Digital BW, The Print

I've been given strong hints that some customers really don't think 
quadtone prints are equal to silver prints... even when they can't 
tell the difference with their own stinking eyes!  ...but, is the 
customer always right???  I don't really care, I'd rather make people 
happy...

so I decided to experiment with contact prints made from paper negs 
on my 1160 with MIS VM inks, Epson PQIJ paper ('cuz I had some) and 
Roark curves.  For some reason I decided to use a smooth gradient for 
my calibration instead of a step wedge... printed out a half sheet 
gradient from black to white using Roark UT11-N1 curve and was 
surprised how really rotten it looked.  My step wedges look almost as 
good as a Kodak target.  I proceeded to print out other sheets using 
all the other Roark curve for the 1160 on the Photo Quality paper, 
the originals and the new UT curves, and then printed some on EAM to 
make sure it wasn't the paper... nope, they all have multiple bands 
and reversals in them.

hmmm, now I know why only some photos will print really well with my 
setup... if I have any tonal transition through a bad tonal region it 
will just be plain wrong and there's nothing I can do about it.

Anyone ever compare different inksets and different printers to see 
which actually is best with respect to overall tonal rendition?  Is 
there a different inkset/workflow that will give a better tonal 
gradient?

...and are those customers really right that quadtone isn't as good 
as a traditional print?  From what I'm seeing I have to wonder...

Anyone making contact prints from quadtone paper negs?  Is it better 
or worse than from a color print?

thanks,

mark