Digital BW, The Print

I want to get into B&W digital prints in a big way and have been 
reading about RIPs and other printing software programs.  I've heard 
great things about Epson's R2400 printer and their ability to print 
rich neutral blacks with their K3 inks.

Can anyone give me any recommendations on whether it's worthwhile to 
get any one of these software programs - Bowhaus IJC/OPM, ImagePrint 
RIP, Quadtone RIP, or Qimage?  Pros and cons?  Advantages and 
disadvantages?  What's absolute best if cost was not an issue?

Does IJC/OPM require a densitometer to use properly?  If so, that 
drives up the cost of the solution over and above ImagePrint.