I would also recommend the MX-500. See some of the other threads on remotes in this forum. If you're on a budget, the One for all remote with JP-1 interface is an inexpensive (about $40 altogether) which can be programmed with your computer to customize all the buttons. The drawback with this is that you have to remember newly programmed functions on the remote. A big advantage with the MX-500 is the editable LCD display so you can make up your own (hopefully intuitive) labels for the buttons.

As for your 'repressed' sound, you do have a subwoofer don't you? I didn't see one listed in your equipment list. I suspect you've set up the 950 appropriately for your speaker setup, but just checking. If you're using analog bypass, there's a quirk with the 950 where you only get stereo output if you last were in a 2 channel configuration. This also affects calibration of the whole system, so you first have to be in a multichannel configuration first in order to calibrate and to listen to an analog 5/6 channel (like SACD or DVD-A). This really threw me at first on James Taylor's SACD where in 2 channel mode he sounded like he was singing from the bottom of a deep well.

As for calibrating with an ohm meter I don't think it would be very practical, even if possible. If you don't have one, definitely get yourself a Radio Shack SPL meter and use that to calibrate your system.