I think that may be true recently. The 85/15s seem to have been well received. The 57/08s, the DGs... I think that's when PRS pickups elevated to a class all their own. Then the things he's doing with the 408s is truly innovative.
All my opinion of course. I know there are fans of the Dragons, Dragon IIs, HFS etc... but it's not the same.
I agree with the general perspective here. The first few generations of PRS pickups were not well received in the guitar community. Most were replaced with aftermarket winder's products. The HFS/Dragon versions were much better, but modern voiced and so they also had lovers and haters. Starting with the 245's and then dramatically with the 57/08's, the market's attitude wrt PRS pickups changed. Since the 57/08, PRS is seen to be making great pickups. However, the new ones are now making inroads into the Vintage camp. If you have an interest in the modern/high gain camp, the Dragons and the HFS set are still worthy pickup sets. I like both camps and love Dragon 1's and the 57/08's. I haven't yet tried the newest generation of pickups but I will.