The main challenge of Chinese rubbers for a lot of people is how to contact or brush the ball. The tackiness helps a lot in looping but it needs skills and with skills are rewards for your correct shots.
The newer esn sponge right now seem not to soften much with boosting unless it is not less than 3 to 4 layers of boosting and that depends also on the booster being used.
It takes more skills to attack using short pips since you have to hit it at peak or on the rise timing whole with looping using inverted you can even wait for it to come down.