Anyone have any hands-on with the Shellback tactical Banshee 3.0?

I'm in the market for a plate carrier and I'm at a toss up right now between a CPC from Crye Precision and a Banshee from Shellback tactical. I had the chance to try on a CPC with about 30 pounds of plate and comm+med gear on it and I was blown away by how it felt compared to my current rig. The guy who owned it did mention that he had some third party shoulder pads but I cant remember from where exactly he got them. My ONLY gripe was how long it takes to don/doff the damn thing, I understand that it's a big heavy piece of kit and it wasn't built with that as a priority, but throwing my rig on and running to a bunker is something I do bi-weekly. That's how the Banshee 3.0 caught my attention with the quick release buckles on the cummerbund. As far as I can tell its a larger carrier with weight distribution and extended wear times kept in mind like the CPC, but those quick release buckles really tickle me in the right places. Only down-side is price, holy shit are they proud of that thing at around 415$; I'm absolutely fine with that price as long as its going to last.

I haven't seen or heard anything bad about Shellback stuff, but the quick release buckles on the Banshee 3.0 worry me a bit. Never owned or had any hands on experience with shellback tactical stuff. I'm not going to be scaling mountains or jumping with the carrier, but on the off chance I break one of the clips down range I'm gonna look like a dipshit while I wait for a new buckle. If anyone could speak on the feel or durability of the QR buckles I would greatly appreciate it before I sink the cash on it.
I understand I could just opt for the banshee 2.0 without the buckles but at that point I'm just going to go with the tried and true CPC.

If anybody has had the chance to wear both a banshee and CPC and could throw some comments my way that would be kick ass.

I have zero experience with Crye plate carriers (only worn the uniforms) or the Banshee "3.0".  BUT I do own the Banshee elite 2.0 and while I love it there were two things that I had to add/fix.  
1. The nylon shoulder straps - I had to adjust it to my body and then tape the straps in place so they would not loosen over time.  (shoulder pads are awesome though)

2. I added BDS tubes (blaze defense systems) so I could have QD donning and doffing. (highly recommend anyone to add these to their rig)

I'm sure the quality will be the same on the 3.0 vs 2.0 if not better.  The admin pocket is nice and holds what one would expect it to hold, the integrated mag pouch cummerbund on the other hand isn't really ideal for mags as they are impossible to get to (2nd/3rd pouch).  I have one mag on each side (furthest forward pouch) and then I use the middle pouch for a knife, TQ, or similar items.  The shoulder QD clips are a little bulky, but I've had zero issues so far with shouldering my rifle or engaging a target.

I would recommend the the Shellback Flap Sac, freaking love that thing.

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I'd go with the CPC or an MBAV-cut AVS with cummerbund soft armor inserts if you need soft armor for frag protection. I'd also strongly recommend an AXL AVP placard adapter -- I've got them on my JPC and JPC2.0 and they're quite excellent. I don't think  the Shellback carrier is at all in the same league.

Shellback's stuff is solid. I've gotten alot of use out of an original Banshee, w/ Beez CombT Systems skeletal cumber wt FS tubes.

But I'm not crazy about the design of the 3.0.  Those buckles are not tubes, and those mag pouches in the cumber would be next to useless.  So, though well-made, I'd not want it.

Crye's stuff is also bomb proof.  So maybe that, with an AXL or Blaze FS tubes adapter for the cumber.

I'm with ya on quick-don/doff, every fucking PC on the planet should be that way these days.

Thanks for the writeup boss I like your kit and rifle setup, and glad to hear your 2.0 is holding up well for you. Really like the price point and quality that I am hearing about shellback stuff, I definitely want to get some kit from them when I have the need for it. Crazy enough I just stumbled upon the BDS quick release conversion kits a couple hours after I posted this thread and really liked what I'm seeing and hearing about them.

I found out my unit can get below commercial pricing on Crye Precision stuff so I think that's the route I'm gonna go. I'm definitely going to get a QR kit from Blaze Defense and see how it works with the CPC cummerbund when it arrives, ill update this thread when possible.

I completely agree, worn my fair share of different IOTV's and Tactec's. Tactec's arent bad per say, but once you put any kind of external load on them they start to piss you off. After putting on a CPC the Tactec feels like a bad joke. Just the ventilation of the CPC is worth the switch alone.

I just found out about the Blaze kit the other day after posting this thread, going to order one here in a couple hours.

The fact of putting your shit on the perfect way every time (and in a hurry) and not having to fuck with it throughout the day, in addition to having more rigging options for kit because only one side of you PC has to come apart, I cant see why anyone wouldn't benefit from it IMO.

Not req to wear soft inserts as of right now, but that could change very soon with what happened last night in Gaza coupled with the frequency of attacks increasing recently. I think the shellback definitely has its place, but for my usage schedule and climate I'm gonna go for the CPC.

You won't regret it, it's an excellent carrier.

Been using an original Banshee for 10 years, work and play, no issues with it. I added some HSGI shoulder straps and the quick release front buckles along the way.

The answer to a "Crye vs ____" question is pretty much always automatically going to be Crye, unless that blank is something like First Spear.

I have come to slowly realize there is rarely anything that can compare with top names in the industry, despite what keyboard commandos spread around the internet. I was just slightly concerned as they haven't changed/updated the CPC in a little over 10 years now if my memory doesn't fail me. They addressed the concerns with the JPC by releasing the JPC 2.0, and I was just hesitant to turn a blind eye to other options. I figured I would throw it out there for some input on the shellback, seems like a great company.

I fully stand behind the motto of "if it ain't broke" and that's probably why the CPC hasn't changed in so long, its design was ahead of it's time. But I also believe there is always room for improvement/innovation, hence my topic. I'm sure now that I put one on order CP is going to release a CPC 2.0 but that's how it goes.

Even an Agilite K19?

Don't know, just asking because that's what I went with.

Yup, I don't think the K19 is especially interesting or compelling compared to the options from Crye, Velocity, LBT, Eagle, First Spear, Tyr, or other top-tier US manufacturers

They've not updated the CPC or Cage armor chassis more-or-less because they don't update designs much once they release them -- it's quite excellent, but it has some dated elements like the use of acrylic stiffeners instead of tegris that make it a bit heavier than it needs to be.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding the implication here but personally, I first heard of all those brands by asking guys I met overseas or at a course, "Hey who makes that cool vest/ruck/etc".

The only social media I'm on is...AR15.com.

He's saying that Agilite has a very strong social media presence. Don't get me wrong, they make good stuff, but they're sitting in a price range where there's other stuff that's better.

Amen to the word of mouth "I bought it with my own money and Hate/Love it and here's why" opinions. Hard pressed to find stuff like that nowadays.

Not to confuse matters more but Shellback is having a huge sale right now. I ordered the Skirmish PC. Heard they are GTG!