having played with numerous devices, always looking for an acceptable inexpensive alternative, eventually i finally gave in and purchased a new ITT PVS-14/7 Pinnacle from a trustworthy dealer.

30-plus years of looking thru NVDs, even today the PVS14/7 is still be my first choice.

on a couple occasions a half dozen buddies have gotten together at night and tested a number of different units side by side. even better quality gen-2 models and a couple of foreign gen-3 models (russian, american, asian, etc) didn't do enough to make them worth owning. (gen isn't the only thing to consider, there's the quality of optics, field of view, magnification,features, batteries used, runtime, quality of imager, toughness, serviceability, customer service, et al)

due to the high cost of a PVS-14, some buddies ended up getting less-expensive used ITT Model 160. while it was far better than nothing, the 160 never seemed to satisfy anyone enough and a couple guys ended up eventually getting what they should have in the first place.

recently we played with a SiOnyx Auora. while a fun low-cost toy, it didn't cut it, nor did it seem to do what the ads and vids indicated.

oh yes, those "inexpensive infra red binocular or monoculars" didn't cut it either. btw, if using an IR light source, remember its like using a regular flashlight where closer objects appear overly bright (even blinding) and farther objects aren't illuminated well enough (if at all).

if serious about a PVS,this download PDF might be worth a read - PVS14 Buyer Guide