Hi mikej7.
To manage your postings with similar questions and to make it easier to follow and reference the information you provide and any questions you may have down the road, I’ll compile and move your postings into to the present thread but before doing this … I’ll wait a while longer just in case the shubox56 returns to answer your question.
Welcome to our Mattress Forum! 
You are at a good starting point with asking the right questions about the differences in feel of various materials. Along with Post #7 that describes the main differences in feel between Talalay and Dunlop Latex, but if you … like many other people looking for a new mattress are used to a spring or memory foam mattress I’d suggest that along with some “theory at a distance” you do some local testing to “compare and contrast” different foams and mattress types based on your needs and preferences. I’d also make sure to have a look at the differences between latex and other types of foam in Post #2 here for latex vs memory foam comparison and in Post #2 here which has some pros and cons of latex vs polyfoam.
As far as contradictory information goes… I wish that there were more people such as you that have a more balanced approach and tend to put two and two together and see behind the marketing talk. You are correct that there is a great deal of lack of relevant information and misleading “marketing speak” that does not provide all the knowledge that a consumer would need to have to make an informed choice in terms of the suitability of a product or to make meaningful quality/value comparisons with other mattresses, and while you seem to have done quite a bit of reading since you found our site just in case you missed something … the first place to start your research is the mattress shopping tutorial here which includes all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you make the best possible choice … and perhaps, more importantly, know how and why to avoid the worst ones.
Two of the most important links in the tutorial that I would especially make sure you’ve read are post #2 here which has more about the different ways to choose a suitable mattress (either locally or online) that is the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for and post #13 here which has more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability (how well you will sleep), durability (how long you will sleep well), and the overall value of a mattress compared to your other finalists based on all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you (including the price of course and the options you have available after a purchase if your choice doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for).
Good luck with your testing and search!
Phoenix