Digital BW, The Print

First off, this is the first time I've posted here, so hello to 
everyone.  I'm just, finally, making the switch from film to digital, 
and an unexpected by-product of this shift is that I'm rediscovering 
my love of B&W in the digital domain.  This certainly seems to be a 
great group for me to check out, and I assure you all that I'll be 
doing a number of searches through the archives to pick up tips, so 
I'll attempt to avoid asking at least some of the questions that have 
been asked numerous times before.  Nonetheless, there's one question 
on my mind at the moment, and I thought I'd throw it out.

I've been reading the news about the upcoming Epson 4000, and I've 
read that it's supposed to acheive a DMax of 2.1 on glossy media and 
1.69 on matte media.  Though I'm no expert on this subject yet, I've 
read that the 2200/7600/9600, with the Ultrachromes, acheive a DMax 
of 2.0 on glossy media and 1.69 on matte.  Obviously, this suggests a 
higher DMax on glossy for the 4000.  And, considering that my 
upcoming foray into digital B&W will involve a search for the best 
DMax, I find this interesting.  (Though I don't know how a printer 
using the same inks/media is supposed to acheive a higher DMax on 
glossy media... maybe by mixing some Matte Black in with the Photo 
Black, since both inks will be available at once?)

Obviously, I don't expect anyone to predict for me if the 4000 is 
going to do better in this regard than the 2200/7600/9600, but I was 
wondering if I could get a little input on the results people are 
getting with the Ultrachromes or with inks they've substituted for 
the Ultrachromes.  I've read about the MIS inks and the Lyson inks, 
for example, and I'm trying to get a handle on what options provide 
the highest DMax and how those options compare with results I'm used 
to from the traditional, wet darkroom (though it's been a while since 
my B&W days).

What I really need to do, I'm sure, is attempt to find opportunities 
to actually look at people's work that uses different inks and 
media.  But, inasmuch as my decision to go digital is only a few 
weeks old, and considering that my renewed focus on B&W is only a few 
days old, I really find myself in need of some pointers in the right 
direction.  Like I said, really great DMax is going to be a big focus 
of mine.  Which I'm sure is not uncommon.  But, anyway, I'm just 
wondering if you folks are satisfied with the DMax you're getting 
right now and what combination of inks & media have given the best 
results for superior DMax.

I'm reluctant to admit my ignorance, but, though I used to get good 
results in the darkroom, and though I used zone system techniques in 
some of my B&W work, I don't really relate very well to DMax 
figures.  I'm afraid to say that I don't really know how figures of 
1.69 or 2.0 or 2.1 compare to the results I was getting, so they're 
really just abstract figures until I associate them with something 
visual.  Even if I did once know DMax values for the blacks in some 
of my old B&W prints, I'm afraid that knowledge has erroded over the 
years.

Anyway, sorry for rambling, and thanks for your patience.  I'm pretty 
excited about my 'rediscovery' of B&W, so I'm sure you'll see me here 
more, and I really must find the time to make my way through much of 
the group's archives.

Regards,

Mike