Data Sheet
12B, 20A, 20B, 20B-V4, 30A
Description
For these tubes we use a very fine gold grid wire, to achieve higher gain. If not used as output tube, It is recommended to use these tubes choke loaded, and they can be used at normal supply voltage then. If used resistor loaded, they can be used on a supply voltage of 600V or more.
This series of tubes are made for higher gain. The mechanical dimension is the same as our 300B series. Miniaturization of tubes, as you can quickly seen, is always on the cost of distortion, and also such miniaturized tube have a tendency to work on lower voltage. All of which makes such miniaturized tubes not ideal for larger signal. This is where our tubes step in. So if size is not a problem, these tubes offer a combination of low distortion, high gain, yet at high signal as well, which is not found with tubes made before.
Gain of 12B is appr 14x, 20A/20B is appr. 20x, and 30A is appr. 30x. Depending on the tube type, they can be used as driver tube, pre-Amp Output, Head Phone, or low output speaker amplifier.
A unique application is possible with 20B, called the OTA amplifier. Such a complete amplifier works only one tube: The 20B. Thus providing a speaker output, and a normal signal input. The method here, is to use an input transformer with voltage amplification if appr 4x. Together with the gain of 20x of the 20B, this provides the gain needed.
All of these applications are combining high signal level with high gain and low impedance at the same time.
As a driver tube, when using a Anode resistor, 20A an 20B can work with high voltage circuits for instance for an 845 tube, from a high power supply voltage of around 800 Volt. For supply voltages around 400Volt the use of an Anode choke is recommended to have sufficient Anode voltage remaining over the tube.
Some possible applications |
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ANODE TYPE |
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30A |
White Powdered | One single tube for the first stage and driver |
20A |
Mesh | Driver tube, or output tube |
20B |
Black Powdered | Driver tube, head phone, output tube, OTA (One Tube Amplifier) |
20B-V4 |
Black Powdered | Pre-Amp, driver tube, head phone, output tube. |
12B |
Black Powdered | Very good combination of medium gain, and higher speaker output signal possible. Yet also a perfect driver tube. |
Guarantee program for first owner.
At EML we have the normal guarantee. In addition to that, the first owner can register the tube within 4 weeks after receival, at the Emission Labs ® web site, to participate in the 5 years guarantee program.
Register here for the 5years guarantee
Features
-
Gold Plated Grid. (See Notes)
Soft rubber suspended tube base
-
Hard metal Construction (See Notes)
- Extra large getters
- Hand blown Glass bulb
- Anti-microphonic Anode- and grid suspension
- Tube printing with real gold (metal),red color is glass burned into the glass
- YAMAMOTO tube sockets highly recommended.
- Gold Plated pins,black ceramic socket.(White bottom.)
Sound Character of the EML 12B, 20A, 20B, 30A Series
20A/20B vs 30A
The 30A tube is just made for higher gain, and less gain of it's driver stage is needed. However output impedance of 30A is accordingly higher, and the design must be made with more care. Whereas the lower output impedance of the 20A /20B Series is generally easier to work with. (Here is a measurement, showing 60dB distance from 2nd to 3rd harmonics, using the 30A tube. This graph is for the tube + transformer together).
The new 20B-V4 tube
We recommend this tube for new designs, because it is upwards compatible to the classical 20B, but offers the advantage of the Cathode Tapped heater. By adding a Cathode Tap connection to the filament, we get a real cathode connection, for a simpler circuit, yet with better performance. This requires an socket with more than 5 electrical connections pins, so we choose for the Octal socket.
With the Balanced Heater, we enter a new field of applications. When biasing a DHT tube, there is no cathode to connect something to. The cathode connection must be artificially constructed, either by two resistors, or by a Cathode Tap on the heater transformer. Both these methods are a compromise to the signal path, and this compromise is now eliminated by the V4 version.
It must be said, the V4 is a beautiful tube, which fulfills the needs of designers, the best possible way. Link to Application Note AN-6 about balanced (Cathode Tapped) heater.
Recommended SE Output transformers
Specially designed by Per Lundhal for this EML tube !
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For EML20B with Speaker Output, use LL2735B When using an 1:4 input transformer you can even build a One-Tube-Amplifier (OTA). We have a programmable (1...4x) gain PCB for this purpose, using LL1544A. . |
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For 12B, 20A-Mesh or 20B, we recommend Lundahl inter stage LL2746. It can be used 1:1 or 1:2. With this 1:2 inter stage, and an additional 1:2 INPUT transformer this will be a one-tube driver system, for tubes like 300B, 45 or 2A3. Thus bringing down noise, hum, and distortion to an incredible low level as not possible otherwise. We have a programmable (1...4x) gain PCB for this purpose, using LL1544A |
Filament Ratings |
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Standard tube 12B, 20A, 20B, 30A 4Pin Socket (UX4) |
Cathode Tapped 20B-V4 8Pin Socket (Octal) |
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DC voltage recommended | = 5Volt |
= 2.5 - 0 - 2.5Volt |
Tolerance on filament voltage | 5% |
5% |
Filament Current | ~ 1,4Amp |
~ 1,4Amp |
Filament Current | ~ 1,4Amp |
~ 1,4Amp |
Maximum Time on Stand By (Heater voltage only) | 2hours |
2hours |
Filament Current | ~ 1,4Amp |
~ 1,4Amp |
Maximum Conditions(See Notes) |
EML
|
EML
|
EML
|
EML
|
Anode Voltage |
500V |
450V
|
550V
|
500V
|
Anode Current |
60mA
|
40mA
|
60mA
|
40mA
|
Continuous Anode Dissipation |
25Watt |
11Watt
|
25Watt
|
11Watt
|
Power Output in Class A |
6Watt
|
3,6Watt
|
5Watt
|
3Watt
|
Grid resistor |
below 470k
|
below 470k
|
below 470k
|
below 470k
|
Typical Data |
EML
|
EML
|
EML
|
EML
|
Anode Voltage |
390V
|
400V
|
420V
|
400V
|
Anode Current |
40mA
|
25mA
|
42mA
|
25mA
|
Anode Impedance (Rp) |
2k9
|
4k5
|
3k3
|
6k2
|
Amplification Factor |
13.5
|
22,5
|
20
|
32
|
Transconductance |
5.6 mA/V
|
5mA/V
|
5,9mA/V
|
5,2mA/V
|
Load Impedance (Ra) |
8..16k
|
12..20k
|
11...19k
|
19k
|
Control Grid Voltage (actual voltage may differ, depending on test data) |
-16V |
Recommended use |
EML-12B |
EML
|
EML-20B
|
EML-20B
|
EML-20B
|
EML-30A |
Anode Voltage | 390V |
380V
|
380V
|
420V
|
500V
|
400V
|
Anode Dissipation | 16Watt |
9 Watt
|
12Watt
|
18Watt
|
25Watt
|
9Watt
|
Anode Current | 40mA |
24mA
|
32mA
|
43mA
|
50mA
|
22mA
|
Control Grid Voltage. See Notes |
-16V |
-10
|
-9V
|
-7,5V
|
-10V
|
-3V
|
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30A Some operating points | |||||
Anode Voltage | Control Grid Voltage
|
Anode Current (mA) |
Trans-
|
Anode Rp (Ohm) |
Gain
|
300 |
-3 |
10 |
4.6 |
8k |
36 |
300 |
-2 |
15 |
5.3 |
6k6 |
35 |
300 |
-1 |
20 |
5.5 |
5k9 |
33 |
.
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360 |
-5 |
10 |
4.4 |
8k |
36 |
360 |
-3.8 |
15 |
5.1 |
6k9 |
35 |
360 |
-2.8 |
20 |
5.7 |
6k |
34 |
360 |
-2 |
25 |
6.2 |
5k6 |
34 |
360 |
-1.1 |
30 |
6.6 |
5k1 |
34 |
. |
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420 |
-6,7 |
10 |
4.3 |
8k5 |
36 |
420 |
-5.6 |
15 |
5.0 |
7k |
35 |
420 |
-4.6 |
20 |
5.5 |
6k |
33 |
. |
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480 |
-8.6 |
10 |
4.1 |
9k3 |
38 |
480 |
-7.5 |
15 |
4.9 |
7k2 |
35 |
480
|
-6.5 |
20 |
5.5 |
6k3 |
35 |
. |
- Hard-metals can be used in electron tubes, though these are more difficult to use, and more costly than the classical nickel. This ensures reproducible tube parameters, and long term stability.
- Individual Test data, such as: Matching Data, Grid Current, Vacuum, Filament Current, etc., are on the Certificate that is on the outside of the tube box. Each tube is numbered from the inside, with a metal Tag
- Plate Characteristics are made with the Sofia Digital Curve tracer.
- We are recommending the same values as Western Electric in their 1950 Data sheet.
- Some of our competitors claims to be the only one with a Center Tapped filament, but at EML we build since many years all tubes Cathode Tapped, not just this tube.
- Do not experiment with lower filament voltage, to expect better lifetime. If it was that easy, we would make the tubes like this ourselves. The specified filament voltage is the one for best lifetime.
- Gold Plated grids have a few advantages, such as increased bias stability, some protection against accidental overload, and better linearity of tube curves.
- With all DHT tubes, AC or DC heated operation makes the grid bias voltage shift with 1/2 the heater voltage. (With DC heating, the tube draws less current at the same grid voltage). With DHT tubes, AC heated curves can always be recognized, by the zero grid voltage line, going exactly through the crossing of the axis system (so at the zero Current point). From the same tube, DC or AC heated curves can always be made.