now defunct) that
made the vintage tubes, now in demand by audiophiles, up until the late
1970s. There are 6922 tubes being sold today under the name Amperex
Bugle Boy, and they even come in a green and yellow box like the
original Amperex tubes. THESE ARE NOT AMPEREX TUBES AT ALL, AND THEY
ARE NOT NOS. They are either relabeled new Chinese or late production
JAN Sylvania tubes. These fakes contain several errors:
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