I think what you're describing is the effect of grain-reduction algorithms in software. They are common in lab scanning. They can really remove a lot of the detail from an image.
I stopped shooting and scanning negatives and switched to chromes because of the difficulty of reversing the film and getting the colors right during scanning and editing. Another advantage of chromes is that you can see immediately if you got the shot exposed right, just by looking at it. I often bracket when shooting medium-format 120 roll film. So it's easy to select the right one without even bothering to scan. I also like the color palettes of Velvia 50 chromes. Of course, chromes have their own issues like fewer stops, more contrast, and blowing the sky.
I've got two unopened boxes of Velvia 50 in 4x5 in my freezer, plus one opened. Since they stopped making it in large format, the resale value on eBay is $400-600 a box. Insane!
When I read the opening post I thought, finally a guy that's fussy about colour. I know I am, but obviously not nearly as much as OP.
Eagerly clicked on the blog and there were not many pictures, even less colour ones and then those few were... O.M.G. Seriously, and with all due respect, posting "observations" about general state of C-41 scans floating on the internets, erm... you are not there yet.
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