A differential amplifier composed of an emitter-coupled pair is useful as an example in lecture presentations and laboratory experiments in electronic circuit analysis courses. However, in an active circuit with zero input load V[subscript id], both laboratory measurements and PSPICE and LTspice simulation results for the output voltage V[subscript o] are considerably lower than one base emitter unit V[subscript BE(on)] below the supply voltage V[subscript CC], as predicted by a textbook derivation. Modification of the derivation to include the p-n-p transistor base currents and the current gain beta[subscript P] and the supply voltage and specifications for the four transistors provide equations that predict results for V[subscript o] that are consistent with laboratory experience and computer simulations. The output voltage is in excess of three V[subscript BE(on)] units below V[subscript CC] when beta[subscript P] is 50. At larger values for beta[subscript P], V[subscript o] is increased by a factor proportional to 1/beta[subscript P], reaching one V[subscript BE(on)] unit below V[subscript CC] as beta[subscript P] approaches infinity. Larger values for V[subscript CC] cause an additional modest difference between V[subscript CC] and V[subscript o] at low values for beta[subscript P]. The derived equations and LTspice values are used to develop an empirical equation that predicts output voltages for the given Early voltages. The technique is adaptable to student data evaluation assignments. The computer simulations also showed that increased supply voltage results in increased gain for a given input value for V[subscript id], while larger values for beta[subscript P] result in a modest increase in gain at all values of V[subscript CC]. (Contains 5 tables and 6 figures.)