ECC88 / E88CC / 6DJ7 etc / NOS TUBES

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PART1) General overview of ECC88 types. (You are already here)

The most frauded tube is ECC88. Tubes are re-labelled, retro-gold plated, re-branded and re-packed. I was offered them in boxes of 100 from Slowenia, I had them here, but send the mess back. They looked great, but tested like any used but "ok" tube. Look on Ebay what crazy prices are payed for empy 100 boxes outside carton of Telefunken, like 50 Euro. That pays off, to make a 100pcs box look real, and get 15.000 Euro for it. If you prefer the illusion of being Mr. Lucky on internet auctions, they are waiting for you there. Read also here about LASER FAKED diamonds in the tube bottom.

.		Normal Ratings					Maximum ratings
Europe	USA	Uf	If (mA)	Gm (Ma/V)	Rp Ohm	Gain	Uf (V)	Pa (W)	Ug (V)	Ua (V)	Ia mA	Ig,o (uA)	Noise (mV)	1) DO NOT USE THIS DATA AS DESIGN DATA. USE ORIGINAL datasheets Uh-k. Heater to Cathode. Also read here Read below, how to connect the voltmeter. Eech test must be in between following limits:
ECC88	6DJ8	6,3V	365	.	.	.	.	1,8	-50	130	25	.	.	ok between +50 and -150 V
E88CC	6922	6,3V	300	.	.	.	.	1,5	-100	220	20	.	.	ok between +60 and -120 V
E188CC	7308	6,3V	335	.	.	.	.	1,65	-110	250	22	.	.	ok between +60 and -120 V
PCC88	7DJ8	7,0V	300	.	.	.	.	1,8	-50	130	25	.	.	Version of ECC88 only for Televisions.
PCC188		7,0V	300											Version of ECC88 only for Televisions.
6N1P	-	6,3V	600+/-50	.	.	.	5,5...7	2,2	.	300	20	1,0	100	ok between +100 and -250 V
6N1P-VI	-	6,3V	600+/-50	.	.	.	5,5...7	2,2	.	300	25	0.5	80	ok between +120 and -250 V . This is a jewel. The VI Version is balanced and matched, per datasheet specification.
6N1P-EB (=6N1P-EV)	-	6,3V	600+/-25	.	..	.	6...6.6	2,2	.	250	25	0.2	50	ok between +120 and -250V. Low noise version of 6N1P.
6N23P	-	6,3V	310+/-25	.	.	.	5,5...7	1,8	-200	300	20	0.2	150	ok between +150 and xxx V
6N23-EV	-	6,3V	310+/-25	..	.	.	6...6.6	2,0	-220	300	20	0.15	75	ok between +200and xxx V
Special attention needed: This tube excist as normal grid tube and as frame grid tube. The frame grids have generally better parameter stability, lower noise and lower hum. These are the later technology, and also a technology only very few could make. Frame grid wires can be as thin as 10um, which is technologically speaking a masterpiece of fine mechanics. The frame grid wire is so thin, when you open up a defective tube, you cannot see it with the bare eye. To give you an idea, the size of a large bacteria is 5um. When frame grid tubes, we write it in the description. The Russians made very special quality grade 6N1P-EB. This is a much improverd version of ECC88 made, with higher voltage capabilities, higher plate dissipagtion, and better in many many ways. However, they bias not as trhey shouls in all circuits, and have slightly lower gain. These have lower noise, and less distortion. Mind you they draw twice the heater current. So you may be able to use them in a ECC88/E88C ciruit, but first verify this with the seller of the amplfier, or try it at your own responsibility.
Is your ECC88 microphonic? Try the DUENDE tube rings we sell. This may help you more than changing tubes. The Duende dampers are GUARANTEED to give an audible improvement. We have Money-back guarantee on those. Also you should try the Svetlana types 6N1P. The ones we sell, are "EB", also when not specified like this, it's what they are.
Is your ECC88 humming or making noise? When no, then skip this text. Used tubes of this type generally have more hum and noise. In many problem cases, the ECC88 is not used correct. Even with top-name amplifier manufacturers we see the same old errors, resulting from arrogancy, like not reading a datasheet. (reading datasheets in DETAIL seems to be a "no no" when somebody has some decades of experience. Strangely so, but I see it over and over again. When you refer to finest datasheet details, they say they don't need to know, they have already "30 years experience". Well, I think experience and detailed product knowledge is the same! Anyway, not reading the datasheet may work with most tubes, but not with all. The negative result is, end users have to swap tubes all of the time, and desparately try to draw conclusions from this. The next three boxes are a short overview of the most important thing to check, in case of a problem. Only do these measurements inside your amplifier, when you have experience with this. Leave it up to a technician otherwise. Low Noise types: Use 6N1P-EB or original NOS Tesla E88CC gold grid version.
1) Heater to Cathode: (Called Uh-k)Test with DC Voltmeter: Red Lead Pin4, and Black lead on Pin3 and Pin8. (see llimits in above table). This is a very critical one, and can cause a good tube to get defective, or give hum, sparks or other noise, when exceeded. Also read here
2) Anode voltage: (Called Ua) Test with DC Voltmeter between Pin 1 and 3, and between Pin 6 and 8. (see limits in above table)
3) Filament voltage: (Called Uf)Test with Voltmeter between Pin 4 and 5. Set it on AC, and if nothing is read, set it on DC. (see limits in above table)
BIG QUESTION: WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ECC88 and E88CC? Here are the possible answers, only ONE answer is correct. If you don't know the answer.... Read this table from the beginning. Hehe ;)
Gold Grid with some of the TESLA E88CC. Click here
Detailed Test report, comparing E88C JJ with TESLA NOS . Click here.
EHX new production 6922 under the microscope. Click here.
NOS Supply situation: Not good. The only NOS that can be found still is Philips ECG, and Tesla. All others are gone, gone, gone. Folks, both TESLA and PHILIPS ECG are the finest NOS tubes you can buy at the moment, for a reasonable price. TESLA is even a frame grid tube!

PART1) Back to general overview of ECC88 types.

PART2) Tubes for sale. (You are already here)

How these tubes are tested FAQ Frequently Asked Questions Attention: This is an export Price List, valid for companies in the European Community with a VAT Identification number, and for companies or private persons outside the European Community. Inside Europe, please ask for a quote, including VAT tax. (Since 2021 we must charge the VAT of the receiving country)
Tube		Condition	Qty.	EURO
Amperex	.Made in Holland. White boxes. Sorry, only one tube left. Check also next item, below here.	NOS	1	65€
Brimar	New appearance, very nice and clear print. Test very good.	Used	2	18€
ECC88 EI	Elektronska Industri, former Yugislavia. Factory does not excist anymore: Original yellow-blue boxes. Made on Philips machines.	NOS	13	22€
E188CC / 7308 National	National, made in USA.	NOS original box	1	45€
E188CC / 7308 "National" but made by EI	These tubes are boxed and branded "National" USA. Note, National was a tube re-branding company of very good reputation. They were supplied with first class tubes by the manufacturers, and the country of origin is always printed on the tubes. So with them, what you pay is what you get. This pair has printed on the glass: "Made in Yugoslavia". Meaning they are EI tubes. This is confirmed by the construction, there is the characteristical A-Shaped getter holder inside, and more details. Now that EI is closed since 2014, prices of EI tubes are expected to soar. (For a true happened story, read the world of NOS )	NOS original box	1 Pair	150€ for the pair
ECC88 Philips Holland	Made in Holland. Clear white print like new, from spare equipment. Some tubes from equipment are sometimes actually never used. These appear like that.	Used, but look and test like new	9	30€ / Each
enlarge 6922 Philips Order Number: 114-096-33	Perfect quality, good boxes. Made in USA. JAN tested, for higher reliability. JAN Testing is a military proces for lot qualification, which makes sure that weak production series will not pass as a whole. This is a very hard way of testing, since "good" tubes must still be rejected when they come from a production series where too many have failed the JAN tests. So you take samples, you overload them for a certain time, and when too many fail the whole lot is rejected. Now of course manufacturers could still sell such tubes on the commercial market, but the military refused to take those. This is the reason why JAN tested tubes are so often agvailable as commercial tubes also!! JAN was the first choice, the rest got sold commerically. Done so in 1985 when these were made, but JAN testing is still used for semiconductors as well. Read more about JAN TESTING here.	NOS original box	Stock	See pricelist
Enlarge E88CC/6922 / RCA Order Number: 114-095-90	Perfect quality, good boxes. On the tube glass is acid branded "made in USA" These test absoluetely excellent, strong emission and close to datasheet values.	NOS original box	50	See pricelist
ECC88 Siemens	Made in Germany. Original orange box	NOS	2	55€
6DJ8 Sylvania	Nice green stamps. White box . Test good.	Used	1	11€
enlarge ECC8100 Telefunken	Gold pin tubes. Original boxes. Tube nr 2 + 3 from the left, on the picturel This tube is something like ECC88. Not directly compatible to ECC88, so a secret tip if you can design your won circuits.	NOS	2	25€
ECC8100 Telefunken	Same as above, but printing is damaged, and white box.	NOS	1	15€
E88CC Telefunken Order Number: 114-133-88 JUST A FEW PAIRS LEFT.	Original box. <> Bottems, made in Ulm, Germany, with factory series numbers on the tubes. Excellent NOS. These come with Amplitrex computer test report. That is: All tube data there is, including gain, Gm, Plate impedance, grid leakage, etc, and compare it against "must be" values. From this you will see, these are TOP CLASS NOS tubes. For a pair, order two pieces, they are automatically packed as matched pairs if you do so. Please note with some (not with all) the print text has suffered somewhat from storage. It is not much but we have to say it. What is best, we had a small lot, and we have been able to select them all in perfectly balanced and matched pairs. This is not normal for E88CC, test values can vary widely, and you have to take them as is. However, not with those! They test all at 15mA, with grid voltage variation of less than 0,2 Volt !! Here is a Link to all test reports. So you can see it yourself. You can order any pair you like, as long as we have it available. They are pre-selected in pairs. So if you order for instance tube #4 from this list, it is pre-matched with tube #8. If you want a single you can only take the ones we have, we cannot break up a pair for it. Interesting detail with the tube box. When it writes on there "ECC88, 1" as you see on the picture here this means this tube was made in Germany, indicated by the number "1". Number "2" would mean outside Germany. This was told to me by a retired Telefunken Ulm Employee, so I think this is very reliable information.	NOS	Stock	See nornal pricelist.
E88CC Tesla Order Number: 114-038-92	Click for high resolution picture here. Gold Grid Version. High Quality tubes from the Prague factory (Code32) . Original old blue boxes. These were made for the military, as you can see from the sword signs on the back side of the tube. This is probably the best ECC88 ever made. It is fully equivalent to the Telefunken ECC88 apart from the <> sign, and of course these TESLA have gold pins, which the Telefunken have not. For the rest every little detail is identical. This batch had very good values. The order numer 114-038-92 is for a Matched + balanced PAIR, with printed Amplitrex test report. So all four systems of this pair are the same. These are no JJ Tubes! Read some more about TESLA Tubes. Gold Grid Information. Click here	NOS original box Order nr for a matched and balanced pair: 114-038-92	Stock	See nornal pricelist.

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