How do you know what your weakest link is?

The weakest link is the one YOU think is the weakest link.

The Modwright  will give you a tube perspective(flavor) to your LP playback. Try it, you may like it. Many here do. Tube units subjectively sound more organic. You just put up with a little hiss during quiet passages and volume cranked. Units that incorporate FET's are quieter than all tube-Modwright is one of them. Most of the popular units are of this topology.

Once I went tube phono, no going back-unless it were the highest order of SS unit$. Ever notice how super high end SS sounds similar to tube gear?

had a dealer tell me there isn’t going to be a major step forward going from my $1500 Nova III to the Modwright 9.0/x. At double/triple the pricepoint from 9.0/x how can this be? Anyone else please feel free to help educate me."

The tube phono presentation will offer another perspective and the ears will tell you stay or go.

Maybe a decent "budget" tube stage can show you what the fuss is all about-https://www.analogplanet.com/content/hagerman-audios-tubey-quiet-trumpet-mc-phono-preamplifier


Mikey and others here say it’s good.

"very small 9 x 13 x 8 ft room"

near field should be like being between giant headphones with those Sopras. 
Just something else to try. YMMV
http://www.cardas.com/room_setup_calculators.php

Pulling the speakers out more, and even closer together along with your seat I imagine would less room interaction? 

"I'm almost sitting on them. 46" from front wall and 25" from side walls. Bass is slightly boomy, but bass traps eventually."

Yeah, you have a lot of speaker in that small room. 

"I've considered the Chinook, but I've seen many reports of noise, picking up fm signals and more selling them than keeping them."
The times I demoed one in my system, very quiet.

This looks interesting-
https://www.analogplanet.com/content/hagerman-audios-tubey-quiet-trumpet-mc-phono-preamplifier