Did you use the same stem on both the bike with the 72° HTA and the bike with the 73° HTA? Stem extension length will affect the steering feel as David Tollefson suggests.

Assuming all other factors were the same, with 700-25c wheels and tires the bike with the 72° HTA will have 7mm more trail than the bike with the 73° HTA (63mm vs 56mm). The bike with the 72° HTA and greater trail will have noticeably slower, more stable steering.