Was the upgrade from 2.2 to Sensation a clear and noticeable jump on your 'phones?
Yes it was, but I think the differences were largely due to the fact that the Sensation has the Sonicaps with Platinum bypass whereas the 2.2 has the Auricaps which have a warmer SQ that is a bit less detailed. I preferred the Sensation with the tube buffer active, as I can listen without fatigue. Without the buffer active, the level of detail was sometimes more than I preferred with some types of music.
I think with the same brand of caps in both, the sound would be nearly the same. Whether the same differences would be noticeable with speakers, I couldn't say, as I have only used both with my balanced phones.
Ron