Up to a $ 800 budget

For full and rounded, I use a tube Traynor YBA 200-2. I swapped out my pre AXs for ATs. I prefer the clean headroom.
If I'm going for deep with some sizzle, I use a ss GK 1001 RB-II. I chose the 1001 over the 700 for the extra headroom as well.
If I had to choose between the 2, I'd go with the GK for the versatility.

For $800, you might be able to afford both of those.
 
subway-d800-pls_format_head_front_highres.jpg
 
For $800 the world is your Oyster for the most part. My personal favorites right now are the Peavey Mini Mega, Gk MB800, or the Carvin BX1600. They all have enough power to play any gig. You would also have cash left over. Check out the Classified section here. There are lots of amps that will fit your needs there.
 
Ampeg PF800. This isn't SLM era. This is LOUD era and the quirks have been worked out.
QSC Bass Block 800. 800 watts out of something the size of a guitar pedal.
Both are under $800

But as has been said by many others. The world is your oyster. There are so many choices it isn't funny. Fortunately or unfortunately you need to get out there and try them out. IMHO, most product videos are made by slap-happy bassists who like to show how bright and clean the amp can get instead of showing us how low it can go and sound while doing it.
 
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Mesa subway d-800+

Mic drop....

*picks mic up*

GK MB-800

*sets mic down gently because they are expensive*

:D


But really there are tons of great amps in your price range, even more so if you look used. Just go to a few stores and try out as many as you can.
 
if I had an $800ish budget to spend on a head and already had my current head (hartke LH500), i'd probably also go with a mesa subway. a really nice and very different tone than my LH500 has.

if i was starting from scratch with no head, i'd probably get a GK MB fusion 500 Gallien-Krueger MB Fusion 500-Watt Ultra Light Hybrid Micro Bass Head or if i needed more power, either a hartke LH1000 which sounds great and gets LOUD or a GK MB800, which has to be the ultimate solution if you're looking for power and extreme portability.

what would work for you is a totally different story... i'd suggest you get the PF800, which sounds great and doesn't have many reports of unreliability - that's the PF500. the PF800 is an awesome head.
 
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