My auditioning exposure is limited ... I've not listened to either Naim or Linn that I 'm aware of.
Recalling the thread where music reproduction was defined in a specific binary opposition - Flat Earth vs. Round Earth, and where these audio qualities were popularly associated with certain equipment design sensibilities behind it, ex., Naim & Linn as Flat Earthers ......
Keeping this logic in mind and using a ubiquitous reference of sorts, what would my 1st generation (and 3rd generation) iPod be classified under ... that is to say, if you had to place in one of the two aforementioned camps?
One more thing; can any one offer advice on the search feature for this site? I've been on the web since 1994 and have rarely encountered a search feature as inscrutable as Ecoustic's. I've pretty much abandoned ever trying to find anything with it. Ex., if I type in Flat Earth in the search entry space at the bottom of the audio forum page, I get a mix of pretty much everything but posts to that original Flat Earth thread ... it's always as if the search engine just kicks up a random mix of ANY sort of post from any topic but the one you want??? This goes for every topic and search I've ever done since using this site. Thanks for any tips.
Every iPod has had a different sound and generally the earlier ones sounded better than the later ones. That said I think the iPod is more flat earth than round, majoring on reasonably good timing and making things sound engaging.