I believe there is a difference. I never pasteurize my ciders. I do have naturally carbed cider some of which is fairly sweet. I also have jacked ciders which are carbed and quite sweet.
Iiiinteresting...I searched through the sticky and a lot of people said there was an improvement in flavor. I guess it depends on individual taste buds. I'm mostly curious about long term stale flavors....
I didn't notice any off-flavors in the Graf that I cooler pasteurized last year, and I finished the last bottles of that batch just before I bottled this years batch. So, I'd have to say "no problem".