I’d take well fabricated aluminum over cheap carbon anyday
Thing is, that’s a meaningless statement in this context.
The OP is asking for feedback rather than just going on aesthetics (form, surely, not aesthetics anyway). You seem to be the one making assumptions 😉 I’m lucky enough to have ridden both a stache and the ‘cheap carbon’ frame in question.
Besides, “cheap carbon” is as meaningless as “aluminium frames” – as you’ve caveated, you need a well fabricated (and designed) aluminium frame to be worthwhile. No doubt there’s a wide range of “cheap carbon” so making an informed decision is key. Again that’s what the OP is working on.