I will have to agree. I think it looks the best in the first pic. I think your gonna have to prove us wrong and post more pics. The only way to really test this would be to have 2 bass feeding different foods. Cichla will continue to develop their colors and pattern for years. My orino's that were over 4 years old were still developing color and patterns. And yours should continue to get nicer as it ages. But....that is still a gorgeous broko.
It just looks like the fish now has less spangles, or they stand out less. In order to truly tell, we need a picture in the same place the first one was taken in to have an exact comparison. I do see the difference you are referring to in the pictures and I believe everyone else does. But I think it's natural for people to judge which one they like better. We're not bashing you or anything, just giving our opinions.
Lighting hasn't changed I run par38 led floodlights. I guess in the first pic he isn't under direct light and he is under direct light in the other picsLooks that the change in lighting has made this hard to tell.