I would like some advice regarding upgrade routes and problem solving...

I am presently running a 950 driven by Rotel 5x120w amp, an LMF-1 compact sub and Monitor Audio GS-20 speakers. My interconnects and speaker wire are from BlueJeansCable (Belden)

The room is a carpeted rectangular living room 14x20', with ideal lengthwise placement of couch and speakers. The sub is on the sidewall 2/3 way back from the mains.

I primarily listen to music via HTPC (digital interconnect via Lossless WMA). I have a 50" plasma mounted on the wall. The floor standing speakers are 8' apart and 14' from the couch. They sit slightly toed in and 6" from the wall.

While the sound is quite pleasing, I have been battling overall boomy bass issues and striking the right balance between audio vs. movie settings (e.g., movie surround is either too loud/soft or not subtle enough during dialog). I have done the best I can to manually calibrate the system with a sound meter and have endlessly tried combinations of cross-over threshold, speaker settings (lg vs. sm) and volume control on the sub. I think some of the problem is related to having the speakers so close to the wall, but speaker/sub placement is one thing not negotiable with the wife and 2 year old.

So my questions:
1) Will upgrading to the 990 help out with its auto calibration functionality?

2) Would the Velodyne SMS-1 be a better alternative to address the bass issues, or is there a better 3rd party EQ tool on the market?

3) Is there enough discerning audio improvements between the 950 and the 990 for critical music listening to merit the outlay of money?

4) Should I just hire a certified audio engineer to come and assist with the tuning?

Thanks for your thoughts!