badger1

I wondered that too, GG, though tbh I didn't do any before/after measuring -- mainly because of course I wasn't expecting this upgrade. It was a complete surprise.

However, on reflection I'm pretty sure actual stack height above the headtube is the same, or within a very few mms. Might actually be around 1 or 2 mms, which you can see in the 'gap' between the bottom of the shroud and the actual headtube, which iirc is very, very slightly greater than the gap was with the stock cartridge. I was actually in my lbs today and looked closely at a 2020 Roubaix Expert: same cartridge/shroud, and that gap is virtually identical, so I expect that's where that very small difference is.

In any case, I still have my preferred slight saddle-bar drop of around 2 cms. I think the main reason for the perceived height difference is the damper knob perched on top; it is itself a good centimetre tall.

BTW, your brake upgrade is pretty much what I'm thinking, though still considering going with Ultegra flat-mount calipers with Ice-Tech and XT levers.