Was upgrading your grow light actually worth the money?

After about three years running a cheap blurple panel, my wife finally stopped rolling her eyes long enough to let me justify a real light upgrade. Went with a proper quantum board setup last fall, and honestly the difference in canopy penetration alone was noticeable within the first few weeks. Buds on lower branches that used to be airy little popcorn things actually developed some weight this time around.

But i'm curious if others had the same experience, or if I'm just telling myself a story because I spent the money. Like, is it the light, or did I also just get better at growing over three years? Hard to run a clean comparison when you're only doing 2-3 plants at a time in a 3x3.

For anyone who made a similar jump, did you notice it most in yield, bud density, or trichome development? And was there a wattage or brand range where you felt like you hit the sweet spot without going full commercial grower on a hobbyist budget?