Generally it is unwise to make purchasing decisions based upon such lists. They may be used as a rough guide, but that's it. There is no substitute for auditioning, and don't restrict your choices to only those listed in the magazines. Take what they say (and just as importantly, what's posted online) with a grain of salt.
Latest Stereophile - Recommended Components
I wonder if it's just me or have I missed something. I received the latest Stereophile that has the latest "Recommended Components" and it seemed like the number of amps listed is very short. In fact, there seems to be a heavy emphasis on listings for turntables and CD/DVD players and a number of speakers and that's about it.