Hey, I like that layout! Here is the quote from Barnhouse. "Round ports will flow more volume if the round port is straight and the CSA is constant. The minute that a turn occurs in a round port, the air will "glue in" harder against the bottom of the port turn and increase surface friction or drag. If this area is flatten out, the air will spread out, allowing more of the air to short cut the turn, thereby reducing boundary layer friction and increasing air flow through the turn."
How about this design. Use a round tube exhaust for the straight part and on any turns or bends use a flatter square wall for the turn in the exhaust. That would combine the best of both worlds. Would be interesting to flow bench the tubing on such a layout to see how the cfm is influenced.
Have you ever notice people post their exhaust valve flow data but I never see flow data for the same exhausting port with say the header or in my case the turbo plumbing attached. Yet the intake side is generally flowed with and without the intake manifold.