Mesa Boogie Subway D800 or Markbass Little Mark 800

[BillyLebuA]

Hi everyone

I'm in the market for 800watts class D amp head. I have narrowed down my options to these two.
I tried searching some info in here, talkbass, I found some threads for both amps but didn't find anyone compared them.
So, Has anyone tried both amps?
What do you guys think as far as reliability, bang for the bucks and versatility?
What would you choose?



Thank you in advance guys!

 

[Gearhead17]

Both are good heads, but are you familiar with the Markbass tone overall? Tried/owned previous Markbass heads?

 

[mmbongo]

Have you seen the Mesa D800+ yet? Just a few bucks more than the Markbass and may have some extra features you want.

Of course I'm all about the regular D800 which is less than the Markbass, and that would be my choice by a longshot. Better sound, better quality, better warranty, made in the USA.

Here's the D800+ if you haven't seen it:

 

[MyMusic]

One difference is that the Mesa is a 2 ohm head while the Mark Bass is 4 ohm.

 

[Turn Em Loose]

I vote D800. But I'm kind of a fanboy.

That D800+ looks perfectly dreamy.

 

[Lowendtech]

Mesa Boogie. ........ Drops mic.

 

[Al Kraft]

I have nothing against Markbass gear, but it's not a sound that excites me. Mesa gear on the other hand is inspiring to play for me...I guess it's now obvious how I voted.

 

[BillyLebuA]

Both are good heads, but are you familiar with the Markbass tone overall? Tried/owned previous Markbass heads?

I have never owned any markbass head before but i have played thru on some of my gigs. I'm familliar with the control but the VLE and VPS knobs are still mysterious to me.

 

[Al Kraft]

I have never owned any markbass head before but i have played thru on some of my gigs. I'm familliar with the control but the VLE and VPS knobs are still mysterious to me.

They are simply voicing filters or a type of EQ. The Vintage Loudspeaker Emulator is a shelving type filter/EQ that cuts an increasingly wider range of high frequencies as you turn it up and the Variable Preshape Filter is pretty much a mid scoop/high and low frequency boost EQ control. I may not have that nailed perfectly, but it's close. From my experience they work well in terms of their design intent.

 

[CatSquare]

If I were a betting man, I'd put my life savings on TalkBass recommending the Mesa over the Markbass.

 

[Al Kraft]

If I were a betting man, I'd put my life savings on TalkBass recommending the Mesa over the Markbass.

It's tough to beat great sound/tone, US made, outstanding customer service and a 5 year transferable warranty...so I certainly wouldn't bet against you!

 

[Lowendtech]

The Mesa wins because.........

 

[Jared Lash]

I've had both of these (and other from Markbass - LM II, LM III and Big Bang) and I greatly prefer the tone of the Mesa.

 

[BillyLebuA]

Could it pair up with any cabs? Or mesa subway cabs are recommended?
I have 2 TC electronic rs112 cab 8ohm tho

 

[Jared Lash]

Could it pair up with any cabs? Or mesa subway cabs are recommended?
I have 2 TC electronic rs112 cab 8ohm tho

The new Mesa cabs are nice but so far I've liked the D800 with all the cabs I've tried it with. Right now I use it primarily with a pair of Baer 112s or a Baer 212.

 

[Lowendtech]

Could it pair up with any cabs? Or mesa subway cabs are recommended?
I have 2 TC electronic rs112 cab 8ohm tho

Sure. I have 2 Baer ML112's, a Berg AE210 and a Barefaced Retro Two10. They're all great with it. Just different flavours of awesome.

 

[alaskaleftybass]

Have you tried the Gallien Krueger MB-800 or MB Fusion 800? How about the Ampeg PF-800?

I think either of those deserve a try anyway. GK is one of the most popular amps in the industry for good reason. And Ampeg tone is legendary.

 

[StayLow]

I own & regularly gig & record with several Mesa amps & cabs, D800 included, and several MarkBass amps (not the LM800 but I do have an LMII and Big Bang which I believe are similar).

IMO it might come down to features for you. The sonic difference, especially in a band mix, is far less than more. Both have Class D power modules, similar EQ (D800+ has more EQ features, which you may or may not care for), the Mesa "Voicing" and the MarkBass "VPF" aren't radically different. I'm much more likely to use MarkBass' "VLE" function than Mesa's "Deep" swtich, and I very much like the option of 1/4" speaker outs on the MarkBass (Mesa is SpeakOn only). Build quality ... my LMII is over a decade old and has been through a LOT while not at all babied and it still rocks hard with never an issue. Neither brand is known for being problematic.

MarkBass was once the flavor of the day here, currently it's Mesa and it looks like Darkglass is on deck. Nature of the talk-beast. Flip a coin? Base your decision on looks? Mesa is much easier to reach for customer service if you're in North America.

Good luck!

 

[1954bassman]

Having owned a Little Mark III and then selling it after I got a D800, of course I voted for Mesa. But it is really a personal taste decision. Perhaps a better alternative to the Mesa would be a Genzler Magellan.

 

[NeonVomit]

Depends what kind of tone you're after, but in all areas you mentioned it has to be the Mesa. The 800w @ 2ohms plus the ability to switch between pre- and post-eq on the XLR out is a big one.