Thanks a lot BB!  Man, do I feel like a dummy...  I had read about the gamma correction for Pro users in this thread as well as the documentation for VSS, and yet I completely forgot about it when I rendered the image.  It does make a huge difference, see attached example...  different textures, but the coloring is SO much better.  It was rendered at much lower settings, but still looks more realistic without the gamma correction overdose. (Straight render, no alterations whatsoever.)

Now I'm gonna have to go back and fix the other one. :P

Thanks again for pointing that out!