Deepthroat is definately a different experience coupled with the tongue on the bottom of the base, always enjoyed deepthroat but it depends on the girl as many girls I come across they start to gag once you push in too far, while some have taken the liberty to get used to it. I once was with an european escort and she uses numbing spray on the back of her throat and that she can go all the way and she told me that the porn industry uses them alot and that is why you can see them taking it naturally though you'll still feel some gag but not as much. Google it and you'll find this is true.
Again I always enjoyed blowjobs without hands. Just mouth and head actions.
I am in exact same camp as you.
I live in a country where cute, eager Asian working girls are cheap and plentiful. I became a bj connoisseur when I moved here 3 years ago and have easily had over 100 different girls since (not bragging.. but kinda bragging).
I've had a few of the more seasoned and 'talented' ladies tell me the same thing.
I'd noticed that a couple dropped by the bathroom prior to beginning the act if they knew I wanted DT, and they also happened to be the same ones that performed the best.
I started asking a few what the deal was and they all revealed the same secret - numbing spray.. so I believe you 100% that it would be widely used in the porn industry.
Also probably explains why I've noted that a lot of younger girls tend to gag and lack depth, as they likely haven't learnt the tricks yet.
All that being said there are natural talents, like in any sport. I once had a massage from a chubby girl in Bangkok, 19-20 years old, cute face.
Massage led to BJ, I said I wanted to see how deep she could go, she was unsure, said she never tried, and then gracefully slid all the way down so so her lips were at the base, then kept pushing into me, nose digging into balls, lips smooshed around the base, making my foreskin slide down while inside her throat.
Maybe the best 'unassisted' performance I've had, unparalleled depth, no gagging and by the end she had ramped up to a speed of about 1.5 head bounces per second.
They are out there brothers! But I agree many in porn are using artificial assistance.