Whaat does Consumer Reports say?

would anyone in high end audio actually trust CR?

Actually, I'd trust it more than I'd trust any high-end magazine. CR compares products directly, side-by-side, and discusses both strengths and weaknesses. High-end audio reviews, by contrast, invariably read like advertising copy. CR's reader surveys produce good data on rate-of-repair records.

Granted, CR rates strictly mass-market gear, not the sort of things audiophiles would buy for their primary systems. But if I were looking for a cheap minisystem for a basement workshop or something, I'd definitely see what CR had to say about the category. Whereas if I were looking for a new preamp, I'd ignore TAS completely.

I don't know if it is still true, but the CU evaluator people used to be jacks of all trades. They might be doing tomato Katsup one month and audio receivers the next. For example, in one famous review they rated loudspeakers strictly according to flat frequency response, neglecting (or being ignorant of) other important characteristics. I also remember when they trashed a TV antenna that everyone else thought was the best. They assembled it incorrectly.
I think that their technical abilities have improved, but I still value their factual listings of features, and good and bad points, more than their overall recommendations.

Audiotomb: "would anyone in high end audio actually trust CR?"

Probably not, but nor would I trust any high end audio publication.

Besides, this is not a "high end audio" purchase for me anyway.

While I do not "trust" any publication, I consult many. CR has some strengths. You don't have to agree with their top picks, but they do collect and offer a lot of useful objective data in convenient tabular form.