Meopta meopro hd vs meostar hd

[Valumpessa]

A few years ago while searching for a good set of binos I bought both of these in 10x42, with the intent of returning one. Meopro was about half the price but from what I read used the same Schott glass as Meostar. Had to compare for myself. I sat a couple evenings until dark reading street signs and picking apart tree branches 100 - 150 yds away, switching back and forth between the two. Keep in mind I'm a total optics novice, but I honestly could not tell difference in clarity or brightness. They were both amazing. Meopro was significantly lighter but Meostar had better ergonomics. In the end I couldn't justify the major price difference so back went the Meostars.

Fast forward to now, my #1 gripe after using the Meopros extensively are the eye cups. They have sharp edges that irritate under my eyebrows and upper cheeks when glassing for long periods.... and I wish I could remove the eye cups for cleaning like on the Meostars.

Are there any other major benefits you've experienced with one over the other, besides ergonomics?

The new Meopro HD Plus are looking like a promising upgrade right now...