How is the TT mounted, there is room to improve the presentation from it and not too much money will be required if a DIY approach is tried.

Trialling a Few Platter Mat Materials will usually have a cost attached if a few loaned ones are not able to be arranged. Exchanges of Mats a can also produce one that can have a real impact in uplifting the SQ.

A Phonostage can be considered, a shop demonstration and home trial is worth trying to arrange, I don't suspect this will cost much money to achieve.

I really don't see how my $2,000 Yamaha running in pure direct mode with 200wpc is affecting the sound quality.  Who cares if it can do 13.2 I'm running it in 2.1 or 2.0.  I was thinking going emotiva xpa 3 for a power Amp for my fronts and then I'd be able to run a Dirac Live setup.  Still feel like my TT and cart are the weakest links

Upgrade path question with $2k to spend

I really don't see how my $2,000 Yamaha running in pure direct mode with 200wpc is affecting the sound quality.

The question then is this, Why do you want to spend $2k  to upgrade a sound system if all sound is equal? Do you really think the priorities for  movie dialog with a few explosions and music which covers 20-20Khz signal are the same? if you want HT then the Yammy is fine. But I've been down that route and it is not the path for good 2 channel. But its your $$ to do as you please

Need to get that Yamaha HT Amp out of the chain. 

2K you get a good used Hegel, 

....Who cares if it can do 13.2 I'm running it in 2.1 or 2.0.  I was thinking going emotiva xpa 3 for a power Amp for my fronts... 

Because a quality 2 channel rig for two grand sounds better than a mass market rig that has 13 amps with more than 6 times the components in it. Those components are going to be the cheapest ones available to keep the price down. Your loudspeakers would love a Rogue Sphinx V3. The Emotiva is the wrong choice for your loudspeakers, it will be dry and perhaps shrill.