People actually do take these ratings seriously. I sold a amp yesterday in 10 minutes after advertising it. The guy who bought it mentioned the Stereophile list in our phone conversation. It was not the only reason but did somewhat help me sell the amp.
Stereophile's 2021 products of the year
And wow! Schiit Audio 20w Class-A Aegir stereo poweramp made it into the A rating.
https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/stereophile-s-2012-products-of-the-year
Cheers George