Upgrading from 8x25 Alpen's - Better ~$500 option than Maven B.3 8x30?

[Hunt_Jefferson]

My wife has been using a tired pair of Alpen 8x25's for years and I wanted to surprise her with some nice glass for her birthday next month. I am willing to spend around $500 but she would be pissed if I bought $1000+ binos for her no matter how clear they are, so trying to stick to that budget. Plus pretty much anything will be a drastic upgrade from these things. More important than price is size/weight, she loves how light and compact they are so under 18oz and ~4.5"x4.5" size is the goal.

I have been doing lots of research on 8x30/32 binos and looking through old threads, and understand without testing a bunch in store it's hard to know which she will prefer but I have narrowed it down to a few options.

UPDATE: bought the Maven B.3's

#1 - Maven B.3 8x30 - $525 with free customization through the end of the month. Good glass and style points in the custom shop!

#2 - Leupold BX-4 - $475 includes chest harness. I really like my VX-3 scopes and they seem to get good reviews
#3 - Zeiss Terra ED - $400 but might not be as clear as the others?
Others:
Meopta seems to get good reviews but I am not as familiar with their offerings if anyone has a suggestion. MeoPro HD 8x32? (but is heavier at 21oz)
Vortex doesn't really seem to have something in this ballpark, Diamondback HD 8x32 is the highest model they offer in 30/32mm
I just got the Sig Sauer Rangefinding binos and like the glass, but the only compact model they have is the Zulu3 which again doesn't seem comparable.

 

[willfrye027]

She would be thrilled with the mavens. My wife and I “share” a pair of 8x30s and couldn’t be happier. I preferred them over the zeiss conquest (better than the terra ED) for ergonomics/weight although the zeiss had very slightly better optics.

 

[Detect]

another vote for B3 with free customization

 

[Rodéo]

I think you're on the right track with the b3's. Compared favorably in my view to 8x32 meostars. Free customization for a bday gift puts it over the top.

 

[Hunt_Jefferson]

Well hell, I left my computer on accidentally last night and she saw this thread. She loved the gift idea and the custom B3's, guess she's a keeper

 

[nobody]

Sounds like the decision is made! Maven's blow anything in their same price bracket out of the water without breaking a sweat. Lots of the time, they easily hang with stuff that costs 2-3 times as much because you're not paying the retail markup on the Maven. I love mine! Get her some and get you a matching christmas gift at the same time!

 

[Hunt_Jefferson]

The B.3’s are here and look really cool, should be a great unique gift. Said up to 4 weeks but they arrived in 9 days. I’ll do a comparison in mid-January as I need to hide them now...