Anyone who's been riding for more than a few years has run into a tire that is extremely tight going on. For me it was Michelin Carbons. Oh Lord those were absolutely in-freaking-sane. I swore off Michelins for many years. But as others have stated, it was likely a "bad batch" that just fit tighter than usual. I also had a set of Conti 3000's that wore very poorly, <800 miles and threads were showing through all around on both tires. I didn't quit all Conti's. I was pissed cuz those were expensive. But I've been on Conti 4-Seasons for a few years now and have had good experiences.

BTW, the Spec Armadillos fall into the same category as Gatorskins. Both are built to stand up to many miles and are more resistant to puncture, hence their catchy names. I would agree that Marathons would be a good candidate for your needs too. They are heavier tires for a reason.