Just upgraded from the 1028be to the Sopra 2. The difference was not small. I was lucky in that I got a 9/10 used pair of the 2’s for $8k a couple of weeks ago (and sold my 1028’s for $4k). Not sure if the jump would have been worth it for a new pair’s current cost, but they were definitely a noticeable upgrade across the board.
I imagine the same would be true for the 1038/3 path.