Interests

Make my life interesting. Increase power and scope of imagination. Promote self-interest, for ME.
A goal: 'Circular wisdom': To educate and become educated in myriad fields, especially science and phil.

alphaman's main H-F goal ... Circularly educate w/bewildered herd in var. hi-fi topics/issues in order to (or cause to) select/develop better/more-cost-effective gear; etc, but only for my own benefit. If you also gain from such inefficient exchanges, consider that a stochastic coincidence. If that remark does not meet with your unimportant approval ... then ... "za hell vith you" [A. Schwarzenegger/Conan ]

Headphone Inventory

AKG 701; Sennheiser: IE8, 650 (with Cardas cable), 600, 580; beyer DT880, DT911, DT990; Grado HP-1, SR-80, 325is; Etymotic ER-4S; Shure E2C, SE530; EarSonics SM3v2; Stax SR-X/MK3（1975), Lambda Pro + SRM-1MK2; etc.
Fave cans (of the ones I've heard thus far):
IEM: IE8
Std.: bd DT880

Old sig:
james444 noted on 2011-06-30: "@alphaman, there's something about your posts that makes me all antsy inside..." alphaman's solutions: Use psychology /self-discipline to [bracket] me out. Use forum tools ... "Block Member" or "Report to Admin", etc. Don't Follow me around. Don't (cont.)

Headphone Amp Inventory

Headroom Little (w/'Premium' opa627 module ) + More Power Supply (modified); Meier Corda v2 (heavily modified); Xin SuperMacro IV (AD825); Pimeta2-based DIY w/AD825; PPA2-based DIY w/OPA627; Van Alstine FET-Valve pre-amp; Go-Vibe 4 (Low-Gain LM6172)

Source Inventory

--Portable--
Cowon iAudio X5, U3;Teclast T51; QLS-QA350v2; Colorfly CK4 (LO opa = AD8397)

--Computer-based--
Dell Inspiron 17 notebook (2010; Win 7); Dell 5100 Inspiron laptop (2003; Win XP); DIY PC with: modded Asus Xonar Essence XT or M-audio 24/96 sound cards, Asus motherboard, Antec Sonata case+ Ultra PSU, etc.

--Home/traditional--

Digital:
Musical Fidelity A324 DAC (heavily DIY-modified, with new direct-coupled output stage, indep. clock, etc). Pioneer DIY-modified Elite DV-59AVi Universal disc player; several classic Philips Red-Book CDPs -- all heavily modified -- these are my digital REFERENCE sources (yup ...after mods, they sound better than any 16/44 digital source I've head to date and SACD)

Analog/Lp:
VPI HW-19 w/Rega RB-300, Sumiko BP Special cart.

Other:
--Will update this inv. soon!--

Cable Inventory

DIY; Straight Wire; Cardas, Tara RSC

Power-Related Components

amp: AVA Hi-Fi Omega 260 amp; FET-Valve pre-amp.
main speaker.Paradigm Export Monitor Mk.2
Computer speakers: Cambridge Soundworks, Monsoon planar

Other Audio Equipment

Foobar 2000; EAC for ripping.
Extra PS filtration via cascaded devices: Chang Lightspeed ISO 6400 > APC UPS > TrippLite

Audio-Related Tweaks

With headphones, almost always use cross-feed when avail. in amp. And I almost always use external amp for music/video regardless of how HQ built-in amp may be (e.g., for DAPs with HQ headphone out (HO), I will still use Line Out (LO)). For audiobooks and non-music podcasts, HO is okay.

Some philosophy on evaluating gear:
Purchase = ultimate product/brand compliment. Why spew accolades after that? Criticize first; then praise.
Tools/Refs:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cognitive_biases
http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/

Music Preferences

Classical (generally fave genre)--fave style/period is orchestral early 20th century: esp.G. Mahler, S. Barber, W. Walton. Modern-late 20th: Henze, Penderecki, etc.
Film/Scores (Hans Zimmer, J. N.-Howard, John Wiliiams, Jerry Goldsmith, etc.)
"New Age" (e.g., Michael Stearns/Tangerine Dream/Vangelis)
"Pop/Rock" ('70s to modern, mostly UK)
Electronica/Techno/Psy/Dance/Disco ('70s to modern, mostly UK/"Euro", e.g., Way Out West; Orbital; Enigma, Delerium), Pitch Black, Solar Fields, Aes Dana, Vibrasphere
Some "big band" (e.g., Buddy Rich)

Gender

Male

Gear-Fi

Complete Signature:
james444 noted on 2011-06-30: "@alphaman, there's something about your posts that makes me all antsy inside..." alphaman's solutions: Use psychology /self-discipline to [bracket] me out. Use forum tools ... "Block Member" or "Report to Admin", etc. Don't Follow me around. Don't Subscribe to any of my threads. Already a fan? Unsubscribe. Post a diatribe Public Message on my Profile page. Speaking of which ... read my complete Profile before replying to any of my posts (unless I pose a direct question, of course) -- it is an education and compulsory cleansing for the unwashed mass.
Complete Signature rev 2:
If you're gullible enough to take any of the ^-above-^ or v-below-v content seriously, the psychopathology is yours.
Given all the great un-/under-read lit. & self-help texts out there, which YOU clearly need to study, you're actually reading this insignificant sig line, written by coprolite! Req. reading for unwashed mass ... i.e., YOU!)

Occupation

Live! Mucho inheritance $ + total non-addiction to socializing/pets/99.9% TV,movies/99.9% "music".