mission critical speaker setup for PC

[quanttrade99z]

Hello

I have an unusual question for you all.

I am running a stock trading business which is dependent on an audio alarm (i.e. the computer monitors prices and then plays a sound if certain triggers are hit).

I?ve been upgrading my equipment and trying to make everything as solid as possible, crashes etc can result in big financial losses (or lost profits).

My last ?problem? is that I am worried about a failure in the external speakers themselves. i.e. the computer triggers the alarm, plays the alarm sound, but the speaker is dead so no alarm sounds.

I know this sounds a bit ridiculous, but it my problem. If the speakers crash, by the time I notice they are no longer working the damage will already be done...

Besides for running two entirely separate computers, can you offer me some advice about how to reduce risk of speaker failure?

Can I set up two separate speaker systems on the same computer? How to do this?
Do I need to buy some kind of receiver and then plug multiple speakers into it? Then I have the risk of receiver crashing?

Which kind of speakers do you think are the least likely to crash?

(note: assuming I don't need to be frugal and have an unlimited budget for this)
Thanks for your help!
Quanttrade99z

 

[Nohr]

You could use a 1/8" Y-adapter on your sound card output and just hook up two sets of computer speakers. But then what if your sound card dies! :Q

Have you had an issue with your speakers dying in the past or something? It's not terribly common.

 

[Obsoleet]

sounds like two separate computers is the best choice, and will be cheaper in the end. because as nohr said the sound card could die ect ect ect

 

[Riverhound777]

As for speakers I've had my Klipsch Promedia's for 8+ years still going strong. Only piece of equipment that I've had that long, and I have no plans to replace them any time soon. Great investment.

 

[FeuerFrei]

I would label the speakers as the "least likely to fail" components of the setup. The fact that you are playing the sound over 2 speakers makes some redundancy. But you need more redundancy.
Have another person monitor the same data over a second connection/computer.
Plus maybe a generator for power failure episodes.

 

[kalrith]

Originally posted by: Riverhound777
As for speakers I've had my Klipsch Promedia's for 8+ years still going strong. Only piece of equipment that I've had that long, and I have no plans to replace them any time soon. Great investment.

Same here. I bought them May 2000. My volume knob is giving me some problems. I think I'm going to buy a receiver and a 5th speaker so that I can have 5.1 surround sound and have a better connection from my DVR to the speakers.

I agree that a second computer is the best choice. The hard drive, sound card, cpu, OS, etc. are more likely to have problems than the speakers. Also, be certain to use a battery backup (probably a separate one on a separate circuit for each computer) and possibly a generator as FeuerFrei suggested.

 

[Riverhound777]

Originally posted by: kalrith

Originally posted by: Riverhound777
As for speakers I've had my Klipsch Promedia's for 8+ years still going strong. Only piece of equipment that I've had that long, and I have no plans to replace them any time soon. Great investment.

Same here. I bought them May 2000. My volume knob is giving me some problems. I think I'm going to buy a receiver and a 5th speaker so that I can have 5.1 surround sound and have a better connection from my DVR to the speakers.

I had a problem with my volume knob as well. I replaced the pod after spilling soda on it a few years ago with a new one. Works better than ever and has head-phone and input jack on the pod now.

 

[Tiamat]

speakers are the least of your worries. Important things like power supplies, cooling fans, and harddrives are far more likely to fail (and they do).

 

[zzuupp]

I agree that the speakers themselves are the least of the worries. If it's truly critical, then:
--2 sets as already said
----No volume controls so that no one can turn them off
----mount one set high up to avoid coffee/soda/whatever random beverage spills
----wired inside conduit to protect the cables
----solder or somehow lock the connections to prevent accidental unplugging

 

[alcoholbob]

Oh man and I thought this would be a thread for Mission Critical, the computer game from the early 90s, lol.

 

[sdifox]

Describe the setup a bit more. Where are you when you are not sitting in front of the screen? Chance of speaker going out is a lot lower than your computer going out. You could setup a beep that happens every x seconds that way you can hear this rhythmic beep and if you don't hear it, something is wrong.

Truthfully, the speakers are the least of your worries.