I'm not a guru by any means, but my original setup was a Norton 4K/8K, plus a 12000 grit Chinese stone from a quarry in Guanxi province (sorry, can't remember where I got it). Norton sells a stone that enables you to create slurry (a milky watery-stone combination) on the 12K stone. I got a D8C made by the DMT company for lapping purposes. Lapping means making sure the surface of the stones stay flat after honing a razor.
Some months back I got some Shapton hones and I just fell in love with them. The set consists of a 500, 1K, 4K, 8K, and 16K. These are artificial stones rather than natural materials and I have been able to get more predictable results from them, which is what I think you are trying to ask about. You lap them after honing a razor like you do the natural stones.
It's hard to be more specific than that, because results are a function of the user's experience and the condition of the razor to be honed. Perhaps after my experience with the Shaptons I might get better results with my original setup.
I do think 12K and 16K are such fine grades that they probably do the same job.