Just a thought..

For comparative purposes on the file front only, maybe not changing the gradient overlay would be a better 'test'?


And given that images are viewed across a wide spectrum of devices, hardware, software ... I wouldn't worry about the final product and presentation too too much.

I've seen some aberrations, but ... they seem to be few and far between. (I know, I know.. easy to say from this side of the artist's fence.)

I didn't think I could get away with posting the same image twice.
You could try saving a copy of each and converting them to black and white.
I'm not real happy with either of them - the originals are definitely sharper and smoother.