Okay, now that you've posted photos, your problem is obviously that you have crap bars. This is common problem with "ergo" bars - it bends sharply away from the lever below the hood. More traditional round bars have a more constant bend that, depending upon exactly where you place the levers, maintains a somewhat constant distance to the lever blade or even comes slightly closer. So-called compact drops are not necessary as a solution to this problem. Nor are longer brake levers. The solution is to use good bars with a bend that works for your hands and brake lever design. There's nothing wrong with the brake levers manufactured by the Big Three. That egregious bit of bent tubing pretending to be handlebar, on the other hand, is an affront to decency. And there are some pretty significant mechanical limits in how you can design a brake lever.