Mullard/RTC 5654 (6AK5W) Black Plate
The 5654-RT tube was produced by Philips in the '80s. This Mullard 6AK5W / 5654 tube has black plates with a large ventilation hole. Our stock was packaged by RTC for French military.
The 6J1 tube found in the Yaqin CD buffers and Little Dot headphone amps can be replaced with this premium 5654/6AK5 tube for superior performance.
Replaces 6AK5, EF95, 6J1, and 5654 tube types.Additional Information and Downloads
What does "NOS" mean, anyway?:
Commonly known as "NOS," the term New Old Stock simply refers to tubes that were made years ago but have never been used. Much like antiques, "NOS" tubes are currently not being manufactured and this means their supply is dwindling while the price continues to rise.
For most NOS tubes we have a variety of brands available. Typically these are the common brands such as RCA, Sylvania, GE, Raytheon, etc. However, there are instances where lesser known brands are in stock. If you have a particular brand you prefer you can simply request it in the Order Comment box when you place your order.
Warranty Information and Return Policy
Warranty Period: 3 monthsAll our tubes are guaranteed for 3 months from the date of purchase. (Any exceptions will be noted on that tube's Warranty tab)
If you receive a tube that does not perform to the manufacturer's specifications, please do the following:
- contact us to get a return authorization
- return it via regular mail within 90 days from when we shipped it, and we will provide an exchange or refund of the full purchase price of the tube.
Returns not related to warranty or defect will be considered at our discretion, and are subject to a 15% restocking fee.
We can not accept returns that don't have an authorization, are past 3 month, or are returned improperly.
These guidelines may be updated without notice.
Ratings & Reviews
4 reviews
Mullard/RTC 5654 / 6AK5W Black Plate | Musical and Superb
by MARK -
Superb. Open, spacious, rich and precise.
And that is plugging them in when they had current for about 2 minutes. Imagine what came after. Fill in your own positive adjectives, they will all apply.
Bought the MU-12AX7 to replace the tubes in an Amazon phono preamp with stock JAN-GE 5654W's in hopes of making the signal from an old iPhone through a good amp and speakers (all really good) less digital, compressed, and generally square wave, harsh and with no life. The pre improved things. Having used more than a few NOS Mullards (mil spec, like these) in guitar amps I made the not unreasonable assumption that these Mullards might be worth a try and greatly improve things. I was right. I am not au courant with all the nuances and convolutions of high-end audio but have very good ears.
Get these to treat your ears.
Mullard/RTC 5654 / 6AK5W Black Plate | An Excellent Pre-amp Tube for Metalheads
by Eric -
I decided to buy these MU-6AK5W-5654 and give them a whirl. I'm running these Mullards in a little pre-amp unit into a mini 100W class D amp / 2 channels. I'm using two JBL Stage A130s. I'm at 85 dB where I'm sitting at 50% volume, the sound is delicious. It's open and room-y with that vintage creamy sound. Very rich. I'm a doom metal guy, and these tube seem to handle the insane overdrive in the music just fine without any noticeable clipping. The bass level and bass roll-off are glorious.They beat the other tubes I have, which are Motorola and another variant of Amperex, and don't get me wrong, those are both fantastic tubes that drive very well.
Mullard/RTC 5654 / 6AK5W Black Plate | Top!!
by jaco61
One of the very best drivertubes; perfect match with LD1+ and Burson 5Vi
I like the MU-6AK5W-5654 more than Voskhods in this combo.
Good but there are better driver tubes
by Steven level
Bought these based on the description but was looking for a tube that can match the Siemens 6AK5W Blue Glass tubes I bought for my Little Dot MKII.
These are not bad tubes, however, I bought some Sylvania 6AK5W's for $10 that has better bass response than these RTC/Mullard Black Plate tubes.
Wish I could get the Blue Glass Siemens again but they seem impossible to find!