Was my friend given misinformation.

Way2 has a similar background to mine...initially and still an enthusiast/ hobbyist, but spent almost 5 decades in the industry making my living.  Big chains hire people and "train them up" but they rarely achieve the level of knowledge of a true enthusiast.  In the company I worked for most of my co-workers in the mid-70s into the 80's were all enthusiasts with a lot of passion for HiFi...later, not so much.  

Who would ever listen to a salesperson at Best Buy. in the first place?  

Integrated amps have come a long way.  I dream of owning a Luxman 509.  Integrated amps help clear the clutter and they help to make room inside an entertainment center.  All I care about is knowing what's inside the cabinet.  If I had an expensive turn table, I would switch gears and go with a rack and use a small LED light on an arm to spotlight to show it off.  If I had a $100,00 sound system, I might look at things differently.  I wonder at times how many of our members have systems costing more than that.  

If he hasn't heard your system & you're willing to invite him into your house, you could invite him over for a listen.  Otherwise, he's made his choice.  I wouldn't hassle him about what he bought (or seek his advice on audio gear).

You can still talk about music, though!

The way to go about it next time around is to do what Richard Dreyfuss did in the movie, Let It Ride. He plays this down on his luck gambler who loves the horses and on one lucky day, he simply can't go wrong. 

On one race, he asks dozens of people who their pick is, marking it off on his program over and over and when he's done, he sees that one horse was never picked, so he picks that one, and it wins. 

Life is, as they say, a crapshoot.

All the best,
Nonoise

I get all my purchasing advice from $13/hour retail clerks who live in their mom’s basement.