Mostly I use Swarovski, but my wife chooses Nikon Monarch 7 binoculars. Price had no impact on her choice. The Nikons Monarch series are actually quite good. My wife simply likes the way they fit her and she likes their light weight.
I have bought some Nikon Monarch 5 binoculars for gifts recently. They run under $300 and I believe that they are the best buy on the market. Bird watchers are very serious about binoculars and many of then use the Monarch 5, or the Monarch 7 if they can afford the extra couple hundred dollar delta.