I don't see the argument for one being faster? It seems like I'm scheduling 10 soon to be 12 weeks for flower. I like hydrotons more so, lot easier for reusing at least IMHO. Plus when you layered the top with them, they look so good! In fact I really don't like messing with perlite, so chow mix or whatever you want to call it.
I did hempy's in 5 gallon buckets, get a small bag of hydrotons or whatever brand they have an try it out. Not that expensive an you just use it like the perlite, a layer of it on the bottom an layer the top with a few inches an see for yourself. I think it has more to do with how you water the medium, I either hand water or drip to waste, but I'm thinking of going to a recirculating drip, which then I would simply drop the coco. Yet if you drain to waste I like hydrotons over perlite, just feed often as you can.
I use it. We harvested room with both hydroton and perlite and the hydroton seemed to have more roots. Didn't really keep track of yield cause they were all spread out.