My recording engineer had a pair of Onkyo GX-D90s connected to his personal Mac, and after listening to them I turned to him and said, "I want a pair of these speakers." Little did I know how frustrating it would be to try to find a pair. Onkyo discontinued manufacturing them, and google kept coming up empty time and time again.
In my search, I came across a site that allowed me to check the entire country for specific items on Craigslist, rather than be relegated to searching my local area only. (Seattle) It is called "allofcraigslist". After diligently searching CL listings from all over the country, allofcraigslist displayed an ad from a gentleman in Spokane who was selling the speakers, including box and manual. Of course I contacted him immediately and, price be damned, I soon had my pair of ONKYO GX-D90s. For what they were designed for, the speakers are outstanding. Good sound, and quality craftsmanship. Finally, finally I had the computer speakers I wanted for so long. Yes, in my search I looked into the Swan active desktop speakers, (the Mk IIs) but were more expensive and considerably larger than the Onkyos. I do have a pair of Swan bookshelf speakers in my stereo system, and though I was hesitant to order a pair of expensive speakers I had not auditioned, I was more than pleased with my purchase. Swan is not your ubiquitous speaker manufacturer, but incredible sound, craftsmanship and customer service.
As far as headphones are concerned, I am a professional singer/musician, and do session work for a variety of artists. Needless to say I have used many different headphones in recording studios over the years. My headphones of choice, both personally and professionally are the Sony MDR-7506. They accurately and faithfully reveal all the nuance and clarity of sound so necessary for a well mixed album project.
