I'm a Consumer Reports sort of guy. Is there a pla

Another brand that pays a lot of attention to reliability and sound engineering is Music Reference. Their owner/designer Roger Modjeski sounds off frequently about the compromised reliability and poor design he sees in audio products.

Try HIFI Critic. They accept no adverts. I have a scrip; it's spendy but no ads and zero bias. 

Start one now good luck!!

I seriously doubt that Consumer Reports reviews any high end gear, although it's been a while since I've cared about those guys (my toaster works fine). Forums like these are generally a better source I suppose but often it's the fails that get noticed and that can skew the perception of what's reliable. I am amazed after decades of gear use and abuse that pretty much everything works so well…I've had reliability issues only a few times with any of the various hifi and pro gear things I've used, and when I've checked with other owners of the same items I find I'm often the only one with issues with a particular piece of gear. If crappy service is noticed by an owner it often gets some space around here big time, and that should help provide some direction toward better built gear.

I wouldn't trust Consumer Reports for a car review let alone high end equipment review. Car aficionados and a mechanic you trust would be my choice for a proper car review. That, and using the seat of your own pants.

The same can be said for high end audio. Forums like these go a long way to educate, along with some review sites out there. It shouldn't be that hard to sort it all out. Pick out any piece of gear you're interested in and research it until you're sure about it. There's really no short cuts here.

All the best,
Nonoise