All you guys are making me feel bad for the sheer number of saddles I have in my possession
Like mentioned by nearly everyone, it really is personal preference. It really seems to come down to two things in my mind:
A) panel management- some two panels are more easily managed than others and some adjust into easy comfort quicker than others
B) that extra webbing and where it lands. Personally I can’t stand the feeling of a piece of webbing directly across my hip. That’s why the two panel wasn’t for me. I have an XC and I got the opportunity to spend quite a bit of time in an archon, while I think both are pretty similar and built very well, I enjoyed the XC. It was probably the third or fourth most comfortable saddle I ever sat in. The archon while not uncomfortable put an insane amount of pressure in my back and when I adjusted the bridge to get it out of my back, it ended up putting the lower panel top strap right across my hip. The method I only spent about 20 minutes in and there was less back pressure but more side hip pressure for me. Buzzard roost had a pretty comfortable that I got to try. But it still required more moving around and adjusting for me than a pleated saddle ever has. We get these topics every month or so on here unfortunately though no one can tell you which saddle will fit your body type best. It’s very personalized. Best advice try more out at a local meet up before buying. And if you already love the XC, just stick with what you know works for you.