The return to sustained profitability and growth In November 2014 Linn announced its sixth continuous year of profitability with revenue also continuing to grow in five of the previous six years. The company had continued to allocate a significant percentage of its turnover to R&D throughout the previous eight years with the focus on the DS strategy of studio master quality audio delivered over the network, extended more latterly with the development of Exakt technology. All have combined to have a positive impact on turnover and profitability Partnerships During much of the 1970s and 1980s, Linn adopted a tight working relationship with Naim Audio. It all started in about 1974 when Linn was looking for suitable amplifiers to drive their Isobarik loudspeaker and came across Vereker's . Their product ranges were complementary, and their names were often mentioned together. Linn focused on the electromechanical parts while Naim worked exclusively on the electronics. During this time, the Linn/Naim system was a preferred combination for many audiophiles. The two companies advocated a 'source-first' philosophy based on the same principle as garbage in, garbage out – that an amplifier that correctly performed its role would only faithfully amplify a signal, but that all things being equal, a superior source component would allow the recorded music to better connect with the listener on an emotive level. It followed that a superior source signal paired with lesser amplification would sound better than an inferior source through high-quality amplification and speakers. This flew in the face of conventional wisdom that had been made prevalent by Edgar Villchur. In line with the philosophy of the comparative demonstration, the companies' dealers eschewed multi-speaker demonstrations with switched comparators to "single-speaker dem rooms". The two companies had almost the same sales and marketing strategy, and shared many of the same retailers/dealers. Since many of the principles the two companies subscribed to were thought to be heretical, or flying in the face of conventional wisdom, Linn/Naim aficionados were nicknamed "flat earthers" sometimes affectionately, sometimes derogatorily. The two companies diverged during the 1980s, at the dawn of digital audio. In 2002 Linn formed a brand partnership to supply audio systems to Aston Martin cars. Linn supplied amplification and loudspeaker systems for the Vanquish and DB9 models but three years later was replaced by Alpine Electronics, the previous supplier. Awards and recognition Ivor Tiefenbrun was awarded the MBE by HM Queen Elizabeth II