Yet to find a really great saddle, but all the bearable ones to me have sort of a flat profile betwixt the sit bones. I am a beanpole with narrow hips. My favorite of a dozen saddles I have ridden is a fizik arione CX, see flat sitting area and clearance for the legs in front. Pretty firm for riding w/o a little padding though.
Some (cheap ones especially) are convex all the way front to back, like sitting on a cylinder. Like this one:
http://tfe.me/image/480_345/SA0585.jpgWhy put more pressure on the scranus than necessary?
Cutouts are rarely comfortable to me, but haven't tried any quality ones. Supposedly men can get pregnant from using women's saddles.
Shape seems to matter a lot more than firmness.
