rhea better with high or low output MC?

Ebay is a crap shoot but I do have a tester and I wouldn't recommend anyone buy tubes without one. You're also correct that experience helps. I consistently look for tubes from vendors who have test results that are similar to mine. Certainly buying from a known, well respected tube seller is the best option for those without a tester.

I had a Benz Ebony H and it is one helluva cartridge... Seriously recommended.

Viiu, I have to disagree with your advice to a relative novice regarding buying tubes on eBay. eBay is a quagmire when it comes to tube buying. I have been ripped off more often than not, and I have stopped using eBay as a source. Perhaps you have knowledge and experience regarding the sellers that allows you to pick and choose, but I would advise this poster to pay a few extra bucks and buy tubes from a well known, well liked vendor.

Rolling tubes in the Rhea is difficult without a tester. I tried for a few months without much luck and finally bought a VTV. Since then no problems.

V1 & V2 should be treated as a unit. You can't assume they are matched pairs because only the sum of the gain in V1 & V2 has to match across channels. Unless you know what's in your Rhea or you have access to a tester, you may have more luck by replacing all four tubes with matched pairs. With a tester you can save some money by matching pairs to pairs.

For example V1L may test at 100/90 and V2L may test at 90/100 giving you about 190/190 as the total for the left channel. These would match with two tubes that each test at 95/95 (or one at 97/97 and the other at 93/93) in V1R and V2R. Tubes from the factory will often measure this way so that's why you may have difficulty rolling just a pair.

V3 and V4 are usually matched pairs but sometimes a slight channel mismatch in V1/V2 can be corrected by putting in V3, tubes that display a mismatch in the other channel.

V5 are the easiest tubes to roll because they're only used for output and provide no gain. These tubes do not have to be matched, just quiet.

I prefer the Philips (including Heerlen, Mullard Blackburn and Valvo Hamburg) longplates for V1 & V2. They only made these tubes until 1959 so they're rare and expensive. If you can afford to put them in V3 even better but good shortplates will do in V3 and V4. Again I like the Philips 7308 in V5.

Telefunkens sound almost as sweet to me and I can understand why others may prefer them. As Telefunken never made shortplates (I may be mistaken), they are easier to find.

It may cost you $1500 or more you get a full set of QUIET, NON MICROPHONIC matched tubes from a dealer for all five stages in Philips and perhaps slightly less for Telefunken. These tubes will make your Rhea sing.

I do most of my tube buying on ebay now but you can find good deals right here on audiogon from time to time. Ebay's hit and miss but I think that I'm ahead as compared to buying from a dealer.

Thanks for your comments.
Thsalmon, I'm amazed that your .2 MC with the rhea at highest gain has no noise with stock tubes. That's good to hear. I had thought that rhea owners were rolling tubes of different varieties to try to minimize the noise factor.
Also good to hear as I'm using the same pre as you.
Viuu, you seem to have had some different tubes in V1 and V2 with a low output MC. What would you recommend if I go the low MC route?
fmj

The Rhea isn't inherently noisy but it does require quality quiet tubes to show off. The factory supplied Sovek 12AXLPS are not a bad tube. They test them by ear at the factory.

With a low output cartridge the tubes will need to be better quality in V1 & V2 than with a high output where V3 will likely be providing the most gain. The low outputs are sweeter with the right tubes.

I love my Rhea, and have used it without any noise problems with 0.2 mV low output coils. I think the "noise" problem with the Rhea happens when you try to roll the tubes. The Rhea runs them pretty hard, and it is best to stay with the stock tubes. Mine is dead quiet with the maximal gain settings. I've found the Rhea to work very well with the ARC Ref 3.

i have used my rhea with super low and medium low output cart. my current is a shelter 7000 the super lows ie dynavector karat etc. are a little noisy but the sound is great. You only really hear the super low noise between tracks. does not benz make the ebony in a medium low? Love the rhea- and I love the shelter its my fave so far through my cartridge journey!