Peng, thank you for the input! I'd like to think I know what I'm doing with Audyssey. I've read in detail about it, followed the instructions using all 8 positions, pointing the mic up, keeping it away from the reflections off the back off the couch, etc. Basically it makes my speakers too bright and brittle sounding. It could be my 3 year old mic has had some high end roll off occur, so Audyssey XT is compensating. I don't know.
Here's the thing...if Audyssey would incorporate a cutoff frequency to STOP applying correction above a certain frequency, I'd be fine. Anthem does this, but Audyssey does not. Audyssey versions XT and below attempt to correct the minor variations "hair" in the high frequencies...which does more harm than good. XT32 does not operate in the same fashion as the other versions on the high frequencies. Which is why I want to chuck XT out the window on anything but the sub. I think XT32 could be an option, or a correction software with a cutoff frequency, i.e. Anthem's ARC.