Maven 9x45 or 11x45

[Aaronjazek]

Looking for some advise from those that have used both of them, is one more preferred?

 

[cacklercrazy]

Looking for some advise from those that have used both of them, is one more preferred?

I thinking about the 10 x 50 b6

 

[Aaronjazek]

My problem is thinking too much.. I guess someone needs to chime in that has handled them all. I definitely want a b series.. Curious how much better their b.5 line is

 

[HighCountryArcher]

I haven’t ever handled the 8’s but the 11’s are really nice. I know a lot of guys that prefer 8’s but I personally haven’t used the maven 8’s. The NL 8x32 is really nice though in that magnification which know isn’t the same but I’ve personally been behind those.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Mountainrancher]

I have the 9x45 and couldn’t be happier. Honestly don’t think you’d notice much difference

 

[rideold]

I had both the 11x45 and the 12x50 in my hands for a week. I found the 11x45 to be front heavy and larger than I liked to carry in a bino chest pack. I still use the 12x50's as my only bino a year and a half later. I returned the 11x45's. Optically I didn't find there to be a noticeable difference between the two.

 

[Aaronjazek]

Thanks everyone for chiming in

 

[mikkel318]

I've also had the 9x45s for a while. I feel no reason to upgrade after quite a few deer and elk hunts.

 

[renagde]

I had the 11x45s for a while before going with something else. Carried fine in a variety of medium sized bino harnesses. Eye relief for me was fine and the glass quality is amazing for the price. I think a lot of people like the 9x45 for the wider field of view but that never bothered me with the 11s. For the record, I never handled them side by side.

 

[nobody]

I had the 11’s for a few months this summer. Incredible color fidelity, superb edge to edge, and I really WANTED to love them. But they were super finicky to get focused and required a lot of fiddling to get the image just right. Then, once it was focused, it had super shallow depth of field and required constant adjustment to get focused right.

I sold them and jumped into a pair of 10x50 B6’s and am infinitely happier. The 9x is the gem of the B2 line, but I believe the B6 is the current crown jewel of all of maven’s offerings. Physically the same size as most x42 binos, wide field of view (for an x50 configuration), and unbelievably bright in low light. Plus the great color fidelity and contrast and edge to edge that the B2 has. So all the good of the B2, none of the bad, plus some extra goodies in the B6. It’s a win all the way around.

 

[Aaronjazek]

I had the 11’s for a few months this summer. Incredible color fidelity, superb edge to edge, and I really WANTED to love them. But they were super finicky to get focused and required a lot of fiddling to get the image just right. Then, once it was focused, it had super shallow depth of field and required constant adjustment to get focused right.

I sold them and jumped into a pair of 10x50 B6’s and am infinitely happier. The 9x is the gem of the B2 line, but I believe the B6 is the current crown jewel of all of maven’s offerings. Physically the same size as most x42 binos, wide field of view (for an x50 configuration), and unbelievably bright in low light. Plus the great color fidelity and contrast and edge to edge that the B2 has. So all the good of the B2, none of the bad, plus some extra goodies in the B6. It’s a win all the way around.

That is the reason I made this post. I've heard the focus thing from many people, and for an odd reason I haven't heard it with the 9x45.. I've been looking for a set of used b6, closest thing is either the 9x45, 11x45 or some b.5 12x56 but I don't put binos on a tripod, but you can see just about as far as the eye can see. Just a big toss up

 

[nobody]

That is the reason I made this post. I've heard the focus thing from many people, and for an odd reason I haven't heard it with the 9x45.. I've been looking for a set of used b6, closest thing is either the 9x45, 11x45 or some b.5 12x56 but I don't put binos on a tripod, but you can see just about as far as the eye can see. Just a big toss up

Even a Maven Rep told me that was the case over the phone. She referred to the B2 as a “tinkerers bino” and admitted that it’s just inherent to the design.

FWIW, I would NEVER buy the B5 as a handheld or chest bino. Way too big and heavy. If you won’t use a tripod, 10x or less is your friend. You’ll see more if you shake less holding binos than if you have a bigger mag heavier bino.

Again, buy the 10x50 B6. The perfect western hunting chest bino pound for pound.

 

[Dos Perros]

I prefer the 9x45 over the 11x45. The only place the 11x45 shines over the 9 is looking at detail during last light. So I guess depends on your use case. Most use cases will prefer the 9's.

 

[Aaronjazek]

I'll likely go with those, I'm in the new mexico desert, do a little hunting in the mountains..

 

[Aaronjazek]

I'm sure the 9s would be just fine, just wanted the extra to see a little farther is all. I'm going to look into the b6

 

[SouthernCharm]

I have the 11*45 and they are finicky compared to my leica 8*42. The main issue is that I MUST wear my glasses for the mavens compared to the Leica. I called the company several times and we tried several things until one rep told me to keep my glasses on to see if that corrected my vision focus issue, it did. My eyesight is not very conducive to the mavens. With that said, I still have and use them in that 500-800 yard range looking for blacktails in the clear cuts.

 

[Aaronjazek]

I wear glasses as well, I think I'll just hold off until I see some b6

 

[Mountainrancher]

I'm sure the 9s would be just fine, just wanted the extra to see a little farther is all. I'm going to look into the b6

Spent a little time yesterday with a buddies b6 12x50 and was very impressed. I won’t get rid of my b2 but if I was in the market I would probably lean towards the b6 10x50

 

[Hoodie]

If you’re going B2, I’d recommend the 9x45. It’s a stellar optic. I also had the 11x45 briefly and noticed the shallow depth of focus. It’s a non-issue in the 9x model.

The 10x50 B6 is also amazing. I loved that binocular. Optically it’s extremely similar to the B2, but the colors are a bit less saturated to my eye. A little bit whiter color cast. Great form factor though and almost certainly the best 10x50 in its price range.

Can’t go wrong with the 9x B2 or the 10x B6.

 

[43.6N]

I have used the 9x45 since 2021 and have had a great experience.

Use case has been Archery centric. With recent adventures into NRL, and late season mule deer rifle hunting. Outdoorsman stud installed without issue. And frankly, when I’m really trying to be lightweight, I’ll often skip a spotter because the Binos on a tripod give me sufficient clarity to feel confident hunting without more magnification.

Biggest con is weight due to the prism geometry. They are large. But fit well in xl Kuiu pro harness with spacer.
I also wish the diopter would lock.

Biggest pro has been clarity, and light collection.
Example: Last week I was able to see feeding 4pt buck surrounded by does and forkies. Range ended up at 300 yards in broken vegetation about 15-20min before legal light. My friends 12x50 razor uhd needed 15 min more light before he could confirm the antler points I promised I was seeing.

This last month I spotted a bedded buck at a verified 1430yds. Ended up shooting him in the same bed.
A week later spotted a bedded cow elk on a depredation hunt at a verified 2860 yds in mixed Idaho sagebrush. Shot her in the same bed.
Both animals spotted with only the binoculars.

Durability has been stellar.
But last year I put a large dent in the right objective bell when I fell down a scree face. Warranty work was done fast and free.
One of the tubes fogged during a -20 glassing session when I got back to shelter. Again warranty was quick and free.
It was so cold that the paint on my kowa spotter actually splintered off the magnesium chassis.

Eye strain has never presented itself. Infact, I find that at the end of the day, when I can’t bear to squint through a spotter any longer, when I switch to the Mavens my eyes feel refreshed, and the headache from the spotter starts to get better almost immediately.

I’m curious to try the Swarovski NLP’s, but so far the maven B2 have been an excellent fit for me.