That was about the only review I found on them comparing them to 80s and 85s. If I remember correctly it did pretty well against the competition. But just about every other review I see they compare the 77 to 65s. I've tossed around the idea of getting the 883 also, but it's a tad large for what I want.
Did the same comparison about 18 months ago with pretty much the same result. The view through both are exceptional - to my eyes the Kowa was slightly brighter with very neutral color, while the ATX was very sharp and more color saturated. At first glance I thought the ATX resolved a hair better but after further study it might have just been the color. If forced to choose on view alone I’d say the Kowa may have been a smidge better, but by a razor. However, I really liked the Swaros ergonomics and housing and really had a tough time dealing with that non-armored finish on the Kowa. I know one can buy a neoprene cover but the naked metal finish would feel ghoulish on a cold, misty mountain.
IIRC, people who've been behind both the Meopta S2 and Kowa 77 usually say image quality is comparable.
One thing to note on the kowas 60M series is this isn’t same eyepiece as 77 or 83. The 663 is not on same par as 77 due to lesser eyepiece.
That was my main source of info for this predicament. Ended up with the 774 after talking with the S&S guys. Super happy with it. Wish there was decent neoprene case for it though.
