And just to be clear, when I refer to RF magic, I'm referring to what is likely a practical arrangement to a seasoned RF guy, but magic to me

And to add a bit of positive here, the power measurements by the SA and the source output levels are spot on across the entire range.
The ability to copy channels, then simply drag them back on top of the original as a reference, with colors automatically assigned, AND to have reference amplitude control that is independent for that channel copy, is freaking wonderful. I should also mention that ALL colors can be changed within the THEME function, easily saved and easily defaulted back to standard.
The remote control interface was very well done and the ease of use of SCPI commands very helpful to semi-automate repetitive setups or tests.
Your last comment regarding your needs and the SVA1032 limitations hit home. The SVA1032 is a nice little unit but the VNA side is limited. OTOH, as I've mentioned, the SNA5000A was targeted (by me) to replace my venerable PNA. To me the PNA is still a gold standard but the SNA5000A probably does 80 to 90% of what it can do, and maybe another 10 to 20% of newer functions that the PNA can't. Couple it with a more modern interface and I think the SNA5000A is a winner in the VNA department. I'm keeping my big PSA though and the SVA1032 will handle most of my EMI / EMC compliance testing needs on its SA side. As I mentioned to you in a PM, the SVA1032 very closely matches the PNA on various channel measurements like Occupied Bandwidth, Channel Power and Adjacent Channel Power.