you are just parroting what you've heard. we get that. but are you really trying to say that talking to somebody about binoculars trumps hands on experience and actually using optics with our own eyes?
what your 'expert' didn't tell you is the B-3 (which the OP was asking about) starts @ $450, and you can return stock optics within two weeks for a full refund. (demo program)
Maven Demo Program but don't let facts stop you from humping your friends leg. you are on a roll...
I puchased a pair of B3's through the demo program. I told them my primary concern was eye relief for eyeglasses as their listed eye relief was short (it's actually surprisingly difficult to find 8x32 or 10x32 w/ at least 16mm eye relief). I was assured the eye relief was fine for glasses use, yes buy a demo pair to try, if you don't like them return them.
When I received them and used them I was impressed with them. My vision problems are minor and I was able to use the binoculars w/o my eyeglasses very effectively. I hunt with my eyeglasses on and taking them on and off every time I want to glass something isn't an option. Using my eyeglasses there wasn't enough eye relief. I kept them for a weekend, but they just didn't work for me.
As previously mentioned, I had been looking for a pair of 8x32's and had given up and decided to purchase a pair of 8x42's as most every model has adequate eye relief. Of the numerous binos I looked through I thought the Zeiss Conquest HD's seemed like the best binocular for the price to my eyes. Before I puchased the Zeiss, I read about the Mavens here and ordered a demo pair.
After looking through the Maven 8x32's I had decided that I would return them and get a pair of the 8x42's through the demo program to compare to the Zeiss. I was actually expecting I may like the Mavens better. Then I called Maven to let them know I was returning the 8x32's and see about ordering the 8x42's.
Their attitude was so $hitty when I told them I was returning the 8x32's I decided against ordering the 8x42's. The person on the phone starting telling me of different things I could do that would make the short eye relief work for me - "Have you tried tilting your head back a little and looking through the eye glass lenses a little lower?"
I told him that If I had to change the way I used binoculars in order to see through them, I didn't want them. I repeated what I had told him when I ordered the 8x32's that I couldn't find a pair with adequate eye relief and it wasn't just the Mavens. Incredibly, he snapped "You knew what the eye relief was when you ordered them."
I responded that I did, but reminded him that he had assured me that the eye relief would work for me and told me I would have no problems returning them if I did. I asked if there was a problem returning them now. After a long wait he asked if I still had the shipping label - I did. "Box them up and return them, anything missing or damaged you'll be charged for"
So no, I didn't order the 8x42's... I was impressed with their optics, highly unimpressed with the way they dealt with the return.
David
