Yes I like that. I immediately thought I took to the Marantz 7200 as warmer than the Denon, but it could be a million different reasons. It’s definitely more dynamic first of all (and despite being roughly the same “level” price wise, from what I gather it was the 7200 price back in the day) it’s a much better amp. And maybe, as you say, just works better with my setup.I don't give much credence to whether an amp is neutral, smooth or warm. It's how it fits into the rest of your system and room acoustics.
My Leema, if you read the reviews, is a neutral amp, yet to me it sounds cozy, but does have punch in the LFs rather than deepest bass. This is why we all say a demo is a must.
On demos, I have long felt that, unless you can demo at home, not much point. Unless a shop or seller has the exact same setup and similar acoustics… For example I demoed my Focal Aria in store and was a bit nonplussed - went for them anyway as they were the only front ported ones (as they initially were against the wall) and absolutely loved them at home.