Mine felt amazing right from the get go and have been great to date. I have put superfeet insoles in them now but didn’t at first and don’t believe it made much of a difference at all.
A couple days ago a buddy and I put 12x swaro EL’s, meopta B1 plus, and a pair of Zeiss all side by side on tripods. All binoculars seemed to have areas where they out performed the others and I think a lot would come down to your personal preference between them. If you have the opportunity...
I’ve got a nova grade double gripper. It works better on a spotter than my meopta bino’s but still good on them. It comes with multiple rings for different diameters of eye cups and should fit any phone I believe.
No scratches and I do not see any imperfections. I’ve always kept the rubber lense covers on while in the fully enclosed bino harness. No damage or drops either.
Bought some of the Sitka 3/4 puffy pants and used them in 2nd and 3rd season this year and am very glad I did. I carried them everyday and honestly for the minimal room and weight they put in my pack and the warmth they provided while glassing they will always be in there for later season hunts.