The EL84 Gallery     6BQ5  E84L  7189

  The EL84, which was introduced by Valvo in 1953, is one of my absolute favourite audio tubes. They sound very nice in SE amps and in also push pull mode. See my favourite EL84 amps in "my equipment"!

  The Amperex EL84 (see the first sample with rX3/KM Δ code), which usually came from the plant in Heerlen (NL) is highly regarded by many hifi fans and guitar players. And in fact they are very good. BUT I think that many people want them, because they never got the opportunity to test the rarer German and British types......

  Important Note: Construction types on EL84s differ more on where they were made than as code may show.

Tubes from the plant in Hamburg, Germany

Code: rXP DM - rX2 D6 - rXB D7

Identified by:

- 1 slot in plate

- closed elliptical getter

Comment:

ultra rare - the first EL84 type ever made !!!

Code: rX? D6A (only one sample)

Identified by:

- 1 slot in plate

- closed elliptical getter

Comment:

ultra rare - the first EL84 type ever made !!!

Code:   rX2 D6X

          rX3 D7X/D8X/D9X

Identified by:

- 1 slot in plate

- undeclined ring getter

Comment:

rare from late 50s production.

Code: rX2 D6

Identified by:

- 1 slot in plate

- D-Getter

Comment:

ultra rare - only one sample found

Code: rX3 D0X / D1X / D2X

         rX3 D3XX D4XX  (1963-64)

Identified by:

- ring getter

- 2 getter arms

Comment:

Great sound, most with Valvo label.

Tubes from the plant in Sittard and Heerlen, Holland

Code: rXA X5 Sittard, Holland

Identified by:

- 2 slots in plate

- closed getter

Comment:

Very rare.

Code: rX3 X7-9X Sittard, Holland

Identified by:

- 3 slots in plate

- D-getter

Comment:

Very rare. I saw a sample with rX3 S9l code from the Barcelona plant.

Code: rX4 / kM1 / kM4 Δ Heerlen

Identified by:

- 3 slots in plate

- ring getter

Comment:

Very common type - sold as Valvo, Amperex or Miniwatt and others.

These tubes typically brown spots on the glass where the plate has openings. This can be observed even on new tubes.

EL84s from Mullard production are very stable and show high emission (>50mA) even after many hours of use and looking pretty used.

Code: rX1 B5X Blackburn

Identified by:

- 1 (round) hole in plate

- metal sheet getter

Comment:

Very rare. Maybe the first EL84 made by Mullard

Code: kM1 BXXX Blackburn

         kM2 B7XX (also found)

Identified by:

- 1 (round) hole in plate

Comment:

Quite rare. Usually labelled Mullard, Valvo logos are rarer.

Code: kM1 BXXX Blackburn

Identified by:

- 1 (round) hole in plate

- declined getter

Comment:

As left, but later tubes have stronger declined getters

Code: 1608 F4

Identified by:

- no hole in plate

- coin base

Comment:

Very rare. Seems to be a very, very early type -  thanks to Pete!.

Tubes from the plant in Vienna, Austria

Code: rX1 53.53

Identified by:

- only 2 slots in plate

- closed elliptical getter

Comment:

ultra rare - the first EL84 type ever made !!!

Code: rX1 A7X

Identified by:

- very strange Γ getter

Comment:

Rare tube from 1957.

Code: rX2 A8X

Identified by:

- D - Getter

Comment:

Rare tube from 1958.

Code: rX3 A9X

Identified by:

- D - Getter

Comment:

Rare tube from 1959.

Code: rX3 A9X - A3X

Identified by:

- ring getter

Comment:

Similar to Hamburg rX3 construction.

Code: rX4 A4X

        kM4 AXXX

Identified by:

- big ring getter

- looks like the Heerlen kM4 type

Comment:

Tubes from the 1960s production.

Other EL84 with Philips labels

Code: no code !!

Identified by:

- 4 times stapled plates (not 3 as Philips usually have)

Comment:

EL84 tube from STC production

No code - made by ???

Identified by:

- looks like Tungsram or so

- ring getter - no code

Comment:

I'd stay away . . .

Code: rXP (factory unlegible)

Identified by:

- ring getter in (thicker) Telefunken style

Comment:

Who knows this tube? Looks nice!!