twopecker,

It sounds like calibrating the center channel a few dB "hot" may be just the right thing for you. When you say "cranked up the center all the way possible," by how many dB was the center channel over-calibrated or "hot"? Also, how does music sound with the center channel left over-calibrated like that (both in the DPL II Music mode and in discrete 5.1 music programs)?