At Fremont Peak State Park, near San Juan Bautista, California, on the night of July 19-20, 1996, I observed M110 in a 7x35 binocular. Sky transparency was good but the night was not as dark as it can get, for there was no fog in the valleys and on the coastal plain below. I had been observing for several hours before I thought to pull my Tasco wide-angle 7x35 (the model that has been selling for $29.95 at Sears lately) out from under the front seat of my car, where I can grab it hastily for bird-watching surprises. It took a moment to acquire M110, but once seen I could hold it steadily with averted vision. I had several larger instruments on hand to verify position, and used them for the sake of form but there was no doubt that I was seeing it. M32 and M31 were of course even more obvious at the same time.
Patrick Moore has reported never being able to see M110 in binoculars. I suspect his problem merely has to do with English light pollution.