Those are both nice. I don't have honed granite, but I do have leathered quartzite and I love it.

[There's been discussions on Houzz about pros & cons to honed granite. You can see one here.[(https://www.houzz.com/discussions/what-are-the-pros-and-cons-of-honed-granite-countertops-dsvw-vd~461435)

I have honed absolute black in a half bathroom and I hate it. If I don't wipe every time water drips on the surface, a (temporary) water mark is left when it dries. Thankfully it's a small counter. I have sealed it several times and the problem still occurs. I chose caesarstone (quartz) in another bathroom and love it. In the third bathroom I used a slightly less expensive quartz and regretted it. It's not as beautiful as caesarstone. I'm not a company rep, btw.

smileyface, absolute black granite has too dense of a grain to be sealed. and yes i agree with your results, i have it for the kitchen island and if i dont fluff/buff with a microfiber cloth after sponge wiping, every sponge mark shoes. its not so bad for the kitchen; the island rarely gets wet other than when i'm making dinner, and after dinner i wipe and buff. in a bathroom it would be tedious indeed.

I have heard many stories about absolute black being challenging, but my very dark (nearly black) quartzite is a dream - no spots ever. Also haven't heard bad reviews of various dark granites (e.g., antique brown).