I've often thought that although Nikon unquestionably have the knowhow to produce the very finest of optical instruments, the mid to upper mid market (the current day Monarch 5/7 and HG) has historically been Nikon's sweet spot in terms of binoculars. This was more or less the area the famous A and E series porros competed in, and even today's EII is a step down from eg. the Habicht in terms of weatherproofing and build quality. Competition at the alpha end of the market is incredibly intense - there are fewer offerings than the sub-alpha class, but also fewer buyers - and the competition are not only excellent at marketing but also superb optical manufacturers in their own right. Nikon vs Leica/Swarovski/Zeiss alphas remind me somewhat about Lexus vs the top Euro supercar manufacturers - Toyota's people were capable of producing a car like the LFA which, without a shadow of doubt, is amazing, yet most folks, if push came to shove, would rather a Carrera GT, or probably a Zonda etc. With regard to the EDGs specifically, it strikes me that their strongest points (focus feel, baffling) probably don't make themselves as immediately apparent as edge performance (SV), field of view (SF), colour rendition (Noctivid). Having had the opportunity to try all of them, I can absolutely understand why those that prefer the EDG do, but, excellent performer though it is, it isn't mine - and, it would seem, not popular with enough folks for Nikon to continue competing in that sector of the market.
NB. if you're a Nikon fan or even interested in optics, there are a couple of web links featuring visits to Nikon factories in
Hikari and
Tochigi that are most interesting reading. It amazes me that even with such a degree of precision manufacturing and, no doubt, quality control, sample variation still exists.