The other fluid worked better what ever it was in my opinion because it was saturated with wear particles. These wear particles helped the synchronizers work better, please remember all the gears in your transmission are always fully engaged regardless of what gear you are. It is the synchronizers that you are engaging and disengaging not the gears when you shift gears. If you want your transmission to shift perfectly try this, when you are shifting gears push in the clutch and pull it out of gear and into neutral, let out on the clutch while in neutral, push back in on the clutch and shift to the next gear, if it shifts smoothely then it is a synchronizer problem if not then it is a shift mechanism problem. This is referred to as double clutching like you did in the old days before synchronizers were around.
Some history with transmission fluid. I had a Miata (let the flames begin) and it was the worst crunchy shifting transmission I ever had and the 11 other miatas I test drove were all the same, it always amazed me on how everyone complimented its transmission shifting characteristics. In my effort to get it to shift better I tried RedLine, Royal Purple, Castrol (non-
synthetic), Honda ATF, Mazda fluid and Mobil 1. In the end the Castrol non-
synthetic appeared the be the least of all evils. Bottom line is no fluid will fix a problem it may alter the way it shifts while the fluid reachs operating temperature but once they all reach operating temperatures they all shifted identicle. Note even though the wear particles help the synchronizers they do not help the bearings or gears so there is give and take for everything. The TK 3550 I had in my cobra in no doubt was the smoothest shifting transmission I ever owned, it would crunch going into reverse it I did not shift to 3rd first but if I pushed in the clutch shifted to third and while holding the clutch in shifted immediately to reverse it would go in like butter.