The way that each sonar array accomplishes its task is significantly different, so there is no way of directly comparing them.
It's like comparing the a traditional dish radar, to a doppler radar, to the SPY-1 radar. They all use the priniciples of reflected energy, but the actual physics of how they accomplish that are very very different.
Given the lower washout speeds of the Hull/Conformal arrays are already modelled, I'm not sure that making their aparatures more narrow is correct, given that the primary deciding factor of their ability to pick up sounds are determined as much by their computers as their physical arrays.
Also, it's worth noting that in the Ehime Maru report, it is stated that only the sphere array station was manned, and that the public report wouldn't get into details such as the technical differences between sonar arrays on the specific platform, only make general statements about "sonars."
I'm not sure that 20 degrees in the least used array is really "sacrificing realism for gameplay" as the pay-off simply isn't that great.
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LW

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