Dan, obviously in some rooms Audyssey does not seem to improve things very much. Sounds like that applies to you. However, I can honestly say that Audyssey has always made a tremendous difference for me. Sure, I had to tweak things a bit and get my subs dialed in better. But, Audyssey is nothing else serves as an excellent starting point. Keep in mind, that I reside in a small apartment w/a highly reflective room coming in at 1,440 ft.^3. My MLP was only 8' from my front-stage. Furthermore, I only listen at moderate levels. Glad you are getting more to your liking. Congrats!
Cheers,
Phil