In that price range there are a bunch of darn good choices. I looked at about everything at Cabelas last year picked the ZeissTerra's that we're better to my eyes than everything up to the Meostar and Conquest. The amount of information out there is pretty daunting - eyes are different enough that side by side comparison is the best method. I was looking for used alpha glass for about $700 and found that to be tough to find in my area. The Zen Ray, vanguard, Pentax, Vortex, and other ED glass is very clear and a lot of bang for the buck - I haven't looked through the newest Leupold or weavers but if you can compare them before you buy it would likely be worthwhile.
Like an earlier post indicated the birding sites have some of the best information. The difference between your old Steiners and the newest glass in your price range may surprise you. My old Pentax DCF's were great for 10 years but the Terra's that cost less new than those old Pentax were much sharper. All that binocular shopping can be hazardous - I ended up finding a deal on some new Swarovski 10x42 SLCs and now my son in law has the Terra's.
