... it's hard to beat that "pop" of 3MK print. ...
I think for many subjects that is true. I've always wanted a 1.5 picoliter 24 inch wide Epson printer that would allow it at larger display sizes.
One reason I like the 3MK approach is that Eboni MK is incredibly neutral.
I think a second reason the 3MK works is that some very sharp "grain" in the image imparts a sense of sharpness beyond what is really there. We've known for years that a little film grain could do this. So can a little Eboni MK grain.
I've tried to get the best of both worlds -- BO v. smooth skies -- by using different blends of the dilute and MK inks. I sometimes run 2 profiles in QTR -- one Eb6 and one Eboni BO. With a 1.5 pl printer, a 50/50 profile mix with the sliders often makes a very good combination of the approaches. My 1400 now has the Noritsu (Claria) dyes in it, and I run 1/3 BO.
Paul