Stereophile rankings are little more than marketing tools for the major audio manufacturers. It doesn't take much more than a decent product, and some advertising money spent in the right place, to achieve a Stereophile ranking. I have seen some real crap in the Class A lineup, and the Class C stuff, is like "Mid-Fi World". Every now and then, a good product will make it in(probably just to maintain the illusion of fairness). I would personally be more likely to steer away from anything on the Sterophile list, than to go out and buy something because it's on the list.
It's like the "Consumer Reports" of audio, except with ads. None of the great cars ever get listed in Consumer Reports, because that magazine is aimed at the masses. It's similar with Stereophile, except they take ads, and the rankings reflect that. You get the Toyotas and Lexus of audio ranked as the best in categories. Not that there is anything wrong with those, but they are not Ferrari or Bentley. If you truly want the best products, you must look outside the mainstream.
It's like the "Consumer Reports" of audio, except with ads. None of the great cars ever get listed in Consumer Reports, because that magazine is aimed at the masses. It's similar with Stereophile, except they take ads, and the rankings reflect that. You get the Toyotas and Lexus of audio ranked as the best in categories. Not that there is anything wrong with those, but they are not Ferrari or Bentley. If you truly want the best products, you must look outside the mainstream.