I used to fly a mix of old and new 320s. The old ones had spongy pedals with no apparent effect when you pushed them a little and suddenly becoming grabby if you pushed more.
The new ones had smooth, linear response.
Both had the same carbon brakes, so I think it's not a matter of brake type, but rather the brake control system.
Also - weight matters too. A lightly loaded a/c has a tendency to be more grabby than one near MTOW - inertia smooths things out