boyfriend is getting on my way

Listen to your boyfriend, but have him buy you the amp instead of you buying it. Then asked him, does it sound better honey?..:-)...then tell him how much you love him..

anyne familiar with the adage, "hook line and sinker"?

Does this guy live with you? Is he vested in the system or just a kibbitzer?
While it's true that this stuff does not all sound the same, there would be arguments about superiority even if it did.
If you are happy with your system, leave well enough alone.
But don't try to tell him what to wear.
By the way, I use Monster M1.4 cables between a new Rowland amp and old Goldmund speakers with no sense of loss. You know what you're doing.

What do your ears tell you? Not all people hear alike. What sounds better to him may not be any better to you. Feel free to tell b/f that you do not hear an improvement worthy of giving up a great warranty for if that is the case. And when comparing amps be sure both are broken in and warmed up. Try to equalize sound levels. Use the same recordings. Realize that different is not necessarily better. Try to verbalize the differences and ask if it is an important difference. Personally I prefer and own the Bryston for use in my system.

I generally (not always) find woman and men have different taste in what is good sound, so stick with what you like and trust your own ears.