"...I found that with the internal baffle (unecessary imo) and the way the hood was constructed, if you sinched everything up you had a several pieces of shock cord and numerous toggles in your face..."
I'm a big fan of my Golden Eagle and it is the internal baffle that I find most useful, it allows me to sit up and work with the bag tightly wrapped around my chest just beneath my arms. The material does take on a worn look where the velcro or my feet rub it, it hasn't worn away yet though (10 yrs). I didn't know they had sourced another manufacturer, thanks for that.
Many years ago I used a Buffalo super bag, it has a central zip and is designed to be used with either an inner bag or their Buffalo clothing, however I used mine on its own with maybe just a liner and found it quite comfy. It doesn't pack down too small though, but then neither does the Golden Eagle.