Stereophile has consistently exaggerated wildly the acoustic properties of the LS50. This is just one manifestation of a particularly regrettable and much larger trend.
I haven't heard this particular speaker, but as for trends, yes, absolutely.
I've seen them praise horrible speakers and belittle otherwise very good speakers, and fail to be critical of some when (in my mind) they should have been.
Kal is about the only author there whose opinion I bother with anymore, at all. The rest is good for measurements, which as we know, only tell a partial picture, but at least it's not subjective.
Being an iconoclast, and frugal can keep you out of any traps. Develop your own sense of listening. Find out who you are and what you want as an audiophile so you can feel comfortable ignoring taste-makers and trend setters.
Best,
E