We grudgingly paid the price a pair of high-end binoculars over 15 years ago, but because they were so expensive, we hated to take them out in the field, especially where there was likely to be kids asking to look through them. My wife takes school groups on guided nature hikes and she's seen what clumsy young fingers can do, proving time and again that binoculars do not bounce or float very well. We thought we paid dearly for those high-end binoculars 15 years ago, which still work well, but we just weren't using them as much as they deserved, and that had a lot to do with the fact that if we had to replace them with the current model, they're now $2700!
So for about one tenth the cost of similar high-end binoculars, we bought a pair of Vortex Optics 12x50s, figuring it wouldn't be nearly as painful if an accident claimed them. What we did not expect was how well they to compare to the high-end binoculars, but they definitely do. Their depth of field is slightly less, but they have comparable light gathering, close-in focusing, ergonomics, and weight. Also the Vortex 12x50s came with an integral field harness/case. Considering cost versus performance, these are simply a very good deal for the money.
Bottom line: For one tenth the cost of high-end binoculars, you get way more than one tenth the performance, more like nine tenths plus.