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Message: <blockquote data-quote="CharleyBird" data-source="post: 1575309" data-attributes="member: 75824">It's interesting how the discussion about ranking quality bins parallels the world of pianos, from the angst about durablility when buying Chinese/Far Eastern products, the use of non-European quality parts, the different quality(sound/view) of models produced by one manufacturer, down to the fact that some people's ears/eyes simply prefer one model's or manufacturer's sound/view over anothers.One comment that I've taken to heart about pianos is that, in these days of the gobal economy when anyone can buy in the best components to build a piano, what becomes increasingly important in a Tier One piano is the quality of build and finish.  You can rarely use a manufacturer to blanket-describe a Tier One product.  Also, price is only an indicator that the product is likely to be of Alpha quality.I'd go along with FrankD's definition as the best, that an alpha binocular is an optical instrument significantly above average with respect to optic and build quality.When it comes to Nikon for example, their EDG models probably qualify as alphas, but not some other models.Pianists waste a ridiculous amount of time discussing the ratings of brands and their models given in Larry Fine's "The Piano Book", which has annual supplements where small ranking changes of instruments in tiers and sub-tiers can provoke traumatic debate.  God forbid anyone ever publishes "The Binocular Book" o<img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite8" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":D" /></blockquote>

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