If they are so much better and cost the same whay do the manufacturers continue to make inferior products?,
Maybe you should ask those manufacturers that question. I for one would not be among them.
Ive done a similar A/B blind test with 8 AWG air cores & foils running on my electra clones,
No one makes 8 gauge foil inductors that I know of. 12 gauge is the largest produced by Alpha Core.
You may have been noticing a difference due to lower DCR or just a difference that was one that you preferred, and not necessarily a better or worse scenario.
Bass response in particular will be up a little more in output due to the lower DCR, 8 gauge wire.
The comparisons that I have made have been more even comparisons.