Flat Response Audio Speakers

A audio speaker that has a "flat" response is a audio speaker that usually reproduces sounds accurately. A audio speaker that doesn't have a "flat" response is said to "color" (distort) the sound it reproduces. Some people actually prefer certain forms of "coloring" over the sound of an accurate "reference" type audio speaker. Home theater center channel audio speakers often sound best if the midrange frequencies are slightly louder, this will tend to improve the on screen dialogue; others prefer a audio loudspeaker with louder lower frequencies (boom box type). Even so it's generally better to have the audio loudspeakers response as linear (flat) as possible and if more base or midrange is desired you may add the distortion with an equalizer or the tone controls on the amplifier.

This graph below is what a perfectly flat audio loudspeaker response chart would look like; it has the same amplitude (loudness) across every frequency. If nothing extra is added or removed (coloring) the audio loudspeaker will accurately reproduce the original sound.; so this is what most loudspeaker builders will aim for even though it's impossible to achieve.

With some knowledge and skill obtaining a response like the one below is about as good as it gets. A audio loudspeaker is considered linear (flat) if it stays within a range of about two dB's from highest to lowest. The frequencies outside of the blue lines have become too quiet and won't affect the overall sound of the audio loudspeaker so they are not considered within the audio loudspeakers frequency range.

Their are many variables that influence the amplitude / frequency response that a audio loudspeaker will produce; these variables include the choice of audio loudspeaker parts, type of enclosure, cabinet material, crossover network type, crossover slope, the materials / furniture in the room and the room's size and shape. To compensate for room acoustics an equalizer or the tone controls on the amplifier can be used to "color" the sound produced by the audio loudspeaker.

Network Attached Storage (NAS)

Network attached storage devices (NAS) are one of those things (like a smart phone or a computer) that once you have one and realize what you can do with them you will wonder how in the hell did you ever get along without one.

A NAS is basically a big hard drive that is on your local network which can be made accessible to any other device that are also on the network. You can use the NAS to store all your media such as your photo's and videos, back up yor computers, etc. And also because the NAS is on your network you can also stream your music and videos (movies) to your phones or computers as well as your AV receivers and TVs making it the hub of your entertainment center.

I use and recommend Synology NAS Stations because of Synology's reliability and also because of the free software that comes with the Synology NAS Stations. I have my 2 outdoor HD Cameras running on Synology's Surveillance Stations recording multiple video streams for 24 hours a day reliably for about 8 years now. I also use Synology's Download Manager for downloading and storing media files and the Synology Media Server extension for streaming the downloaded and other media to my TV's and other devices. You can also install Plex, itunes server, video and music station and hundreds of other applications.