If you don't mind carrying around a couple of extra ounces I think that the Brunton Lite Tech bino's are every bit as clear as my Leupold Cascade, and Nikon Monarch binoculars. I can't really speak to their longevity as I have only had them for a year, and they have only made one real rugged trip (elk hunting in Colorado), but they do have a limited lifetime warranty. They usually sell for around $100-$150.
Other than that I would make the jump to the Leupold Cascades, or the Nikon Monarchs.....from there you can really make a jump to the gold ring Leupold's, Zeiss, and Swarovski's.