I think you somewhat provided an answer yourself. Of course one listens to the turntable, cartridge and cable combination through clean electronics and great speakers. But to measure a turntable, one can do the 'scientific measurements' such as speed accuracy, wow and flutter, spurious noise rejection, etc. But the sound comes from a cartridge and arm combination. So that means there should be a very accurate cartridge used to evaluate the turntable. Then you also need a test record that is highly accurate too. Maybe Stereophile does not have the test equipment to do a worthy job for turntable or cartridges.

If one want to measure a cartridge, it should be mounted on a sturdy fixture and the stylus tip moved in various known, repeatable directions at the right velocities by an accurate device, of which I know of none. This provides objective test information, and eliminates the need for a test record whose accuracy can be challenged.