I've suspected this. Printer Manages Color purposesly differs..

[Doug Gray]

Todd Schneider, a regional Epson field engineer, states that letting the printer manage color is designed to produce "pleasing" prints. Using Photoshop Manages color is designed to produce more "accurate" color. He describes the Printer Manages Color process as producing more contrast and slightly warmer prints.

I've long suspected this but a verification from a field engineer? Well OK then.

I do notice this effect very slightly in the Epson 9800 but it is much more accentuated in the Canon 9500 II. Perhaps the newer Epson printers are doing more of this in response to Canon.

check this out around minute 14:00. He goes into it a bit more around 1:04:00.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxxqN_5mNo0&app=desktop

[Farmer]

Well, it can do that, but it depends on what options you choose in the printer driver.  It doesn't necessarily make things more "pleasing" or "punchier".