I have just updated the pictures. The M2 has been replaced with a new M5-Sig. Fortunately, the kits still fit the TV cabinet or its top ;-)
Astrostar59, I am very happy wit my "new used" M5-Sig. Let me say a couple of words about it. I bought a used M5 in the UK and then I have discussed with AN-UK what a reasonable upgrade of that unit is. The PSU was exchanged to the newest one (so the 70% is totally new). The second upgrade was to the Signature level. As to PQ there is a large gap between the standard M5 and M6. The M5-Sig is a smack between M5 and M6 - Peter's original words :-).
Hence, this used unit is more or less a new one, the new version with two different line stage tubes - 5687 & ECC82 (so I could use my favorite Telefunken ECC802S) and copper/silver wound output Tx.
I use Telefunken everywhere in my setup where possible. I prefer colder sound especially at rock. I would describe the current sound as not warm (I dont know where the border between warm and cold is) and very detailed. With Telefunken the sound gets an extra power and dynamics.
I can understand people that do not like the very detailed sound of the 300B. It took a lot of time to get the "sound of my taste". That was a "hard work" but very exciting (sometimes, I was depressed). During this phase of trying various tubes I got many different sounds. I have heard extreme details (pretty annoying) while the sound was not neutral enough. So I know how aggressive the music can be with not well matched set of tubes. There were still some instruments in the foreground (alternating guitar/piano/voice) and some in background (mostly percussions and cymbals, sometimes bass).
But the final result is absolutely amazing. I love the clear, wide and dynamic sound I currently do have (I havent heard such kind of reproducing bass, drums and percussions ever before pretty close to live performance). All instruments are very natural and juicy.
I enjoy listening to my old hard rock CD's finally (I like when hard rock sounds a bit aggressive). I haven't found any CD so far that sounds bad (including bad recordings)!
I cannot find any actual weakness at the moment.
But
I am playing with the idea of upgrading the output Tx in the Conquests to double C-core ones...
I do not want to change the character of the sound - I don't want to throw away all the hours already invested. But I feel it still can go better (especially at very complex tracks) with even more clearness and even more controlled bass.
I think the only possible way to do an upgrade without changing the entire character of sound is upgrading Conquest to Conquest-Silver or Silver-Signature (or just replacing the output Tx??). Eventually, a CDT2 -> CDT3 upgrade comes into consideration as well...
Can anybody share his own experience with such an upgrade?
What is the subject matter of the Conquest to Conquest-Silver upgrade is it only a new output transformer or anything else too?
How the sound character is affected/enhanced by the Silver to Silver-Signature upgrade?
Thanks in advance
PS: I was told that exchanging speakers to the AN-E is a significant upgrade - but not yet, maybe later.