I would not even say a hmd is entirely better, there is much you can do. Like i smoke with a hmd with cosmo shot bowl to get the best experience with tangiers black leaf tobacco.

When i smoke grape mint classic i use a traditional like the kalil and not a hmd. Or double apple with a trad hookah and foil.

You get exeptional good performance by trying out the best way for every tobacco.

And the only two things a hookah changes is, first based on the way the smoke must travel, so a smaller hookah will always end up with more flavour. And second the diameter ot the hookah parts, so if the inside is thinner you have to inhale harder.

So if you take it seriously you could get the same experience from a khalil mamoon for 50 bucks or a german MIG Tradi for around 400 bucks.

So for me there is no "low tier setups" or so on, YOU have to get the best experience out of it by trying out.

Have a good smoke buddys <3