Ok, I am going to throw out my thoughts.
I like the idea of having a system regarding optics. Having an 8X or 10X pair of bino's is an absolute must. And I would say that this is where you should invest your money. It will be where you spend most of your time. The resolution from this power range of optics is by far in a different league in the higher end products. I was hunting Arizona with a friend (two weeks ago) who was using Leica 12X HD bino's and I handed him my Leica 8X HD's and he was astonished at how much more crisp, bright and clear the 8X's were. Fine Firearms
http://gunssandiego.com/ would lend me a 12X pair of Leica's every hunting season; when I purchased my 8X HD's I never borrowed the 12X's again. Don't spare a dime on your staple glass.
The 12X and 15X bino's on the high end products (Leica & Swaro) are definitely amazing but by no means are they a substitute for a quality spotting scope. The key to using a spotting scope for long periods of time is to use them on their lowest power setting. I have a Leica 77 Televid with a 20X-60X eyepiece. It rarely leaves the 20X setting. If you truly want to pick apart the landscape, a high end spotting scope is key when looking into distant areas. I agree with Snake Charmer that having the high power bino's are essential to have in your quiver but I now believe they fill the gap between the staple bino's and the spotting scope. To me, they are the last purchase of the three.
The bottom line, glass is important and should be where most of your hunting budget is spent. I am currently in the market for a 15X binocular but have not made up my mind what I want. I like the value of the Vortex, I like the price of the discontinued Swarovski 15X but I am also looking at the Leica 15X Geovid HD. The Leica Geovid's weigh the same as the Swarovski's but are a better bino across the board. Problem is they over a 1/3 more in price.
Any thoughts?