i have a rhea, that had the stock tubes in it. i replaced them with a set put together by jim mcshane.
much livelier sound, still new production tubes, jim just mixed and matched brands for the different stages in the pre. i'm happier with the sonics of the new tubes over the stock set.
one thing to be aware of with the rhea. completely power down and let the unit sit idle for at least 20 minutes before pulling a tube. if the caps aren't discharged when you pull a tube, you risk damage to the circuit.
much livelier sound, still new production tubes, jim just mixed and matched brands for the different stages in the pre. i'm happier with the sonics of the new tubes over the stock set.
one thing to be aware of with the rhea. completely power down and let the unit sit idle for at least 20 minutes before pulling a tube. if the caps aren't discharged when you pull a tube, you risk damage to the circuit.